OnePlus Pad 2 review: an excellent entertainment tablet with a powerful processor

At Rs 39,999, the OnePlus Pad 2 offers a stunning display, a powerful processor, and impressive speakers

• By Abhik Sengupta
Published On: 26 August 2024 | 14:36 IST

The OnePlus Pad 2, powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, is easily one of the most powerful Android tablets you can buy in India right now. The latest iteration continues to dazzle with its stunning display, and the six-speaker system remains top-notch. Also, OnePlus is keeping up with the trend by offering some AI features which boost productivity, but there are some caveats.

However, the software remains a persistent challenge for Android slates, including OnePlus. Does the OnePlus Pad 2 overcome these hurdles and set a new standard? Let’s find out.

Design and display

In terms of looks, the only thing that has changed this year is the colour. Unlike the original OnePlus Pad (review), the Pad 2 features a grey finish (called Nimbus Gray) to provide a raw metallic appearance. Apart from that, there are no other colour options for the Pad 2.

The rear panel continues to house a single camera inside a round module at the top centre. The sides include the usual port and button selection (volume rockers, power button, and USB-C port). That means OnePlus has again omitted the 3.5mm audio jack from its flagship tablet.

Overall, the Pad 2 remains attractive and feels premium with its metal body. The corners also have a soft, rounded finish, offering a comfortable grip, whether in landscape or portrait orientation. You will notice contours on the right edge for an aesthetic appeal. The magnetic charging patch for the OnePlus Stylo 2 also lies here.

It can get cumbersome to hold it for long as the tablet now features a bigger screen. Naturally, the bigger size and chunky battery on board have resulted in an increased weight. The Pad 2 weighs 584 grams, which is 32 grams heavier than its predecessor. Combined with the optional Smart Keyboard folio, the weight goes up to 1.3kg.

To some users, including myself, an increased weight may not matter significantly, as more viewing area surely helps with an elevated visual experience, especially while watching movies or playing games. I find this size ideal for reading, and anything beyond 12.1 inches may feel slightly overwhelming for tablets. The Pad 2’s six speakers also contribute greatly to a loud audio experience. It’s still not close to the bass or clarity that Apple provides with its iPads, but the audio quality is good enough for its price. OnePlus has even implemented its version of spatial audio, named Halo Audio, which leverages AI for an optimised hearing experience.

Surely, the picture quality stands out, and the 144Hz refresh rate offers a silky smooth scrolling experience while reading. The gaming experience is equally impressive, and I will talk more about it in the next section.

I watched several shows and movies on different OTTs, and the experience was mostly pleasant. However, the tablet faces an issue with Amazon Prime Videos, as the app refuses to play movies and shows in full HD format. The company has assured a fix, which will likely get addressed via a future update.

Otherwise, the viewing experience on Netflix, even without HDR playback support, did not disappoint. The overall colours look punchy, although the black spots may appear a little faded, but that’s a general limitation of the IPS panel. The OnePlus 12.1-inch display offers 3K resolution (3,000 x 2,120 pixels) with Dolby Vision support. The display can reach up to 600 nits of brightness, and typical brightness is sufficient for indoor use.

One potential downside is the lack of information about display protection, so it’s safe to assume that there’s only the bare minimum. I recommend getting a screen protector online or from a local store to avoid permanent scratches, as I’ve already managed to get a few on mine.

Performance and software

As an entertainment-focused device, the OnePlus Pad 2 shines brighter than most of its rivals. I thoroughly enjoyed the gaming experience on the large screen. For BGMI lovers, the tablet supports Ultra HDR graphics, and the frame rates were consistent during my test. Even its battery and heat management were decent, if not the best.

My favourite game on the tablet was GTA San Andreas, bundled with my Netflix subscription. The gameplay was smooth with the highest settings enabled. The Pad 2’s spacious display even proves to be a worthy choice for family-focused games, like Ludo King and Charades, which I loved playing with my nephews. Titles with gamepad support also feel intuitive and natural, thanks to the wide viewing area and powerful processor.

OnePlus also positions the Pad 2 as a productivity-focused tablet, but I have mixed opinions. The Open Canvas feature proves to be one of the best for light office work, which rival brands must also consider adding. It allows you to run three apps simultaneously in an evenly spaced area. You can draw a straight line from the top of the screen to the bottom with two fingers to enable a split view and then drag and drop an app to use Open Canvas.

The OnePlus Pad 2 offers enough juice for intense work, but the software, particularly the Android OS, has a long way to go. For instance, some creator-favourite apps, like Procreate, are only available on iPads. If your work involves Instagram, the app still feels stretched out and needs optimisation for the large display. Otherwise, Google and Microsoft apps run just fine. Some of my work-related apps, such as Slack, didn’t work efficiently on the tablet due to a lack of optimisation.

The good thing is that the OnePlus Pad 2 interface remains highly user-friendly, thanks to minimal third-party apps. The ones you get can be easily removed. OnePlus has assured three years of major OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which could’ve been better as Samsung offers an additional year of upgrades for both. It may change going forward, as we saw on Nord 4 (review).

