The original OnePlus Pad was a solid entry into the tablet market in early 2023 but faced stiff competition from other tablets like the Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Xiaomi Pad 6, and Apple’s 10th Gen iPad. OnePlus is looking to change that with the OnePlus Pad 2 launched alongside OnePlus Watch 2R, promising flagship-quality specs and design at a competitive price.
Starting at just $550 (or Rs. 39,999), this aluminum tablet packs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, last year’s flagship processor, a large 12.1-inch display, and a 9510mAh battery. OnePlus has also upgraded both the keyboard and stylus, which are sold separately. August 1st is the official on-sale date for the OnePlus Pad 2, but pre-orders began July 16.
On paper, the OnePlus Pad 2 seems like a compelling alternative to iPads and Samsung tablets. It might even be capable of replacing your laptop for everyday tasks. But does it truly live up to the hype? Let’s find out in our OnePlus Pad 2 review.
Table of Contents
Build, Design, and Accessories
The OnePlus Pad 2 retains a similar design to its predecessor, featuring a slim aluminum body measuring just 6.49mm. However, due to its larger form factor, the tablet weighs over half a kilo at 584g, which feels a bit heavy especially when gaming despite the comfortable rounded edges. The aluminum build feels solid and did withstand minor bumps and drops.
The front has quite thin, symmetrical bezels for a tablet. OnePlus continues to use the same 7:5 aspect ratio as last year, which is wider and shorter than the more common 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratios found in most tablets and laptops. While this may require some adjustment for users coming from traditional tablets, those familiar with iPads will find the transition smoother, as the difference is subtle – the Pad 2 is only slightly wider.
In terms of ports and buttons, there are three speakers on each side, a USB-C port and microphone on the right side, and a power button on the top-left side when holding the tablet horizontally. Unfortunately, the power button doesn’t double as a fingerprint sensor—there isn’t one on this tablet.
As for the accessories, you can buy the Smart Keyboard for an additional $150 (or Rs. 8,499). It connects to the tablet using pogo pins and supports Bluetooth so you can continue using the keyboard detached. Why that is good? It means I can put the tablet on a higher surface like on top of 5 books and still type. That gives me good viewing angles which is good for my neck and eyes and also good for my hands as I can rest them lower. You can’t do that on a laptop unless it is Surface but they ain’t budget laptops.
The keyboard itself offers a laptop-like experience with full set of keys and a large touchpad twice the size of the original OnePlus Pad’s Magnetic Keyboard – a welcome move. Its premium matte finish feels great, and the keys have a comfortable travel distance with a satisfying click. It’s good for typing messages, emails, documents, and even articles quickly. While the touchpad is smooth and accurate, the click feels a bit hollow and plasticky, which detracts from the overall premium feel.
The keyboard comes with a magnetic flap that attaches to the back, allowing you to adjust the tilt angle from 110 to 165 degrees. However, since the Pad relies solely on this flap for support, it’s better suited for use on a desk rather than your lap, as it doesn’t stay in place there.
It’s also worth noting that the tablet and keyboard combined weigh over 1kg (the keyboard has a built-in 205mAh battery and weighs 500 grams). While this might be fine for those comfortable using laptops for long periods, it could be cumbersome for some.
OnePlus has upgraded the stylus pen, now called the OnePlus Stylo 2. It magnetically attaches to the top edge of the tablet for charging and storage. Unlike last year’s plastic model, it has a leather-like texture and gives a good grip even with sweaty hands. It also has a vibration motor that activates while writing or drawing, simulating the feeling of pen on paper. I prefer this to the writing sound implementation of Samsung’s S Pen.
The stylus is pressure sensitive and supports 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, an improvement over the 4,096 levels of the original Stylo. You can see this in action when using pencil or pen mode in the OnePlus Notes app – apply light pressure to draw a thin line and increase it to draw a thicker one. The weight distribution of the stylus is also excellent.
The OnePlus Pad 2, paired with the Smart Keyboard, offers nearly 80% of a laptop experience, except for the smaller keys, an overall form factor different from laptops, and software limitations (we’ll come to it in a while). iPad users will find the keyboard design familiar, as it strongly resembles Apple’s Magic Keyboard Folio.
Display, Speakers, and Camera
The OnePlus Pad 2 boasts a 12.1-inch 3K IPS LCD display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 303 PPI. It achieves a peak brightness of 900 nits, much brighter than the original Pad’s 500-nit limit. It gets plenty bright under the sun and also quite dim in a dark room, so writing notes outdoors or watching videos at night before bed wasn’t an issue for me.
The 7:5 aspect ratio is ideal for reading, writing, and working with documents, giving it a notebook-like feel. However, it’s not the best for consuming content, as you’ll see black bars on top and bottom when watching movies and TV shows shot in traditional 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratios.
The display itself is sharp, colorful, and bright. While I initially missed the deep blacks and vibrant colors of an OLED screen (especially since Xiaomi is switching to OLED with their Pad 7 lineup), the feeling faded after a few days. The OnePlus Pad 2’s high contrast ratio more than compensates for the lack of OLED, making it a non-issue.
