OnePlus Pad 2 Review: Powerful Tablet With Big Ambitions

At a look

Knowledgeable’s Score

Execs

• Nice efficiency for the worth
• Snug, elegant design
• Good show and sound
• Wonderful battery life

Cons

• Might be even sooner
• Mediocre cameras
• Poor desktop mode

Our Verdict

Trendy and comfy design, nice worth for cash, surprisingly good display screen and all-day battery. In some ways, the OnePlus Pad 2 impresses, even when it doesn’t stay as much as its lofty ambitions as a productiveness pill. That will include software program updates sooner or later, although.

Value When Reviewed

$549.99

Greatest Costs Right this moment: OnePlus Pad 2

$549.99

The OnePlus Pad 2 completes the producer’s vary of tablets, which now spans from the inexpensive OnePlus Pad Go, by way of the unique 11.6-inch OnePlus Pad to this 12-inch pill with high efficiency.

It was solely in early 2023 that OnePlus made its debut as a pill producer. With a unusual design, concentrate on consolation and its personal method to multitasking, the unique Pad made a compelling case as a mixed-use pill for the house. Nevertheless, it lacked the mandatory software program to make it an amazing productiveness machine.

Have issues modified on this second-gen slate? Right here’s our full overview.

Design, Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• Sturdy efficiency
• Some AI options

In comparison with the unique OnePlus Pad, the Pad 2 boosts each display screen measurement and efficiency, and introduces a bunch of recent options.

The design of the pill is recognisable from the unique OnePlus Pad, with rounded grip-friendly edges, a strong aluminium physique and spherical digicam puck centrally positioned close to the lengthy facet on the again. The position of the digicam is a small element that I admire in regards to the design – it permits the pill to lie firmly on a desk, regardless of the digicam physique protruding just a few millimetres.

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

OnePlus doesn’t maintain again on the {hardware}, with the Pad 2 powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. That’s the identical flagship chipset which powers lots of the finest Android telephones you should buy – together with the OnePlus 12.

You additionally get 12GB of RAM and and 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage on the one configuration obtainable.

Nevertheless, in line with benchmarks, efficiency isn’t fairly pretty much as good as the most effective telephones round. It’s held again, probably because of both restricted warmth dissipation or a deliberate downclocking. Efficiency is extra in step with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 than Gen 3, although in fact that’s nonetheless very quick.

OnePlus Pad 2 benchmarks

And with Gen 3 you additionally get different advantages, reminiscent of help for Wi-Fi 7 and a way more highly effective NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

The latter helps allow a bunch of AI options inside Oxygen OS, OnePlus’ pores and skin over Android 14, from clever deletion of objects in photographs and computerized enhancement of facial readability, to transcribing and summarising recorded conferences.

Different AI options are anticipated in a future software program replace, together with some which might be already obtainable on the OnePlus Nord 4.

It’s not fairly Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy-level breadth and high quality of options but, however OnePlus is heading in the right direction. And naturally, the Snapdragon’s NPU will be utilised by any third-party app that wishes it.

The graphics aren’t operating at full velocity with the identical gaming efficiency as on telephones both, however that could be extra because of the truth that the display screen with its excessive decision is reluctant to push as much as excessive body charges in graphic-heavy video games.

Display & Audio system

• 12-inch, 2120 x 3000 show
• 144Hz refresh price
• Six audio system

In any other case, the show is properly fitted to gaming, with as much as 144Hz body price, massive color gamut, excessive brightness and help for each HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient. It’s not an OLED however an IPS panel, so that you received’t get that final distinction, however the deep blacks you normally get with OLEDs are nonetheless obvious right here, and it handles completely different viewing angles with out subject.

You additionally get well-balanced auto brightness, that means visibility is sweet, even in daylight. There’s additionally an computerized color tint, but it surely tends an excessive amount of in direction of heat tones, so the picture is nearly sepia-toned. I swap that off and set it manually as an alternative – it’s straightforward to regulate.

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

The gadget has a complete of six audio system, with two pairs on the quick sides and two built-in woofers. They mix to offer lush sound that is excellent in encompass mode, utilizing ‘OReality’, a sound enhancement know-how from OnePlus’ sister firm Oppo.

You may get an excellent cinema really feel, the correct steadiness and element for music, and additional element within the sound for whenever you’re enjoying video games.

What doesn’t impress, nonetheless, is the sound quantity. It could get very loud, however shortly turns into sharp and shrill, to the extent that it’s fairly disagreeable.

Battery Life & Charging

• 9510mAh battery
• Spectacular battery life
• 65W charging, however no charger within the field

Battery life is without doubt one of the OnePlus Pad 2’s essential strengths.

