The OnePlus Pad 2 boasts a high-end aluminum enclosure that exudes premium quality. Measuring just 6.49mm thin and weighing over a pound, it's impressively portable. The speaker grilles on both sides deliver stereo audio, while the prominent camera bump on the back houses a 13MP camera, ideal for scanning documents or QR codes. It truly feels like a device worth twice its price.
OnePlus has crafted a beautiful device that not only looks great but also feels sturdy in the hand. The attention to detail is evident, making it a standout in the tablet market.
The 11.61-inch diagonal display with a 2800×2000 resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate offers excellent visual quality. OnePlus has done a great job in calibrating the colors to appear accurate and saturated, making movies and games come to life. While Apple may still offer the best LCDs on tablets, the OnePlus Pad 2 is a close second.
When it comes to audio, the added extra speakers compared to the previous version provide full, loud, and bass-rich sound. It's a great feature for those who enjoy watching videos or listening to music on the go.
Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and paired with 12GB of RAM, the OnePlus Pad 2 delivers blazing-fast speeds and smooth animations. It's capable of handling even the most demanding games without any hiccups, ensuring a seamless user experience. Additionally, the huge 9,510mAh battery provides long battery life, lasting multiple days with light usage or about a day and a half with mixed to heavy usage.
Fast charging is also included, with a 67W SuperVOOC charger that can juice the tablet back up from zero to 100 percent in around an hour and a half. This is a convenient feature for those on the go.
Through OxygenOS on top of Android 14, the Pad 2 supports Open Canvas, allowing users to multitask like a champ. You can run three apps simultaneously in a shifting tile-like layout, pull up more apps through the dock or floating app drawer, and drag and drop files between apps. This is the most useful multitasking system on an Android tablet.
OnePlus also includes special settings for optimizing apps that may not have tablet layouts by default. While not all apps work well with these shoehorned layouts, it's a handy feature for simple apps like calendars or to-do lists.
OnePlus sent along the $119 Smart Keyboard and $32 Folio Case 2 to enhance the multitasking experience. The keyboard offers good travel and is responsive, while the case provides extra protection. The $79 OnePlus Stylo 2 is also included and is of good quality.
However, despite Google's efforts to improve the Android tablet experience, many apps still lag behind their iPadOS counterparts. Some apps are well-optimized, while others are still in need of improvement.
If you're looking for a multimedia device with powerful performance, a great screen, long battery life, and excellent speakers, and you don't mind running Android, the OnePlus Pad 2 is an excellent choice. It offers a lot of value for its price.
On the other hand, if you need a tablet that can truly turn into a laptop, you may want to consider more premium options like the iPad Pro and Surface Pro. But at $449 on sale, the OnePlus Pad 2 is still a fantastic tablet that delivers on various fronts.