OnePlus Pad review: I really wanted to like this tablet, but it isn’t worth it — for now

I used to be very excited for the OnePlus Pad when it was introduced again in February. I used the iPad Air as my go-to pill for the final two years, and whereas I like most issues about it, the shortage of a 120Hz panel was a little bit of a limiting issue, so once I noticed that the OnePlus Pad got here with a 144Hz display screen, I used to be thrilled.That pleasure became consternation once I truly began utilizing the OnePlus Pad. What instantly ticked me off was the software program; it’s practically equivalent to what you may discover on the OnePlus 11, and whereas that is not a nasty factor, there is not as a lot tablet-focused customization as I used to be on the lookout for. Nevertheless, I used to be eager on testing out the accent ecosystem and needed to see how the keyboard and stylus would maintain up.To name the equipment unreliable could be an understatement. The stylus seems to be and feels just like the Apple Pencil, however I had points with latency, making it unusable for many of the testing window. And as for the keyboard, whereas it related with none points, it was glitchy from the get-go. It would pull up Google Search for no tangible motive, and it took me over 4 minutes to enter my e mail tackle whereas attempting to sign up to Bitwarden. Sure, I’ve a protracted surname, however the concern was that the keyboard was continuously including random characters; so each time I keyed within the letter n or d, it will throw in a number of extras — largely a and f — for good measure.I used to be initially going to make use of the keyboard to write down the whole thing of the evaluation, however given how lengthy it took to enter my e mail tackle, I believe we would be in 2025 if I adopted by means of on that. So I figured probably the most smart factor could be to make use of one other system — one with a working keyboard — so I went again to my gaming rig and received began. As I could not discuss productiveness, I believed I’ll share what it is like to make use of the pill for multimedia. After all, that’s the greatest use case for a pill as of late, so I spun up the newest season of University Challenge and sat again. Because of the faulty keyboard accent and the truth that I wasn’t despatched some other circumstances, I held the pill in my arms when streaming the present, and after about 15 minutes, I observed my arms have been fatigued. Now, the pill is reasonably heavy at 552g, however that should not trigger any fatigue, and I figured it may very well be all the way down to design selections and the truth that the load distribution is all improper.While most tablets have the load unfold out over the complete space, the OnePlus Pad feels heavier on the perimeters, and that makes it uncomfortable to carry and use for an prolonged use. So if not for leisure, what else can I do with this pill? Key software program options are lacking at launch, in order that’s not one thing I may be enthused about, and whereas I just like the Dimensity 9000, it is not optimized for the pill, so it feels weirdly sluggish and laggy at instances — even with that 144Hz display screen.And simply as I completed taking the product pictures and was about to publish the evaluation, the keyboard began working, so I’m chalking this one as much as unreliable {hardware} on the preliminary batch of models that have been despatched out to reviewers. But the larger concern nonetheless stays; OnePlus has gotten into an annoying behavior of releasing half-baked merchandise — undergo my evaluations for the OnePlus Band and OnePlus Watch to see what I’m speaking about — and the OnePlus Pad falls into the identical class.Don’t get me improper; there may be potential for this pill to be good, however that is not the case at launch. It will take a number of months and some software program updates to iron out all of the kinks, and if you happen to’re keen to place up with the trouble, then sure, you should purchase the OnePlus Pad. Otherwise, you are higher served by one of many selections on our greatest Android tablets listing.OnePlus Pad at OnePlus US & Canada for $479 (opens in new tab)OnePlus Pad: Pricing and availability(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The OnePlus Pad was introduced again in January on the Cloud 11 occasion in New Delhi — alongside the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus TV 65 Q2 Pro — and it’s now up for pre-order in a number of nations, with gross sales kicking off in May. The pill is offered together with three equipment: a stylus referred to as OnePlus Stylo, folio case, and a keyboard case that attaches magnetically to the pill. OnePlus is rolling out the pill in a regular 8GB/128GB configuration in most world markets, however customers in India may also have the ability to choose up a 12GB/256GB version that is unique to the nation.Here’s what you may find yourself paying for the OnePlus Pad and its related equipment in numerous areas:OnePlus Pad (8GB/128GB): $479 / £449 / ₹37,999 / $649 CADOnePlus Pad (12GB/256GB): ₹39,999OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard: $149 / £149 / ₹7,999 / $209 CADOnePlus Stylo: $99 / £99 / ₹4,999 / $139 CADOnePlus Folio Case: $39 / £39 / ₹1,499 / $57 CADTo incentivize the launch of the pill, OnePlus is throwing in a free keyboard or stylus to these buying the Pad in North America, and is providing the folio case totally free for customers within the U.Okay. and India.And as is often the case for OnePlus, the Pad and its equipment are reasonably priced in India than different areas, with the bottom model popping out to the equal of $464. The keyboard accent comes out to $97 (versus $149 in North America), the stylus is $61, and the folio case is the equal of $18. Clearly, OnePlus is betting on the pill and its equipment promoting in first rate numbers in India, however it’s going up in opposition to stiff rivalry from the likes of Samsung, Xiaomi, and Lenovo.OnePlus Pad: Design(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The apparent spotlight on the design entrance is the again; because of a vibrant inexperienced end and brushed metallic look with the digital camera positioned within the center, the OnePlus Pad seems to be attractive. The metallic end feels good to the touch and would not depart too many smudges, and I just like the minimalist design and the all-metal chassis.While the design is distinctive and instantly makes the pill stands out, like a Fabergé egg, this pill is healthier admired from a distance than truly holding it in your arms. The major downside is weight distribution; the pill feels unnaturally heavy on the perimeters, and consequently, you’ll be able to’t maintain it comfortably for greater than 1 / 4 of an hour.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Then there’s the problem of the design itself; three sides of the pill are curved, and one aspect is flat — to accommodate the stylus accent that attaches magnetically — and this asymmetry makes me query who signed off on this specific design selection. It clearly is not the identical particular person who advised placing the digital camera within the center to create “Ultra Symmetry.”(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)I do not like flat sides on telephones because it makes utilizing them unwieldy, however they make rather more sense on a pill — I can attest to that after utilizing two generations of the iPad Air. OnePlus ought to have gone with the same design with flat sides as it will have led to a cohesive design and made utilizing the pill extra comfy. There’s a motive most tablets at this time function flat sides, and that is for the sake of usability.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)On that word, the corporate may have carried out a greater job hiding the antenna bands on the again. There’s a transparent dichotomy within the design language, and it looks like OnePlus spent all of its time and a focus determining what coloration and sample to make use of on the again, after which phoned in the remainder of the design.Image 1 of 4(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Rounding out the options, you may discover a quad speaker array with two audio system on both aspect of the pill, and there are pogo pins on the aspect the place it is meant to be related to the keyboard accent. The USB-C charging port is on the backside, and you will find the facility button on the prime and the quantity buttons to the fitting.Yes, the inexperienced coloration on the again and the metallic chassis make the OnePlus Pad look good, however it is a traditional case of a model prioritizing aesthetics over usability.OnePlus Pad: Display(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The OnePlus Pad has a 11.61-inch IPS LCD show with 144Hz refresh price, and it has an uncommon decision of 2800 x 2000 with a 7:5 ratio that is a bit of extra conducive to studying textual content. But you already know what would have been helpful? The devoted studying mode that was a mainstay in legacy variations of OxygenOS. The function would flip the display screen monochrome, and it was nice for studying textual content. Of course, it went away when OxygenOS merged with ColorOS two years in the past, however it will have made a distinction right here.The display screen goes as much as 500 nits in auto mode, and whereas that is not anyplace as excessive as what most fashionable telephones are in a position to obtain, I did not see any points on this space. The panel itself is first rate for probably the most half, and also you get good colours. Of course, it is not the identical as an AMOLED panel, however going that route on a tool this dimension would have elevated the fee by a big margin — that is one of many explanation why Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S8+ retails for practically $900.