The tablet market has long been dominated by major players like Apple’s iPad lineup and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab series, but OnePlus is aiming to disrupt the scene with its second-generation tablet, the OnePlus Pad 2. Building on the success and lessons of its predecessor, the OnePlus Pad, the new device aims to offer a premium experience at a competitive price. In this review, we’ll dive into the OnePlus Pad 2’s design, performance, software, display, battery life, and overall value proposition to help you determine if it’s the right tablet for you.
Design and Build Quality
OnePlus has always had a reputation for delivering well-crafted devices, and the OnePlus Pad 2 is no exception. The tablet’s unibody aluminum construction exudes a premium feel from the moment you hold it. The sleek, minimalist design is accentuated by smooth curves and a slim profile, making it comfortable to handle for extended periods.
At 6.5mm thick and weighing around 550g, the OnePlus Pad 2 strikes a balance between portability and durability. The metal frame not only looks elegant but also adds to the tablet’s sturdiness. The brushed aluminum finish on the back resists fingerprints well, while the camera module, housed in a subtle circular bump, doesn’t protrude excessively.
One of the standout features of the OnePlus Pad 2’s design is its symmetrical display with ultra-thin bezels. The uniform bezels are only 5.5mm thick, giving the tablet a modern, immersive look. The edges of the tablet are smooth, with well-positioned buttons and ports. On the top edge, you’ll find the power button and dual speakers, while the volume buttons and SIM/microSD slot are on the side. The USB-C port, which supports fast charging and data transfer, is located at the bottom, flanked by additional speaker grilles.
The OnePlus Pad 2 also offers an optional stylus and keyboard accessory, turning it into a versatile productivity machine. The magnetic attachment for the keyboard works seamlessly, while the stylus provides excellent precision for note-taking, sketching, and more. These accessories are sold separately, but they significantly enhance the tablet’s overall functionality.
Display and Multimedia Experience
One of the key selling points of the OnePlus Pad 2 is its display. The tablet features an 11.61-inch IPS LCD with a 2800 x 2000 resolution, delivering crisp, sharp visuals with a pixel density of 296 PPI. The 7:5 aspect ratio is a unique choice, offering more vertical screen space than most traditional 16:10 or 16:9 displays. This aspect ratio makes the tablet particularly well-suited for productivity tasks like reading documents, browsing the web, and multitasking with split-screen apps.
The display’s 144Hz refresh rate is another highlight, providing ultra-smooth scrolling and animations. Whether you’re navigating through the UI, playing games, or simply swiping through your favorite apps, the high refresh rate makes the experience feel fluid and responsive. The tablet also supports Dolby Vision, ensuring HDR content looks vibrant and lifelike. The color accuracy is impressive, with wide color gamut support and vivid saturation that makes content pop.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is also designed with entertainment in mind. The quad-speaker setup, which supports Dolby Atmos, delivers rich and immersive sound. The speakers are loud and clear, with good stereo separation and a decent amount of bass for a tablet. Whether you’re watching movies, listening to music, or playing games, the audio experience is above average for a device in this category.
Performance and Hardware
Under the hood, the OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset, a high-end SoC that competes with flagship processors from Qualcomm and Samsung. Built on a 4nm process, the Dimensity 9000 offers a powerful octa-core configuration, including a Cortex-X2 core clocked at 3.05GHz, three Cortex-A710 cores at 2.85GHz, and four Cortex-A510 cores at 1.8GHz. This setup is complemented by the Mali-G710 MC10 GPU, which handles graphics-intensive tasks with ease.
The performance of the OnePlus Pad 2 is nothing short of stellar. In everyday usage, the tablet breezes through multitasking, app launches, and UI navigation without breaking a sweat. Whether you’re running demanding apps, editing photos, or juggling multiple tabs in your browser, the tablet maintains a consistently smooth performance. The generous 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM (depending on the variant) ensures that you can switch between apps seamlessly without any slowdowns.
