I NEVER enjoy streaming videos on phones. I only do when it’s absolutely necessary, like when I’m out of town and I only have my phone with me to watch a game of my favorite NBA team. Television has always been my go-to platform when it comes to videos.
My next favorite? Through a tablet.
This is the reason why I carry with me a tablet whenever I go on a vacation or have an out-of-town coverage, just in case I get the urge to stream videos on Netflix or HBO or the NBA. It may not be as immersive as a 50” Smart TV, but at least the screen is larger than a smartphone’s.
This is the reason also why I jumped at the opportunity of reviewing realme’s latest tablet offering—the realme Pad 2, the second generation of the realme Pad that came out three years ago, now with an ambitious upgrade, refined software, faster performance and smoother display.
In a nutshell, the realme Pad 2 comes with an 11.5- inch LCD screen, Helio G99 chipset, 120Hz refresh rate, and 8.360 mAh battery with 33-watt fast charging.
Variants/Price
It has two variants, the realme Pad 2 in 6GB+128GB LTE, which has a SRP of P13,999, and its faster sibling, the realme Pad 2 8GB+256GB LTE (our review unit), which is sold for P17,990. Even the base variant alone gets you plenty of RAM and storage and LTE connectivity, hence delivering a solid experience all around.
Design/weight/display
The dual tone finish looks pretty cool, with its metallic finish adding to a premium hands-on feel. One drawback though is the weight at 518 grams, even though it’s got a fairly balanced weight distribution. The solution probably is to get a nice tablet support to make it stand.
The display is an 11.5-inch 2K (2,000 x 1,200) screen that supports up to 120Hz refresh rate. This is still an IPS panel with a 2k resolution, like the original realme Pad, although it brings some notable upgrades everywhere it matters. The 10 bit color depth is capable of producing over a billion colors and a crisp display that delivers plenty of sharpness and details for your content viewing pleasure.
For the best viewing angle, though, look at content from a perfect line of sight.
As for the audio, you get a set of quad speakers, with Dolby Atmos support here, which definitely can get loud. But, personally, I’m not a fan of tablets as your go-to audio source. Just get a separate Bluetooth speaker.
Performance
Powering the new tablet is the MediaTek Helio G99 chipset, which definitely is no slouch.
So everyday usage on relatively lightweight apps is pretty much smooth sailing. With casual usage of millennials on the go, who are always outside and like to travel; the entertainment junkie, who can’t get enough of social media content, videos, and/or books; and even kids or teens, who need a steady gadget for their online classes and videos and light games, multitasking between apps can be done without any worry with the realme Pad 2.
When checking of emails, browsing through social media, working on Google Docs, or listening to music on Spotify (the use of a Bluetooth earbuds is recommended), you won’t face any major performance issues throughout the day. With up to 8GB of onboard RAM, you’ll be able to switch between apps without problems, although it won’t be extremely fast, like a flagship smartphone.
Software
The realme Pad 2 has also optimized its memory management algorithm with the latest Android 13 Based on the UI 4.0, designed specifically for tablets.
This allows the UI to be more intuitive, with the same design layouts and features you’d find on a realme smartphone for added ease of use overall and navigation, meaning under casual usage, I could multitask between apps without any hassle.
Other features also include Split Screen, Floating Windows, Smart Sidebar, Reading Mode, Google Kids Space, Dual Window, and a new Dock Design.
Battery
Battery life is where the Realme Pad 2 really stands out, as its 8,360mAh battery is a huge upgrade over the 7,100mAh capacity of the first realme Pad.
Casual and moderate usage will net you 3 to 4 days on a single charge, even as the device’s standby time is outstanding as well, ensuring you won’t have to worry about the battery giving up on you.
Even with heavy usage (gaming and Netflix binging), the realme Pad 2 will bring you around eight to nine hours.
Charging time is also excellent as the bundled 33W charger takes roughly an hour and 50 minutes to fully charge the tablet.
Verdict
The realme Pad 2 is an excellent budget tablet that gets a lot of things right, such as its stunning design, nice display, dependable performance and solid battery life. At its price tag, it easily trumps its competition and that is enough of a reason, for you to get one.