REVIEW – If you’re a regular visitor/reader of The Gadgeteer, you’ll know that I’m (stuck) in the Apple ecosystem. I have an iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, MacBook, and an iPad Pro. This doesn’t mean I’m anti-Android, though, because I also use Android devices, such as the OnePlus 13 smartphone, which I often use as a backup phone and camera. That said, I haven’t used an Android tablet in years, so I was happy to accept the offer to test drive the new OnePlus Pad 3 tablet. Let’s take it for a spin and see if my iPad Pro gets jealous.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $699.99
Where to buy: OnePlus (pre-order before 7/7/25, and you can choose 2 of 3 premium freebies mentioned above)
What is it?
The OnePlus Pad 3 is a flagship quality 13.2-inch tablet that is powered by the OxygenOS (Android) operating system.
What’s included?
- OnePlus Pad 3 tablet
- SUPERVOOC Power Adapter
- USB-C Cable
- Quick Start Guide
Optional Accessories (OnePlus is currently letting you pick 2 of these accessories for free when you pre-order the tablet before 7/7/25)
- Stylo 2 Stylus
- Smart Keyboard Case
- Folio cover
Tech specs
Operating system – Android 15/Oxygen OS 15
Chipset – Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform
GPU – Adreno™ 830 @ up to 1.1GHz
CPU – Qualcomm® Oryon™ CPU @ up to 4.32GHz
RAM – 12GB: LPDDR5x @ 4266MHz (4×16-bit)
ROM – 256GB (UFS 4.0)
Architecture – 64-bit
Battery Capacity – 12,140mAh
Charging – Up to 80W
Display – 13.2 in / 33.53cm
Screen Ratio – 89.3% 7:5 Ratio
Type j- LCD (LTPS)
Screen Color Depth – 12bit (8bit hardware +4bit FRC)
Resolution – 3392*2400
PPI – 315
Color Gamut – 96% NTSC, DCI-P3 coverage 98%, DeltaE≈0.7
Refresh Rate – Up to 144 Hz, adaptive refresh
Touch Sampling Rate – Up to 540 Hz, Default 120 Hz
Brightness – 600nit (HBM 900nit)
Audio
Speakers – 8 Speakers (4 Woofers + 4 Tweeters)
Microphones – 2
Bluetooth Audio – SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC
Connectivity – Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi2.4G, Wi-Fi 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n/
Bluetooth – BR/EDR/BLE, Bluetooth 5.4, Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth High Power
Ports – Type-C (USB3.2 Gen1 @ 5Gbps)
Audio Device Ports – Type-C
Camera
Rear Camera – 13MP
Front Camera – 8MP
Rear Camera Shooting
Video Recording: 4K/1080P/720P @ 30fps (default: 1080P @ 30fps)
EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) supported
Digital Zoom
Dimensions 289.61mm x 209.66mm x 5.97mm
Weight – 675g
Design and features
I’m so used to my 11″ iPad Pro, that the OnePlus Pad 3’s 13.2-inch display looks huge in comparison. The bezels are still there, but this is a large tablet.
This Android tablet may have a large footprint, but it’s very thin (< 6mm). It’s even thinner than my iPhone 16 Pro Max! And even though it’s thin, it has a strong aluminum alloy unibody build, so you don’t have to worry about it flexing.
On the back is the OnePlus logo in the center. You’ll also notice the three magnetic pogo pins at the bottom. This is the connection for the optional Smart Keyboard case, which I’ll talk more about later.
There’s the camera bump with flash in the upper corner.
There are three buttons on the upper left corner of the tablet. If you’re holding the tablet in landscape orientation, the power button is on the left side and the volume buttons are on the top edge. This is the same layout as an iPad, which is nice for my muscle memory.
Accessories
Folio case
The basic folio case is a basic wrap-around cover with a magnetic flap that secures the top flap of the cover (even if you use the Stylo stylus.
The folio’s top cover can be folded in a variety of ways to prop up the tablet at different orientations and angles.
Styl0 2 stylus
The Stylo 2 stylus is the OnePlus answer to the Apple Pencil. The Stylo 2 supports up to 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, which is way more than the Apple Pencil’s 4096 levels.
