Android tablets have had a rather colourful history within the consumer electronics landscape. Following their initial boom in popularity in the early 2010s, there was a considerable lack of any strong options in the years that followed, although the past half decade has paved the way for some impressive premium devices. That being said, this has also prompted countless manufacturers to launch more capable options, such as the new OPPO Pad Air5.
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Priced at around £250 when converted, the Pad Air5 (and it’s not-so-subtle branding) is aimed at the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Tab FE series, as well as newer contenders such as Xiaomi’s new line of POCO tablets, all of which fall within the midrange segment. While it is currently exclusive for buyers in China, the tablet manages to shine in some key areas in terms of its overall features which does make it a tempting option.
Up front, you’re getting a large 12-inch LCD screen, which should be ideal for daily usage such as content consumption as well as web and social media browsing, to name a few. It is decently sharp with a resolution of 2800×1980 pixels, and also features a 120Hz refresh rate. Brightness maxes out at 900 nits, which should work well enough for most scenarios, although outdoor visibility on the Pad Air5 might be a bit of a challenge under direct sunlight.
Inside, the tablet runs on MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 Ultra, a telltale sign of its midrange pricing. The Dimensity chips in general are capable performers though, the 7300 Ultra should be able to handle most games should you decide to have a bit of playtime on the tablet. This is also accompanied by 8GB of RAM, although there’s an option for a more beefy 12GB RAM model, with up to 256GB of internal storage as well.
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Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of the Pad Air5 is its battery, which comes in at 10050mAh and should easily last most users a day or more. It doesn’t charge too quickly however at just 33W, so you might have to a bit of waiting when charging given its massive battery capacity. You’re also getting a pair of 8-megapixel cameras for the front and back, and for software there’s ColorOS 16 onboard.
