TECNO has confidently entered the competitive mid-range tablet arena with its latest offering, the MEGAPAD SE. Announced on 2 December 2025, this device aims to be a multi-purpose tool, serving as an entertainment hub, productivity companion, and portable AI workstation, all while asking for a non-premium price. The Guardian Nigeria's tech team put the tablet through its paces to see if it lives up to its ambitious promise.
Premium Design and Display: A Strong First Impression
The MEGAPAD SE makes an immediate impact with its build quality. It features a 7mm-thin all-metal chassis with an anodized sandblasting finish, giving it a premium feel that belies its price point. The body is rigid and well-constructed, avoiding the hollow, flexing feel common in many budget-friendly tablets. This design choice signals TECNO's intent to compete with more established leaders in the category.
The visual experience is driven by an 11-inch FHD+ display (1200x1920 resolution). While it may not be the brightest panel on the market, it gets the fundamentals right. The inclusion of a 90Hz refresh rate provides smoother scrolling, which is a boon for reading long documents or navigating apps. TECNO has also incorporated thoughtful features like low blue light certification and dark mode optimization to reduce eye strain during extended use. The main limitation is brightness, rated at 440 nits, which is serviceable indoors but can struggle under direct sunlight.
Endurance, Audio, and AI-Powered Productivity
Battery life is a standout feature. The tablet is equipped with a substantial 8,000mAh battery, which TECNO rates for up to 15 hours of video playback or an impressive 148 hours of music. This makes it an ideal device for students in long lectures or professionals bouncing between meetings without access to a charger. However, charging is a notable compromise, as it only supports 18W fast charging, which feels slow compared to current standards when topping up such a large battery.
For media consumption, the MEGAPAD SE surprises with a quad-speaker system enhanced by Dolby Audio. The setup delivers loud, clear, and spatially impressive sound for a mid-range device, enhancing movie-watching and music listening experiences.
A key selling point is TECNO's integrated AI suite, accessible via a dedicated hardware button. This focuses on practical, everyday tasks rather than gimmicks. The tools include:
- Text summarization
- Voice transcription
- Translation
- Smart note-taking
- Writing assistance
This suite offers genuine utility, particularly for students and professionals who need to capture and process information quickly.
Performance and Final Verdict
Under the hood, the tablet is powered by a Snapdragon 68x-series processor. Performance is adequate for its intended use—handling multitasking, light productivity, streaming, and general app usage smoothly. It is not built for demanding 3D gaming, but it comfortably sits in the "good enough" zone for its target audience.
The TECNO MEGAPAD SE does not attempt to be the most powerful tablet available. Instead, it carves a niche by being a balanced, thoughtful, and approachable device. It combines a premium build, a dependable display, exceptional battery life, capable audio, and useful AI tools into a compelling mid-range package. Its compromises—slower charging, modest processing for heavy tasks, and the lack of a cellular variant—are real but manageable for most users. If the goal was to create a polished and practical tablet that feels good to use daily, TECNO has largely succeeded with the MEGAPAD SE.
