OnePlus Pad 2 Review: An Affordable 12.1″ Android Tablet That’s an Entertainment & Productivity Beast!

The OnePlus Pad 2 combines power, versatility, and entertainment into a sleek 12.1″ tablet perfect for work and play. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it easily handles multitasking, gaming, and streaming. The 3K display with Dolby Vision offers sharp visuals, while the six-speaker omnidirectional system delivers immersive audio. Paired with the optional OnePlus Stylo 2 and Smart Keyboard, it’s a portable workstation when you need it and a media hub when you don’t. Whether you’re a student, a professional, or someone who wants a powerful tablet for everyday tasks, the OnePlus Pad 2 is worth checking out.

Last year, I reviewed the original OnePlus Pad, priced at $479, and it impressed as a solid non-iOS option with a big screen and great multitasking chops. Fast forward to 2024, and the OnePlus Pad 2 arrives with a higher price tag at $549.99. While the bump in cost is noticeable, the upgrades in performance and features more than justify it. If you’re looking for a tablet that can seamlessly handle work, entertainment, and everything in between, the OnePlus Pad 2 is definitely worth your attention.

Let’s dig in.

The OnePlus Pad 2 retail box includes the tablet, a 67W SUPERVOOC wall charger, a Type-C cable, a quick start guide, safety information, and a warranty card. I should note that the Pad 2 review unit I received is an EU version, so it didn’t come with the wall charger that North American models will include.

OnePlus Pad 2 Specs at a Glance

A Walk Around the OnePlus Pad 2

The OnePlus Pad 2 measures 10.55″ long by 7.68″ wide by 0.26″ thick and weighs just under 1.5 pounds. The front is dominated by a 12.1″ 3K display with a 3000 x 2120 resolution and a 303 PPI pixel density. The display’s brightness will normally reach 600 nits, but it can reach up to 900 nits when in bright light or when you’re outside for better visibility.

The high resolution means you get crisp, detailed visuals, with text and images that look sharp and clear. The pixel density is high enough that individual pixels are virtually indistinguishable to the naked eye, which enhances overall image quality. This level of sharpness is great when watching high-definition content, gaming, and even productivity tasks like reading or editing documents. With such a large display, you get more screen real estate, so multitasking is easier and more enjoyable.

Using similar design language as the 11.6″ original OnePlus Pad, the Pad 2’s corners and sides are rounded, resulting in a device that feels good in hand without sharp edges.

At .25″, the black bezels surrounding the OnePlus Pad 2’s screen are slightly thinner than those on other popular tablets. I’ll admit that when I turned the Pad 2 on for the first time, I couldn’t help but thnk how cool it would be if the bezels were even thinner because the 12.1″ LCD 7:5 ReadFit display is fantastic to look at and use.

But I get it! This is a larger tablet, so you need non-responsive spaces to rest your fingers when holding it to prevent unintended interactions while reading, watching videos, or browsing.

OnePlus hasn’t officially said what type of glass protects the display, and unlike their smartphones, the Pad 2 won’t come with a factory-installed screen protector. Even so, after using the tablet extensively for over a month, the display has remained scratch-free. Keep in mind, though, that a display this large is a natural fingerprint and smudge magnet, so if you prefer a pristine display, you’ll want to keep a microfiber cloth handy!

However, sometimes I prefer using the Pad 2 without the Smart Keyboard attached, like when I’m reading, browsing, shopping, or playing games. I’ve bought an inexpensive tempered glass protector and an inexpensive folio case from Amazon to keep it safe from mishaps.

The OnePlus Pad 2’s 7:5 aspect ratio is subtly yet markedly different from the 16:9 aspect ratio of just about every other tablet. The squarer screen is ideal for reading, web browsing, and productivity tasks, as it gives you more vertical space and reduces scrolling.

This aspect ratio can also enhance multitasking because it makes split-screen use more comfortable, and it’s better suited for drawing or note-taking because it mimics paper dimensions. On top of that, photos, PDFs, and documents display more naturally while still offering a great experience when you’re watching widescreen video content.

The display’s dynamic refresh rate, which can adjust from 30Hz to 144Hz depending on the type of app you’re engaging with, ensures the smoothest experience possible while conserving battery life by balancing performance and efficiency.

