OnePlus Pad Review: A Great Value Android Tablet for Work and Play

OnePlus has consistently delivered some of the best value Android phones on the market, like the OnePlus 11, OnePlus 10 Pro, and gaming-focused OnePlus 10T. The visionary hardware manufacturer even offers earbuds and other great products. And its OnePlus Pad, an Android tablet, gets a lot of things right.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous tablet for both work and play, the OnePlus Pad is a terrific choice. It boasts a powerful processor that’s great for everything from work productivity to gaming, a beautiful display, accessories that make it laptop-adjacent, and long battery life. But is this the right Android tablet for you? Find out in our hands-on OnePlus Pad review!

OnePlus Pad Specs

• Display: 11.61-inch 2800 x 2000 144Hz refresh rate LCD screen, 500 nits of brightness
• Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9000
• Operating System (OS): Android 13.1 Oxygen OS
• Storage: 128GB
• RAM: 8GB
• Cameras: 13MP (megapixel) rear, 8MP front
• Battery capacity: 9510mAh, 67 Watt (W) charging
• Connectivity: 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C
• Dimensions: 189.41 x 258.03 x 6.54mm
• Weight: 555 grams (g)

OnePlus Pad Review Verdict: A Powerful Android Tablet for Work and Play

The OnePlus Pad is a solid Android tablet alternative to Samsung and Amazon Fire options. It features a beautiful 11.61-inch display. A 144Hz dynamic refresh rate ensures comfortable tapping and scrolling–the screen can ramp up its refresh rate when gaming for a smoother experience, or slow down when you’re perusing an article in the New York Times app. At 500 nits of brightness, I found the OnePlus Pad easy to use both indoors and outside in direct sunlight.

Apps look great. During everyday use, I liked using the OnePlus Pad for reading ebooks in the Kindle app, checking the news with the Washington Post app, watching moves on Disney+ or Netflix, and even gaming with bouts of Diablo Immortal or Batman: The Telltale Series.

You’ll find a few accessories for the OnePlus Pad, including the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard and OnePlus Wireless Magnetic Stylus Pen. The OnePlus stylus was nice for taking notes and drawing, although I found the magnetic keyboard more helpful for my use cases.

With the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard, I was able to use the OnePlus Pad as a laptop or Chromebook replacement. The keyboard and trackpad worked flawlessly for writing–I was able to work on Tech Up Your Life articles using the OP Pad without issue.

Normally, when trying to write anything other than simple emails or social media posts, I find tablets with on-screen keyboards pretty clunky. Back in the day, I used a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014 Edition coupled with a Logitech Bluetooth keyboard and mouse plus an external stand. While you can cobble together a similar setup with virtually any tablet, I found the OnePlus Pad’s accessories a streamlined experience–the magnetic keyboard even doubles as a protective cover when it’s not in use.

The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip handled even demanding games like Genshin Impact and Diablo Immortal with ease. Streaming from entertainment apps such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Plex, Spotify, and Tidal works perfectly. Therefore, the OnePlus Pad is a solid choice for multimedia and gaming needs.

On the productivity side, the Pad sports long battery life of up to a month in standby mode. Of course, you won’t see that much juice when actively using it, but I didn’t have to recharge it regularly. There is split-screen support which I found decent, though not as refined as on Google’s Pixel Tablet or Apple’s iPad.

Unfortunately, there’s no fingerprint scanner for quick device unlocking. But OnePlus does include face unlocking. There’s also no cellular support, so you can’t add a SIM card or eSIM for internet anywhere you’ve got a cell signal. However, you can use cellular data sharing to tap into your phone’s 5G or 4G LTE signal without enabling mobile hotspot.

On the whole, the OnePlus Pad is a fantastic Android tablet that works well for basic use like reading ebooks or news apps, browsing the web, and checking your email to entertainment such as streaming videos and music or gaming to work productivity. Its multitasking and split-screen trappings could be refined, and lack of a fingerprint reader as well as cellular data might disappoint some folks. Nevertheless, the OnePlus Pad gets nearly everything right, particularly for its modest price (typically, OnePlus charges around $479 USD, though costs vary).

