I use a tablet computer nearly every day. Sometimes it’s just for streaming movies or checking email, but other times I use it for writing, drawing, and planning. So, when I look for a tablet, I want something that’s going to be easy to use, be powerful enough to keep up with the programs that I’m using, and something that is comfortable to use however I want to use it. When OnePlus offered to let me test the OnePlus Pad 3, I was there for it. I wasn’t sure it was going to beat my iPad Pro, but I was willing to give a try. Here’s how that turned out.

Key Features and Findings

I won’t lie, I’m a die-hard Apple fan. I’ve tried many other tablets in the past (including the Microsoft Surface Pro, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and other Android tablets), and none of them really compared. I was more than pleasantly surprised when I pulled the OnePlus Pad 3 out of the box. Even before turning it on, it had real potential. Once I started using it? Well, here’s how that went.

1. Setup. Setup was pretty much what you would expect from an Android tablet setup. Answer a few questions, let things sync up, and you’re off. I spent a little time customizing the widgets on the front, the background, etc., and never stumbled on any of the features or the way they worked. Like I said, it’s about what you would expect when setting up a new tablet. One thing I found particularly handy was the ability to get connected using a QR code with my OnePlus 13 Pro. That made things just as easy as setting up an iPad if you already have an iPhone.
2. Design. The OnePlus Pad is a 13-inch tablet that’s only about 5.9mm thick. That puts it pretty close to the size of the iPad Pro, and it weighs roughly the same (~1.5 lbs). One thing I like more about the physical design of the OnePlus Pad 3 is that it has an all-metal body with slightly rounder edges than those on my iPad Pro. It just felt a little more comfortable in my hands. The 13.2-inch 3.4 K LCD display (compared to the iPad Pro’s 2K Ultra Retina XDR display) features a 144Hz refresh rate, 315 PPI, and 12-bit color depth, along with an 8-speaker spatial audio system. For my needs, this setup performs well for everything I do.
3. Functionality. Where functionality is concerned, you can do pretty much anything with this tablet that you could do with a Chromebook computer. The tablet has a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and runs on OxygenOS 15 on Android 15, which allows all the features and customizations you would expect (widgets, themes, etc.). It comes with 12GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, and you can connect it to a computer (Mac or Windows) or phone using the Multi-Screen feature. The battery is also an impressive 12,140mAh. OnePlus claims you can leave the tablet in standby for up to 70 days or get up to 17 hours of video streaming on it. In my experience, it’s got staying power. I charged it once and used it for a few hours a day for several days—streaming, writing, drawing, etc.—and still had more than 50 percent of the battery remaining. That’s a feat my iPad Pro definitely can’t keep up with. When you do need power, it has a 92-minute charge time to go from 1-100 percent.
4. Apps. Because the OnePlus Pad is Android-based, you have access to the Google Play Store, which means you can download apps that suit your needs. The tablet comes with the full suite of Google Apps installed as well as an additional Note app that works with the stylus pencil and the OnePlus Store and community app, where you can find more apps or connect with other OnePlus users.  The real magic in this tablet, however, is the connection to Google Gemini. With Google Gemini, you get plenty of ecosystem features, including the ability to share files between your phone and tablet, and seamless integration between apps from one device to the next. The Pad 3 also has Open Canvas, which lets you split-screen apps, and can even suggest when split-screen might be useful.
5. Extras: Stylus, Folio Cover, Keyboard Cover – Check Pricing & What’s included. If you’re a stylus person, you’ll love that you can get the OnePlus Stylo 2 with 16,000 levels of pressure. Sadly, it doesn’t work with the OnePlus 13 Pro. There are also optional keyboard and Folio cases. The Smart Keyboard Case is the one accessory I found disappointing. Although it works well, the 2-piece design of the case is less than useful for me. I suppose the advantage is that it allows for easy disconnection of the keyboard while keeping the back of the tablet connected. The con (which, in my mind, is a big one) is that, due to the design, it’s extremely easy to disconnect the keyboard from the tablet when you’re just trying to open the case and get set up to work.

Important Specs to Know