When it comes to gaming, the OnePlus Pad 2 is more than capable of handling graphically demanding titles like Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile, and Asphalt 9. The combination of the Dimensity 9000 chipset and the 144Hz display makes for a fluid gaming experience, with minimal frame drops and excellent touch response. Additionally, the large display and high refresh rate add to the immersion, making it a great choice for mobile gamers.
The tablet also offers ample storage options, with 128GB or 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. While there’s no support for expandable storage via microSD, the base storage is sufficient for most users who primarily use cloud services for backups and media. The UFS 3.1 standard ensures fast read and write speeds, contributing to the overall snappiness of the device.
Software and User Experience
The OnePlus Pad 2 runs on OxygenOS, a tablet-optimized version of OnePlus’ popular Android skin. Based on Android 13, the software is clean, intuitive, and packed with customization options. OxygenOS offers a near-stock Android experience with thoughtful additions like a customizable dark mode, dynamic wallpapers, and an always-on display.
OnePlus has also introduced several productivity-focused features to make the most of the tablet’s large display. These include split-screen multitasking, floating windows, and a taskbar for quick access to frequently used apps. The 7:5 aspect ratio works particularly well for split-screen mode, allowing two apps to run side by side without feeling cramped.
The tablet is also compatible with the OnePlus Stylus, which adds more depth to the software experience. The stylus has low latency and supports pressure sensitivity, making it a valuable tool for artists, note-takers, and anyone who needs precise input. Whether you’re sketching, annotating documents, or jotting down quick notes, the stylus integrates smoothly with the tablet’s software, offering a natural writing experience.
OnePlus has committed to providing regular software updates, which is reassuring for long-term users. OxygenOS is known for being lightweight and bloat-free, allowing the tablet to perform consistently well even after extended use.
Battery Life and Charging
Battery life is often a critical factor when choosing a tablet, and the OnePlus Pad 2 excels in this area. The device is equipped with a substantial 9,510mAh battery, which easily lasts a full day of heavy usage. Whether you’re streaming content, gaming, or working on multiple tasks, the battery can keep up without needing a midday recharge.
In more moderate use cases—such as browsing, watching videos, and using productivity apps—the OnePlus Pad 2 can stretch to two days on a single charge. The power-efficient Dimensity 9000 chipset and OxygenOS optimizations play a significant role in preserving battery life, even with the high-refresh-rate display.
When it comes time to charge, the OnePlus Pad 2 supports 67W SuperVOOC fast charging. This feature is a game-changer for a tablet of this size, as it can fully charge the device in about 80 minutes. Even a quick 30-minute charge can get you close to 50%, which is ideal for users who are always on the go. The fast charging is also safe, thanks to multiple layers of protection and thermal management built into the charging system.
Cameras and Photography
While tablets are not typically used for photography, the OnePlus Pad 2 offers a decent camera setup for those moments when you need to snap a photo or join a video call. The rear camera features a 13MP sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, capable of capturing reasonably detailed photos in good lighting conditions. The image quality is adequate for casual photography, scanning documents, or taking quick snapshots.
The front-facing camera is an 8MP sensor that performs well for video calls, online meetings, and selfies. The camera is positioned on the longer side of the tablet, which is convenient for landscape orientation during video calls. The image quality is sharp enough for most use cases, with decent color reproduction and noise control.
While the cameras on the OnePlus Pad 2 won’t replace your smartphone or dedicated camera, they’re more than sufficient for the typical tablet user. Additionally, the camera app offers useful features like AI scene detection, portrait mode, and Pro mode for those who want more control over their shots.
Connectivity and Additional Features
The OnePlus Pad 2 comes with a full suite of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and optional 5G (depending on the variant). The tablet’s Wi-Fi performance is reliable, providing strong and stable connections even in environments with multiple devices. Bluetooth works seamlessly for connecting wireless accessories like headphones, keyboards, and controllers.
The tablet also supports seamless file sharing and synchronization with other OnePlus devices, thanks to the OnePlus ecosystem features. If you own a OnePlus smartphone, you can easily share files, mirror your screen, and sync notifications between devices.
OnePlus has included several sensors and extras that enhance the overall experience. The tablet features a fingerprint sensor integrated into the power button, which is fast and accurate. There’s also