The OnePlus Pad is a story of what could have been if Android had been better optimized for trackpads over keyboard accessories. This may seem like a small, niche complaint, but it played a big role in my enjoyment (and frustration) of the tablet.
Using the OnePlus Pad can be difficult and buggy at times, but despite the imperfect implementation of the trackpad (which often leads to frustration and wanting to jump to my laptop to work), the tablet is surprisingly good for being Your media consumption device.
I’ve been using the OnePlus Pad on and off since its launch, and this is how it is after seven months of use.
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What I like about the OnePlus Pad
The OnePlus panel is great for media consumption. It has a large screen, smooth software, and loud and clear speakers. This is everything you need in a tablet dedicated to media consumption, be it in any form: audio, video or text.
OnePlus’ first tablet features an 11.61-inch LCD panel with a resolution of 2800 x 2000 pixels and a 144Hz refresh rate. I like the 7:5 aspect ratio on this more than the 16:10 aspect ratio found on the Google Pixel Tablet or Xiaomi Pad 6 for two reasons.
First, the fact that it’s a larger screen makes it wider and gives me more room to watch videos. The black bars in YouTube videos in full screen mode are similar to what you’ll get on the iPad Air (2022) with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Second, it’s longer when attached to a keyboard accessory, giving me more on-screen content in articles than on tablets equipped with a 16:10 display. But I prefer the latter for reading.
The screen supports Dolby Vision for improved HDR color accuracy and contrast, as well as Dolby Atmos for a virtual surround sound experience with two speakers on either side (when in landscape orientation on the keyboard). The colors are bright and the blacks are really good for an LCD panel. This, coupled with loud, clear speakers that don’t distort at maximum volume, makes watching movies an enjoyable experience.
I love reading on tablets, and as mentioned above, I would prefer a 16:10 aspect ratio display if I were to buy a tablet for reading purposes. This is because they are narrower when held vertically in the hand. But that doesn’t mean the OnePlus panel isn’t suitable for reading. It’s light enough to hold in one hand for a few minutes before wanting to hold it with both hands due to its size.
I felt like it was too roomy at first, but it grew on me as I used it over the months. I like the fact that I can choose between turning the screen yellow or paper-like black and white (my preference) when toggling Eye Comfort mode. The monotone screen provides a better reading experience for me. It’s a clean software experience with easy-to-interact toggles and good animations.
The OnePlus Pad is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Although OnePlus says you can run 24 live apps at once, I’ve never needed to have that many apps running at once. Performance was smooth in everyday use, which includes browsing, watching videos, and switching between work apps like Teams, Asana, and Slack. The app switching and multitasking speeds are decent enough for me to not want to go back to my laptop.
The OnePlus Stylo is a good accessory if you plan to take notes on a tablet. There is virtually no delay between the pen and the screen when writing on it. Plus, it has some extra features – like Microsoft Outlook hover, which highlights a specific pane for action and indicates that you’re hovering over it. But it is not supported by all applications. I’d like to add the feature to my Kindle and Chrome app for browsing.
The OnePlus magnetic keyboard is solid to type on, with no cheap flex on the palm rest. The keys have good tactile feedback and the trackpad works smoothly. And it doesn’t take false inputs from the bottom of the trackpad area, which is an issue with some keyboard cases, including the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED laptop.
If I watch two movies and work out for two hours every day, the OnePlus Pad lasts me at least two days. It has good backup battery life as well, so it won’t drain easily when it’s idle. Additionally, the 9,510 mAh battery can be quickly charged from 0 to 86% in 80 minutes using the included 67W SUPERVOOC power adapter.
The only thing that drives me crazy
The 7:5 aspect ratio and camera positions on the back and front mean that the OnePlus panel is designed for use in landscape orientation. OnePlus wants you to work on this device, and write on it. But the software’s integration with the trackpad makes it nearly impossible to read a single entire article in Google Sheets without feeling the need to return to my laptop multiple times. There are several issues I encountered that wouldn’t exist if the OnePlus magnetic keyboard didn’t have a trackpad.
First, selecting text while searching on Chrome is essential to my workflow. There are multiple ways to select text – you can long press on the word and start swiping your finger or double tap/tap on the word and use your Android cursors to select sentences. The latter option is not intuitive, and the former doesn’t work on the first try most of the time.
Second, when writing in Google Docs, if I’m writing a sentence at the bottom of the page and the cursor is anywhere at the top between paragraphs, the words jump to the top (in the middle of a random word) instead of where I wanted to type them – because I happened to Touch the trackpad slightly.
Both of these problems wouldn’t exist if the trackpad wasn’t there, like on the Galaxy Tab S7 or the Xiaomi Pad 6’s keyboard accessories. This will force me to use the touchscreen more, which isn’t ideal either, but at least it won’t provide a frustrating typing experience . I would rather use a keyboard case that doesn’t have a trackpad than a trackpad with this sensitivity. I love typing on the OnePlus Pad because of the excellent keyboard, but the trackpad is annoying, especially if you have large hands.
There’s more coming to the OnePlus Pad in 2024
Ever since I first used the Open Canvas multitasking feature on the OnePlus Open, I’ve wanted it to be on my OnePlus Pad. There are many like me! In response to someone asking OnePlus about this in an Ask Me Anything with OnePlus session on Reddit, a company official said that it is working on bringing the feature to the OnePlus Pad. But there’s no timetable yet for when it will arrive.
The OnePlus Pad is a great device for media consumption. It has one of the loudest speakers in this segment. You will enjoy watching movies, listening to music and reading. But don’t buy it as a 2-in-1. Get it for the tablet experience and not as a small laptop. If you go in with the right expectations, you’ll have a great time.
Editors’ recommendations
The OnePlus Pad has been making waves in the Android tablet market, offering a sleek design, impressive performance, and a range of features that make it a strong contender in the space. However, despite its many strengths, there is one surprising flaw that has left some users disappointed. In this article, we will take a closer look at the OnePlus Pad, exploring its standout features as well as addressing the issue that has raised concerns among consumers.