With its Pad 2, OnePlus proves that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a very good Android tablet. An excellent model, which has nothing to envy the Samsung Galaxy.
The world of touchscreen tablets is much less hectic than that of smartphones and is dominated mainly by Apple and its iPads and Samsung with its Galaxy Tab. Oddly enough, the Korean company did not take advantage of its Unpacked event last July to announce new models. A golden opportunity for the Chinese OnePlus to rush into the breach and overshadow the Galaxy Tab S9 released last year with its new Pad 2. On the program, a large tablet with a 12-inch (LCD) screen but above all, under the hood, the flagship SoC of 2024 that powers many high-end smartphones, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 from Qualcomm. The good surprise also comes from the price with a price that starts at 549 euros (or even 499 euros with promotions) for the 12-256 GB version. We were able to test this OnePlus Pad 2 for several weeks. Here is our verdict.
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OnePlus Pad 2: comfort and simplicity
OnePlus does not claim any eccentricity in the design of its tablet. All dressed in aluminum in a gray color (the Chinese brand has abandoned its traditional green), it remains quite discreet. Its measurements, on the other hand, are generous with 26.8 cm high by 19.5 cm wide and 0.6 cm thick. Normal since it accommodates a 12.1-inch LCD screen which makes it a large tablet. Nevertheless, this size makes it very comfortable on a daily basis. The LCD panel offers a 3K definition (3000 x 2120 pixels) for a resolution of 303 dpi. Enough to properly display any type of content, whether it is websites, videos or even games. The rendering is impeccable even if the blacks are not as deep as with an Amoled panel.
OnePlus indicates a peak brightness of 900 nits. In reality, we sometimes encountered some reading difficulties, especially in full sunlight where it was difficult to decipher what was displayed on the screen. A feeling reinforced by the absence of anti-reflective treatment on the panel. In addition, we repeatedly triggered false presses on the screen. A wrist that drags a little too much on the edge, an angle that touches the skin and the tablet can no longer interpret the swipes of fingers on the glass. Unfortunately, we did not find an option in the system settings to reduce touch sensitivity.
Finally, there is the weight. This large model weighs 584 g. Holding it in your hands for a long time ends up tiring your wrists. It is better to put it on your knees.
OnePlus Pad 2: performance worthy of a high-end model
Under the hood of this OnePlus Pad 2 we find nothing less than a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC at the helm. This is the flagship processor of 2024 that we find at the controls of prestigious smartphones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 from Samsung but also the Honor Magic 6 Pro or Motorola Edge 50 Ultra to name a few. A high-end SoC therefore also cut out for artificial intelligence. Nestled in this OnePlus Pad 2, it obviously does not disappoint. Fluidity is there. We did not notice the slightest latency in all the uses we confronted the tablet with. Including in games. The presence of this chip opens the door wide to demanding games, especially since in its task, it is supported by 12 GB of RAM. A quantity that we do not come across as often on this type of device. However, to get the most out of the processor, you will need to consider activating the performance mode (which will draw a little more from the battery). With this mode, the Geekbench test result in single-core goes from 916 points to 2071 points. In multi-core, we also go from 4626 points to 6092. A mode to use only occasionally to preserve the battery and the heating of the device.
On the software side, this tablet runs on Android 14 with the in-house OxygenOS software overlay, also in version 14. Rather well designed, not overloaded and pleasant to handle, this OS also includes some artificial intelligence functions. Photo editing with the deletion of elements is already active but other functions related to editing and text generation are planned for later in the year. As for the follow-up of updates, OnePlus announces three years for new versions of Android and four years for security patches. It’s not so bad since the maintenance of Android tablets generally remains the least of manufacturers’ worries.
OnePlus Pad 2: optimal battery life and charging
Brought to be heavily used but also to spend long hours in standby, the tablet must be able to hold up and be ready to attack as soon as it wakes up. In this area, OnePlus does not disappoint either. Its Pad 2 has a 9510 mAh battery. The Chinese company announces a standby autonomy of 43 days, which we were not able to verify. With our use mixing gaming, streaming video, web browsing and consulting social networks at a rate of 2 hours per day, we had to refill the tablet after 5 days. That is 10 hours of real use and several dozen hours in standby. A very honorable score.
On the charging side, while no charger is included in the box, the Pad 2 is compatible with 67W SuperVooc charging. With our 100W Anker charger, we were able to recharge from 0 to 100% in 1 hour and 15 minutes. Not bad.
OnePlus Pad 2: should you fall for the large OnePlus tablet?
Undeniably, the OnePlus Pad 2 does not lack assets to seduce. The manufacturer obviously offers a stylus to accompany it (99 euros) as well as a keyboard – unfortunately only Qwerty – for 149 euros or even a home charger, and therefore optimized, of 80 W for 40 euros. Two of these three accessories are offered. The performances do not disappoint, nor do the screen and the autonomy. For the asking price, the OnePlus Pad 2 has more than enough to overshadow the Galaxy Tab S9 from Samsung. Even if the latter is adorned with an Amoled screen with infinite contrasts. This low price for a tablet of this category brings OnePlus back to its initial approach that made its success at its beginnings in 2013: performance at an attractive price. A credo on which Poco (Xiaomi) has since settled but which does not yet have a tablet in its catalog. The OnePlus Pad 2 therefore offers the best price-performance ratio for an Android tablet to date.