Apple’s iPads have been dominating the tablet space for a decade and a half. At first, the domination was justified, as Android tablets in the 2010s were not very good, lacking capable silicon or the software polish. This has been changing in the last few years, as Android tablets have become very, very good, with flagship quality hardware that can rival the iPad and software that’s finally maturing and evolving.
OnePlus’ latest tablet, the Pad 2, has a very strong claim to be the best Android tablet right now, with a long list of industry-leading flagship specs. The aluminum tablet is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the only tablet using this latest silicon right now. It’s got a 12.1-inch screen with refresh rate that gets up to 144Hz — although the panel is LCD and not OLED, so the contrast levels aren’t quite as strong.
The tablet is also very slim at 6.5mm and weighs 1.4lbs. There are six speakers, and a large 9,510 mAh battery that can be charged at 67W speed (charger not included unfortunately). It runs on the latest Android 14 with OnePlus’ OxygenOS on top, and this version plays very nice with OnePlus and Oppo phones, able to connect via NFC, after which the tablet can mirror the phone screen or move files via drag and drop.
With a flagship tablet, you’re going to want to use it for more than just handheld activities, so of course there’s a keyboard case and stylus. The stylus is okay, with responsive reaction times but lacking in pressure sensitivity.
But the keyboard? It’s the best keyboard in a tablet. It’s got a large trackpad that has a haptic feedback. The keys are evenly space with solid travel. And the keyboard can remain connected to the tablet even when detached, which means I can prop up the tablet on a higher surface and still be able to type. This is feature I find important, as someone who is increasingly trying to have better posture during work.
The OnePlus Pad 2, even with the keyboard case, is still very lightweight, tipping the scales at about 2.4lbs. As someone who likes to take a portable computing device and work outside at coffee shops, the OnePlus Pad 2’s weight and dimensions are easier to lug around in a bag than most laptops or iPads.
This is not a full review, as I’ve only had about a day with the tablet and thus could not thoroughly test battery life, stylus, or camera quality, but this is shaping up to be the best iPad alternative of 2024, since Samsung won’t be releasing a tablet this year. Even if Samsung were to release one, it’s very unlikely Samsung would offer a better value proposition than OnePlus.
Right now until July 30, OnePlus is selling the tablet with keyboard and stylus for a total of $485. After July 30, the price apparently jumps up quite a lot, with the tablet itself retailing for $550 alone. This tablet will also see a release throughout Southeast Asia, though pricing for those regions are unclear for now.
Read the full article here
