Android tablets have a new champion in the OnePlus Pad 3

Over the years, many have tried to disrupt the iPad party with limited success. Colour me surprised when I started using the OnePlus Pad 3, which packed in a host of upgrades in pretty much every department compared to the previous gen OnePlus Pad 2 – after a couple of weeks of use, the Pad 3 makes a strong case for not only taking the Android tablet crown but posing a stiff challenge to the pricier iPad Pro. 

OnePlus Pad 3 comes in at 5.97mm and it's just under 700 grams

Taking inspiration from the iPad Pro, the OnePlus Pad 3 is rather slim, coming in at 5.97mm and just under 700 grams, which means that even with the Smart Keyboard attached, the all-metal unibody tablet feels lightweight both in the hand and in the bag. The tame color options (Frosted Silver and a gray-ish Storm Blue) are redeemed by the gorgeous colors on the 13.2-inch 3.2K LCD panel – the degree of vibrancy and detail discernible in photos and streaming videos makes the Pad 3 a joy to use. Likewise, when gaming on this tablet, although I’d strongly recommend using gaming controllers with a tablet this size. 

Form and function

Productivity applications on the Pad 3 in particular are worth the highlight – due to its squarish 7:5 aspect ratio, it allows multiple windows to be open at one time without feeling cramped. On the Pad 3, OnePlus has excellent Open Canvas software on Oxygen OS 15, which allows you to easily have up to three apps open at the same time, perfect for when you want to reference your notes when attending a zoom call and keeping an eye on your social media, all at the same time. Interestingly, if you move between a couple of apps frequently, Pad 3 will recommend putting them both in split-screen mode – a handy touch. 

Under the hood, there’s the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that has powered the bulk of premium flagships over the past year and when paired with 12GB/16GB of memory keeps things running along swimmingly. For me, the big win in this form factor is the massive 12,140mAh battery, which not only dwarfs the one found in the OnePlus Pad 2 but also charges at a blazing 80W. I’ve watched the entire extended editions of the Lord of the Rings (over 11 hours) and still had enough juice in the tank to run through a full workday of emails, browsing and spreadsheets. 

Rating: 9/10

Price: ₹47,999 (12/256GB) / ₹52,999(16/512GB)

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