Shortly after announcing the availability details of its flagship tablet, the OnePlus Pad 3, OnePlus has launched a budget alternative in India. The OnePlus Pad Lite, which debuted earlier this month in select markets, has now arrived in India. As the name suggests, this is a budget tablet, priced under Rs 20,000. While the OnePlus Pad 3 caters to the flagship audience with a higher price tag, the Pad Lite may appeal to students and budget-conscious buyers seeking a tablet for watching content.
This is also the first ‘Lite’ model in OnePlus’s tablet lineup, serving as a refresher in the brand’s budget segment following the launch of the OnePlus Pad Go (review) in India in October 2023, priced starting at Rs 19,999. What does the OnePlus Pad Lite have to offer, and how does it compare to the Pad Go and its potential rivals? Let’s take a look.
Starting with the display, the OnePlus Pad Lite features an 11-inch FHD+ LCD screen with a 90Hz screen refresh rate, a 180Hz touch sampling rate, and a peak brightness of 500 nits. The display features a 16:10 aspect ratio, which OnePlus claims helps minimise black bars in videos. It also brings OnePlus Eye Comfort technology, which helps reduce blue light and screen flicker to minimise eye strain.
While the specifications seem decent for its price, the product appears to fall short compared to what you can get for less. We’re talking about the Redmi Pad 2 (review), which has the same screen size but a higher 2.5K resolution, and peak brightness of 600 nits. It’s also priced lower at Rs 13,999. OnePlus Pad Lite price in India starts at Rs 15,999.
Under the hood, the tablet runs on the 6nm MediaTek Helio G100 processor. This is an upgrade over the OnePlus Pad Go’s Helio G99, featuring support for higher-resolution cameras, improved power efficiency, and enhanced battery life. While we can expect improvement in performance, we’ll still have to wait for our review for the detailed results. OnePlus also says that the tablet is designed to maintain smooth performance even after 36 months of regular use.
The OnePlus Pad Lite packs a 9,340mAh battery and supports 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging via a USB Type-C port. OnePlus claims the tablet will deliver up to 80 hours of music playtime or 11 hours of video streaming on a single charge. The battery capacity is not only larger than the OnePlus Pad Go’s 8,000mAh unit, but also exceeds the Redmi Pad 2’s 9,000mAh battery. The Redmi Pad 2 lasted around two days during our usage, which suggests you can expect a similar, if not better, battery performance from the OnePlus Pad Lite.
On the software front, the OnePlus Pad Lite ships with OxygenOS 15.0.1 pre-installed. You get several features, such as Open Canvas, a large-screen multitasking tool that allows you to run two apps side by side with adjustable window sizing. There’s Quick Share for Android and O+ Connect for file sharing with iOS and iPadOS. OnePlus smartphone users receive additional perks, including Screen Mirroring, which allows you to sync your phone directly to the tablet’s display. Clipboard Sharing and Shared Gallery also create a shared ecosystem across OnePlus devices. The tablet also offers a Kids Mode with parental controls for screen time, app access, and connectivity.
The OnePlus Pad Lite features a 5MP camera on both the front and back. It supports up to 1080P (FHD) video recording at 30fps. The tablet should suffice for your video calls, but don’t expect any photographic marvels with these specs.
The OnePlus Pad Lite is available in two variants, starting at Rs 15,999 for the Wi-Fi model with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Wi-Fi + 4G LTE variant features 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and it costs Rs 17,999. It will be available to purchase with an instant bank discount of Rs 2,000, a special launch discount of Rs 1,000, and no-cost EMI up to 6 months. The tablet will go on sale in Aero Blue colour starting August 1st via OnePlus.in, the OnePlus Store App, OnePlus Experience Stores, Amazon, Flipkart, Croma, and more stores.
Based on the specs and pricing of the OnePlus Pad Lite, it appears to be well-suited for students seeking a tablet for studying, taking notes, and other purposes. The tablet can also be a decent, budget-friendly option for your entertainment needs, such as streaming content on a larger screen. In a market chasing budget-first buyers, the Pad Lite has a tough fight ahead. However, OnePlus is relying on brand loyalty, ecosystem benefits, and a large battery to secure the win. Stay tuned for our review, where we put the OnePlus Pad Lite to test in benchmarks and real-world usage as well.
OnePlus Pad Lite Images