Worth mentioning, the OnePlus Pad 2 supports Widevine L1 for playing high-resolution, DRM-protected content in OTT apps like Netflix and Prime Video.
Good speakers make for a great tablet experience, and the OnePlus Pad 2 delivers with its six speakers. The omni-bearing technology changes the audio depending on how you’re holding the tablet, which, to me, sounds more immersive and fuller in landscape mode. But that’s not new; we’ve seen that earlier on the Xiaomi Pad too.
Unfortunately, there’s no Dolby Atmos this time around. Instead, OnePlus is utilizing Oppo’s OReality Audio which while works fine is a no match to the Dolby. The OnePlus Pad 2 also supports Spatial Audio and Holo Audio features, so it feels like the sound is coming from different directions when playing multiple audio sources (such as calls, messages, videos, and alarms) simultaneously.
The speakers are loud, distortion-free even at high volumes, and deliver excellent bass—something I also loved about the original OnePlus Pad and found lacking in the Xiaomi Pad 6. Whether watching movies on OTT platforms or simply listening to music, the audio has good separation, and even voices sound clear and well-defined.
If media consumption is a priority, the display and audio setup on the OnePlus Pad 2 is arguably comparable to Windows laptops and iPad models in this price range (iPad Air M2).
The OnePlus Pad 2 includes a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front-facing camera. While the cameras lack detail and produce noise, I’m happy to report that the front camera is fine for video calls. Although, I still prefer using my MacBook Air M1 or phone for the best call quality. They’re typical tablet cameras, so I won’t focus much on them here.
Performance
The OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by the top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and comes in two configurations: 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB. I tested the 256GB model, which I’d recommend if you store a lot of media or plan to use the tablet for demanding tasks.
In everyday use, the Pad 2 is incredibly smooth, thanks in part to its high-refresh 144Hz screen. Surfing through the interface, multitasking with split-screen apps, and even editing photos felt effortless. I didn’t experience any lag or stuttering, even when pushing the tablet with multiple demanding apps running simultaneously.
Gaming performance is equally impressive. I tested the Pad 2 with graphically intensive games like Genshin Impact and Call of Duty Mobile, and it handled them effortlessly. Frame rates remained smooth (COD pulled a constant 115-120fps with Ultra frame rate and Medium graphics), and I didn’t experience any overheating, even after an hour of continuous gameplay. The tablet only became slightly warm to touch on the upper left side, an area not typically touched during use.
There’s a Gaming Mode onboard that lets you choose between different gaming modes and displays the current frame rate, latency, and tablet temperature. The mode includes typical OnePlus game optimization features such as notification blocking, network and touch adjustments, GPU settings, and more.
I ran a few benchmark tests. In GeekBench 6, the Pad 2 scored 944 points in single-core and 4224 points in multi-core tests, placing it among the fastest Android tablets on the market. In AnTuTu Benchmark, it scored 1,666,174 points. All these tests were done in standard mode.
If you look closely, these scores are slightly lower than what the 8 Gen 3 is typically capable of, as we’ve seen on other devices. OnePlus seems to have underclocked the processor here, potentially to manage thermals or battery life, though this could also be partly due to the use of UFS 3.1 storage instead of UFS 4.0. However, on a positive note, the tablet offers a hidden high-performance mode in the battery settings that significantly improves performance.
Here’s a comparison of the benchmark results in Standard and High-performance modes:
| Benchmark | Score |
|---|---|
| GeekBench 6 (in Standard Mode) | Single-core: 944 Multi-core: 4224 |
| GeekBench 6 (in High-Performance mode) | Single-core: 1321 Multi-core: 4996 |
| AnTuTu (in Standard Mode) | 1,666,174 |
| AnTuTu (in High-Performance mode) | 1,869,833 |
Overall, the OnePlus Pad 2 delivers flagship-level performance that should easily last you for the next 3 years. Whether you’re using it for productivity, creativity, or gaming, you can expect a smooth and responsive experience.
Software and Ecosystem
The OnePlus Pad 2 runs OxygenOS 14.1 based on Android 14, with OnePlus guaranteeing three years of major OS updates and four years of security updates. This version of OxygenOS is optimized for the large screen and includes tablet-specific features similar to last year’s model. These include:
- Open Canvas: Use up to three apps simultaneously in split-screen or floating window mode. Swipe down with two fingers to open multitasking mode and select apps to multitask with. Unfortunately, you cannot trigger this using the touchpad yet.
- Flexible Windows: Launch and resize apps in floating windows from notifications or recent apps; handy for quickly checking an app you’ve received a notification from or revisiting recently used apps.
- AI Features: Similar to the OnePlus 12, the OnePlus Pad 2 has new AI-powered features, such as the AI eraser in the Photos app, which allows you to remove unwanted objects or people from images. While it works reasonably well, I found the Galaxy AI or Google Photos Magic Eraser more effective. Other AI Toolbox features, including AI Speak, AI Summary, and AI Writer, were not yet available for testing as they are expected to arrive in Q4 2024 via OTA updates.
