OnePlus Pad 2 review: A true iPad Air rival?

❘ Updated: 2024-07-30T16:16:42

Dexerto

The OnePlus Pad 2 is the company’s third attempt at making tablets, and this one is close to being the Android tablet and iPad Air rival fans have been waiting for.

OnePlus finally entered the tablet game in 2023, nine years after its founding. The OnePlus Pad impressed with top-tier hardware – a 144Hz display, Dolby Vision and Atmos support, 67W charging, and the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip.

Hardware has never been a problem for any Android tablet that debuted with a $400 or above price tag. It’s the software, that has been the major barrier for many Android tablets, and the OnePlus Pad suffered from the same problem.

The new OnePlus Pad 2 brings even more powerful hardware. It’s got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a large battery, and a better display. But the software still leaves a lot to be desired.

Key specs

Display: 12.1-inch, 2120 x 3000, LCD, 144Hz, 900 nits
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
Operating System: Android 14, OxygenOS 14.1
RAM: 8GB RAM / 12GB RAM
Cameras: 13MP rear, 8MP front
Battery: 9,510mAh with 67W Supervooc charging
Connectivity: 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C
Dimensions and Weight: 189.41mm x 258.03mm x 6.54mm, 555 gra
Storage: 128GB / 256GB
Price: $549

Pros	Cons
Display and performance	Poor third-party app support
Long battery life	Big and heavy
Competitive price

BUY THE ONEPLUS PAD 2

Display

The OnePlus Pad 2 has an impressive display, even though it’s not an OLED like the latest iPad Pro. The LCD measures 12.1 inches (up from 11.6 inches on the original) with a 3K resolution. The aspect ratio remains at 7:5, which gives it the shape of a laptop display. That’s a good thing when you use the tablet with a keyboard plugged in.

The display supports a 144Hz refresh rate, which sounds impressive on paper. However, only Google Chrome is set to operate at 144Hz by default. Most other apps are either set at 120Hz or 90Hz. You can change this in the settings, though. It’s rated to have 900 nits peak brightness, and it didn’t have any issues indoors or even outdoors, except under direct sunlight.

The display has good color accuracy and supports formats like Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. Combined, these features make for an awesome multimedia experience, but you’ll have a tough time finding content in the aforementioned formats. Netflix supports Dolby Vision, but the app didn’t work for me on this tablet.

Design

The OnePlus tablet looks great with its 6.5mm thickness and 584g weight. The front is covered edge-to-edge with glass, curving ever so slightly around the edges.

There’s a slim bezel all around the screen, just over a centimeter wide. The corners are rounded, and the top is flat for the optional OnePlus Stylo 2. The 8MP front camera is tucked away on the bezel below this edge.

On the other end, you’ve got three contact plates for the magnetic keyboard. The Nimbus Gray color is sleek, but it’s a magnet for fingerprints. Grab a folio case if you pick up this tablet—you’ll need it.

The OnePlus Pad 2 lacks a fingerprint scanner, and the face unlock feature can be hit or miss. It works well in bright settings, but in low light, you’ll probably need to enter your password. Also, you can only register one face, so if you plan on sharing the tablet with your partner or kids, they’ll have to enter the password each time (my girlfriend wasn’t exactly thrilled about that).

Performance

OnePlus has packed its new tablet with the same processor as the flagship OnePlus 12, and it runs pretty smooth. My unit came with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. OnePlus is also offering an 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option.

The storage isn’t expandable, which could be an issue for those who download a lot of games or videos for offline viewing. I used the OnePlus Pad strictly as an entertainment device, with some gaming, and as my primary writing device, so this wasn’t a problem for me.

During my usage, I never felt the tablet needed more power or better hardware. It glided through every task and never lagged. I enjoyed using the multitasking and connectivity features built into OxygenOS.

Specifically, I found myself frequently using the Content Sync feature which lets you instantly view and edit photos, screenshots, and videos taken on your OnePlus phone on the tablet.

Another feature I kept using was the two-finger swipe-down gesture to split the display in half, putting one app on the left side of the screen and a second on the right. The tablet even lets you use three apps at once on the same screen.

Screenshot showing OnePlus Pad 2 split screen view

I often had Google Docs open on one side of the screen and Chrome on the other for writing and research. I also used Google Docs and Twitter (now X) side by side because I can’t seem to write for 10 minutes straight without checking what’s going on online.

