I have been a OnePlus user since I began at CGMagazine, and a world of smartphone options that weren’t Samsung or Apple opened up to me. The brand consistently balances power, function and price to bring something to the table that can blow other brands out of the water. Since their venture into tablets with the OnePlus Pad over a year ago, I have been excited for their second attempt, as the company only gets better with each new model. I am happy to say that the OnePlus Pad 2 does not disappoint and builds on an already great device.
Style & Display
This 12.1-inch tablet comes in Nimbus Gray, a change from the beautiful green colour the original Pad came in. I would argue that with the OnePlus Pad 2, the company is aiming for a professional look and feel, and though the new gray is slick-looking, it does not stand out like the Halo Green did. I think the gray was still the safer choice and a better choice for a wider group of people.
The OnePlus Pad 2 has also increased in weight to 584 grams compared to 552 grams of its predecessor but is larger in size at 268 x 195 x 6.49 mm. The 3K LCD display is beautiful in games like Zenless Zone Zero or while streaming on Netflix. It has Dolby Vision, 1B colours, a 144Hz refresh rate, 900 nits peak brightness (600 typical), and a resolution of 2120 x 3000 with a 303 ppi density.
For comparison, my day-to-day device is the Xiaomi Pad 6, which was released well over a year ago and features up to a 144 Hz (adaptive) refresh rate, 309 ppi density and 550 nits brightness. This is probably the closest in specs to the OnePlus Pad 2, but Xiaomi often manages to outperform competitors at lower price points.
For other, more common devices, the Apple iPad Air falls behind. Released in May 2024, it has a 500 nits brightness, 264 ppi, and only a 60 Hz refresh rate. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 was released in August 2023 with a 120 Hz refresh rate, 274 ppi, and 420 nits, with a peak brightness of 750 nits. Across the board, the OnePlus Pad 2 has a better balance of specs, whereas its competitors fall way behind.
Storage & Specs
In terms of storage, the version tested featured 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage, and it also comes in an 8GB/128GB configuration. This has remained unchanged from the previous version, and most other tablets I have gotten my hands on don’t hit that 12GB of RAM that the OnePlus Pad 2 features. OnePlus packed in the storage and RAM to make the OnePlus Pad 2 run smoothly no matter what you’re doing, whether it’s work or play.
As for other specifications, the OnePlus Pad 2 runs on Oxygen OS, and its GPU has jumped to Adreno 750, which puts it ahead of the Galaxy Tab S9 at 740 and worlds above the Xiaomi Pad 6 with Adreno 650. The Pad 2 is outfitted with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, putting it above most other tablets available unless you’re looking at top-end prices. When playing games, I would sit comfortably around 30FPs and didn’t see any overheating or lag. Even while editing and rendering video, I would export 30-second clips in around six seconds using Capcut.
The OnePlus Ecosystem
Looking at the OnePlus Pad 2 simply based on specs alone, it is a competitive and competent tablet that light gamers, creators and professionals would find useful. Where it goes above and beyond, however, is when you are a OnePlus user, as it becomes an entire ecosystem that allows you to share files—and networks—seamlessly.
I am a regular OnePlus 12 user, though I love my OnePlus Open, too. Once I set up my OnePlus account on both the Pad 2 and my smartphone, the tablet shared my network, allowing shared internet or data usage. I could receive texts on the Pad 2, and I never had to log onto another Wi-Fi network so long as my OnePlus 12 was connected.
Also, when connected to the new OnePlus Pad 2 Smart Keyboard—more on that later—you can just tap your phone with NFC enabled and have complete access to all your phone files on your tablet and tablet files on your phone. I was able to take video on my 12 and move it over to the Pad 2 with ease.
I will note that, at some point, many of the photos and videos I took on my OnePlus 12 said they did not exist on the Pad 2. I believe this is something I need to sort out with my phone recording and not the tablet itself, and I will need to investigate further.
You can also have your phone pop up on the screen like a new window. I was able to open files, copy and paste things to the tablet from my phone, or control my phone—including typing with the keyboard and using the stylus—right from the OnePlus Pad 2 screen. For someone who is constantly moving images or files around or wants to take care of their messages right from their tablet’s screen, the OnePlus Pad 2 makes perfect sense, so long as you’re a OnePlus user.
Accessories
That brings me to the peripherals for the OnePlus Pad 2, and I have to say, I am very, very unimpressed with the OnePlus Pad 2 Smart Keyboard. The keyboard itself is responsive, low profile, and feels good to type on. The trackpad is great and almost double the size, which is especially good for controlling the Pad 2 with gestures. To be fair, many don’t even have a trackpad, so this is a great bonus. Where it loses me, however, is with how it connects to the Pad 2. The case, made up of two pieces, is loose and sloppy, moves constantly, and doesn’t allow for easy setup.
It has a piece that connects to the back to protect it, which pulls away from the tablet to form a stand. Then, a separate keyboard is attached via 3 pogo-pins to the bottom. My issue here is that the space between the keyboard and tablet is flimsy, and the piece on the back of the tablet that folds out is thin, so any jostling can cause the tablet to fall in an instant.
