OnePlus Pad 2 Is Here; Fuses Great Value And Flagship Specs

Whether you need an Android device to enjoy your media or games better, or you need a portable yet powerful device to amp up your productivity, you'll find Android tablets calling out your name. Last year, the OnePlus Pad came out in April and wowed us with what it brought to the table at its relatively low price.

Now, over a year later, the sequel to that device is here in the form of the OnePlus Pad 2. It brings what the OnePlus Pad had, smothers it in honey, and makes things a lot sweeter while keeping the same DNA as its predecessor.

The OnePlus Pad Is The First Android Tablet To Bring This Level Of Flagship Power

The OnePlus Pad brings an incredible amount of power for the price that it comes at, putting it in the same category as much more expensive tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9. Let's break down the device, so you can see exactly why I like it so much.

The Design

The OnePlus Pad 2 has a simple design but it is gorgeous. First off, just like its compatriot, the OnePlus Nord 4, it has a metal unibody which is part of what makes its simplicity so sexy. There's a single camera module near the upper edge of the back of the phone. The OnePlus logo sits right in the center. Around the front of the device, you get a large screen with minimal (by tablet standards) and equal bezels around all sides.

The device weighs 548 grams and is very slim, at just 6.49mm. The only color option that is currently available is called Nimbus Gray, but it's a very safe color option, so I don't think too many people will complain about it.

The Screen

A tablet's display is a big part of what makes it worth it. In the case of the OnePlus Pad 2, it has a 12.1-inch 3K (3,000 x 2,120) display with a 7:5 aspect ratio — these are all perfect, in my opinion, for a tablet. The brightness peaks at 900 nits, it is Dolby Vision-certified, and you get a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz.

Speaking of the refresh rate, this isn't an LTPO display that can dynamically adjust from anywhere between 0Hz and its max refresh rate. However, it is able to switch different preset refresh rates, with a minimum of 30Hz, so you still get some power savings.

The Hardware

The OnePlus Pad 2 is the only tablet in the world right now running on Qualcomm's top chip — the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This means that this is a proper flagship tablet that can go head-to-head with the very best of them. It comes in a single 12/256GB configuration, which most people will be fine with.

The battery in the OnePlus Pad 2 is a giant 9,510 mAh cell, and despite its massive size, you'll be able to charge it up in just 81 minutes thanks to 67W fast wired charging.

The OnePlus Pad doesn't waste its massive frame either, with enough space for six stereo speakers. Its predecessor only had four, so you'll definitely enjoy this device when watching movies or playing games.

The Cameras

The main camera on the OnePlus Pad 2 is a 13MP unit and the front camera is an 8MP unit. Tablets aren't known for their utility in photography, so it isn't that surprising that the cameras aren't that compelling on paper. I'm sure the quality is good enough though.

The Software

The OnePlus Pad runs on Android 14, unsurprisingly, and it brings a lot of features that make it different from simply being thought of as a big Android phone. For instance, the Open Canvas feature lets you have three apps open in split-screen at a time, and it even allows for parts of the apps to overflow past the actual limits of the display. The device also supports the OnePlus Stylo 2, though you'll need to buy it separately.

If you have the OnePlus Smart Keyboard attached, you can tap your device against the NFC pad in the keyboard to instantly transfer files from your OnePlus device to the pad. This makes it possible to integrate your OnePlus smartphone as an actual part of your workflow. With App Relay, you'll be able to switch apps between your tablet and your phone seamlessly.

The Pricing

The OnePlus Pad 2 costs $549, which makes the price hike over its predecessor, which launched at $479, quite noticeable. However, I do think that it brings enough to the table to justify that price increase, especially when compared to competitors in the field.

If you pre-order the device though, you can get it at just $499.99, so why not take advantage of that and other pre-order deals?