In Settings, you have the option of choosing Auto Select, which will allow the Pad 2 to use this optimal rate; Standard, which uses a maximum rate of 60Hz for battery conservation; or High, which sets the refresh rate at all times to 144Hz for the smoothest experience but at the cost of battery life. I leave the refresh rate on Auto Select, which has worked well.

As on the original OnePlus Pad, the 8-megapixel front camera is placed on the right bezel when the tablet is in portrait mode. This may seem odd if you’re used to a tablet with a camera on the top vertical bezel, but there is a great reason for it! This placement puts the Pad 2’s camera in the perfect spot for video calling when it’s in landscape mode (horizontally). It is especially useful when the tablet is in the optional Smart Keyboard.

The front camera can record video in two resolutions: 720p and 1080p. Both record at 30 frames per second (fps), the standard frame rate for smooth video. 720p means 1280×720 pixels (HD), and 1080p is 1920×1080 pixels (Full HD), giving sharper and more detailed video.

The front camera allows for video filming in 0.8X or 1X, but there is no further zoom. Surprisingly, the Limelight feature camera tracking offered by the original OnePlus Pad isn’t present on the Pad 2, which means the front camera won’t follow you or keep you in the frame if you move around a bit while filming a video. This shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for anyone, but if you enjoyed it on the original Pad, you’ll likely find it odd that the option is gone.

The front camera also has Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) to reduce camera shake during video recording. It uses software to smooth out motion, making your videos look less shaky and more stable if you hold the tablet while filming.

In portrait mode, the OnePlus Pad 2’s right side has a volume rocker at the top, followed by a microphone and a magnetic dock that holds and wirelessly charges the optional Stylo 2 when it’s attached. These items will line the top when the tablet is in landscape mode.

In portrait mode, the top has a power button and four ports that contain two speakers and a subwoofer. When the tablet is in landscape mode, these items move to the left side.

In portrait mode, the Pad 2’s left side holds three pogo pins in the center, which becomes the bottom point for attaching the optional Smart Keyboard when the tablet is in landscape mode.

In portrait mode, the tablet’s bottom has two speakers and a subwoofer straddling the microphone and USB Type-C charging port, which shift to the right side when the tablet is in landscape mode.

The elegant and durable Nimbus Gray finish on the precision CNC cut, sandblasted, and anodized aluminum body offers a smooth, scratch-resistant surface; there’s no cheap, plasticky feel here!

It should be noted that the OnePlus Pad 2 has no official IP protection rating. While there may be some splash resistance, I’d still suggest caution if using this tablet by the pool or while soaking in the bathtub.

The OnePlus Pad 2’s Cameras

I’m not one to regularly use a tablet when taking photographs (that’s what my phone is for, ha!), but there might be times when you simply have to. The OnePlus Pad 2 has a 13-megapixel camera on the back; obviously, this isn’t the 50-megapixel camera you might be used to if you have a OnePlus 12 or the 48-megapixel camera on the OnePlus Open, but it’s good enough to get the job done when needed.

This rear camera can shoot video in 720p and 1080p at 30 frames per second. If you want to capture finer details, the 4K option shoots at 30 frames per second for crisp and vibrant videos. There’s also video zooming and EIS support, so your footage will be steady and smooth.

Here are some photos taken with the rear camera.

Processing Speed, Wireless Capabilities, and Battery Life

The OnePlus Pad 2 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 platform, which is coupled with 12GB RAM and up to 12GB RAM expansion for a total of 24GB RAM. With this combo, you’ll get smooth multitasking and a lag-free experience. The Pad 2 also comes with 256GB storage, so there’s plenty of room for your apps, documents, and photos.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset isn’t just fast; it’s intelligent, making multitasking seamless and gaming buttery smooth. The OnePlus Pad 2 manages multiple tasks quickly and with finesse; you can open apps without a hitch, and you can effortlessly jump between them.

The Pad 2 isn’t offered as a cellular model option, but it does include Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) capabilities, 802.11a/b/g/n, and Bluetooth BR/EDR/BLE with Bluetooth 5.4 support.

