OnePlus Pad review: a new cheaper Android iPad challenger

It has an 11.6in LCD screen, metal body and slim form, ticking all the right boxes for a premium tablet. The screen is bright and crisp, with a high refresh rate for smooth scrolling, competing well with high-end rivals. The screen size and width works well for video without needing giant black bars at the top and bottom of the screen, while also handling two apps side by side on the display with aplomb.

The tablet has four speakers that can create stereo sound regardless of the orientation you hold it, and which do a great job for movies and music.

The front-facing camera is otherwise pretty good for video calls and can automatically pan and scan to keep you centred in some apps such as Google Meet.

The OnePlus has a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip, which is short on power compared with the top Qualcomm and Apple chips but keeps the tablet feeling snappy in operation. It handled all the tasks I asked of it, such as browsing and using more than one app at a time. It also managed graphically intensive games such as Genshin Impact and Call of Duty on medium settings without much hassle, remaining cool while playing.

The tablet has various tools to link it to a phone, such as sharing a 5G connection or copying and pasting, but they only work with a modern top OnePlus phone, not just any Android or iPhone.

The OnePlus Pad costs £449 (¤499/$479) and will ship on 18 May.

For comparison, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus costs £190, the Apple iPad costs £499 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 costs £749.

The OnePlus Pad is a surprisingly good Android tablet, offering premium features at a mid-range price.

And that is the crux of the problem. The iPad is still a better tablet because of the software and apps. Meanwhile, the Pad is overshadowed by the incoming Google Pixel Tablet, which is due for release very soon and may kick off an Android tablet renaissance in a way only the software maker can.

The tablet will only receive four years of software support, which is too short and therefore loses a star.