OnePlus is bringing its latest mid-range tablet to the US, releasing the OnePlus Pad Go 2 over here for $399.99. The slate hits the sweet spot for basic browsing and studying — including a select deal right now between a free folio case and stylus (for a limited time) while piling on some other buyer incentives, mostly to get you in the buying mood.
Pricing and availability details for the United States
The Pad Go 2 is available to purchase through the company’s online store for $399.99. Early buyers can choose a free accessory at checkout — either a folio case for protection or a stylus for notes and sketches — in an offer that ends Dec. 31. The discount for students is 10% off; accessories are 30% off when you buy the tablet as a bundle — listed values already include these discounts — and there’s a guaranteed $30 trade-in credit available to “trade in any device, in any condition.” That brings the effective entry price down to below $370 even if you’re cursing and sending them something drawer-bound.
Key specs and first impressions of the Pad Go 2
At the center of the Pad Go 2 is a 12.1-inch display with a fan-friendly 120Hz refresh rate — uncommon at this price, and it’ll make a significant difference for smooth scrolling and responsive stylus input. A set of quad speakers juggles true stereo sound no matter the orientation (great for streaming your favorite shows or a YouTube marathon sans headphones).
It’s powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 7300 Ultra and has a combination of 8GB of RAM and so on. It’s all tuned for everyday performance: seamless video streaming, multitasking with notes or email, and even casual gaming that benefits from the fast refresh rate. Heavy 3D titles and pro-grade video editing aren’t poised to be its lane, but that’s not the brief here.
For software support, OnePlus is making an unusually strong claim for this price point: five years of Android version updates and an extra year of security patches. (For perspective, long-tail updates are a significant criterion in longevity and resale value, and up until recently many midrange Android tablets wilt after 2–3 OS generations.) The benefit of having an optimized-for-quickly-finding-apps split screen, app dock, and floating windows (things that matter way more on tablets with their bigger screens) cannot be overstated.
How it compares in the midrange tablet segment
From the Android camp, there’s a cheaper but more constrained display experience (and less long-term updates) at play with the Galaxy Tab A9+, say. Amazon’s Fire Max 11 is among the cheapest options for media consumption, but relies on the Amazon app ecosystem and usually lags behind in performance/experience/apps compared to full Google Play devices.
The most direct competition cross-platform is Apple’s budget-minded iPad, which tends to hit the sale range of between $349 and $399 relatively often. Apple still has the upper hand in the tablet-optimized apps and accessories realm, but that model uses a 60Hz screen, and usually tacks on the costs for a keyboard or stylus. The Pad Go 2’s 120Hz panel and included accessory promo provide a strong value story for media consumption, and note-taking tasks if you already live in the Android world.
Research firms like IDC have reported a surge of interest mid-pandemic in larger-screen, budget-friendly tablets as households pick up secondary devices for streaming, remote learning, and light productivity. The Pad Go 2 is made in response to that demand: a big, glossy screen, loud speakers, and some support life without heading up into premium price points.
Who should consider buying the OnePlus Pad Go 2
People who spend their time with reading, video, web, and taking notes on this thing will get the most out of it. If you draw or mark up PDFs, grab the stylus as your freebie; if you shovel tablets into a backpack every day, the folio case is the wiser pick. Throw in the guaranteed trade-in and bundled accessory credits, and this thing bops down to an even lower effective price.
A higher-tier chipset, with a design that puts the keyboard first and that replaces your laptop or powers more demanding creative workflows better, may serve power users best.
For everyone else, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 arrives as a considerately media-first tablet that unites a buttery 120Hz display with long software backing and launch perks that are somewhat bonanza for the midrange.