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Regardless, the panel is greater than ample for streaming TV reveals and flicks off your favourite streaming companies, and the star of the present right here is the onboard audio. With 4 audio system — two on both aspect — the OnePlus Pad will get extremely loud, and the general stability is sort of good. There is a few distortion whenever you crank the quantity all the best way up, however aside from that, the built-in audio is very pleasing for multimedia.When it involves enjoying video games, the Dimensity 9000 does an incredible job in its personal proper, however identical to OnePlus telephones, the pill is restricted at a {hardware} stage to 60fps. So even when a recreation is ready to leverage excessive refresh charges, that is not potential right here. This is not a brand new phenomenon, and it is unlikely OnePlus will change stance anytime quickly.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There’s no 3.5mm jack right here, and that looks like a nonsensical omission; there’s clearly room on the pill for the jack. This is a moot level as most manufacturers have moved previous the analog port, and if you want to plug in a wired headset, you may have to go the dongle route.There’s additionally the truth that you solely get 144Hz in choose whitelisted apps — together with Chrome and choose first-party utilities — and the display screen switches all the way down to 120Hz in day by day use. Even with the refresh set to High within the settings, it should swap between 30, 60, 90, 120, and 144Hz based mostly on the content material on the display screen to save lots of battery life.Building on this, my greatest concern with the display screen is that it is laggy at instances, and that should not be the case on a tool with this caliber of {hardware}. It may simply be all the way down to poor optimization, however I observed a number of cases of infinitesimal lag whereas looking in Chrome and scrolling by means of an e-book. Otherwise, the show is sort of good, and OnePlus did an honest job with the scale of the bezels on all sides.OnePlus Pad: Performance and battery(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The OnePlus Pad options MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000 platform, and it presents one Cortex X2 core clocked at 3.05GHz together with three Cortex A710 cores at 2.85GHz and 4 Cortex A510 cores at 1.8GHz. There’s additionally a Mali-G710 with ten shader cores, and the pill is on the market in two configurations: a base mannequin with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and a high-end model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. While one of the best Android telephones have UFS 4.0 storage modules, the OnePlus Pad runs UFS 3.1 on each storage variants.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryOnePlus PadOSOxygenOS 13.1 based mostly on Android 13Display11.61-inch 144Hz 2800 x 2000, 7:5 ratio, Dolby Vision, 500 nitsChipsetMediaTek Dimensity 9000, 1 x 3.05GHz Cortex X2, 3 x 2.85GHz Cortex Z710, 4 x 1.8GHz Cortex A510, Mali-G710, 4nmRAM8GB, 12GB (India-only)Storage128GB, 256GB (India-only)Rear digital camera13MP, EIS, 4K at 30fpsFront camera8MP fastened focus, 1080p at 30fpsConnectivityWi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3AudioQuad audio system, AptX HD, LHDC, LDAC codecsIngress ProtectionNoneSecurityFace unlockBattery9510mAh battery, 67W wired chargingDimensions258 x 189.4 x 6.5mm, 552gColorsHalo GreenI used a number of telephones with the Dimensity 9000, and it’s a dependable workhorse with loads of potential for gaming and day by day use. But as I acknowledged above, I observed the occasional lag whereas looking on the pill, and video games took longer to load than traditional. Other than these oddities, it was easy crusing on the OnePlus Pad, and the {hardware} ought to maintain its personal for a number of years to come back.On the connectivity aspect of issues, the OnePlus Pad has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, and also you get the standard suite of AptX HD audio codecs along with LDAC and LHDC, so you should use the OnePlus Buds 2 Pro with none points with this pill. In a puzzling omission, there is not a fingerprint sensor on the system, and the one biometric authentication is face unlock.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Thanks to an enormous 9510mAh battery, the OnePlus Pad posts stellar figures on this specific space. I received simply over ten hours of video playback on a full cost, and that must be greater than ample for many customers. When it involves charging, there’s 67W wired charging, and also you get a 67W charger within the field.Because of the scale of the battery, it takes just below 90 minutes to totally cost the pill, and that is additionally not an issue contemplating you are more likely to depart it for cost in a single day. There are the standard safeguards for extending battery longevity; there is a Wise charging function that cuts off cost on the 80% mark, and charging is resumed at a later level in order that it hits 100% simply earlier than you’re taking it off the charger. This relies in your utilization patterns and works reliably when left in a single day.OnePlus Pad: Accessories(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)I wasted an honest chunk of time getting the Magnetic Keyboard to work over the primary two days I used the OnePlus Pad, however I did not make a lot headway. I even up to date the firmware out of the field, but it surely would not acknowledge keystrokes and as a substitute add a stream of random characters. And then abruptly, it began working mere moments earlier than I printed the evaluation, so I’m going to share preliminary findings of the accent. Clearly, there are {hardware} points to be sorted out, however for now, I’ll give attention to what it is like to make use of. