Review: Oppo Pad SE Matte Display Edition

Value tablet handles modest workloads with style

Oppo’s NZ$500 Pad SE (Matte Display Edition) is priced squarely between no-frills bargain basement tablets and Apple’s $700 base model iPad.

In its marketing, Oppo describes the Pad SE as “a dependable, family-ready tablet that doesn’t break the bank”. That’s a fair summary. It’s not as powerful or as versatile as an Apple iPad, but it’s a cut above most other Android tablets.

If you need a device for basic tasks, surfing the web, consuming music or video, handling email, video conferencing or social media, then this will meet your needs.

For Android phone users who are comfortable with Google software, the Oppo Pad SE is one of the best tablet options right now. If money is tight and you only need to produce occasional simple documents, then couple the Pad SE with a Bluetooth keyboard and you can avoid the expense of a laptop.

Don’t buy this if you use other Apple hardware such as an iPhone or Mac; get an iPad instead, the integration between Apple devices is so powerful.

Display is a strength

The Pad SE screen measures 11 inches across the diagonal. That’s the same as the base-level iPad, yet if you put the two side-by-side, you’ll notice they are different shapes.

Oppo’s Pad SE’s screen is long and narrow with a 16:10 ratio. The iPad is squarer, with an aspect ratio of 10:7. Which one suits you best can be a matter of taste; one is not necessarily better than the other, but they are distinct.

The matte anti-reflective coating helps when using the screen outdoors. It’s bright enough for almost any application; you can read it outside on a sunny day.

Fast screen refresh rate

Oppo uses a 90 Hz refresh rate. That’s middle of the pack in 2025. Today’s tablets can range from 60 Hz to 120 Hz. Apple’s base model iPad refreshes at 60 Hz.

In theory, this should mean you get smoother video and a more responsive feel on the Oppo, but not the wow factor you find when movies and games play at 120 Hz. In practice, there’s no noticeable difference between the Oppo and the iPad.

This could be because of screen resolution. The Pad SE has a full high definition (FHD) screen, which is modest by 2025 standards. It has a pixel density of 207 pixels per inch. This means images and text are not as sharp as you’d find on almost everything other than bargain basement devices.

For comparison, the base iPad has 2360-by-1640-pixel resolution at 264 ppi. The iPad is also a smidgeon brighter. That makes the iPad easier to read.

That’s a lot of words and a lot of technical description to say that the Pad SE has a good display, which you may or may not prefer to the iPad. But either way, you won’t be disappointed in this department.

Cameras

You might be disappointed by the camera. Realistically, few people choose a tablet based on the device’s camera. That’s just as well. The Oppo SE has a single rear camera. Like most other tablets, there’s a camera mound. It contains a single, large lens.

Both the rear and front cameras are 5 megapixel, that’s modest in 2025. Apple’s camera is 12 megapixel and includes zoom and image stabilisation. You’ll probably notice immediately that the photos you take with the Pad SE are not as good as the ones you get from your phone.

In use, people on the other end of video calls will see a poor image. If that’s important to you, then perhaps you might look for another tablet.

Solid build

Build quality is good for the price. The case is sturdy and can take the normal rough and tumble you might get from young users. The back is mainly made of a solid metal with a strip of plastic so that the WiFi and Bluetooth antennae don’t run into problems. The review model came in a muted shade of blue.

Four speakers sit two at each end of the unit. The sound won’t knock your socks off... what do you expect from a tablet? But the speakers are more than adequate for making video calls.

There’s no SIM in the review model and WiFi 5. You’d normally expect to see at least WiFi 6 in a device sold in 2025. Apple’s iPad has WiFi 6.

Processor performance

On paper, Oppo’s choice of processor is the Pad SE’s weakest point. The chip is the MediaTek Helio G100. When it comes to raw processing power, this offers around half the performance of the A16 processor in the base model iPad. It also has less Ram, 4GB compared with 6GB in the iPad.

This performance difference is noticeable when running demanding apps. Yet that’s the interesting aspect of this comparison: few people will buy an Oppo Pad SE for demanding tablet apps.

If you’re planning to run a business, build websites, edit movies or produce audio, if you want to go beyond basic photo manipulation, this is not the right device for you. For that matter, neither is the base model iPad. You should consider either an iPad Pro or a laptop.

Verdict: Oppo Pad SE Matte Display Edition

The Oppo Pad SE is good value for money and a step up from lower-priced generic tablets. As an aside, I recommend you avoid cheap tablets unless you are desperately short of funds; they aren’t worth bothering with.

You’ll find the Pad SE performs much better in the areas that matter for everyday use. The screen is more comfortable and outperforms those on cheaper tablets. Battery life is exceptional. The audio is passable, and having enough Ram and storage removes many of the frustrations with low-end tablets.

That said, you couldn’t describe the Pad SE as a premium tablet. You need to spend upwards of NZ$700 to move into that class. It doesn’t offer much in the way of camera resolution, very high refresh rates, ultra-fast chipsets, or very sharp screens.