After years of lacklustre Android tablets, the OnePlus Pad 3 finally delivers a premium experience that rivals the best from Apple and Samsung.
It’s been a tough few years for those seeking a truly premium Android tablet. For a while, most brands focused on budget-friendly models while neglecting the high-end market. Thankfully, that has changed—today, there are more flagship-level Android tablets than ever before. Even better, these devices are beginning to find their own identity, with each brand introducing features that help their products stand out.
That’s exactly where the new OnePlus Pad 3 positions itself. OnePlus has built a reputation for offering flagship-level performance at more accessible prices, and with the Pad 3, the company is entering the premium tablet space with confidence. It’s designed to go head-to-head with the iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab series and Xiaomi’s top-end offerings, all while retaining the distinctive design language OnePlus is known for.
It’s a bold move, but after using the OnePlus Pad 3 for just over two weeks, I can say it’s grown on me. While there are still a few pain points that need to be addressed, the overall experience is among the best I’ve had with an Android tablet.
I’ll be honest—I wasn’t a fan of the look of the first OnePlus Pad. While it was distinctive, it lacked the refined, clean lines I typically look for in my tech. Thankfully, with the OnePlus Pad 2 and now the Pad 3, the brand has streamlined its design, delivering one of the sleekest and most premium-feeling tablets in the Android ecosystem.
Unboxing the Pad 3, I was surprised at just how polished it looks. It feels solid in the hand while maintaining the svelte profile that makes it so appealing. At just 5.97 millimetres thick, it’s the thinnest tablet OnePlus has ever produced. Yet, it remains impressively sturdy thanks to an all-metal unibody crafted from a unique aluminum alloy. This material choice isn’t just about looks—it offers strong bend resistance while keeping the weight down to just 675 grams, making it comfortable to hold for extended periods.
The OnePlus Pad 3 is slated to launch in a single colourway for North America: Storm Blue, which was also the version sent for this review. While there is a second option—Frosted Silver—it appears to be exclusive to India for now, meaning Canadian and U.S. consumers will have to admire it from afar. Thankfully, while I’m not usually a fan of blue electronics, the Pad 3’s Storm Blue is relatively subtle. It strikes a nice balance, with a silver-blue finish that feels modern and eye-catching without being ostentatious.
This year’s tablet concept feels like one of refinement. Where the OnePlus Pad 2 marked a major step forward—offering a more dignified design than the original—the Pad 3 builds on that foundation and delivers on the promise we’ve seen evolve over time. OnePlus has also reimagined the camera placement, moving it to a pill-shaped bump in the top corner—a departure from the previously centred circular module.
This subtle shift gives the Pad 3 a more streamlined profile while echoing the design language of premium tablets, making it instantly recognizable. The front is dominated by a 13.2-inch LCD display with minimal bezels, maximizing screen real estate without sacrificing structural integrity. (Don’t worry—I’ll dive into the screen details shortly.) With gently rounded corners and smooth edges, the device feels both comfortable and premium in hand.
Jumping back to the screen—it’s an absolutely stunning 13.2-inch LCD display, boasting a 3.4K resolution, a unique 7:5 aspect ratio, and a pixel density of 315 PPI. Engineered for clarity and vibrancy, the screen supports 12-bit colour and offers up to 900 nits of peak brightness, meaning content pops whether you’re streaming films, editing photos, or multitasking with documents.
The TÜV Rheinland Eye Care 4.0 certification underscores its comfort during extended viewing sessions, while the adaptive 144Hz refresh rate and 540Hz touch sampling ensure smooth, responsive interactions. I was genuinely surprised by how sharp everything looks on the OnePlus Pad 3—games, media, and productivity tasks all appear crisp and detailed. At this price point, most devices offer decent displays, but even by flagship standards, the OnePlus Pad 3 stands out with a striking visual experience that’s an absolute joy to use.
I didn’t think we’d reach a point where tablet speakers warranted their own section, but OnePlus has managed to deliver genuinely impressive audio with the Pad 3. The device features a total of eight speakers—four woofers and four tweeters—symmetrically placed to provide immersive, adaptive sound. Whether you’re holding the tablet in portrait or landscape mode, the audio adjusts automatically to maintain a balanced, room-filling experience. It’s a setup that makes the Pad 3 equally suited for watching movies, playing games or taking video calls.
During testing, I threw on some music to check the speaker performance, and ended up leaving it on because it sounded that good. I wouldn’t rank it above the best laptop audio systems, but for a tablet this thin, OnePlus has exceeded expectations.
“I was genuinely surprised by how sharp everything looks on the OnePlus Pad 3—games, media, and productivity tasks all appear crisp and detailed.”
Looking beyond its refined design and stunning screen, the OnePlus Pad 3 proves to be an impressive offering that delivers a top-tier experience powered by some of the best technology available in the Android tablet space. At its core is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset—a flagship processor making its tablet debut and delivering a significant leap in both speed and efficiency. This octa-core chip provides a 45 percent boost in CPU performance and a 40 percent improvement in GPU capabilities over previous models, all while reducing power consumption.
Complementing the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC are up to 16GB of the latest LPDDR5T RAM and up to 512GB of fast UFS 4.0 storage, giving users ample headroom for multitasking and media storage. The OnePlus Pad 3 runs OxygenOS 15, OnePlus’s latest software based on Android 15, which introduces a suite of AI-powered features and productivity enhancements, including an upgraded Open Canvas multitasking interface that makes juggling multiple apps on the expansive display a breeze.
On paper, the Pad 3 brings some serious power to the table, and it shows in real-world use. This is an incredibly responsive tablet that handled everything I threw at it—games, apps, and web browsing all ran smoothly, with the device easily managing most daily tasks without breaking a sweat.