I had to smile when I played around with doodling using the Stylo 2 and heard sound effects while in the pencil mode. Every stroke of the stylus has haptic feedback and a pencil on paper scratching noise from the tablet’s speakers. However, I only noticed this in the OnePlus notes app, and not in other apps. This stylus is very responsive and has no noticeable lag when using it to write or draw.
Just like the Apple Pencil, the Stylo 2 is a stylus that charges by attaching magnetically to the top edge of the tablet.
Smart Keyboard case
The Smart keyboard turns your OnePlus Pad 3 into a Surface tablet. Ok, not really, but it sure makes it feel like one due to the folding kickstand on the back. I have never been a fan of a kickstand on a tablet because it makes the tablet uncomfortable and unstable when used on your lap. Desktop usage is fine, but lap usage leaves a lot to be desired in my opinion.
The keyboard and trackpad are roomy for comfortable typing. I also wanted to mention that although this keyboard attaches to the back of the OnePlus Pad 3 via the pogo pins, you don’t have to use it connected to the tablet. You can disconnect it and use it separately. You’ll just need to connect it to charge it.
Display
The large, sharp 13.2-inch LCD screen offers a 3.4K resolution and a super-smooth 144Hz refresh rate. While it’s not OLED like my iPad Pro, the display is bright and crisp, making it great for reading, web browsing, and multitasking. I give the nod to the iPad Pro for its deeper blacks and contrast, which makes it a better choice if you like to watch movies on your tablet in lower light. But that said, I have enjoyed watching all types of video content with the OnePlus Pad 3 in regular and dimmer light.
Audio
This tablet features four woofers and four tweeters, which makes a total of eight speakers. Compared to my iPad Pro’s four speaker setup, the OnePlus Pad 3 is a noticeable improvement. While listening to music and watching movies, I found that the audio was rich and balanced, with nice deep bass.
The OnePlus Pad 3 introduces Holo Audio, which allows you to hear different sounds (such as music, calls, and notifications) coming from various directions. It’s like having a surround sound speaker system on your lap.
Performance and software
I’ve been a fan of OxygenOS since my first OnePlus smartphone review and I think it just keeps getting better. When powered by the Oxygen OS with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, the OnePlus Pad 3 becomes a top performer among Android tablets. And this won’t be a one-year device, because OnePlus promises three major Android updates and six years of bi-monthly security updates.
One of the most powerful features of the Pad 3 is the Open Canvas feature that lets you have multiple apps open in separate windows that you can arrange side by side, smaller resizable windows hovering over others, or even all three visible at once.
During my time using and testing the OnePlus Pad 3 Android tablet, I’ve been impressed by how smoothly it performs. I haven’t noticed any stuttering or lag scrolling through screens, loading apps, editing video, images, etc. It’s felt every bit as snappy as my iPad Pro and often even faster since I have a 4th Gen iPad Pro from 2022.
Battery life
At 12,140mAh, the battery is huge for a tablet, and OnePlus claims it can last up to 17 hours of video playback or 70 days on standby. Seventy hours of standby time sounds crazy, but that’s with the tablet turned on! If you power it off, it can keep a standby charge for up to 2 years! I obviously haven’t had the opportunity to test these claims, but I can tell you that the battery has lasted a whole day of my typical work: email, browsing, lots of YouTube, some image editing, a little gaming, and eBook reading without flinching. With the included 80W SUPERVOOC charger, topping off the battery is super fast.
Final thoughts
After spending time with the OnePlus Pad 3, I’m impressed! It’s easily the best Android tablet I’ve ever reviewed, and it’s packed with power, a gorgeous display, and amazing audio. Paired with the Smart Keyboard, it’s almost as big as a laptop, but it can’t fully replace a true Windows laptop or MacBook for heavy work. If you want a tablet that switches easily between entertainment, multitasking, and light productivity, and you don’t want to pay iPad Pro prices, this is an awesome buy, especially with the current freebies.
What I like about OnePlus Pad 3 Android tablet
- Great value for the price (especially with the freebies that are currently offered)
- Excellent battery life
- Snappy performance
- Fantastic audio quality
- Multitasking features are top notch
What needs to be improved?
- I want a keyboard with a fixed hinge that provides more of a laptop feel
- I’d love an OnePlus Pad mini!
Price: $699.99
Where to buy: OnePlus (pre-order before 7/7/25 and you can choose 2 of 3 premium freebies mentioned above)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by OnePlus. They did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