The OnePlus Pad 2 has a 9,510mAh battery that has proven to be better than expected. To be fair, I am on a smartphone more often throughout the day than on a tablet, but it is nice to know that if I use the Pad 2 for a couple of hours one day, I can pick it up again the next without having to deal with a half-empty battery. The standby time is up to 43 days, so you can leave it over the weekend and return to it days later without the tablet being dead.

When you need to power up again, the 67W SUPERVOOC charging capability gets you back to full in about an hour from an empty battery. That’s a faster charging speed than what any US tablet competitor offers, and it’s a definite plus.

Finally, the OnePlus Pad 2 offers three years of OS and four years of security updates.

The Stylo 2 and Smart Keyboard

If you plan to use the OnePlus Pad 2 for content creation or as an occasional laptop substitute, the optional Stylo 2 and Smart Keyboard will prove to be useful. They offer new ways to draw, compose text, take notes, and work.

The $99.99 OnePlus Stylo 2 is designed to make writing on the Pad 2’s display feel like writing on paper. It offers 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity and zero-millisecond delay tracking. Its leather-like shaft is comfortable to hold and easy to grip, whether you’re jotting down notes, sketching, or navigating the tablet.

Writing in the OnePlus Notes app with the Stylo 2 produces a sound similar to the scratches you’d get from using a pencil on paper, which was a nice surprise. You can turn that sound off, of course, if you find it annoying.

The flat area of the Stylo, closest to the stylus’s point, is a pressure-sensitive touchpad; you can double-tap it to switch between writing and erasing, switch between the current writing tool and the last one used, or show the color palette when you’re writing.

The Stylo 2 can help you manage presentations, notes, or brainstorming sessions. It makes navigating documents and slides easier by using the built-in touch control pad that lets you swipe through content like a pro.

If you’re in the middle of a meeting or class, you can simply connect or cast your OnePlus Pad 2 to a larger display, and with the Stylo 2, you can swipe, tap, and even turn it into a laser pointer by pressing and holding the touchpad. It’s a potentially useful presentation option.

The red ring on the display is the laser pointer.

If you need to annotate and highlight important details during discussions, the Stylo 2’s built-in drawing tools can help. With a double tap on the stylus’s touchpad, you can switch to the red annotation pen and highlight sections of a document or diagram.

I’ll admit that I have not yet perfected its use, and my results tend to be a bunch of jerky scribbles. ¯\_(“?)_/¯

The black pencil on the display indicates where the Stylo 2’s red annotation laser pen function will begin marking.

Finally, the Stylo 2 provides excellent haptic feedback, making it easy to tell when you switch modes.

In OnePlus’s Notes app, you can also use voice recognition to convert voice to text in real-time.

The $149.99 OnePlus Smart Keyboard connects to the OnePlus Pad 2 via magnetic pogo pins, and it includes a magnetic back cover with a built-in kickstand that has an adjustable tilt from 110° to 165°, so you can prop and angle the Pad 2 exactly as needed.

The two separate pieces that comprise the Smart Keyboard allow you to use it when detached while connected via Bluetooth, which provides a more ergonomic experience if you have room to spread out a bit.

The Smart Keyboard provides satisfying haptic feedback, and it has a 4.75″ long by 2.75″ tall touchpad that allows you to use gestures and shortcuts.

The OnePlus Smart Keyboard feels great when keying, and the larger touchpad adds great functionality. Perhaps my only quibble is that its magnetic back cover can come off the tablet too easily when adjusting the kickstand.

While you might not always want to keep the OnePlus Pad 2 in the keyboard case (the total package weighs 2.6 pounds), it is a great option if you plan to do a lot of writing on the go. The keyboard has a built-in NFC reader, which is handy if you use a OnePlus smartphone running OxygenOS 14.1 or later.

With the NFC touch interactions, you can place your OnePlus smartphone near the keyboard’s NFC logo to cast your phone’s screen to the tablet, or when an app is open on your phone, you can relay that app to the tablet for simultaneous use.

The Smart Keypad functions as a case when the Pad 2 is in it; lifting the keyboard side from the tablet turns on the display, and closing the cover turns it off.

If you buy both of these accessories, the retail price of the OnePlus Pad 2 jumps from $549.99 to $799.97, which isn’t an insignificant amount. But if they are peripherals that you can see yourself using regularly, they might be worth the splurge.