You may anticipate round 11-12 hours of lively app use on a single cost, or much more for video streaming, which is an actual optimistic. You received’t get that on an iPad or Galaxy Tab, particularly not for video, the place the Pad 2 appears to have each an environment friendly processor and environment friendly display screen.

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

You can even cost the battery impressively quick – supplied you’ve got a charger that helps OnePlus and Oppo’s 67W Supervooc quick charging. As is frequent these days, there’s no charger within the field.

For those who do have a suitable charger, you may anticipate a full cost in lower than an hour. I don’t have entry to 1 in my check pill, however a 65W GaN charger I had was virtually as quick.

Equipment

• OnePlus Stylo 2 pen
• OnePlus Folio Case 2
• Each offered individually

On the higher lengthy facet, the sting is bevelled as a way to place the Stylo 2 pen there for storage and induction charging. It really works properly, however received’t be a necessity for most individuals.

Nevertheless, if you wish to flip the Pad right into a productiveness laptop computer of types, the Good Keyboard is a good. You get a built-in kickstand, snug and well-built keyboard and a big, responsive mouse pad. It additionally has a built-in NFC reader, which will be helpful.

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

It’s linked by way of Bluetooth, so can be run whereas disconnected from the pill. It got here as a shock after I unplugged it and it continued to regulate mouse and textual content enter.

Nevertheless, there’s no strategy to shortly swap it off. Shouldn’t there simply be a swap on the keyboard? It looks like a design mistake.

Neither of the equipment are included within the worth, however they’re typically discounted when purchased in a bundle with the pill.

Software program & Updates

• OxygenOS 14 over Android 14
• Three years OS, 4 years safety updates

On the software program facet, I nonetheless miss some issues from OnePlus to make the Pad 2 a greater productiveness pill for work.

A desktop mode that makes mouse and keyboard management extra central is the primary. Each Samsung and Lenovo now have actually good variations of this, and it makes it a lot simpler to do issues like work in writing and spreadsheet apps or multitask with a number of browser home windows.

On a display screen as massive and high-resolution as this one, it could have been a plus, particularly with the quick processor that may undoubtedly energy it. Proprietary multitasking interface Open Canvas feels higher on the smaller OnePlus tablets – it’s higher at making a small display screen really feel larger than utilising a bigger display screen.

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

Mattias Inghe

OnePlus can be eager, like some other producer, to construct ecosystems, and pairing with a OnePlus cellphone presents some benefits. You may shortly sync your cellphone with the pill utilizing the NFC perform within the keyboard to share recordsdata or show the cellular display screen as a window on the pill.

However that’s extra spectacular than vital. The cell phone is correct there, and there are many different methods to simply sync recordsdata between gadgets.

WPS Workplace is pre-installed, but it surely’s the one precise app that looks like an app for work right here. And it’s solely a primary model, with some options requiring an improve to the Professional subscription. I’d as properly run Google Docs or Microsoft Phrase as an alternative.

By way of software program updates, OnePlus is providing three main OS updates and 4 years of safety patches for the Pad 2. That’s an honest dedication, and on the higher finish for an Android pill in 2024.

Value & Availability

The OnePlus Pad prices £499/$549.99. On the time of writing, it’s solely obtainable direct from both OnePlus UK or OnePlus US.

That at the moment features a free Folio Case 2, however upgrading to the Good Keyboard will value you £149/$149.99. Including the Stylo 2 pen is an additional £99/$99.99.

It’s a extremely aggressive possibility for the worth, however lots of the finest Android tablets supply a equally sturdy expertise. You’ll typically pay much more, although.

Must you purchase the OnePlus Pad 2?

There’s no denying that the OnePlus Pad 2 is nice worth for cash. It’s basically a scaled-up model of the unique when it comes to measurement, efficiency and high quality in lots of areas. The one actual exception can be the mediocre cameras.

It’s nonetheless as much as you to seek out methods to make use of the Pad 2 as a piece pill, although. There have been some makes an attempt to create a system for that, however OnePlus hasn’t gone far sufficient.

For searching, leisure and gaming, it’s unquestionably an excellent pill. However it’s definitely not the one one round this worth.

Specs

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 12GB RAM 
• 256GB non-expandable storage 
• 12.1-inch, 2120 x 3000 LCD show 
• 144Hz dynamic refresh price 
• 9510mAh battery 
• 67W quick charging (charger not included)
• Entrance-facing 8Mp digicam 
• Rear 13Mp digicam 
• Six audio system 
• 268.7 x 195.1 x 6.5 mm
• 584g (pill solely)