Other tablets, including the old OnePlus Pad, have the tablet sit forward to rest on the keyboard, and it is much more stable and takes up less space. The way it is now, I can’t use it on my lap almost at all (I am short and don’t have a lot of lap space), and I’m not even sure it would fit on an airplane table. They say you can use the keyboard Bluetooth to circumvent these issues, but I want an all-in-one system that feels sturdy.
The back part of the case pops off if you pull it wrong, and the keyboard doesn’t magnet to the display strong enough, so it slides around when you grab it. It was a downgrade of a design in terms of how it all works together, even if the keyboard feels great to type on. Luckily, the OnePlus Stylo 2 doesn’t disappoint, salvaging the peripheral department.
The OnePlus Stylo 2 has worked shortcuts and gestures into its use, which I love. For artists and creators, it has 16,000 pressure sensitivity levels and simulates real ink effects. I personally love the leather-like finish on the OnePlus Stylo 2, as it gives the pen a premium look and feel. The magnet that connects the Stylo 2 to the OnePlus Pad 2 is strong, and it charges while connected. There were a few times I would need to double or triple tap for something to register on the OnePlus Pad 2, but overall, I was satisfied with the pen.
Pricing & Competitors
However, OnePlus is pushing the Pad 2 as the ultimate tablet for productivity. For that to be true, you need a flawless keyboard and pen. I had a few other people play around with the peripherals, and they found issues similar to what I experienced, and that doesn’t factor in price at all. The OnePlus Pad 2 is not an all-in-one system, and the peripherals need to be purchased separately. The total cost for what I was able to test is $799.97 USD.
OnePlus Pad 2 and Accessories Pricing
- OnePlus Pad 2, Nimbus Gray: $549.99
- OnePlus Pad 2 Smart Keyboard: $149.99
- OnePlus Stylo 2: $99.99
- OnePlus Folio Case 2: $39.99
Now, mind you, this is a 12-inch tablet with great visuals and some amazing productivity features. The OnePlus Pad 2 is competing against $919.99 for the 11” Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 and a whopping $949.99 USD for the Apple iPad Air 11’’. Keep in mind those prices are without peripherals, which would put the OnePlus Pad 2 competing at a $549.99 price point. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE is the closest in price, starting at around $499.99, but the specs aren’t even close to that of the OnePlus Pad 2.
The Xiaomi Pad 6, however, which was the closest competitor in specs, sits at $389.99. I would say that once you purchase your peripherals, the Xiaomi Pad 6 has a better keyboard and case, making it a more comfortable system across the board. Keep in mind, though, that if you will be using the OnePlus Pad 2 at a desk or somewhere stable, the OnePlus Pad 2 is the better tablet overall and worth the extra money. Do with that what you will.
Battery & Charging
One thing I can brag about regarding the OnePlus Pad 2 is its absolutely incredible battery life. I tried with everything in me to kill the 9,510 mAh battery in real-world use, and it was HARD. I left videos playing for hours on full brightness, gamed for extended periods of time, and scrolled to my heart’s content. In testing with gaming at full brightness, it seemed to lose about 20 percent every hour or so, giving around five hours of straight gaming. When using it for literally anything else, including media, you won’t ever kill the OnePlus Pad 2 in a day.
I was even impressed with it sitting idle. After a day, my laptop will be dead. The OnePlus Pad 2 was more than four days old with a nearly full battery. Even after using it and leaving it on for a few more days, not much changed. OnePlus boasts up to 43 days of battery life on standby, and I believe them. My Xiaomi Pad 6 is good on battery, but the OnePlus Pad is better. Charging to full takes a bit over an hour with its 67W SUPERVOOC charging, and you can get around 25% in a quick 15-minute charge in a pinch.
How it Works in Real-World Testing
The OnePlus Pad 2 is failed by its keyboard, but as a tablet, it blows all the other comparable devices out of the water and does so at a better price point. Setup was a breeze. Every learning curve, like gestures, came with a thorough tutorial, and even setting up more intricate features, like Auto Connect and Content Sync, was simple to get the hang of.
The display, performance and battery life on the OnePlus Pad 2 were completely outstanding, and the audio, though not the best out there—I preferred the richer sound on my OnePlus 12 smartphone, to be honest—was perfectly serviceable for meetings, media and games. Gaming was smooth, didn’t completely destroy the battery, and nothing ever overheated, plus multiple game modes allowed me to tweak gameplay as I saw fit
The size of the tablet made it basically a small laptop, and it wasn’t overly heavy to take on the go. Cameras, again, are on par with most tablets—8MP selfie camera, 13 MP main camera—but who the heck is using these beyond a quick meeting? They are far below what you’ll find on a smartphone unless you’re talking about foldables that aren’t the OnePlus Open. OnePlus also has plans for an AI Toolbox kit, but we won’t see that until later on.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is a standout tablet on its own, brought down by a subpar keyboard. When comparing the device itself against others available, blow for blow, it comes out on top. The only time this isn’t true is if you are pairing it against top-of-the-line creator-focused tablets that will more than double the Pad 2 in price. If you are looking for a tablet for work, gaming, light creation and more, the OnePlus Pad 2 is an easy choice, especially if you have a keyboard alternative.
