Since its launch in 2018, Realme has launched only two tablet devices so far. Realme Pad 2 is the second tablet from the brand and comes with some performance and design-related improvements over the previous model. It also adds cellular connectivity to the mix making it a unique offering in the sub-Rs. The Rs 20,000 tablet segment, which mainly consists of budget-friendly tablets that lack this feature. It also has fast charging and a fast 120Hz refresh rate display. More importantly, the base variant is also equipped with 6GB of RAM and its software has been optimized for a wide-screen experience. But has Realme pulled any punches in offering a tablet this competitively priced, and can it really beat the recently launched Redmi Pad in terms of price? Let’s find out.
Realme Pad 2 price in India
The base variant of Realme Pad 2 is priced at Rs. Its price in India is Rs 19,999 and in it you get 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The top-end variant offers 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and is priced at Rs. 22,999. Both variants offer LTE connectivity as standard, so the higher price compared to the older model is definitely justified, especially when you consider the other upgrades it offers.
realme pad 2 design
The tablet is available in two finishes – Imagination Gray and Inspiration Green. As one can tell, Realme is targeting both of these products at the youth, and the vibrant green unit we received for review certainly looks fresh, although in terms of build and materials used I don’t find it to be as good as the Oppo. Felt very similar to the K Pad Air.
The cutouts for the speaker grilles appear quite discreet and minimalistic
The Realme Pad 2 features a chassis with a metal frame with flat edges and a polycarbonate insert that takes up about a quarter of the back surface. The plastic band sits on the top-half of the device (when placed horizontally) and stretches from edge to edge (including the frame) with the large camera module at one end. The insert conveniently hides all the necessary antennas for radio communications beneath itself. The camera bump, though raised, doesn’t protrude much and the tablet doesn’t wobble when placed on a flat surface.
Since there are no joints or antenna gaps due to this minimalist design approach, it looks quite premium and is also quite thin (7.2 mm). I also liked the perforations for the four speaker grilles which look minimal and discreet. There’s a large 11.5-inch LCD display with thin bezels all around with rounded corner cutouts, which blends well with Realme’s software interface.
The design of the Realme Pad 2 uses a mix of metal, glass and polycarbonate
Like the previous model, the Realme Pad 2 also does not come with any optional accessories. It’s unclear why the Pad doesn’t also have a basic kickstand folio cover on sale, but it hints that the brand doesn’t expect its tablet to be used for anything other than a media consumption device. And since there’s no optional case or stand, it means I always have to hold the tablet up or at an angle when viewing content or browsing through its interface. With a weight of 518 grams, it becomes tiresome to hold this tablet at the required angle, especially while watching movies or shows.
realme pad 2 specifications and software
The Realme Pad 2 is powered by the 6nm MediaTek Helio G99 SoC and has been available in a number of budget-friendly devices for a while now. This list of devices also includes the Redmi Pad which is the primary competitor of this device. Communication standards include Wi-Fi AC, Bluetooth 5.2, support for multiple LTE bands, and the usual Satellite Global Positioning System.
There’s no headphone jack for those who want to plug in. But you do get a SIM card tray that has space for one SIM card and one microSD card, with support for up to 1TB of storage. The tablet packs an 8,360mAh battery that can be charged using a 33W charger provided in the box.
For a sub Rs. I was also a little surprised to not see any form of secure biometric authentication on the $20,000 tablet. Like the previous model, the Realme Pad 2 also lacks a fingerprint reader and the only way to unlock the device without typing the passcode is to use 2D Face Unlock. Although it is not a secure means of unlocking any private device, it worked well in most lighting conditions except pitch darkness.
Realme Pad 2 is capable of displaying three apps at a time
One improvement compared to the older Realme Pad would be its software interface. This is not a ‘Lite’ or stripped-down version of the regular Realme UI interface that is found on some of its entry-level devices including the previous model. The new Realme Pad 2 gets the full treatment with all the personalization features one would expect from its smartphones, and then some. It includes a bottom dock that shows pinned and recently launched apps that are active in the background. However, the usefulness of this dock is limited to the homescreen as it is not available nor can it be called up anywhere else in the interface or dragged onto third-party apps.
