Getting started with the OnePlus Pad: a solid first attempt – Android Police

We’ve been hoping to see a OnePlus tablet since Oppo released its slate last year. At the OnePlus 11 launch, we finally got to see the long-talked-about OnePlus Pad. The tablet is definitely one of the most exciting products from OnePlus of late, as it marks the company’s foray into a new category. The OnePlus Pad has many great features and makes full use of the larger OnePlus ecosystem with several software tricks. The good news is that OnePlus has confirmed that the tablet will be coming to North America, as well as Europe and India. While we wait for a full OnePlus Pad review later this year, here are our first impressions of the company’s first tablet.

Design and display

Starting with the aesthetics, this green hue of the OnePlus Pad looks great in photos, but it’s even better in person. The cool-to-the-touch metal back makes you feel like you’re holding something solid, something high-end. Although, as you can see, it is a fingerprint magnet. The centered circular camera island (when held in landscape mode) makes the tablet instantly recognizable. The position of the camera actually makes sense because it won’t get in the way when you’re holding the tablet horizontally, such as when working or watching a movie.

OnePlus wants you to use the tablet in landscape mode. It opted for an unconventional 7:5 aspect ratio for the 11.6-inch screen on the front. This gives you extra space to see more of the web page or document you’re writing in. However, if you tend to use your tablet for entertainment, you’re sure to find thicker black bars with this aspect ratio compared to the Galaxy Tab S8’s 16:10 display.

The screen has a resolution of 2000 x 2800, which means 296 pixels per inch. For an LCD, the screen is fantastic – it was pretty hard to tell it apart from an OLED. The resolution makes it sharper than most other tablets in its class. It also has an adaptable refresh rate of up to 144Hz which depends on the apps you are using.

Despite its size, the OnePlus Pad wasn’t uncomfortable to hold. It is quite thin and light to carry. There is an additional magnetic keyboard accessory and a stylus for the tablet, but none of these accessories were shown at the event. Both will be sold separately, so you won’t get them included in the box.

Software and performance

While OnePlus hasn’t been at the top of its software game lately, it’s still OxygenOS that defines the OnePlus experience. And on the OnePlus Pad, the company seems to have done quite a bit to get it right. For starters, the tablet comes with a heavily customized version of OxygenOS based on Android 13. You’ll find an app dock at the bottom, while most of the proprietary apps have been redesigned to include a multi-column view to improve user experience. using the available display area.

On top of that, OnePlus is also bringing some ecosystem features to the tablet. For example, the Pad can easily share your OnePlus phone’s 5G network without the need to manually set up a hotspot. Likewise, the phone app comes pre-installed on the tablet even though it doesn’t support cellular connectivity, indicating a feature for syncing calls between devices, similar to what you get with Apple and Samsung tablets.

During our brief stint with the tablet, the software was dynamic and everything looked well thought out. However, the Pad’s performance wasn’t very smooth, even though it uses a flagship-class MediaTek processor. There were a few hiccups here and there, like app launches that took a few more beats than they should have. Such optimization issues are quite common for the kind of older version of software the demo unit was running. OnePlus will likely iron them out by the time the tablet nears its April release.

When it comes to the tablet’s battery life, OnePlus claims a fantastic one-month standby time. OnePlus phones feature super-fast charging technology, and it’s coming to the tablet as well. With 67W SuperVOOC charging, the Pad can hit 80% in less than an hour, which is impressive for a massive 9,510mAh battery.

OnePlus Pad: adding the missing piece to the puzzle

After a few difficult years, OnePlus is entering a new category of products to broaden its horizons. The OnePlus Pad becomes official when Google started focusing on optimizing Android for tablets. Bringing together what the two companies do best could potentially give fierce competition to the market-leading Apple iPads and some of the best Android tablets around. And so far, things are looking promising for the OnePlus Pad.

OnePlus is making the most of its small ecosystem of devices, adding multi-device functionality to make the tablet work seamlessly with its phones and headphones. The company pulls out all the stops for its tablet package, and we’re excited to try out the first-party stylus and a magnetic keyboard attachment – two must-have accessories for modern tablets.

While the OnePlus family now seems more complete with the addition of the OnePlus Pad, the price will likely make or break the tablet. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to see how OnePlus rates its first tablet. Pre-orders for the tablet should start in April, but we don’t have any further details on a release date yet. Until then, you can check out our full review of the OnePlus 11 5G flagship and the Buds Pro 2, which launched alongside the tablet at the company’s Cloud 11 event.