OnePlus Pad camera samples. Top to bottom: Close-up (primary), Portrait selfie, Night mode (primary) (Tap to see full size)
The rear camera is capable of recording video at 4K 30fps and it appeared sharp with good dynamic range and details, but was quite shaky. 1080p 30fps video utilises electronic stabilisation for reducing hand shakes but appears a bit soft with less detail. Low-light video quality isn’t good with plenty of noise and softer textures.
OnePlus Pad battery life
The OnePlus Pad’s battery life is quite good and lasts over two days with regular casual use. My usage mainly included playing casual games and streaming video, scrolling through social media apps and two email accounts in sync. It seems quite good for a regular-sized tablet which is this slim. Our HD video loop test also managed a good 18 hours and 10 minutes of runtime, which is impressive for a slim tablet.
The optional OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard accessory has a very premium look and feel
I also used the tablet in proper work mode doing everything I would normally do on my laptop. With the display set to 50 percent brightness and a timeout of five minutes, it surprisingly managed to last two whole work days (about nine hours each), which was pretty impressive.
Charging the OnePlus Pad was also quite fast despite the capped charging speeds. The tablet managed to charge to 47 percent in 30 minutes, 85 percent in an hour and completed the charge in an hour and 29 minutes.
Verdict
Until Google’s Pixel Tablet arrives in India (if it ever does), the OnePlus Pad might be the best Android tablet experience you can currently get. This is especially true when you consider its high-refresh rate display, fast charging capability and quality accessories, which are offered at reasonable prices. At a starting price of Rs. 37,999, I did find it to be bit expensive when it was announced but after using it, I think there’s plenty of raw performance available that should be good enough for light work or casual use, and it all comes in a package that’s easily lighter than most laptops at this price point.
OnePlus has also done its magic with software, balancing sustained performance with features such as split-screen mode and floating windows, all of which work as expected thanks to the capable hardware which powers this device.
In short, there’s very little to nit-pick and complain about, unless you crave an AMOLED panel for which you can take a look at Lenovo’s P11 Pro Gen 2 which is similar to the P11 Pro we reviewed earlier. It’s priced at Rs. 44,999, but does not offer the same software experience as the OnePlus Pad.
On the Apple side of things, there’s the new Apple iPad (2022) (Review) which starts from Rs. 44,900 for the Wi-Fi-only model, but you will be stuck with an standard refresh rate display and just 64GB of storage as only other variant costs Rs. 59,900 (for 256GB). Those looking for cellular connectivity or a robust app ecosystem with tablet-friendly apps will also find the Apple iPad an attractive option. However, accessories for it aren’t cheap, especially if you are going to use it for work.