Unlike most other Realme devices and tablets at this price, the Realme Pad 2 did not have bloatware and only had one preinstalled third-party app (Facebook), which can be uninstalled.
Despite not having any officially supported accessories, this tablet optimized version of Realme UI has full touch pad support (under Additional settings), with full support for gestures that can be done on a regular trackpad. It also has regular features like the ability to run two apps in split-screen with an additional app that can be launched in a pop-up window, allowing three apps to be displayed at once.
realme pad 2 performance
Multitasking is possible properly on this tablet. I can keep five Chrome tabs open with the YouTube app displaying Reels simultaneously in split-screen mode. It’s also possible to open a floating window while doing all this and the system handles it well with some lag when creating long web-pages.
Despite this tablet’s software performance, which was good for a budget tablet, I liked the aspect ratio of this wide display. It’s ideal for consuming content and wide enough to run split-screen apps simultaneously. Thankfully, Realme has included support for Widevine L1 which lets me stream and enjoy full-HD video content on this tablet. Outdoor visibility is good, but the display loses contrast when viewed at an angle. Also, the display isn’t the sharpest out there (given its resolution and size) and its MEMC high-refresh rate system becomes quite choppy from time to time when scrolling or transitioning between videos and apps.
As far as benchmarks go, the tablet performed as expected and scored scores that were on par with budget smartphones at this price. The Realme Pad 2 scored 4,29,907 points in AnTuTu, as well as 726 and 1,975 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests. On the graphics front, the tablet managed 25fps, 55fps and 15fps in GFXBench’s Manhattan 3.1, T-Rex and Car Chase test suites respectively.
Realme Pad 2’s display is the largest among its competitors but it’s not the sharpest
The MediaTek Helio G99 isn’t a performance powerhouse, but it’s good enough to run everyday tasks. This makes this tablet better suited for casual games than graphics-heavy titles, despite having a 120Hz refresh rate display. I tried Asphalt 9: Legends and it works fine at default settings with a few missed frames and minor stuttering.
What I liked about the gaming and video watching experience was the sound which has improved compared to the simple dual speaker setup of the previous model. The sound is definitely louder and more impressive than the previous model. The tablet is also equipped with Dolby Atmos support.
Realme Pad 2 has a 5 megapixel rear camera and 8 megapixel front facing camera. As expected, the primary shooter delivers basic image quality with below average detail but close to natural colors. The texture was mostly flat even in daylight so you’re really better off shooting with any smartphone camera available at this price.
Selfies taken with the front-facing camera show less detail and flat textures. This camera is better suited for video calling as it does a good job of handling background exposure while shooting video, which is useful when making video calls.
Realme Pad 2 has a 5 megapixel primary camera
Battery life is pretty solid for a budget tablet. In our standard battery loop video test, the Realme Pad 2 lasted an impressive 26 hours and 13 minutes. With or without a SIM card, it can easily last for about 2 days with heavy usage and 3 days with casual usage, which is good for a slim tablet. The addition of LTE connectivity also means that it is a reliable road warrior that can provide uninterrupted entertainment (for OTT apps) or connectivity (video calls, etc.) while on the move. Its larger battery also means it will last longer than any smartphone you have in your pocket.
As far as charging is concerned, the 33W charger managed to charge the tablet to 33 percent in 30 minutes and to 62 percent in an hour, completing the charge in 1 hour and 36 minutes, which is not bad for a tablet.
decision
From a broader perspective, the Realme Pad 2 is very similar to the previous model in terms of form and function. It is best used as a media consumption device and nothing more. Realme missed an opportunity to use the tablet as a lightweight productivity device by not launching a keyboard accessory with it. Nor can Scribble be used on it, as it doesn’t even offer stylus support.
However, the Realme Pad 2 builds on the weaknesses of its predecessor and manages to become an all-rounder of sorts by adding a high-refresh rate display, an updated processor, and cellular connectivity to its feature set. At Rs. 19,999, it is difficult to find anything like it in the market. Its closest competition includes the Redmi Pad (Review) and Oppo Pad Air (Review), which may cost slightly less, but lack cellular connectivity, and have smaller displays and batteries.