All of this comes together to create a tablet that feels snappy and ready to handle whatever you throw at it. For testing, we ran our usual selection of games and apps to see how well the OnePlus Pad 3 performed in day-to-day use, and I have to say, I was impressed. Genshin Impact ran fluidly, looking fantastic on the 13.2-inch display, with colours that truly popped. During testing, I didn’t encounter any noticeable slowdown or visual issues.
“… the OnePlus Pad 3 stands out with a striking visual experience that’s an absolute joy to use.”
The same was true for Diablo Immortal—even with the graphics settings pushed to the max, the game ran effortlessly and delivered a very playable experience. That expansive display showcased subtle visual details that smaller phone screens often miss, making for a truly immersive experience.
On the app side of things, I tested a range of different software to see how well the Pad 3 fared, and honestly, I didn’t encounter anything that didn’t run well during my testing period. CapCut was buttery smooth and exported quickly, offering a solid experience, especially when using the OnePlus Stylo 2. It felt intuitive, snappy, and fully capable of handling complex clip edits.
While I still feel the editing software landscape is a bit more robust on iOS, Android is clearly catching up. Whether I was working with video, photos or even just document editing, everything worked as expected. The 13-inch screen also made the overall experience feel remarkably similar to using a laptop—and I mean that in the best possible way.
To help the Pad 3 feel like a true computing device—and not just a basic tablet for streaming shows—the OS does a lot of the heavy lifting. It elevates the experience from one focused solely on content consumption to one where users can create and multitask with ease. The OnePlus Pad 3 runs OxygenOS 15, which is optimized for large-screen productivity and seamless device integration.
Features like Open Canvas multitasking and AI-powered productivity tools are designed to make full use of the expansive display. I would love to see more complex apps on the platform, but with more tablets like this on the market, I am hopeful we will see more development to really push this level of hardware in the future.
On the battery front, the 12,140mAh cell is the largest ever in a OnePlus tablet, delivering up to 17 hours of video playback and 70 days of standby time. Fast charging is handled by 80W SUPERVOOC technology, capable of taking the battery from empty to full in just 92 minutes. An advanced cooling system—featuring a composite graphene vapour chamber—helps keep the device cool, even during intense gaming or productivity sessions. According to OnePlus, it runs three degrees cooler than competing tablets after an hour of heavy use. While I didn’t test the full 70-day standby claim, I was impressed with the tablet’s longevity throughout the review period, with real-world performance largely living up to the promise.
“The OnePlus Pad 3 is ridiculously fast, stunning to look at and use, and incredibly functional.”
With all that out of the way, it’s worth talking about the accessories—most notably, the keyboard—and I have some mixed feelings. After using the Pad 2 and being frustrated with its functionality, I feel OnePlus has made meaningful improvements with this iteration. The keyboard feels spacious, with keys that offer a satisfying amount of travel. The back stand supports a wider range of angles, now adjustable from 110 to 165 degrees, making it much more comfortable to use. There’s also NFC for easy media sharing, and the touchpad feels responsive, delivering a respectable laptop-like experience.
That said, this is where the good things end, and my main issue surfaces—literally. As with Microsoft’s Surface range, these detachable keyboards just aren’t designed for lap use. While a laptop can be used comfortably almost anywhere, this floppy keyboard design really requires a solid surface to function as intended. I commend OnePlus for enabling both Bluetooth and pogo pin connectivity, allowing a split form factor, but even with some creativity, I didn’t find it particularly comfortable. In tight spaces—planes, for instance—it becomes less functional. Xiaomi nailed this with its keyboard cases, and I wish more brands would follow that lead.
With that pain point out of the way, I have to say the OnePlus Pad 3 has genuinely grown on me. There’s a lot to like, and OnePlus has created an experience that not only feels premium but also feels like a device I want to integrate into my daily routine. That said, this isn’t a budget-friendly tablet—OnePlus is clearly positioning it as a high-end offering. The tablet is priced at $699.99 USD ($999.99 CAD), with the keyboard adding an additional $199.99 USD ($249.99 CAD). The folio case is slightly more forgiving at $49.99 USD ($64.99 CAD), while the OnePlus Stylo 2 comes in at $99.99 USD ($149.99 CAD).
Thankfully, OnePlus is offering some strong launch incentives. Early buyers who purchase the Pad 3 between June 5 and 7 can choose two free accessories from the three available. There are also student discounts and trade-in bonuses, allowing buyers to save $100 USD or CAD by trading in an older device.
No matter how you break down the numbers, the OnePlus Pad 3 is a pricey device, landing roughly in line with Apple’s iPad Air, depending on the configuration. After using the tablet for an extended period, it’s clear OnePlus has made a compelling case for integrating the Pad 3 into your work and personal ecosystem. With seamless sharing across your phone, laptop, and tablet, everything just works—and it works well. Still, this is a premium product with a premium price, and while I believe the value is justified, it won’t be for everyone. The Smart Keyboard, despite its improvements over last year’s model, remains a bit tedious to use in certain situations.
I like this tablet and think OnePlus has done a fantastic job delivering a device that not only justifies its existence but also offers enough to make it something I genuinely want to integrate into my daily routine. The OnePlus Pad 3 is ridiculously fast, stunning to look at and use, and incredibly functional. Android may still have some work to do in delivering a truly refined tablet experience, but brands like OnePlus are proving that the hardware is already there. This makes a compelling case for Google to invest further and elevate its tablet ecosystem to better compete with Apple.
The OnePlus Pad 3 is a refined, premium device that delivers on the promise of past tablets, making a strong case for its place in your tech lineup.
