ZTE Japan is releasing the nubia Pad Plus (Wi-Fi), a 12-inch tablet under the nubia brand, on August 27. For 39,800 yen including tax, it packs a 12-inch FHD+ display and an 8,000mAh battery into a body weighing roughly 550g, and pairing it with the dedicated keyboard turns it into something close to a compact laptop. Here is a look at what ZTE chose to include, and what it left out, at just under 40,000 yen.
A 12-inch panel in a 550g body
The tablet measures about 281 x 177 x 7.2mm and weighs roughly 550g. Plenty of 12-inch class tablets tip past 600g, so keeping this screen size at 550g puts it on the easier-to-handle side. At 7.2mm it is thin enough to be designed around being carried in a bag. Only one color is offered, grey, with a restrained look and little ornamentation.
The display is a 12-inch FHD+ panel at 2,000 x 1,200. It supports a multi-window mode that places two apps side by side, aimed at keeping a video call on screen while a document sits next to it, or taking notes while watching a video. With 12 inches of area to work with, that split stays usable rather than cramped.
On the audio side there are four speakers, and the tablet supports Widevine L1, the content protection level required to stream HD video from major services. A surprising number of budget tablets skip it, so this matters if video is the main use case.
The keyboard needs no pairing and no charging
The optional dedicated keyboard costs 9,800 yen including tax and connects through a dedicated port on the tablet rather than Bluetooth. That means no pairing routine and no separate battery to charge: attach it and start typing. The layout follows a PC-style arrangement and includes a touchpad.
Video output over USB Type-C is also supported, so a single cable mirrors the screen to an external display. Putting slides on a meeting room monitor can be handled by the tablet alone. The external display and the cable are sold separately, and ZTE notes that some device and cable combinations may not work.
An 8,000mAh battery with 26W charging
Battery capacity is 8,000mAh with support for 26W fast charging. ZTE Japan cites roughly 16.9 hours of music playback, about 7.6 hours of video playback, and around 9.5 hours of web browsing. All figures are measured by nubia Lab and will vary with real-world conditions. Note that a fast-charging adapter is not included in the box, so a compatible charger has to be purchased separately to reach 26W.
Key specifications
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Display | 12-inch FHD+ (2,000 x 1,200) |
| OS | Android 16 |
| CPU | UNISOC T820 |
| Memory / Storage | 6GB / 128GB |
| Battery | 8,000mAh (26W fast charging) |
| Size / Weight | approx. 281 x 177 x 7.2mm / approx. 550g |
| Cameras | approx. 13MP rear / approx. 8MP front |
| Wireless | IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Speakers | Quad speakers |
| Other | Widevine L1, face unlock, IPX2, 3.5mm headphone jack, USB Type-C video output |
The chipset is a UNISOC T820 with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage. Wireless tops out at Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.0, so this is not a device chasing the newest standards. Anyone who lives in demanding 3D games will find it thin, but read as a deliberate focus on video, documents and online study, the trade-offs line up. Water resistance is only IPX2, so it is best kept away from sinks and bathrooms.
A limited launch bundle at 42,800 yen
The release date is August 27 and the tablet itself is 39,800 yen including tax. Since the keyboard is 9,800 yen on its own, buying both separately comes to 49,600 yen.
To mark the launch, ZTE Japan is offering a limited-quantity bundle of the tablet and the dedicated keyboard for 42,800 yen including tax. That is 6,800 yen less than buying the two items separately, so anyone who intends to use the keyboard is better off with the bundle. Stock is limited and sales end once it runs out.
Distribution covers electronics retailers including Nojima, Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera, along with online stores such as Amazon, Toretech SoftBank Selection, Yahoo! Shopping and Rakuten Ichiba. Pre-order timing, launch timing and actual selling prices vary by retailer.
Summary
The nubia Pad Plus (Wi-Fi) is a practical-first tablet that fits a 12-inch screen and an 8,000mAh battery into roughly 550g for 39,800 yen including tax. The chipset and wireless standards are modest, but Widevine L1 support, quad speakers and a keyboard that needs neither pairing nor charging point clearly toward handling video and light work on a single device. For anyone planning to type on it, the 42,800 yen limited bundle looks like the sensible entry point.