Entertainment on the OnePlus Pad 2

The OnePlus Pad 2 doesn’t disappoint in the entertainment department; it comes loaded with audio technology that creates an immersive listening experience that adjusts to suit whatever you’re doing.

First, Holo Audio places different sounds—whether music, incoming messages, or alarms—into a virtual 3D space. It’s a clever way to keep sounds organized and in their own areas so your music doesn’t get interrupted by your notification ping, for instance.

Then there’s the Omnibearing Sound Field that makes the OnePlus Pad 2’s sound system feel dynamic. It uses the six built-in speakers to sense how you’re holding the tablet—whether scrolling through Instagram or TikTok in portrait mode or watching a movie in landscape mode—and adjusts the sound accordingly.

The speakers offer excellent sound with a hint of bass for music, videos, and gaming. Speaking of gaming, when doing so, you’ll appreciate that the OnePlus Pad 2’s aluminum unibody acts as an oversized heatsink, keeping the tablet from getting hot during intense sessions.

No matter how you use the tablet, the sound always comes at you from the right direction for a more immersive experience.

Special Features

The OnePlus Pad 2 runs Android 14 with an OxygenOS 14.1 overlay, which has been optimized for tablet use.

Features like Open Canvas, which we first saw on the OnePlus Open, let you run up to three apps simultaneously in Split View mode, making multitasking a breeze. You do this by opening the first app, swiping down from the top of the display with two fingers, opening the second app from the Smart Sidebar, and then dragging over a third app; this is highly useful for multitasking!

The upcoming AI Toolbox will offer enhancements like AI Speak, which reads text aloud; Recording Summary, which condenses long recordings into key points; and AI Writer, which helps you generate content when your brain isn’t cooperating.

Unfortunately, these features are slated for an OTA update later this month, so I couldn’t try them for this review.

If you are typing directly on the OnePlus Pad 2’s screen, you can split the keyboard or move it to the side completely, making it easier to type in landscape and portrait modes.

The Pad 2 has a taskbar that appears at the bottom of the display. It shows your pinned and recently opened apps. You can adjust how it behaves in Settings.

If you ever find this taskbar in the way, you can press and hold it to make it disappear. Pressing and holding the bottom of the screen in any app will make the taskbar reappear.

These features help make using the OnePlus Pad 2 more productive; it’s not just a tablet but also a powerful tool for work and creativity.

Should You Buy the OnePlus Pad 2?

In a market crowded with options, the OnePlus Pad 2 manages to carve out its own niche by delivering a smooth and satisfying user experience. Whether you’re looking for a tablet to use for work, entertainment, or content creation, the OnePlus Pad 2 offers a compelling mix of power, design, and functionality, making it a strong contender against even the most established players.

While devices like the 12.4″ Samsung Galaxy Tab S9+, which starts at $999.99 and the 13″ iPad Pro, which starts at $1299, dominate the high-end tablet market, there are options in or around the same price range, like the 13″ iPad Air, which starts at $799 and the 12.4″ Samsung Galaxy Tab 9 FE, which starts at $599.99.

Compared to its US  competition, at $549.99, the OnePlus Pad 2 is a fresh take with standout features at an affordable cost.

The OnePlus Pad 2 retails for $549.99 (currently on sale for $499.99); it is available directly from the manufacturer and other retailers, including Amazon.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Like: 12.1″ high-resolution 3K display with vibrant colors and up to 900 nits of brightness; Dynamic refresh rate of up to 144Hz for smooth scrolling and gaming; Immersive audio with Holo Audio and Omnibearing Sound Field for a surround sound experience; Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 12GB RAM for fast multitasking; Excellent battery life with a 9,510mAh battery and 67W SUPERVOOC fast charging; Sleek, durable all-metal unibody design with a premium feel; Seamless integration with OnePlus phones for multitasking and connectivity; Optional Stylo 2 and Smart Keyboard for enhanced productivity and creativity; Three years of OS and four years of security updates; Competitively priced

What Needs Improvement: No official IP protection rating, so limited water or dust resistance; The Smart Keyboard’s magnetic back cover can come off the tablet too easily when adjusting the kickstand