As someone who prefers big-screened smartphones, using a tablet as a smartphone has always been a dream. However, none of the tablets I tested recently fit the bill. When Poco announced its maiden Android tablet, with 5G connectivity, I hoped it would fulfill my wish.
I have been using the Poco Pad 5G as my primary tablet/smartphone for over two weeks now, and here are my impressions.
This can replace a smartphone
With its 5G connectivity, this can replace a smartphone. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Yes, I really mean it. The Poco Pad 5G has a hybrid SIM card slot, which supports two nano SIM cards or a SIM card and a microSD card. The support for 5G network means the tablet can transform into a Wi-Fi hotspot lasting hours.
You can also make calls and use SMS, much like on a smartphone. However, if privacy is dear to you, this might not be the right device to take calls. It has no earpiece, and the audio comes out of the four Dolby Atmos-tuned speakers that can get really loud.
Other features that make the Poco Pad 5G feel like a smartphone include the 3.5mm headphone jack, which has been disappearing from both smartphones and tablets.
A binge-worthy display
The display is fast, sharp, and colour-accurate. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
I binge-watch, and I prefer doing it on a tablet. The Poco Pad, with its 12.1-inch screen, is definitely a good device to do that. As I switched from the OnePlus Pad 2 (review) to the Poco Pad, for the first few days, the display seemed a bit pixelated. However, as I continued to use it, I realised it is sharp and bright.
Despite being an IPS panel, it is colour-accurate and offers best-in-class contrast. The Dolby Atmos certification adds to the quality while streaming HDR content like the second season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This combination––good sound and good display––makes it a great device to consume content at home and on the go.
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Say goodbye to doomscrolling
The Poco Pad 5G might help you to come out of doom scrolling. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
The Poco Pad, by all means, is a great device to doomscroll on, but its weight won’t let you do it at night, while on the bed. This is despite the tab offering an almost smartphone-like viewing experience, especially while using it vertically, thanks to Its 16:10 aspect ratio also means it offers
Good performance and bloatware-free software experience
Poco Pad 5G ships with Android 14-based HyperOS. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
The Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 powers the Poco Pad 5G, and it has 8 GB RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. Unlike most Poco smartphones, which have a lot of bloatware, the Poco Pad 5G comes with a clean build of HyperOS, based on Android 14, with just the core system apps and Google services.
During my usage, I did not notice any lag or glitches. Even while playing games like Temple Run 2, Clash of Clans, and Candy Crush Saga, the system offered good performance. No matter what I was doing on the Poco Pad, it did not heat up. This meant I didn’t have to worry about thermal throttling even once. With a CPU stability score of 91 per cent and an AnTuTu score of over 4.8 lakhs, the performance is on par with other Android tablets of this class.
I also use a tablet to read and understand documents, and the Poco Pad is an excellent document reader with its 2.5K resolution screen. Not just that, the built-in camera app has a document mode, which makes capturing and storing documents a lot easier.
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Exceptional battery life
The tablet has a large 10,000 mAh battery. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
Unlike smartphones, tablets don’t usually suffer from bad battery life, as they tend to pack a much bigger battery. With its 10,000 mAh battery with support for 33W fast charging, even when used like a smartphone, it can easily last over a day, and it takes less than two hours to charge to 100 per cent.
A good-looking, practical tablet with 5G connectivity
A value budget Android tablet with 5G support. (Image credit: Vivek Umashankar/The Indian Express)
A device has to tick several boxes to be a great budget tablet, and the Poco Pad 5G does that. From the really big and bright screen to an excellent pair of speakers, it is as good as any other budget tablet. The addition of 5G connectivity makes it a really practical device, especially for anyone who is looking for a tablet with smartphone-like features. If you are looking for a new Android tablet under the Rs 25,000 price mark, we definitely recommend the Poco Pad 5G.
| Poco Pad 5G | |
| Pros | Cons |
| Can replace a smartphone |
No earpiece, audio on speakerphone |
| 5G connectivity and hotspot capability | Sub-par web camera |
| Big, bright 12.1-inch display | |
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Dolby Atmos quad speakers |
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Good performance, no lag or glitches |
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Bloatware-free software experience |
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2.5K resolution, great for documents |
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Document scanning mode in camera app |
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