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The construct high quality feels good for a keyboard case that prices $149, and I like that it makes use of the same shade of inexperienced because the pill itself. The keyboard attaches to the pill securely through the magnetic connectors, and the one downside is that there is not any technique to modify the angle — in contrast to the Magic Keyboard.There’s sufficient separation between the keys that you do not really feel congested utilizing the keyboard, and key journey is sort of good — for a transportable keyboard accent. The draw back right here is that there is not any backlighting — making it ineffective in a low-light setting — however aside from that, it is a first rate displaying.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There are customized shortcuts for launching the browser and helpful navigation aids, and the built-in trackpad on the backside unlocks a cursor — albeit one which’s pretty restricted in what it might do.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As for the Stylo, it has the identical visible aesthetic because the Apple Pencil. But it is not as comfy to carry, and I observed higher-than-usual latency when utilizing the stylus within the Notes consumer. Thankfully, that was resolved after a full cost, and whereas it is a first rate stylus, it would not have the identical suggestions or stress sensitivity because the Apple Pencil.OnePlus Pad: Cameras(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There’s little or no to speak about on the digital camera aspect of issues. The pill includes a 13MP digital camera on the again, and also you get an 8MP digital camera on the entrance that is useful for video calls. The digital camera interface is a stretched-out model of what you may discover on OnePlus telephones, and the one attention-grabbing factor that I can consider is that due to the centered positioning, you do not have to awkwardly maneuver the pill to take images.Of course, you should not be taking images with this factor in any respect; even mid-range telephones as of late have digital camera methods that run rings round what you may discover on this pill, however if you happen to’re insistent on utilizing the Pad for taking pictures, know that you’re going to get usable pictures in daylight situations. The digital camera can even shoot video at 4K/30fps, however the lack of stabilization means you may get shaky footage.The entrance digital camera has a fixed-focus lens, and it’s serviceable in day by day use. There’s a selfie mode that’s much like the portrait mode on a telephone, and it tries to blur the background when taking selfies. It is not anyplace as efficient as a telephone, however once more, it’s satisfactory.OnePlus Pad: Software(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The OnePlus Pad runs OxygenOS 13.1 based mostly on Android 13 out of the field, and the software program is just about indistinguishable to that of the OnePlus 11. OnePlus says that is by design, and that it needed to emulate the identical visible model for its pill as properly.The similar irritations within the telephone model of OxygenOS are carried over. For occasion, there is not any technique to disable the Google Discover feed on the -1 web page, and knocking down on the house display screen surfaces world search by default. Thankfully, you’ll be able to change this by heading into the settings. Battery administration can also be on the aggressive aspect, and you may have to manually disable optimization if you do not get push notifications for an app.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)That mentioned, you do discover a number of helpful options on the software program aspect of issues. There’s a taskbar on the backside that surfaces just lately closed apps, and also you get a break up notification pane with the toggles to the left and notifications displaying up on the fitting. My favourite software program function is a two-finger gesture that robotically launches split-screen multitasking. When you are in an app, simply swipe down from the highest of the display screen to enter split-screen mode. It works reliably, and does job leveraging the display screen actual property.In the same vein, you get versatile home windows and good sidebar — mainstays on the telephone model of OxygenOS — and there is a Limelight function that ensures you are within the middle of the body when making video calls. This function is disabled by default, however you’ll be able to toggle it with relative ease, and whereas it is not as intuitive as Center Stage on the iPad, it would not should work as onerous because the digital camera is positioned within the appropriate space to start out with.