OnePlus is also heavily investing in ecosystem features to incentivize current OnePlus phone users to choose the OnePlus Pad 2, such as:
- Multi-Screen Connect: View and control your OnePlus phone’s screen directly from the tablet. Open apps, respond to messages, and transfer files. I tried it with OnePlus Nord 4; the shared screen is slightly low resolution and runs at 60Hz or lower, basically not the same experience as using your phone, but it’s doable.
- Content Sync: It automatically syncs your phone’s clipboard with the tablet. Anything you copy on your phone can be pasted directly onto the tablet, and vice versa.
- App Relay: Seamlessly switch between apps on your phone and tablet. If you’re using an app on your phone and then pick up your tablet, the same app will appear in the tablet’s dock, allowing you to continue using it without interruption.
- Communication sharing: OnePlus Pad can use your OnePlus phone’s mobile data to access internet. You can also answer calls and respond to messages directly on the tablet.
- One Touch Transmission: You might notice the NFC logo on the keyboard. This allows you to share files from your phone to the tablet with a single tap (both devices must be logged into the same OnePlus account, as with other sync features).
Other software features include a built-in app lock, as well as Image Sharpener and Video Colour Boost options for the display (I don’t use these often, as they can drain the battery and alter the original look of content).
There is an option to keep the screen on while you’re looking at it, app-specific volume controls, the ability to hide apps, a Private Safe space, App Cloner, a smart sidebar, face retouch for video calls, and the ability to block camera and microphone access for specific apps, which is a valuable feature for privacy-conscious users.
While OnePlus has improved the multitasking features on the tablet and added some impressive ecosystem features, it’s Android’s limitations that bottleneck the overall experience. You simply can’t do everything on an Android tablet that you would on a Windows laptop, and that’s what ultimately holds it back, regardless of the raw performance under the hood.
Battery Life and Charging
The OnePlus Pad 2 features a 9510mAh battery, the same capacity as last year’s model, but paired with a newer, more efficient chipset. During my testing, I generally got 7-8 hours of screen-on time with light to moderate use involving note-taking and OTT consumption. It reduces to 4-5 hours when gaming or pushing it to its limits. That’s still longer than most Windows laptops, though.
OnePlus bundles a 67W SuperVOOC Charger (USB Type-A to C) in the box. The tablet charged from 10% to 100% in approximately 56 minutes, which is quite fast for a battery of this size. So, generally, you’ll have the battery charged for a day or two in just one hour of charging.
You can either set a charging limit, which stops charging when the battery reaches 80% or use Smart charging, which automatically defers charging to 100% based on your usage patterns and charging habits.
Connectivity and Security
The OnePlus Pad 2 has Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7. There’s no LTE version, but you can share your OnePlus phone’s mobile data when you don’t have Wi-Fi access. Additionally, calls and messages from your OnePlus phone can be attended to on the Pad 2, as shown when we discussed ecosystem features. However, this only works for supported OnePlus phones.
Calls and messages work fine. There’s no lag when picking up calls from a OnePlus Nord on the OnePlus Pad 2, and the other person didn’t experience any problems. It’s just like using your Bluetooth earphones.
There’s no headphone jack or microSD card slot but you can connect other drives using USB OTG (make sure to enable the OTG connection in Accessibility settings when you want to do so). Overall, there are no connectivity complaints except for the lack of an LTE variant, which is a con for non-OnePlus smartphone users.
The OnePlus Pad 2 also lacks a fingerprint scanner likely for cost-cutting reasons. You either have to use traditional methods like PIN, pattern, or password, or rely on face unlock. It’s fast and works fine even in the dark but it’s not as secure.
OnePlus Pad 2 Review Verdict: Should You Buy It?
The OnePlus Pad 2 is easily one of the best Android tablets available for under $550 (or ₹40,000), especially for those who prioritize media consumption and light productivity. It outperforms similarly priced devices in screen quality, performance, speakers, and battery life. OnePlus phone owners will also appreciate the seamless integration between devices.
However, do remember it’s still an Android tablet at heart. Its OS limitations can be a drawback if you’re hoping to completely ditch your laptop. Multitasking can feel clunky, keyboard can take some getting used to, and the overall experience lacks the versatility of a Windows laptop. Additionally, the app ecosystem is not as polished or extensive as iPadOS.
So, should you buy an iPad Air M2 or the OnePlus Pad 2? The OnePlus Pad 2 is the clear winner unless you’re deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem or need specific iPadOS apps.
Should you buy the OnePlus Pad 2 over a budget Windows laptop? If your work involves basic web browsing, editing documents, attending meetings, note-taking, and checking emails, then yes, the OnePlus Pad 2 is a great choice. But if you want to do more demanding or specialized tasks that require desktop-class software or extensive multitasking, you’d be better served by a laptop.
