The OnePlus Pad Lite, which came out in July 2025, is a great choice for students, casual users, and anyone else who wants a cheap but powerful tablet. The Pad Lite is a good mix of features, performance, and value. It is meant to be a cheaper version of the premium OnePlus Pad 3 and a successor to the OnePlus Pad Go. It wants to compete with the Xiaomi Pad 7 and Lenovo IdeaTab Pro by having a sleek design, a bright screen, and well-thought-out software. After using the OnePlus Pad Lite for a while, we wrote a full review of it that looks at its design, performance, battery life, software, and overall value.
Design and Build: Slim and Light
The OnePlus Pad Lite has a design that is similar to but better than its predecessor, the OnePlus Pad Go. It is 254.9 x 166.5 x 7.39 mm and weighs 530 g, which makes it thin and light enough to carry for a long time without getting tired. The Aero Blue finish that has been sandblasted not only looks modern, but it also gives you a good grip, which lowers the risk of slipping. The aluminum frame and bezels around the screen make it feel like a high-end product, even though it costs less.
The circular rear camera module in the top center is a unique design feature that sticks out a little but doesn’t change the tablet’s sleek look. On the right edge are a USB-C port, speaker grilles, and a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a feature that audiophiles will love because it’s not common in modern tablets. OnePlus also sells a folio cover that can be used as a kickstand, but only in some areas.
The design isn’t new, but it’s useful and well-made, which makes the Pad Lite feel like a device that can do more than it should. Some people who want more security or durability might be disappointed that it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner or is resistant to water and dust.
Display: For the price, it’s bright and smooth.
The OnePlus Pad Lite has an 11-inch IPS LCD screen with a 1920 x 1200 (FHD+) resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s great for watching videos, browsing the web, and reading e-books. The refresh rate is 90Hz and the touch sampling rate is 180Hz, so scrolling and interacting with the tablet feel smooth, especially for a low-cost tablet. The screen can get up to 500 nits bright, which is fine for use indoors but might not work well in direct sunlight.
The display can show 10-bit color depth, which gives images with bright colors and deep colors. OnePlus has also added an Eye Comfort Mode that lowers blue light and screen flicker, which makes it easier on the eyes during long sessions. The LCD screen is well-calibrated, even though it’s not an OLED panel like some high-end tablets. Most people won’t notice the difference when they stream or study.
Performance: Good for Daily Use
The MediaTek Helio G100, a 6nm octa-core processor with a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, powers the OnePlus Pad Lite. It can have either 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (Wi-Fi only) or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (LTE option). The Helio G100 is a small improvement over the Helio G99 that comes with the Pad Go. It can easily handle daily tasks like web browsing, streaming videos, and light multitasking.
The fact that it doesn’t have a microSD card slot for extra storage is a big problem, especially since 128GB can fill up quickly with apps, media, and files. The tablet doesn’t support 5G, so it can only connect to Wi-Fi 5 and optional LTE. This is fine for most people, but it feels a little old-fashioned in 2025.
The Pad Lite works fine for casual gaming. It can run games like Among Us and light strategy games without any problems. But for smoother performance in harder games like Genshin Impact, you might need to lower the settings. The quad-speaker setup is certified for Hi-Res Audio and works with SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC codecs. It makes sound for games, movies, and music that makes you feel like you’re there. The Omnibearing Sound Field technology makes sure that the audio is full no matter how the tablet is positioned.
Battery Life: Like a Marathon Runner
The OnePlus Pad Lite has a 9,340mAh battery, which is a big improvement over the 8,000mAh battery in the Pad Go. OnePlus says that the phone can play videos for up to 11 hours, music for up to 80 hours, or stay on standby for up to 54 days. Our tests showed that these numbers are correct. The tablet can easily last a full day of streaming, browsing, and studying without needing to be charged.
Another great feature is the 33W SuperVOOC fast charging, which can fully charge the big battery in about 1.5 to 2 hours. However, the charger isn’t included in some areas. In the UK, if you pre-order, you might get a free 80W charger, which is a nice bonus. The Pad Lite is a good choice for students or people who work from home because it has a long battery life and charges quickly.
OxygenOS 15 is great software.
The OnePlus Pad Lite runs OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. The software is clean and easy to use. OnePlus says that the phone will run smoothly for three years, but it’s not clear if this means three OS updates or just security patches. Open Canvas is a useful feature that lets you use two apps at the same time. The software also works perfectly with OnePlus phones that run OxygenOS 13.1 or higher. You can mirror your phone’s screen, sync clipboards, drag and drop files, and even edit media in real time.
The O+ Connect app lets you share files with iPhones, which is a unique feature that makes the device more versatile. The Pad Lite is a great choice for kids because it has Kids Mode and Google Kids Space, which let parents control what their kids can see and do. But the fact that it doesn’t come with a stylus (and there is no mention of stylus support) makes it less appealing for taking notes or doing creative work.
Basic but useful cameras
The OnePlus Pad Lite has a 5MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front, and both can record video in 1080p. These cameras are a little worse than the 8MP ones on the Pad Go, but tablets aren’t usually used for taking pictures. The front camera is good enough for video calls and can unlock the device by recognizing your face, but it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner for extra security. The cameras are fine for casual video chats or scanning documents, but don’t expect the best quality.
Prices and Availability
The OnePlus Pad Lite is reasonably priced, with the 6GB + 128GB Wi-Fi model starting at £169/€199 ($270) and the 8GB + 128GB LTE model starting at £199/€229 in Europe and the UK. The Wi-Fi model costs ₹12,999 ($155) in India, and the LTE model costs ₹14,999. Sales start on August 1, 2025, on OnePlus’s website, Amazon, Flipkart, and in-person stores like Croma and Reliance Digital. Bank discounts of up to ₹2,000 are available in India as part of introductory offers.
Conclusion: A great tablet for the money with some small problems
The OnePlus Pad Lite is a great option for people on a budget who need a dependable tablet for everyday tasks like streaming, browsing, studying, or doing light work. Its bright screen, long-lasting battery, and immersive sound set it apart from other phones in the under-$300 range. The OxygenOS 15 software adds useful features like multitasking and ecosystem integration, which make it more flexible, especially for OnePlus users.
The fact that it doesn’t have expandable storage, a slow processor, and basic cameras, though, is a reminder that it’s a budget phone. The OnePlus Pad 3 or a competitor like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ might be worth the extra money if you need a tablet for heavy gaming, creative work, or professional-level work.
The OnePlus Pad Lite is one of the best cheap tablets of 2025 because it offers great value for students, families, and casual users. The Pad Lite is the perfect device for you if you want something sleek, powerful, and affordable.