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The greatest concern is the shortage of notable software program options at launch. There are three key options to speak about right here: Auto join, Cellular Data Sharing, and Cross-screen Transmission. They’re all geared at seamless connectivity between your telephone and pill, and the large caveat right here is that they solely work with choose OnePlus telephones. Furthermore, OnePlus notes that the Auto join function won’t be heading to European markets in any respect, and the Cellular Data Sharing function won’t debut in Germany.Cellular Data Sharing specifically sounds very attention-grabbing because it enables you to share the information connection of your telephone and make calls or obtain texts — all with no need a SIM card on the pill itself. Of course, that is all a moot level as none of those options are stay — OnePlus despatched over an inside doc outlining its OTA schedule, and the present timeline suggests someday in May for Auto join and Cross-screen Transmission and July for Cellular Data Sharing.Given the model’s historical past on this space, I would not recommend holding your breath for these options to go stay anytime quickly. On the topic of software program updates, the OnePlus Pad will choose up three years of Android OS updates and 4 years of safety patches, so whereas it is not on par with the OnePlus 11, it should not less than get to Android 16 as soon as that rolls out down the road.OnePlus Pad: The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Xiaomi Pad 5 is the apparent various, and it presents a 11-inch IPS LCD panel with 120Hz refresh and options the Snapdragon 860. It has a smaller 8720mAh battery, and has related points on the software program entrance, however the upside is that it’s rather more reasonably priced at £349 ($435) within the U.Okay. and ₹26,999 ($330) in India.Any dialog on this class inevitably turns to the iPad, and for good motive. The 10th-gen iPad prices $449, and whereas it comes with a paltry 64GB of storage, it has a lot better software program options. I’m not saying that it’s a good system — removed from it. iPadOS has inherent limitations that proceed to be bothersome, and I nonetheless cannot determine why we won’t get first rate file administration on this stuff. Regardless, the software program ecosystem mixed with the texture of the {hardware} and the facility on supply makes the iPad an incredible various.If you want an Android pill largely for consuming media, Lenovo’s Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 is a strong various. It has a big 11.2-inch OLED panel with 120Hz refresh and Dolby Vision, and whereas the interior {hardware} is dated at this level, it’s dependable in day by day use. The battery life is first rate as properly, and whereas it makes use of a plastic chassis, it’s extra reasonably priced at $399.The Galaxy Tab S7 FE is beginning to present its age, but it surely’s nonetheless one of the best general selection if you need an Android pill for $500 in North America.OnePlus Pad: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can buy this if:You need a pill with a 144Hz display screenYou need {hardware} that holds up properly for gamingYou’re on the lookout for a pill with wonderful battery lifeYou want a sublime designYou should not purchase this if:You want refined software program that is glitch-freeYou want an adjunct ecosystem that works out of the fieldYou’re on the lookout for a pill that is comfy to carryAndroid tablets have seen a renaissance over the past 18 months, and that is all the way down to Google lastly realizing that tablets as a kind issue truly make sense. Like a phoenix rising from the Nexus graveyard, we received a slate of tablets that have been rather more polished than their predecessors. The draw back is that almost all of those tablets aren’t offered in North America; that is why there was an outsized curiosity when OnePlus revealed that the Pad could be debuting within the area.Although OnePlus did job on the {hardware} aspect of issues, the software program wants plenty of work, and the design is not comfy. Similarly, I see plenty of potential for the accent ecosystem, however the model might want to iron out unreliability points first. Right now, the display screen is sweet for streaming content material and the onboard audio is stellar, however the software program misses out on optimization to take full benefit of the {hardware}, and key options that allow seamless connectivity between the telephone and pill aren’t launching for a number of months.If you are out there for an Android pill, my suggestion could be to attend; the Pixel Tablet is on the horizon, and OnePlus will finally get round to fixing the problems on the Pad. Until that point, Samsung continues to be your best option in North America. Everywhere else, the Xiaomi Pad 5 is an efficient various if you happen to want one thing instantly.OnePlus Pad : Price Comparison (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab)