Vivo Pad 5e Debuts with Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and 12-inch 144Hz Display for Under $300
Vivo Pad 5e launches with Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, 12-inch 144Hz display, and 10,000mAh battery — offering flagship performance at midrange prices.
Vivo has officially expanded its tablet lineup in China with the Vivo Pad 5e, a more budget-friendly entry in the Pad 5 series that doesn’t skimp on power. Slotted below the Vivo Pad 5 and Pad 5 Pro, it’s the only one in the lineup powered by a Snapdragon processor — a move that makes it particularly interesting for performance-focused users on a budget.
The Vivo Pad 5e runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, the same chipset that’s been powering several 2025 midrange flagships. It’s paired with up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage, ensuring smooth multitasking and fast app launches. Under the hood, a 10,000mAh battery supports 44W fast charging, enough to comfortably last through long work sessions, Netflix marathons, or mobile gaming nights.
To keep things cool, Vivo added a 32,200mm² graphite cooling system, complemented by a Game Live Assistant feature that tweaks system resources for smoother gameplay and high-quality live streaming. It’s a subtle but smart touch for users who might use the tablet for gaming or mobile content creation.
The display is where the Pad 5e starts feeling premium. It sports a 12.05-inch 2800×1968 display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a unique 7.1:5 aspect ratio, ideal for reading documents or sketching ideas. Vivo claims it supports 1.07 billion colors and a 1400:1 contrast ratio, delivering crisp detail and vivid hues whether you’re watching a movie or editing photos. Despite the big screen, it’s sleek and portable at just 6.62mm thick and 584g in weight — or slightly thicker if you go for the Soft Light Edition with its anti-glare coating.
Cameras on tablets are never the main event, but Vivo keeps it practical here. You get an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, both supporting 1080p video, plus modes for portraits, document scanning, and night scenes. For audio, the tablet supports multiple playback formats, with connectivity options including Wi-Fi (2.4G/5.1G/5.8G), Bluetooth 5.4, and USB 3.2 Gen1 with Type-C headphone support.
Running OriginOS 5, Vivo’s custom Android skin optimized for tablets, the Pad 5e delivers a polished multitasking experience — complete with split-screen, drag-and-drop, and desktop-like UI elements that make productivity feel natural.
As for pricing, Vivo is keeping things competitive. The Standard Edition starts at 1,999 yuan (≈$275) for the 8GB+128GB variant, going up to 2,999 yuan (≈$410) for the 16GB+512GB model. The Soft Light Edition, featuring the anti-glare display, starts at 2,199 yuan (≈$300). Sales officially begin on October 17 in China.
With its combination of Snapdragon performance, 144Hz display, and thoughtful design, the Vivo Pad 5e doesn’t just aim to be a cheaper alternative — it’s positioned as a serious productivity and entertainment tablet for young professionals, students, and creators who value power and polish over price tags.
If Vivo decides to bring it beyond China, the Pad 5e could easily shake up the global Android tablet market, bridging the gap between affordability and premium experience — something few brands have truly nailed so far.
