Oppo used its Find X10 series launch event in India to introduce the Pad Mini, a compact Android tablet priced at Rs 94,999 for the 8GB RAM plus 256GB storage configuration. It comes in a single Lavender Purple finish for now.
The headline feature is an 8.8-inch 2.5K OLED panel running at 144Hz, with peak brightness Oppo rates at 3,200 nits and a matte coating meant to cut glare. That puts it up against the base Apple iPad Air M4, which starts at Rs 89,900 in India for its 11-inch Wi-Fi variant and still uses an IPS LCD screen topping out at 500 nits.
Oppo has built the Pad Mini around a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset with 8GB of RAM, running Android 16 under ColorOS 16. Apple's tablet counters with its own M4 silicon and 12GB RAM, plus iPadOS 26 that Apple has said will get an upgrade to iPadOS 27. Which setup actually runs faster day to day isn't something either company's spec sheet settles, but on paper the iPad Air carries more memory headroom.
Battery capacity is where the Pad Mini pulls ahead on numbers alone: an 8,000mAh cell with 67W wired charging, against the iPad Air's 7,606mAh (28.93Wh) pack and a 20W charger in the box. Oppo's tablet is also the lighter and thinner of the two, at 279g and 5.5mm, compared with 464g and 6.1mm for the iPad Air's 11-inch Wi-Fi model.
Cameras split the difference. The Pad Mini uses a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front shooter, while the iPad Air sticks with a 12MP wide rear lens and a 12MP Centre Stage front camera built for video calls. Both tablets ship with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, though Apple leans on its in-house N1 wireless chip and Touch ID for unlocking, while Oppo relies on facial recognition and a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port.
Stylus support exists on both sides: the Pad Mini works with the Oppo Pencil 3 Pro, and the iPad Air takes the USB-C Apple Pencil or Pencil Pro. Oppo is sweetening the pre-booking window by throwing in the Pencil 3 Pro, worth Rs 6,999, and a Smart Case worth Rs 3,999, at no extra cost.
On pricing, the comparison tightens further up the ladder. The 256GB Wi-Fi iPad Air runs Rs 1,01,900 in India, and Apple also sells 11-inch and 13-inch versions with storage up to 1TB and eSIM options, in Blue, Purple, Starlight and Space Grey. Oppo's tablet, so far, is a single size and colour.
The bigger test for the Pad Mini may arrive before year's end. An iPad mini with an OLED screen is tipped to launch later this month, and if that timeline holds, Oppo's new tablet will have a more size-matched Apple rival to answer within weeks of its own debut.
GDFiled by The Gadgets Desk
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