Spectacular screen and two accessories (keyboard and pointer) that turn it into a real laptop. Its 7:5 format raises doubts.
1.- Screen: 11.6” with Dolby Vision and the industry’s first 7:5 aspect ratio; 144 Hz refresh rate. It is the first tablet to use 2.5D curved glass. It has an 88% screen-to-body ratio thanks to a super slim 6.54mm bezel and domed bezel.
2.- Chips: Dimensity 9000, the first mobile chipset with a 3.05 GHz Cortex-X2 core. 4 nm, V9 architecture from ARM.
3.- RAM and storage: up to 12 GB of RAM and RAM-Vita. 128 GB without MicroSD slot.
4.- Design: Star Orbit’s in-house developed carving, CNC machined aluminum alloy chassis and available, for now, only in Halo Green.
5.- Cameras: rear located in the central area, 13 Mp, 4K 30 fps video. 8 Mp front, 30 fps HD video. Both with EIS stabilization.
6.- Battery and autonomy: 9,510mAh battery, compatible with SUPERVOOC 67w charging.
7.- Connection to the mobile phone: allows a seamless connection with OnePlus smartphones.
8.- Connection: WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, BLE.
9.- Audio: Dolby Atmos and proprietary omnidirectional sound field technology, capable of intelligently identifying screen direction and automatically switching between left and right audio channels for more immersive sound.
10.- Available accessories: OnePlus Stylo and OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard.
OnePlus Pad: Precious
499 euros (price as of May 2023).
OnePlus Pad: Gadget Lab review
The OnePlus Pad stands out in several ways: being the first tablet to have a 7:5 aspect ratio (it’s 4:3 on the iPad and 3:2 on the Microsoft Surface Pro), featuring a 144Hz screen refresh and to the rear camera was mounted right in the center of the back. Let’s go to the parts.
design
Measuring 258 x 189 x 6.5 mm and weighing 550 grams, its finish is 100% premium: slim aluminum construction and a back with a pattern, called Star Orbit, that surrounds the camera and gives it an appeal undeniable.
Always in a layout, in the upper right corner there is a magnetic support to place and charge the stylus; on the bottom edge there is a connector to connect to the keyboard cover. The power button is located on the left edge. In the upper profile, left area, volume control; the USB-C port, in the center of the right edge. The side profiles integrate the speakers. The front camera is at the top of the screen, in the center.
Display
LCD type, 11.6” and, we repeat, 7:5, offers a resolution of 2800 x 2000 (296 dpi) and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. Apart from the aforementioned format (which, frankly, depends on tastes) What sets the OnePlus Pad apart is its 144Hz refresh rate and 120Hz or 144Hz touch sampling rate. This provides an extremely smooth system navigation experience. It doesn’t reach the accuracy and fluidity of an OLED screen with such a record, but the experience is very positive indeed.
It offers, in any case, excellent detail and a… good brightness (500 nits). It is compatible with HDR and Dolby Vision formats, which translates to a natural and faithful reproduction of videos in general. The unique 7:5 aspect ratio works well with content that resembles a DinA4 (web, e-books).
dynamic performance
The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 is not a cutting-edge processor, but it is very – very – powerful and, above all, with proven diligence. Combined with 8GB of RAM (expandable when needed via virtual means) and the panel’s fast refresh rate, there’s no other way to say that the OnePlus Pad delivers impressive performance. Can you handle everything? Yes with any application and enough for normal daily use (networks, YouTube, office…). Video games? If they require a lot of graphic load, it is advisable to adjust the frequency to 30 fps so that the fluidity is not affected; lower level games, absolutely no problem.
Audio
The speakers deliver fantastic sound. The four-speaker array dynamically adjusts based on how the tablet is held, ensuring proper stereo positioning and creating an immersive experience for content consumption, eliminating the need for headphones. They are powerful speakers (no exaggeration) with excellent bass response and clarity. This, along with the quality of the screen, makes the OnePlus Pad perfect for YouTube and streaming platforms.
AUTONOMY
The OnePlus Pad integrates a 9,510 mAh battery; On paper, it promises up to 12 hours of video and a month of standby time. In practice, according to our tests, it matches such a record of use as long as it is normal, i.e. light; If playing a lot of video games is your thing, the battery life can be cut in half. We were unable to test standby autonomy because the review unit’s testing period ended early.
Its charging dynamics supports up to 67 w; It reaches 100% charge, from 0%, in about 82 minutes. Note that this tablet comes without a charger.
Operating system
The OnePlus Pad comes with OxygenOS 13.1, OnePlus’ custom layer on Android 13. If you know how OxygenOS works on the brand’s phones, well, on tablets, the same: clean and fluid user experience, many customization options, minimalist design and everything simple intuitive. Yes, it tells us we’re fans of OxygenOS: we love it.
Accessories
The cover keyboard and stylus bring an exponential step up to this already fantastic tablet. The former is very well built, with quality materials, and although it is a bit cramped due to its physical size, the keys are well positioned, allowing for easy typing. The touchpad is smaller than those on most laptops, but it still allows for two-finger scrolling and pinch-to-zoom gestures… once you get the hang of it, it’s just assimilating the limits of touch. The overall quality of this case is high and when magnetically attached the tablet feels secure. The exterior features a nice leather-look material in a matching shade of green.
The pen style is as useful and practical as it is precise and… fun. It sticks well to the magnetic top side of the pad and wirelessly charges there. Its use is comfortable and natural, like a regular pencil. We liked his excellent pressure sensitivity. A joy to write, engrave and create with this stylus.
camcorders
On the front end, video conferencing is clear and defined. No more claims. The rear camera works well, in no case does it reach the photos taken by mobile phones of a segment equal to that of this tablet, i.e. high. We believe that these cameras, like those of any tablet, are resources for taking photos or videos when there is no other alternative. But if you can do without them, almost better (we repeat, in general with all tablets).
what we lack
For starters, a fingerprint reader; would be appropriate according to the level of this Pad. And, secondly, that Android lacks professional apps for use on professional tablets, such as this OnePlus; Therefore, this is not attributable to the tablet itself, but it is still a shame.
OnePlus Pad: the final conclusions
The OnePlus Pad is a high-end Android tablet no matter how you look at it. It promises a premium design along with spectacular technical performance and display quality. And it more than delivers, it doesn’t disappoint in any way on these terms. We have already discussed above that with graphics intensive games, you may have some difficulties at high settings. But we are talking about extremely specific situations. For normal day-to-day use that focuses on web browsing, productivity tasks, videos, social networking, etc., this Pad is more than meets the eye. The high refresh rate of 144 Hz ensures excellent fluidity in the content and the speakers generate a careful sound. It is perfect for watching videos in a technical sense, but its 7:5 format is not ideal for them because it generates black bands. Some apps also suffer…
All this is powered by a fantastic OxygenOS – Android 13, which offers easy use and very friendly in all aspects, and with powerful and stable wireless connection.
If you add to all this a really extended autonomy, together with an impressive fast charging, we are definitely looking at one of the best Android tablets today, at a price that is also very competitive for what it offers.
