There is, increasingly so, a case for Android tablets. As entertainment hubs. As secondary work machines. Now even as primary work machines, though this holds true if your workflow fits within perceived boundaries of capabilities (it’s still a subjective hit or miss). The OPPO Pad 5 seems to be on absolutely the right track from the outset, which includes an affordable price positioning, an ecosystem play, and the promise that artificial intelligence (AI) will play a useful enough role in your work. While I wouldn’t recommend buying any device based on perceived AI promises, you should base your decision on the Oppo Pad 5’s hardware foundation, which is mostly on point.
For starters, Oppo gained the first mover’s advantage in the early 2026 Android tablet battles, with the Xiaomi Pad 8 following soon after. Secondly, things have been kept simple yet versatile, with the Wi-Fi and 5G versions available (that’s something the otherwise impressive Xiaomi Pad 7 misses out). I’d recommend the 5G variant if the budget allows it, for you’ll realise the benefits of this convenience, inevitably when you start travelling more with the tablet. Prices start at ₹26,999 for the 8GB memory and 128GB storage variant with Wi-Fi only, while the 5G spec that also bumps up storage to 256GB will cost ₹32,999. One could disagree with the choice of 128GB as the base storage spec (it should have been 256GB ideally), but thanks to the AI slop filling our social media feeds, memory and storage prices are through the roof.
Two key specifications really work in the Oppo Pad 5’s favour. The 12.1-inch display real estate is ideal for two windows side by side as you get some work done, working on spreadsheets, and finally once done for the day, it is immersive enough for catching up on TV shows or some sports highlights. This is a bright and vivid screen with 12-bit colour depth, and you’d appreciate the 7:5 aspect ratio which is a bit squarer than the typical 16:9, making it fit windows with PDF documents or books better. Brightness changes are flicker free, at least to the eyes as you use the tablet, and this screen simply works across usage scenarios.
The other is the fact that the OPPO Pad 5 has a large 10,050mAh battery, which lasts close to 18 hours on a single charge. Considering this may not often be used as a primary laptop-replacement device for 9 hours a day straight, you will need to deploy the 33-watt charger only once every few days to juice this up completely. There are absolutely no complaints about this, especially considering the price point for the 5G option.
The choice of the MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Ultra is not entirely surprising, but there is come curiosity. This chip is a couple of steps behind the Xiaomi Pad 7’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Plus Gen 3 in terms of raw performance, and will certainly fall a further step behind the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 that’ll power the upcoming Xiaomi Pad 8. This is not a good look in the face of direct competition, and this leads me to believe that you’ll soon start seeing significant market price corrections to tweak the perceived value. For specific workflows, this may struggle somewhat if your intended usage includes a fair bit of time on serious video editing apps, but the likes of Adobe Lightroom and Express should be fine on this.
Of course any tablet being sold in this day and age must claim a number of AI insertions within the interface and the apps, with the OPPO Pad 5 being no different. Some stand out ones include an AI Writer, a translator, a voice recorder with transcription and of course, Google’s Gemini integrations. Oppo has integrated something called Circle to Note, which requires the Oppo Pencil 2R (that’s a separate accessory; ₹2,999) — highlight or mark any text on a web page, document or file and drag it into the notes app. This negates the need for cluttering the gallery with umpteen screenshots (often, one forgets particular relevance or context). Speaking of the gallery, that too has AI based clarity enhancer, unblur and reflection removal options, though mileage will vary depending on complexity of a photo.
If you are buying an Android tablet in 2026 and want one that’ll competently handle documents, video calls, video streaming, reading and entertainment needs for frequent travel without introducing too many compromises, the Oppo Pad 5 deserves to be high on the shortlist. It does not win the raw-power argument, and serious creators may outgrow it sooner than they’d like. But the combination of a very good 12.1-inch display, dependable battery life and the availability of a 5G variant at this price gives it a real-world advantage that matters to a much larger demographic of potential buyers. Just that you may want to weigh the Xiaomi Pad 8 and how the Xiaomi Pad 7 pricing shapes up, before making a definitive decision.