While the gaming performance on the device is decent, I noticed that the tablet struggles with modern, demanding titles like Genshin Impact. The games often run at extremely low resolutions. However, you get decent performance when playing older games with a steady 60FPS most of the time.

I also ran some benchmarks to give you a better idea of the tablet’s performance. Starting with Geekbench 6, the OnePlus Pad scored 4702 points in the multi-core test and 950 points in the single-core test.

It achieved 4490 points in 3D Mark’s Wild Life Extreme Stress test with an average stability of 66.8%. I also ran 3D Mark’s Wild Life test, which is a 1-minute test to determine how the device performs in games and other tasks, and was told: “Your device is too powerful for this test.”

Camera and battery

I wasn’t expecting the OnePlus Pad 2 to have a top-notch camera setup, and it doesn’t. It’s got a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front sensor. Both are pretty decent for what they are, but don’t expect to take any gram-worthy shots here.

The rear camera won’t blow you away with its photo quality—it’s fine for snapping pics during the day but struggles in low light. It’s good enough for taking well-exposed shots, scanning documents, QR codes, and recording decent videos. The front camera does a solid job for selfies and video calls, giving you clear details.

The battery life on the tablet is impressive. It packs a 9510mAh battery that lasts over 12 hours of video playback and web browsing. With a mix of tasks like gaming, video streaming, and social media, I got around 9 hours of screen time. That’s not bad at all, especially since you can charge it from 0 to 100% in less than 80 minutes (it took me 78 minutes specifically).

Software

The OnePlus Pad 2 runs Android 14, which is based on OxygenOS 14.1. The interface is clean and free of any unnecessary clutter. You mainly find Google and OnePlus apps on the tablet, except Netflix. Everything can be uninstalled except for the system apps.

OnePlus has packed in some handy software features to make the tablet more user-friendly. Besides the split screen and Content Sync features I mentioned earlier, there’s also App Relay for jumping from your phone to the tablet, access to your tablet’s files from your phone if they’re linked through the same OnePlus account, and file shortcuts.

While the Chinese company isn’t very AI-heavy as of now, it has made sure to add some AI features so you don’t feel left out. AI Eraser 2.0 helps you get rid of unwanted objects from your photos, Smart Cutout 2.0 lets you make memes and stickers, and the AI Toolbox can record, summarize, and even help you write text.

But do all these software features make up for the abysmal experience with Android tablets? Not really. OnePlus has added optimizations to the tablet, but the overall Android experience is still lacking, especially when it comes to third-party app support.

When you have a tablet with keyboard support, you’d want to use it in landscape mode, but most apps don’t work correctly in this orientation. Even popular apps like Spotify don’t function properly; you can load it in landscape mode, but when you expand the lyrics, it switches to portrait mode.

Apps like LinkedIn, Instagram, and X have a half-baked landscape mode, which is just an awkwardly stretched version of the portrait mode. You see the content in the center of the screen while the rest of the screen real estate is just blank.

The software experience on the OnePlus tablet isn’t great, and a lot of it isn’t the company’s fault. It’s the Android ecosystem and the apps that don’t want to work well on tablets. If you want to get some work done using a tablet, Apple’s iPad Air is still the way to go.

The keyboard and stylus

As I mentioned, the OnePlus tablet supports both a keyboard and a stylus. They’re not free — the keyboard costs $149, and the OnePlus Stylo 2 is $99. Both attach magnetically to the tablet and charge wirelessly.

I really liked using the stylus; it has some features similar to what Apple introduced with the new Apple Pencil Pro. For instance, it can simulate writing on paper. When using the OnePlus Notes app, you can double-tap on the stylus to switch between the pen and eraser.

Should you buy it?

While the hardware is solid, the software experience on the OnePlus tablet isn’t great, and a lot of it isn’t the company’s fault. It’s the Android ecosystem and the apps that don’t want to work well on tablets. If you want to get some work done using a tablet, Apple’s iPad Air is still the way to go.

Verdict – 4/5

The OnePlus Pad 2 is a great device that, just like its predecessor, is held back by the Android ecosystem. Its cutting-edge hardware ensures there’s no lag and apps load quickly, but the lack of third-party app support means the iPad Air still has an edge. I recommend getting this tablet if you already have a OnePlus phone, as the ecosystem makes using the tablet easier.