OnePlus Pad 2 Review: How does it measure up?

OnePlus Pad 2 is a premium Android tablet created by OnePlus, the Chinese company behind the well-known line of smartphones with the same name. It’s a successor to the OnePlus Pad tablet and was recently released on August 1, 2024. It’s one of the most powerful and unique tablets of the year. The tablet runs on Android 14, OxygenOS 14.1.

The official price of the OnePlus Pad 2 is $549.99, but currently, you can get a 9% discount on the OnePlus website and buy it at $499.99 with a OnePlus Folio Case 2 as a gift. The device offers 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage and is only released in one color, nimbus gray. With a Li-Po 9,510 mAh battery, the tablet offers around 10 hours of battery life. In addition to that, the OnePlus Pad 2 benefits from 67W SuperVOOC fast charging that lets users fully charge the device in approximately 80 minutes.

In this OnePlus Pad 2 review, we’ll dive deep into the display, design, and best features of the OnePlus Pad 2 to help you decide if it’s worth the price or not.

Stunningly Sharp Display

The OnePlus Pad 2 is equipped with a 12.1-inch LCD display that offers 2120 x 3000 pixels and an ultra-sharp 303 PPI 3K resolution. So, users can expect a detailed visual experience with a maximum brightness of 900 nits. Also, it supports a 144Hz refresh rate which provides a great level of smoothness. Thanks to the sharp and responsive display, it is a fantastic choice for gaming. Moreover, the display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, so with the enhanced color range and contrast, watching high-quality videos and movies on the OnePlus Pad 2 is a great experience.

Sturdy, Yet Slim Design

With a premium aluminum back and frame, the OnePlus Pad 2 offers a solid and comfortable exterior quality. The nimbus gray color bolsters its sturdy look and appeals to many people’s tastes. With dimensions of 268.7 x 195.1 x 6.5 mm (10.58 x 7.68 x 0.26 in) and a weight of 584 g, it’s quite large, but it manages to stay slim and portable enough for everyday needs. At the back of the device, you can see the OnePlus logo at the center; above it, there is a 13 MP camera. The placement of the camera suggests that the designers put extra emphasis on making the landscape mode feel more balanced and comfortable.

Most Intriguing Features

As a feature-rich Android tablet, the OnePlus Pad 2 provides many capabilities, some of which stand out and make the device a compelling choice for users. Here are 3 of the best features the OnePlus Pad 2 offers:

Powerful Performance

OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by the Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) chipset. The tablet benefits from a Qualcomm Kryo CPU with up to 3.3 GHz clock speed and a Qualcomm Adreno 750 GBU. For a tablet, it provides a powerful performance suitable for various demanding tasks like gaming and multitasking. The device is engineered for ultra-stable frames that boost the gameplay experience and elevate mobile gaming to new heights. Overall, compared to many other tablets in this price range, the OnePlus Pad 2 stands out and can satisfy the portable hardware needs of many people for a long time. It’s only available in one model that offers 256GB storage and is equipped with 12GB of RAM.

AI Toolbox

Artificial Intelligence is the new hot trend in software and hardware products, so OnePlus stepped up to offer AI features in its newest tablet release. The AI features will vary based on the regional laws and cloud-based capability of the user’s location. Here are the three main AI features of OnePlus Pad 2:

• Text-based AI: With AI Speaker, you can listen to any document, summarize long texts using AI Summary, and create compelling content with AI writer.
• AI Smart Cutout: Users can easily cut out different parts of a picture, edit, and create brand new images to effortlessly craft memories and interesting concepts.
• Scan and Enhance: With OnePlus Pad 2 you can scan various documents and generate PDF files while auto-correcting the content. All of it can be done with just one tap.

In addition to these features, OnePlus Pad 2 takes advantage of AI to boost gaming performance, accessibility, and more.

Note that the AI Speak, AI Summary, and AI Writer are currently unavailable on the tablet, and they will be coming soon with updates released in Q4 2024.

Magnetic Versatility

OnePlus Pad 2 lets users have an enjoyable typing experience that is available through the OnePlus Smart Keyboard. You can seamlessly add the keyboard to the tablet and take advantage of the magnetic attachment to adjust the viewing angles and comfortably tilt the device up to 120 degrees. The keyboard has six rows of keys (overall 99 keys) and a large touchpad with 8640 mm2 of surface area, perfect for swiping and editing content.

In addition to the keyboard, the OnePlus Pad 2 supports the OnePlus Stylo 2. Using this stylus, you can take notes and sketch precisely. The OnePlus Stylo 2 benefits from 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity that lets you input notes and creative ideas with great precision and smoothness. You can magnetically attach the stylus to the tablet to easily charge and store it. The support for the keyboard and stylus lets you transform the tablet and turn it into a versatile tool for work and creativity.

How does it compare to other tablets?

OnePlus Pad 2 holds its own against other popular tablets in the market and, in multiple areas, can be one of the top tablets available in its price range. In this section, we’ll compare the OnePlus Pad 2 with different popular options based on various factors:

• Display: One of the strongest aspects of the OnePlus Pad 2 is the 144Hz refresh rate, which is above many other options such as Apple iPad Air, Samsung Galaxy Tab S8, and Xiaomi Pad 5. Most of the tablets offer 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rates and can’t provide a display experience as smooth as the OnePlus Pad 2.
• Performance: The OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 which is among the most powerful tablet chipsets available. But there are some cases like the Apple M1 chip in the iPad Air, that is more powerful and optimized for iOS. However, among Android tablets, it offers better performance than, for example, Lenovo Tab P11 Pro Gen 2 and Xiaomi Pad 5.
• Battery and Charge: In this field, the OnePlus Pad 2 shines brightly among other tablets. With around 10 hours of battery life, it’s ahead of many tablets, such as the iPad Air and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8. Moreover, with 67W SuperVOOC fast charging, it charges way faster than the iPad Air with 20W and Galaxy Tab S8 with 45W fast charging.
• Software: The OnePlus Pad 2 is an Android tablet that uses OxygenOS and can’t compete with the iPad Air, which is highly optimized and provides access to specifically designed apps. However, among Android tablets, it offers decent software capabilities, although not as robust as Samsung tablets with advanced multitasking features.
• AI Features: Most of the new tablet releases offer AI capabilities in one way or another. However, most of them, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 and Xiaomi Pad 6 take advantage of AI to improve performance. OnePlus Pad 2 offers more text-based features alongside AI-enhanced performance optimization.
• Price: Considering all of its features, the OnePlus Pad 2 is quite affordable, especially in comparison to Samsung and Apple tablets. However, you can find cheaper Xiaomi or Lenovo tablets with decent features but weaker performance and lower-quality display.
• Accessories: Most tablets out there support optional styluses and keyboards but the build quality and ease-of-use factor are different. OnePlus Pad 2 accessories offer more versatility, but iPad Air and Samsung tablets provide better build quality.

Final Verdict on the OnePlus Pad 2

As a sturdy and versatile tablet that offers powerful performance and exceptional display quality, the OnePlus Pad 2 can be the device that will satisfy your tablet needs for many years. Thanks to its fantastic battery life and its fast charge ability, it’s a great option for people who heavily use tablets throughout the day. Furthermore, the AI features elevate the experience by offering modern capabilities that make various tasks way easier to do. However, the software capabilities are not as advanced as other tablets manufactured by popular brands. In addition, for users who want a large storage, the 256 GB internal storage can be limiting.