Had Oppo launched the Chinese version unchanged in Europe, the Pad 5 could have been a real mid-range hit. However, the global model now has very little in common with its Chinese counterpart.

Oppo has made cuts in almost every important area, with the possible exception of the chassis. As the display, chipset, storage, battery and features have all been downgraded in the global version, the Chinese and European versions of the Pad 5 are essentially different tablets.

The cost-cutting measures affecting the processor and integrated graphics are particularly noticeable in everyday use. The Pad 5 does not feel especially responsive or smooth during daily operation. Nor does it offer enough performance to run current games at high frame rates at the 12.1-inch display's high resolution.

Overall, the Pad 5 is better compared with competitors at the lower end of the mid-range segment, although these are available at considerably lower prices. Examples include the Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 Pro and Lenovo Tab K12.

At this lower price level, the Oppo tablet does offer some advantages over the competition thanks to its bright LCD display. Those who would also consider an 11-inch tablet will find the Xiaomi Pad 8 a significantly better alternative, currently available for considerably less money.

The European Oppo Pad 5 has little in common with the version launched in China several months ago. Alongside the numerous downgrades, Oppo has also decided to offer the global model with no more than 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage.

The Wi-Fi version is priced at €459, while the 5G model costs €529. The Pad 5 is available from retailers including Amazon, as well as directly from the manufacturer.

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

Compared directly with the Pro model, the Pad 5 feels distinctly mid-range. The chassis not only appears thicker, but also feels less premium due to its plastic frame and rear panel. Build quality is nevertheless good.

The relatively slim screen bezels for a mid-range tablet give the device an attractive appearance and result in a good screen-to-body ratio of just under 87%. The manufacturer does not provide any information about the type of protective display glass used.

Our review unit comes in the glossy version, although the Pad 5 is also available as a Matte Display Edition.

      Honor MagicPad 4       Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025       Oppo Pad 5       Xiaomi Pad 8       DIN A5 ❌

273.4 mm / 10.8 in 178.8 mm / 7.04 in 4.8 mm / 0.189 in 450 g0.992 lbs270 mm / 10.6 in 183 mm / 7.2 in 5.9 mm / 0.2323 in 555 g1.224 lbs266.9 mm / 10.5 in 193.4 mm / 7.61 in 6 mm / 0.2362 in 577 g1.272 lbs251.2 mm / 9.89 in 173.4 mm / 6.83 in 5.8 mm / 0.2283 in 485 g1.069 lbs210 mm / 8.27 in 148 mm / 5.83 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

The Pad 5 comes with only one USB 2.0 port, which means the connection is not only quite slow but also cannot output a video signal to an external display. The latter, however, seems to be a minor inconvenience, as Oppo does not offer a desktop mode similar to Samsung DeX.

Instead, this mid-range tablet supports microSD cards up to 2 TB. When paired with our reference card, the Angelbird V60, the Pad 5 also delivers very satisfactory copy speeds. Thanks to USB-OTG, memory sticks can also be easily connected.

The Pad 5 comes with Android 16 and Oppo's proprietary ColorOS 16 interface, including Oppo AI. The mid-range tablet is set to receive security updates until May 2032. However, the manufacturer has not stated how frequently these updates will be rolled out. The same applies to the number of future Android version updates.

We could not find any precise information about the materials used in the Oppo tablet or the proportion of recycled content. The packaging appears to be free of plastic, although it is sealed in plastic film.

The Pad 5 is listed in the EPREL database with repairability class B.

At least in Europe, Oppo's mid-range tablet supports only Wi-Fi 6, without access to the fast 6 GHz frequency band for wireless data transfers. However, even over the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band, transfer speeds in our test were very low when paired with our Asus reference router. We measured a peak of only around 400 Mbit/s, although this should still be sufficient for most everyday use cases.

Our review unit is the 5G version, which includes a GNSS module and A-GPS. The optional Wi-Fi version, however, must rely on a wireless network for location services.

Despite the size of the Pad 5, we nevertheless recorded a route together with the Garmin Venu 2 for comparison purposes. Pleasingly, the tablet establishes a satellite connection quickly and accurately. It also determines its location very quickly indoors.

Anyone who has always wanted an enormous navigation device for car journeys can certainly use the Pad 5 for this purpose, as its positioning accuracy proved to be very precise in practice.

Image comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Motiv 1Motiv 2Low Light

Our review unit does not come with a power adapter. The box contains only a USB cable and documentation. The optional Oppo Pencil 2R (€39 RRP) must be purchased separately. The Pencil 2 Pro did not work with the Pad 5 in our test.

Oppo provides a 24-month warranty for the Pad 5 in Germany. Warranty terms may vary in other countries.

The large LCD responds accurately and without issue. However, the 120 Hz refresh rate suggests that the display should feel smoother than it does. In everyday use, the Dimensity 7300 often appears overwhelmed. Animations can look choppy, while scrolling in the browser is sometimes jerky.

The Pad 5 also lacks pogo pins for expanding its input options with a keyboard cover. The same applies to a vibration motor and fingerprint sensor. At least, the tablet supports less secure 2D facial recognition via the front-facing camera, which unlocks the device reliably and quickly in daylight.

* ... smaller is better

The contrast ratio of around 1,100:1 is also less than ideal for HDR enthusiasts. With a black level of 0.8 cd/m², black tones on the Pad 5 appear somewhat greyish and washed out. However, colour accuracy is very good, with only minor deviations from the sRGB colour space. We examined the colour calibration using Calman analysis software and a spectrophotometer.

The most serious downgrade in the global version concerns the SoC. Unlike the Chinese version with the Dimensity 9400+, our review unit is equipped only with a Dimensity 7300. In 2026, this chipset no longer has much to offer in the mid-range segment.

In the Geekbench benchmarks, competitors in this price range are more than twice as fast as the Pad 5. With the processor used in the Chinese version, scores around three times higher would be possible in both the single-core and multi-core tests. The Oppo tablet also fails to impress in the PCMark and CrossMark system benchmarks. Only in the AI tests are the results occasionally competitive.

The differences are even more pronounced when it comes to the integrated graphics. The Pad 5's Mali-G615 MP2 does not even reach the 20 fps mark in the onscreen results of the GFXBench Tier test. Its 3DMark scores are also more than 80% lower than those of the Xiaomi Pad 8. Even the iPad 10 is better suited to gaming than the Oppo tablet.

Surface temperatures remained very low in our measurements. Even the small, localised hotspot typical of a tablet did not exceed 40 °C on the Pad 5. Performance also remained almost unchanged during the stress tests, albeit at an extremely low level.

(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.7 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.7 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.8 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

The Oppo tablet uses four speakers, which provide a solid sound experience. However, for such a large tablet with plenty of space inside the chassis, we would have expected greater depth. Our pink-noise measurement also revealed a drop-off in the super-high frequencies.

For external audio output, users can connect wired devices via the USB port or use Bluetooth 5.4 wirelessly. The latter supports a solid range of codecs, including SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD and LDAC.

Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)

The 10,050 mAh battery charges at a maximum of only 33 watts. However, power consumption is excellent and highly efficient for a 12.1-inch tablet. Around 2 watts in our idle measurement is a very good result.

* ... smaller is better

The Pad 5 also performs very well in our battery test with the display brightness adjusted to 150 cd/m². At 19 hours, the Oppo tablet offers long battery life, even though it does not match the endurance of the Pro model.

Battery Runtime

Anyone looking for a tablet with 5G and stylus support will find the Oppo Pad 5 an affordable alternative to the iPad Air 13 or Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra. However, the performance on offer is extremely low for a mid-range tablet.

Total Sustainability Score: 53.4%

The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.

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I have always been very passionately interested in mobile technologies, especially smartphones. Being a tech enthusiast means the half-life of my devices isn’t exactly long, and being the latest hardware is not enough to suffice as the manufacturer and operating system play a minor role – the most important aspect for me is that the device is state-of-the-art. After posting for Mobi Test I joined Notebookcheck in 2016, where I have been pursuing my enthusiasm for technology by reviewing the latest smartphone, tablet, and accessory trends.

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