From being a brand that only sells smartphones, realme has grown has been venturing into new product categories with every launch, exploring new markets and audiences, delivering innovative and quality products that cater to consumers’ needs while also boasting competitive price points.
For its upcoming launch, one of the products that has been gathering quite the chatter, is the brand’s first-ever tablet, realme Pad. With the shift to a work from home setup for a lot of people, having a device that works well for both entertainment and work/school has never been more important, and this product, if given the right price, may just be the sweet spot.
Specifications
| Display | 10.4″ WUXGA+, 2000 x 1200 |
| Processor | Helio G80 |
| RAM | 3GB, 4GB, 6GB |
| Storage | 32GB, 64GB, 128GB |
| Rear Camera | 8MP HD Camera |
| Front Camera | 8MP HD Camera (105° Wide-angle) |
| Software | realme UI for Pad (Android 11) |
| Battery | 7,100mAh (18W fast-charging) |
| Other Features | Bluetooth 5, Hi-Res Audio, Dolby Atmos, Reverse Charging |
| Colors | Real Gold, Real Grey |
What’s in the Box
Design and Build Quality
In a sea of curved sides, the realme Pad is a breath of fresh air with it flat sides with a matte metallic finish that make the tablet look very premium. At 6.9mm thin and weighing in at just 440 grams, it’s light enough to be held with one hand and easily fits into your bag.
The 10.4-inch display has a resolution of WUXGA+ or 2000 x 1200 pixels, which is slightly higher than 1080p. This means more pixels which allow for better detail as well as sharper text. You only get the standard 60Hz refresh rate – that’s hard to digest to if you’re used to high refresh rate displays. Animations are evidently not as smooth, but video content still looks good.
The bezels, while not exactly the thinnest, allow you to grip the tablet more effectively without accidentally tapping the screen. The front camera is also mounted on the side, which means the thinking is that this tablet will mostly be used on landscape.
realme has opted to keep the headphone jack, which mounted on the lower right edge when in landscape mode. Letting you hold the tablet comfortably and uninterrupted with both hands. There’s a USB-C port, two microphones, a microSD card slot, and four speakers complimented with Dolby Atmos support and Hi-Res audio certification. These can get really loud without suffering from distortion. They offer excellent clarity and decent low-end, possibly among the best I’ve heard from a tablet of this price range.
Performance
Under the hood is an Helio G80 SoC, which isn’t exactly the fastest mid-range chip out there, but has certainly proven itself as a reliable choice for a good balance of performance and efficiency. There’s also 3GB of RAM which should be enough for light day-to-day use. as well as 32GB of storage, which can be an issue if you have a large library of files. As such, realme Pad will also come in 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB versions.
Depending on what you’re playing, the realme Pad should be able to do a bit of gaming as well. Mobile Legends, for example, should run at Very High + HFR + HD or close to it with no issues. It is, however, expected to struggle with a more demanding title like Genshin Impact. We’ll be testing more games on our full review, so do watch out for that.
Camera
Tablets aren’t really known to be imaging giants like their smartphone counterparts, but that does not mean they cannot be of use. We’ll save the full evaluation for later, but at least I can say that this comes handy in case you don’t have your phone with you and you need to upload a quick social media update.
realme Pad’s 8MP front camera also offers a 105-degree wide viewing-angle, which is useful in video calls or for streaming if you’re into that.
Software
A new version of realme UI has been made just for the realme Pad. So far, i can say that it’s simple, clean and performance-wise, runs well. Unlike the last phone I reviewed with realme UI, this one does not come with a lot of bloatware, which is a good thing. Features-wise, it has most of the basics covered, but does not offer a lot of room for personalization.
We’re still testing these, but thanks to the integration on realme’s ecosystem of devices, you’ll be able to unlock the realme Pad using your realme Band/Watch. The Nearby Share feature lets you quickly transfer files between your phone and tablet. Auto-Connection allows your earphones can automatically connect to the tablet depending on its proximity, and now, you’ll be able to mirror what’s on your tablet’s screen to your TV.
We’ll let you know whether these features work well or not.
Battery
realme Pad packs a 7,100mAh battery and is also compatible with 18W quick charge and can do reverse charging. Thanks to the standard refresh rate on its screen, we can surely expect at least a full day of light to moderate use on this.
So far, the realme Pad ticks most of the boxes for a good affordable mid-range table. The flat design feels solid and premium, it offers good performance for media consumption, productivity, and even a bit of gaming, and the battery seems more than enough for long hours of use with fast-charging as a bonus.
We’d imagine that this tablet would also be of better use to those who have compatible realme devices that can harness the benefits of its connectivity features.
realme Pad is set to launch in the Philippines on October 21, 6PM via realme Philippines’ Facebook Page. How much do you think this product will cost? do let us know in the comments section!
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
