OPPO just its newest budget tablet, and on paper, it’s shaping up to be a good one. The OPPO Pad SE is priced starting at PHP 9,999, and aims to be one’s reliable everyday entertainment, on-the-go learning, creativity, and even a gaming hub.
Design
Starting with the design, the OPPO Pad SE measures 7.39mm thick, and this Starlight Silver variant feels premium to the touch, though I still have to see if the surface easily scratches. As usual, you don’t get a headphone jack, but you do get quad-speakers.
The device comes in two display variants – one with a glossy display, and one with an Anti-Reflective Matte Display, which OPPO claims can cut up to 97% of light interference. I won’t be able to check how true that is, but this Glossy variant works just fine for media consumption. You get a 90Hz refresh rate, which I think is still okay for a budget tablet.
Performance
Performance wise, the device packs a Helio G100, which is to be expected at this price point. There’s 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which is a bit too low for my taste, even for a budget device, and 128GB of storage, which is just enough for my needs. As with other devices with a GXX/GXXX chip, you can expect good performance for light games, and around low to medium at most for more demanding titles.
Camera
The OPPO Pad SE has a 5MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Of course, don’t expect anything notable in terms of imaging performance, but these should be enough for your usual social media posts and maybe video calls.
Audio
For media consumption, the Quad Speakers on this tablet are actually better than I expected. You get a bit of low-end, good clarity on the vocals, and a fairly sparkly treble. In short, a good balance. Volume is okay, not the loudest we’ve heard, but it’s enough for personal use.
Software
The device runs ColorOS 15 on top of Android 15, and surprisingly, there’s very little to none of those pre-loaded apps or shortcuts that usually clutter the space. Performance-wise, the UI is snappy and smooth for most of the time I was testing it.
Battery
Then lastly, there’s the 9,340mAh battery, which should give you a good amount of uptime, depending on your use case, of course. We’ve yet to do some proper tests, but this should last at least a day or two with light to moderate use.
So, yes, we’ve yet to test out several things like its AI features, gaming, and cross-device connectivity, which lets you share files or even mirror your phone’s screen on the tablet. Exciting stuff, if you ask me. But so far, this is a pretty decent device for everyday entertainment, given the price.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
