ASUS Pad Review: A Welcome Comeback with Clear Compromises

ASUS hasn't sold a proper Android tablet in India since the ZenPad in 2016. Having tested a couple of tablets this year, ASUS stepping back into the ring was a genuine surprise. Right off the bat, the complete package makes a strong first impression, especially with a protective cover bundled straight out of the box. The pitch is straightforward: put the best display in the segment inside the thinnest body, and let everything else follow. The display part of that promise absolutely holds. However, as hands-on time piled up, certain real-world observations made it clear that, like anything in life, it isn't perfect. Does that take away from the charm of a powerhouse tablet coming from a brand dominating the personal PC space? That is where an Indian buyer has to think twice, because at this price point, the competition is handing out flagship silicon while ASUS asks you to compromise

Price and Availability

The Asus Pad is available at ₹45,990 for 8GB/128GB and ₹49,990 for 8GB/256GB. The tablet is available through Flipkart, the ASUS eShop, ASUS and ROG stores, Reliance Digital and authorised partners.

Design and Display

At 6.5mm thin and weighing 523g with a 92% screen-to-body ratio, the ASUS Pad’s design impressed us right away. While it doesn't match the cold, ultra-premium metal chassis or tank-like rigidity of an iPad, OnePlus Pad, or Xiaomi Pad, ASUS trades that sheer luxury for practical ergonomics. The subtly curved frame makes this 12.2-inch slate remarkably comfortable to hold, whether you are catching up on reading during a crowded Metro ride or using it one-handed. Carrying it alongside a laptop felt effortless the low weight meant it never felt like extra baggage. Plus, the bundled protective cover doubles as a multi-angle stand, letting you set up shop to watch content however you like. You are essentially swapping a hyper-polished generic design for a pragmatic, hands-on build typical of ASUS.


However, we have to point out that the lack of color options except for white isn’t working in the device's favor. Asus should have provided atleast a black variant as well.

The display itself is the headline act and the core argument for buying this device. You get a 12.2-inch 2,800 x 1,840 dual-stack tandem OLED panel running at 144Hz, backed by 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, Dolby Vision, 600 nits typical brightness (2,000 nits peak HDR), and TÜV low-blue-light certification. Nothing else in this price bracket brings a tandem OLED to the table. The 3:2 aspect ratio is brilliant for reading documents and working in split-screen, even if 16:9 videos get chunkier black bars than on a 16:10 display.

When it comes to pure entertainment, you will be thrilled. We put it through its paces across Netflix and Hotstar, and both animated titles and live-action movies looked stunning with deep blacks and rich colors. As a personal pet peeve, we also tested a few games on it. While the display technically supports ultra-fast 144Hz refresh rates, the sheer physical size of the tablet made fast-paced gaming feel unwieldy and slightly sluggish to control—a quirk we will dive into more closely in the performance section.

Software

Android 16 with GlideX for cross-device handoff and Gemini baked in. The problem is what ASUS has not said. As of launch the company has published no Android version or security update commitment for this tablet. Buyers spend on tablets expecting five to seven years of use, and Samsung and Apple both compete explicitly on that. Silence here, from a brand that left the category for a decade, is the single biggest risk in this purchase.

Performance and Battery

Powered by MediaTek’s Dimensity 8300a 4nm upper-midrange chip paired with 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and expandable UFS 3.1 storage (up to 1TB via microSD) the tablet effortlessly handles everyday routines. Checking emails, jotting down notes, browsing content, and working in split-screen all feel smooth and responsive.

Where it stumbles, however, is sheer performance. Compared to rivals like the OnePlus Pad, which packs proper flagship silicon like the Snapdragon 8 Elite at similar price points, the ASUS Pad can feel a step behind when pushed. That headroom gap is especially noticeable if you try using it as a digital canvas or mobile workstation. For creators who want to edit high-res photos or render video projects on their tablet, this setup simply doesn't inspire total confidence. ASUS is asking near-flagship money for midrange compute, effectively asking you to trade raw performance for that top-tier display.

Where it wins you back is clarity of purpose. It knows exactly what it is: a stellar entertainment device. Backed by the ASUS moniker, there is a reassuring sense of build quality and brand legacy that makes you confident it will last for years. Adding to that peace of mind is the battery life, which stands out as a genuine high point. The 9,000mAh cell paired with 45W charging (claimed at 50% in 30 minutes) simply refuses to die, making it a tireless companion for long media marathons.

Camera

Outfitted with a 13MP rear sensor and a 5MP front camera, the setup here reflects how people actually use tablets. Realistically, tablet cameras boil down to just two core jobs: taking video calls, and surprisingly enough, as a lot of people around us do—scanning physical documents to create quick PDFs for Gmail attachments.

The ASUS Pad does a good enough job on both fronts. The 13MP rear camera handles document scans and quick snapshots without fuss, while the front camera is reliable enough to get you through your daily video meetings. Is it the best camera setup in this price segment? Certainly not 5MP on the front feels a bit stingy for what you are paying. But is it something that will sway your buying decision one way or the other? Certainly no.

Verdict

The ASUS Pad is a glorious media device wearing a productivity price tag, pairing an unmatched tandem OLED panel with lightweight ergonomics and bundled perks. However, its midrange processor holds it back from serious creative workloads, and vague software commitments add long-term risk. If top-tier display quality and endless battery life for movies and reading are your main priorities, nothing under ₹50,000 comes close. But if you need raw flagship power for heavy multitasking or video editing, rivals like OnePlus offer a more complete package. It is a stunning triumph for content lovers—just make sure your priorities align with its strengths before pulling the trigger.