While iPads largely dominate the tablet industry, there is renewed interest among brands in the Android tablet space, especially since OnePlus announced their tablet offering, the OnePlus Pad.
Today, we are taking a look at the vivo Pad2, a midrange tablet offering that was launched in mainland China in April 2023. Since the preview unit is the Chinese version running on OriginOS 3, we will focus on the hardware as it lacks Google suite of apps.
Table of Contents
vivo Pad2 Specifications
| Model | vivo Pad2 |
| Dimensions | 266 x 191.6 x 6.6 mm |
| Weight | 585g |
| Processor | CPU: Mediatek Dimensity 9000 GPU: Mali-G710 MC10 |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 512GB |
| Display | 12.1-inch IPS LCD 1968 x 2800 pixels 144Hz HDR10 600 nits |
| Camera (Front) | 8 MP, f/2.0 |
| Camera (Rear) | Main Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, AF Macro Camera: 2 MP, f/2.4 |
| Operating System | OriginOS 3 (based on Android 13) |
| Battery and Charging | 10,000mAh 44W wired charging |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 Bluetooth 5.3 NFC USB Type-C 3.2 Keyboard pin connector |
| Biometrics | Face unlock |
What’s In The Box?
- vivo Pad2
- 44W charger
- USB Type-C charging cable
- User manual
Design
The vivo Pad2 is available in three colours in the mainland Chinese market: grey, blue and violet. On a horizontal orientation, the power button is located at the left, right beside the camera housing. while the volume rocker is located at the top left. There is also a stylus magnetic charger at the top for easy access. You also get 6 speakers, with 3 occupying each side. The USB Type C connector is located at the right, sandwiched between the speaker units.
The display has rounded off corners, similar to the iPad. While there is a noticeable bezel, it is par for the course for tablets regardless of price range.
Display
What I like most about the vivo Pad2 is its gorgeous display. It has a decently high resolution of 1968 x 2800 pixels, which is even higher than some laptops that boast 2.8K displays.
Since its an IPS panel, contrast ratio is just mediocre. That being said, visuals look vivid with plenty of detail. The 144Hz refresh rate also makes games look smooth and fluid, though different games have different refresh rate caps.
Audio
The vivo Pad2 is equipped with a 6 speaker system that can get quite loud. The mid-range is rather warm, while the treble is bright, but not to the point of causign ear pain. While the bass is a bit lacking, the mid-bass section is pretty decent.
Thanks to the large device size, the sound stage is excellent.
Performance
Powering the vivo Pad2 is a Mediatek Dimensity 9000 chipset, which was the chipmaker’s flagship chipset back in 2021. Despite that, it is still a fast chipset occupying the upper midrange segment. Our preview sample came with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
We find that 8GB of RAM seems good enough for day to day use, but if you need more memory, you can always use the expandable memory function for a 8GB + 8GB configuration. There is also a variant with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage if you need them.
On AnTuTu Benchmark, it scored a respectable 1,065,288 points, which is comparable to other upper midrange devices like the Poco F5 Pro. Graphics performance is also quite good, as I could play most games at high or maxed out settings.
Ergonomics
When it comes to ergonomics, it seems that vivo intends the tablet to be used like a laptop replacement, which is made more apparent as customers in China can purchase a stylus and a keyboard folio cover.
As the vivo Pad2 is quite a large device, it makes more sense to dock it on a stand rather than handholding it. I also recommend using a controller for gaming, as my hands could get tired very quickly.
Closing Thoughts
Initial impressions on the vivo Pad2 is largely a positive one. While it is too early for us to give a reliable review score. Now it all depends on the rumoured launch of the device with a global ROM and its price point.
The selling price starts at CNY 2,499 (approx. RM1,620) in China, so it is reasonable to expect the selling price in Malaysia to be under RM2,000 if vivo plans to launch this tablet in global markets.
For more information on the vivo Pad2, please visit the official product page here.
