OnePlus Pad Review: An Affordable, Mainstream Android Tablet
OnePlus Pad Review: Battery Life Test, Charging, and Our Verdict
As other OEMs have stopped including chargers with their phones and tablets, OnePlus remains steadfast in its decision to give you a charger with every device. We certainly like to see that, and the incredible charging speeds make it all the sweeter. The bundled SuperVOOC charger can juice the Pad up at 67W, which is faster than Samsung tablets that cost more than twice as much.
The OnePlus Pad is in the middle of the pack, but that's expected for a tablet with a large, high-resolution screen. It has superb standby battery life, and tablets tend to sit around for long periods, whereas phones are being used on and off all day. The Pad will run nearly 12 hours continuously in our testing, which is good for this kind of device.
Despite Google's renewed interest in making Android work on the large screen, buying an Android tablet is a tough sell for most people. Sadly, OnePlus didn't do much to compensate for that with the software on the Pad. It's a magnified OxygenOS with even more iOS influences than we see on phones like the OnePlus 11. Without any apps to take advantage of the OnePlus Stylo, there's no reason to spend $100 on that. Likewise, the keyboard case ignores that Android simply isn't designed for that kind of interaction. As much as we like the hardware, the software feels like a missed opportunity.
Even though the OnePlus Pad is a fine device, it does not exist in a vacuum. Apple's 10th generation iPad is available for $30 less with a better display, better app support, better cameras, and better build quality. And if you decide to shell out extra for Apple's stylus (which can be found even cheaper than the OnePlus Stylo), you'll actually have software that properly utilizes it. However, if you are deep into the Android ecosystem and refuse to consider an iPad, OnePlus' first tablet could be viable as a cheaper alternative to existing Samsung and Google tablets.
OnePlus Pad battery Life
With a 9,510mAh battery, the OnePlus Pad will easily make it through a day of intense use. This is a bit of an apples to oranges comparison, but here's how the Pad compares to our usual crop of Android phones.
The OnePlus Pad is in the middle of the pack, but that's expected for a tablet with a large, high-resolution screen. It has superb standby battery life, and tablets tend to sit around for long periods, whereas phones are being used on and off all day. The Pad will run nearly 12 hours continuously in our testing, which is good for this kind of device.
OnePlus Pad Review Conclusion: Affordable But In Need Of Software Refinement
The OnePlus Pad is a nice piece of hardware with premium design sensibilities and a comfortable 7:5 display. The screen's contrast and brightness could be better, but it's a great size. Most of Samsung's tablets have widescreen ratios, which make them less comfortable to hold for long periods, so we're a big fan of this 11-inch tablet's form factor.Despite Google's renewed interest in making Android work on the large screen, buying an Android tablet is a tough sell for most people. Sadly, OnePlus didn't do much to compensate for that with the software on the Pad. It's a magnified OxygenOS with even more iOS influences than we see on phones like the OnePlus 11. Without any apps to take advantage of the OnePlus Stylo, there's no reason to spend $100 on that. Likewise, the keyboard case ignores that Android simply isn't designed for that kind of interaction. As much as we like the hardware, the software feels like a missed opportunity.
Even though the OnePlus Pad is a fine device, it does not exist in a vacuum. Apple's 10th generation iPad is available for $30 less with a better display, better app support, better cameras, and better build quality. And if you decide to shell out extra for Apple's stylus (which can be found even cheaper than the OnePlus Stylo), you'll actually have software that properly utilizes it. However, if you are deep into the Android ecosystem and refuse to consider an iPad, OnePlus' first tablet could be viable as a cheaper alternative to existing Samsung and Google tablets.