OnePlus Pad Design and Build

The OnePlus Pad features a generously-sized without being too big for portability 11.61-inch 144Hz refresh rate display. Although it’s an LCD, not an OLED, I still found the colors really popped, and its 500 nits of brightness held up even outside in direct sunlight.

The right and left sides of the unit include speakers with Dolby Atmos support. Also on the left-hand side if the unit is a power button.

Around the right side of the OnePlus Pad is a USB-C jack.

The top edge of the device includes a volume rocker and a magnetic indentation where the OnePlus Stylo connects to charge magnetically.

On bottom, you’ll find contact points where the keyboard interfaces with the Pad. The whole tablet is lightweight yet sturdy with a premium feel thanks to its aluminum alloy construction.

OnePlus Pad Entertainment

The OnePlus Pad handles entertainment needs with ease. Whether you’re watching “Loki” on Disney+, streaming “Three Feet High and Rising” by De La Soul now that it’s finally on Spotify and Tidal, or watching Tech Up Your Life videos on YouTube, the OnePlus Pad is more than up to the challenge. Colors on its display look bright and punchy without being oversaturated.

The onboard speakers sound solid enough–I was able to crank the volume with little to no obvious clipping. There’s no headphone jack, which might bother some users, though I mostly connect with my Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones. If you need a wired connection, you can always pick up a USB-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter, or use a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) like the Helm Bolt.

OnePlus Pad Work Productivity

Thanks to accessories such as the Stylo and Magnetic Keyboard, the OnePlus Pad tackles work productivity reasonably well. I was able to write and edit in Google Docs and WordPress just fine using the OnePlus keyboard and trackpad.

There is a split-screen mode which I used occasionally. So you can run Google Chrome, Slack, YouTube, and other apps side-by-side. The only limitation I found was that some Android apps simply didn’t render well in split screen, but that’s not OnePlus’s fault at all. The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip and 8GB of RAM are great for multitasking, and won’t hold you back.

OnePlus Pad Gaming Performance

Though the OnePlus Pad isn’t a gaming tablet, that doesn’t mean it can’t keep you playing on the go. I fired up Genshin Impact, Diablo Immortal, Max Payne Mobile, Grand Theft Auto III, and Batman: The Telltale Series. Older titles like Telltale’s Batman, Max Payne, and GTA III for Android run like a champ. Even more demanding newer titles such as Diablo Immortal didn’t tax the Pad.

For Android game streaming apps like Nvidia GeForce Now, Amazon Luna, Shadow, Xbox Game Pass, and PlayStation Remote Play, you’ll have absolutely no problems. From cloud gaming to native Android games and emulation, the OnePlus Pad provides a spectacular experience.

OnePlus Pad Accessories

OnePlus offers two excellent accessories for its Android tablet: A stylus, called the Stylo, and a Magnetic Keyboard that doubles as a cover. The Stylo works well for taking notes and drawing, but my handwriting needs some refining. There’s also a basic folio case if you don’t need the keyboard component, although the keyboard and trackpad make the OnePlus Pad more usable as a laptop or Chromebook replacement.

I especially liked the keyboard, which attaches to the OnePlus Pad. When docked, the Pad connects using magnetic pins for interfacing with the keyboard. When not in use, the magnetic keyboard case serves as a cover to protect the screen. In particular, I found the Magnetic Keyboard a stellar solution for transforming the OnePlus Pad into a mobile device suitable for working on the go.

OnePlus Pad Review: Final Thoughts

Overall, the OnePlus Pad delivers a lot of value at an affordable price. It’s a nice work companion that’s good for multitasking. You can use the Pad as an e-reader, entertainment portal, or game console. First-party accessories like the Stylo and Magnetic Keyboard complement the OnePlus Pad well, and make it one of the best Android tablets for creatives like writers, editors, and designers.

I’d have liked a fingerprint reader, and some people might miss cellular support. Split-screen can be a bit cluttered, although that’s just the nature of portability–a larger screen means a bigger, heavier device. Ultimately, the OnePlus Pad is a phenomenal alternative to the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra.

Looking for some suggestions of the best apps to install on your new Android tablet? Check out the best torrent apps for Android, best Android productivity apps, and best SSH Android clients. You can also learn how to install BlueBubbles for iMessage on Android, Windows, and Linux.

Your turn: What Android tablets do YOU recommend?