realme Pad 2 Review | Geek Lifestyle

When it comes to dropping the hottest tech this year, realme has truly been on a roll this year. From solid budget smartphones, to a couple of competent midrangers, they now surprise us with the realme Pad 2, the latest installment in their lineup of affordable tablets.

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten our hands on a realme device of this size or comparable, and it’s been quite intriguing to see just what’s under the hood. With a polished aesthetic and modern design, the looks alone can be quite tempting. Built and specifically designed to inspire, the realme pad 2 has a few surprises up its sleeve that belie its dashing exterior. Can those surprises measure up to other tablets, though? Let’s find out.

Geeksthetic

The unboxing experience is satisfyingly minimalistic. The realme pad 2 gets right in your face, and within the box’s interior, you find a USB-C charging cable plus a 33W SUPERVOOC charging brick. Upon unsheathing the tablet, we behold the sweet Inspiration Green colorway in all its smoothness. The two-tone matte design resists fingerprints to some extent, with a large, circular camera module instantly grabbing your attention. It’s a nice touch, given how most tablet lenses can be quite nondescript. Of course, cameras aren’t exactly the highlight in such devices, but we personally appreciate how this one stands out a tad.

Sporting an 11.5-inch display and 7.2mm Ultra-Slim Design, it’s neither tiny nor unwieldy. Weighing just about 500 grams, it’s pretty easy to handle as well. Imagination Grey proves to be quite the looker, too. But there really is something about that green sheen. It also helps that it lacks that glossy finish. Having to constantly wipe a device down can be annoying. All things considered, the realme pad 2 checks all our boxes in style points.

Binge-Watching Factor

We’re talking about a tablet here, boys and girls. The viewing experience is definitely a factor when considering your purchase. Thankfully, the realme pad 2 comes well-equipped with an 11.5” 120Hz 2K resolution display. You can expect crystal-clear images and vibrant colors should you decide to stream your favorite videos and shows.

What’s more the display comes with hardware-level anti-blue light for added eye protection, plus 450 nits of maximum brightness. You’re guaranteed fresh eyes even for longer viewing sessions. If you’re worried about running low on battery, the display can be switched up to support a variety of refresh rates depending on the activity–from a standard 60Hz to the full 120Hz. It also helps that you get some satisfying audio with its Dolby Atmos Quad Speakers which can crank the volume high without torturing your eardrums with unnecessary cracking.

Truth be told, it’s more of a preference at this point, as the realme Pad 2 can handle just about any kind of video you throw at it.

Gaming Prowess

Honkai Star Rail – Medium Settings

Now, gaming comes as a possible second priority when choosing a tablet to wield. Aside from catching up on your favorite shows on a device with more display real estate, you’d also want to play your games the same way. The realme Pad 2 is powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, coupled with a maximum of 16GB RAM (8+8) thanks to Dynamic RAM Expansion. This combo is no pushover by any means, but it’s not a gaming powerhouse either. The key is curbing your expectations and working around limitations.

Mobile Legends – Max Settings (DEAD)

Long story short, the realme Pad 2 can definitely game. The Helio G99 is a dedicated gaming processor with flagship-tier power efficiency. With its 6 nanometer architecture, a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, and an octa-core setup, you’re guaranteed smooth gaming under light to medium level graphic settings. It’s also worth noting that this depends on the games being played. For Mobile Legends, you can safely crank everything up. We tried, and it worked.

Genshin Impact – Medium Settings, 30 fps, Motion Blur Off

You’ll definitely be doing a bit of experimentation on your own, especially with newer, more demanding games. For good ol’ Genshin Impact, things went smoothly under medium settings at 30 fps with motion blur turned off. However, the stuttering began when more enemies filled the screen. Cranking it down to low remedied this for the most part. Of course, the Hoyoverse games serve as our stress tests for gaming across the board, so you can expect much better results when playing just about any other game in the app store. Regardless, the realme Pad 2’s chipset provides a decent gaming experience.

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

The realme Pad 2 comes equipped with an 8MP AI rear shooter and a 5MP selfie camera. As mentioned earlier, photography is at the bottom of the priority list when it comes to tablet features. One simply doesn’t purchase such a device with the intention of capturing their most precious moments. That being said, with proper lighting, the realme Pad 2 snaps some nice shots. Take away a bit of that light, and you’re left with something still a bit decent. Dim it further, and you see the graininess and noise.

Still, if you’re in a pinch and need to take that shot, you won’t be disappointed. It definitely won’t measure up to realme’s smartphone cameras, but you can still get some good shots under good circumstances. In terms of video, the 1080p at 30fps on both ends is decent enough for those sudden online meetings, video conferencing, and online classes for those kids with a thirst for knowledge–and not just video games.

: Daylight

: Daylight Selfie

: Low light

: Low light selfie

Everyday Reliability

The realme Pad 2 isn’t just a toy for your entertainment, as it can most definitely keep up with your busy schedule. With enough portability and power-efficiency, you won’t be running out of juice when it matters most. Working in tandem with its chipset, you get a beefy 8360mAh battery. That’s 17.7% larger than the prior realme Pad’s 7100mAh, and definitely more than any run-of-the-mill smartphone can handle.

If you do happen to drain such a huge battery, the 33W SUPERVOOC charging will top you up in a little more than an hour’s time. After just about 17 hours of video playback, 190 hours of music streaming, and 24 hours of browsing, it’s a fair trade. Speaking of work, you also get some sweet Multi-Screen Collaboration that allows you to use the device’s display as a quick extension. You can also cut specific text for and copy-paste from a synced phone back to the realme Pad 2. Drag & Drop transfer gives you real-time movement of files from the tablet to your synced device.

There’s definitely a lot to unpack and tinker with when it comes to work efficiency, and the realme Pad 2 provides so much more than just entertainment.

realme Pad 2 – Final Verdict

The realme Pad 2 is for the millennial on-the-go, the young up-and-comer, and even the teenager who just likes to explore. It’s safe to say that for as long as you can literally handle it, you can make the most out of it. The tablet has enough features to get the job done, and a whole lot more once you start unwinding. It’s a great-looking all-arounder that fits nicely in your oversized pocket.

It’s worth noting that the realme Pad 2 is available right now and priced at PHP 13,999 for the 6GB+128GB variant, and 17,999 SRP for the 8GB+256GB variant. You can get one yourself at any realme store nationwide, and if you’re looking to snag one online, it’s currently a Shopee exclusive.