The Realme Pad 2: A Solid Multimedia Companion with Notable Upgrades
Realme’s foray into the tablet market has been slow and steady. While they’ve only released two tablets so far, the Realme Pad 2 builds upon the strengths of its predecessor, offering significant improvements in performance, design, and functionality. Priced at Rs. 19,999 for the base variant with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, the Realme Pad 2 is a compelling option in the sub-Rs. 20,000 tablet segment, particularly due to its inclusion of LTE connectivity – a feature rarely found in budget tablets. Let’s dive into the details to see if the Realme Pad 2 delivers on its promise and ultimately stands out as a great value proposition.
Realme Pad 2: A Closer Look at the Price and Design
The Realme Pad 2 comes in two variants: the entry-level model at Rs. 19,999 with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage and the top-of-the-line variant with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for Rs. 22,999. Both versions offer LTE connectivity as standard, justifying the price increase compared to the older model.
Design-wise, the Realme Pad 2 is available in two vibrant colors: Imagination Grey and Inspiration Green. Targeting the youthful demographic, the green variant stands out as a refreshing choice, although its aesthetic similarities to the Oppo Pad Air in terms of materials might raise a few eyebrows.
The tablet features a metal frame with flat sides, complemented by a polycarbonate insert that covers roughly a quarter of the rear surface. This insert houses the antennas for radio communications and contributes to a sleek, minimalist design aesthetic. While the camera bump is noticeable, it doesn’t protrude excessively and doesn’t cause instability when the tablet is placed flat.
The perforations for the four speaker grilles add to the overall minimalist appeal and create a discreet look. The 11.5-inch LCD display with thin bezels and rounded corners seamlessly integrates with Realme’s user interface. The 7.2mm thickness adds to the sleek and premium feel.
The Realme Pad 2: Features and Software
Under the hood, the Realme Pad 2 is powered by a 6nm MediaTek Helio G99 SoC, a processor commonly found in budget-friendly devices, including the competing Redmi Pad. It supports Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.2, several LTE bands, and various satellite positioning systems. Unlike some tablets within this price range, the Realme Pad 2 lacks a headphone jack. However, it includes a SIM card tray accommodating one SIM card and one microSD card, supporting up to 1TB of additional storage. The tablet packs a massive 8,360mAh battery and is bundled with a 33W fast charger.
One surprising omission in the Realme Pad 2 is the absence of any secure biometric authentication. Instead of a fingerprint reader, it relies solely on 2D face unlock, which, while functional in most lighting conditions, falls short of offering reliable security.
On the software front, the Realme Pad 2 offers a significant improvement over its predecessor. It runs the full version of Realme UI – not a stripped-down “lite” version often seen in entry-level devices. Users can enjoy all the customization options familiar from Realme’s smartphones, along with some tablet-specific features. These include a bottom dock that displays pinned and recently-used active applications. However, this dock’s functionality is limited to the home screen and cannot be accessed within the interface or over third-party applications.
The Realme Pad 2 shines with its lack of bloatware – only a single preinstalled third-party app (Facebook) is included, which can be easily uninstalled. Additionally, Realme UI offers full touchpad support, enabling familiar trackpad gestures, and supports split-screen multitasking, allowing users to run two apps simultaneously alongside a pop-up window for a third app, effectively displaying three apps at once.
The Realme Pad 2: Performance and Capabilities
The Realme Pad 2 demonstrates remarkable multitasking capabilities for a budget-friendly tablet. It effortlessly handles up to five Chrome tabs opened simultaneously with the YouTube app displaying reels side-by-side in split-screen mode. While some lag may occur when scrolling long web pages, the tablet’s performance is largely commendable. The wide 11.5-inch display is perfect for content consumption and comfortably accommodates split-screen usage.
The Realme Pad 2 is Widevine L1 certified allowing users to enjoy full-HD video content from popular streaming platforms. Though the display’s sharpness isn’t the most impressive due to its resolution and size, the 120Hz refresh rate brings some improvements. However, the MEMC system can experience choppiness during scrolling or transitioning between apps and videos.
Benchmarking shows the tablet’s performance to be in line with budget smartphones within a similar price range. In AnTuTu, it scored 4,29,907 points, while Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests yielded 726 and 1,975 points, respectively. In GFXBench’s graphics tests, it managed 25fps (Manhattan 3.1), 55fps (T-Rex), and 15fps (Car Chase).
While the MediaTek Helio G99 isn’t a performance powerhouse, it delivers sufficient power for everyday tasks and proves suitable for casual gaming. Despite its 120Hz refresh rate, graphic-intensive games may encounter frame drops and stuttering. Games like Asphalt 9: Legends run smoothly at default settings with some occasional hitches.
The Realme Pad 2 offers an improved audio experience compared to its predecessor. The quad-speaker setup delivers louder and more immersive sound than the dual speaker system of its earlier version. The tablet supports Dolby Atmos, enhancing further the multimedia experience.
The Realme Pad 2 features a 5-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. As expected, the main rear camera offers basic image quality with below-average detail but closer-to-natural color reproduction. Textures appear flat, even in broad daylight, making the camera less suitable for photography than a smartphone camera at a comparable price point.
The front-facing camera, while delivering low detail and flat textures, excels in video calling, effectively managing background exposure and ensuring clear video calls.
The Realme Pad 2: Battery Life and Charging
The Realme Pad 2 boasts exceptional battery life for a budget tablet. In our standard video loop battery test, it achieved an astounding 26 hours and 13 minutes. With or without a SIM card, it can easily sustain heavy usage for two days and casual usage for three days, a remarkable feat for a slim tablet. The built-in LTE connectivity adds convenience, providing uninterrupted entertainment and communication on-the-go. Its larger battery capacity signifies a significant advantage compared to smartphones.
The included 33W fast charger delivers a 33 percent charge within 30 minutes and 62 percent in one hour, requiring approximately 1 hour and 36 minutes for a full charge.
Realme Pad 2: Verdict
The Realme Pad 2 carries forward the strengths of its predecessor, offering significant improvements. Its primary purpose remains media consumption, with the tablet’s strengths lying in its large display, powerful audio, and long battery life.
While the Realme Pad 2 adds valuable features like a high-refresh rate display, a powerful processor, and LTE connectivity, it falls short as a productivity device. The absence of keyboard and stylus support hinders its potential for more extensive use cases.
At Rs. 19,999, the Realme Pad 2 offers an exceptional value proposition in a segment lacking alternatives boasting similar features. Its closest contenders, the Redmi Pad and Oppo Pad Air, might be slightly cheaper, but they lack LTE connectivity and smaller displays and batteries.
Ultimately, the Realme Pad 2 proves to be an engaging and capable multimedia companion with notable upgrades. It’s a compelling choice for consumers looking for a budget-friendly tablet that delivers excellent media performance and extended battery life.