OnePlus has also implemented some AI features, but some of them, such as AI Summary for new articles, seem unavailable. The AI summary in the Recording app works well, but its usefulness is limited since you might not need it often.

The Pad 2 offers an Apple-like ecosystem with its own devices. For instance, if you own the latest OnePlus device with NFC support, the tablet allows screen sharing and relay phone notifications. It works via OPSynergy, but the catch is you will have to log in with the same OnePlus user ID on both devices. It can be versatile for presentations or just general productivity. However, OPSynergy doesn’t always auto-connect, and having to do it manually can be a bit frustrating. On the other hand, auto connect can drain the battery, so it’s really about what you prioritise.

Based on synthetic benchmarks, the scores are decent. OnePlus typically underclocks the processor’s performance for a stable experience, which seems to be the case here.

For perspective, the OnePlus 12, featuring the same mobile Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, achieved higher scores than the Pad 2 in the same benchmarks, including Geekbench and AnTuTu. We conducted these tests on the 256GB storage variant paired with 12GB RAM (Rs 42,999). The base variant with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is available for Rs 39,999. OnePlus could’ve also considered offering an LTE variant, which brands like Xiaomi have already started doing with the latest Redmi tablets. Cellular connectivity would also eliminate the hassle of connecting the tablet with a hotspot if you’re travelling.

OnePlus Smart Keyboard and Stylo 2

As mentioned, OnePlus has also introduced new accessories for the Pad 2. More than the stylus, I recommend getting the Smart Keyboard, which also works over as Bluetooth. This means you can easily detach the keyboard and use it on your lap or a table. The back cover also features a kickstand, allowing you to adjust the tablet to various viewing angles.

Other cool features of the Smart Keyboard include NFC support and shortcuts to control the tablet like a laptop. The NFC support lets OnePlus smartphone users screen-share content on the tablet, and it also offers a fantastic animation to denote pairing mode (inspired by the AirDrop on iPhones). There’s a wide trackpad for an improved browsing experience. The keys offer stiff feedback, which in my case, is good enough to take notes or write emails. In case you’re wondering, you can’t play games with the keyboard (yet).

The OnePlus Stylo 2 is a handy accessory, especially for students who want to take notes or journal. It features a nice leather-like finish, and the size and weight feel ergonomic. However, its functionality is somewhat limited when used with third-party apps, making it less ideal for creators. In the native OnePlus Notes app, the stylus offers a paper-like writing experience, enhanced by built-in haptics. You can easily switch between tools like the pen or eraser with touch support, but this feature is only available within the Notes app.

Do note these are optional accessories. The Stylo 2 and Smart Keyboard are available for Rs 5,499 and Rs 8,499, respectively. The regular folio without the keyboard (Folio Case 2) costs Rs 1,499.

Cameras and battery

While tablets are not necessarily known for their camera performance, it is good to see that the OnePlus Pad 2 incorporates decent camera hardware for video calls or just group photos. The 8MP front camera rests in the landscape orientation and is capable of taking punchy images with decent lighting. However, in low-light environments, photos may appear shaky or with a lot of noise, or both.

The same applies to the 13MP rear camera. In well-lit environments, the photos look good, though there could be inconsistencies with details. In dim conditions, the images incorporate a lot of noise. There’s also a selfie mode, which is essentially a portrait mode for the front camera. It’s good to see that OnePlus has been thoughtful to add an LED flash on the back, which is highly useful for scanning notes.

Otherwise, the battery size on the Pad 2 remains unchanged from last year. Fortunately, the 9,510mAh battery still offers impressive backup, lasting for days with moderate use, as I experienced. For example, after using the tablet for two hours on a full charge, it still had around 79 percent battery left nearly 13 hours later. In our PCMark’s battery test, the OnePlus Pad 2 lasted for nearly 10 hours, which is a decent score for tablets as they incorporate a large display, which can drain the battery faster.

The charging speed is also fine, if not the best. As the OnePlus Pad 2 uses a dual-cell battery, it offers an impressive charging time of 48 minutes (20 to 100 percent) with the bundled 67W charger. In fact, the Nord CE4 Lite with a 5,500mAh battery and 100W charging takes 80-minute charging time to go from 20 to 100 percent because of a single large battery.

Verdict

The OnePlus Pad 2 is an easy recommendation for those seeking a powerful entertainment and gaming tablet. Its performance was fine for productivity and content creation, and the niggles that cropped up were more of Android limitations than hardware. Having said that, the regular Apple iPad or iPad Air is a great choice for serious content creation due to the availability of creator-favourite apps (such as Procreate and DaVinci Resolve) on iPadOS. The Apple Pencil also offers better-optimised haptics for third-party apps.

However, the OnePlus Pad 2 is more than sufficient for light office or school work. Pairing it with the Smart Keyboard enhances the overall user experience. Even without the optional accessories, the Pad 2 remains a reliable companion.

Editor’s rating: 8 / 10

Pros

• Stunning 12.1-inch display
• Good speaker system
• Snappy performance
• Premium build

Cons

• Bulky
• No LTE variant

(Tests assisted by Aditya Pandey)