OnePlus Pad 3 Review: Power, Battery & Multitasking Without the iPad Price

Photo credit : OnePlus

OnePlus made waves in the tablet world with the original Pad, and the Pad 3 aims to build on that momentum. Positioned as a performance powerhouse, it's one of the first Android slates to enter head-to-head competition with Apple’s iPad Pro and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra. Starting at $699, and reaching $900 with accessories, it's ambitious—but does it deliver on the promise of being “big on performance”? Let’s dive in.

Design & Display: Bigger, Brighter, Bolder

Size & aesthetics: Sporting a 13.2″ display and weighing about 675 g, it's larger than the Pad 2 but still sleek at only 5.97 mm thick

Screen quality: The LCD panel delivers a crisp 3.4 K resolution at 3392×2400 with a buttery 144 Hz refresh rate. Color quality benefits from 12-bit depth and Dolby Vision support. Peak brightness hits ~900 nits, making outdoor use surprisingly readable

Audio: A robust eight‑speaker setup produces rich, balanced sound—great for streaming, gaming, or video calls .

Verdict: The Pad 3 is built for immersive multimedia with an iPad‑like feel, albeit in LCD rather than OLED. Viewing angles are strong, though blacks lack the depth of OLED rivals .

Performance & Power

Snapdragon 8 Elite chip: Flagship-tier processor powering top Android phones, paired with 12 GB or 16 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256/512 GB UFS 4.0 storage 

Benchmarks: Crushes competition with ~3070 Geekbench single-core, ~8890 multi-core; 3DMark scores rivaling iPad Pro in 3DMark Extreme 

Thermals and real-world use: Effective cooling keeps performance stable during sustained play sessions . Graphics remain smooth even after extended gaming

Verdict: Power-hungry users, creative professionals, or gamers will find the Pad 3 more than capable—arguably the best-performing Android tablet to date.

Battery Life & Charging

Battery capacity: Massive 12,140 mAh cell—the biggest OnePlus has ever packed

Endurance: Tom’s Guide clocked a marathon 16 h 21 min in video playback  OnePlus's tests suggest standby life stretches to 70 days

Charging speed: 80 W SuperVOOC charger included—full recharge in ~90 minutes, beating iPad Pro and Galaxy Tab Ultra rivals 

Verdict: Exceptional longevity and fast-charging make it a perfect travel or productivity companion.

Software & Productivity Tools

OxygenOS 15 (Android 15): Delivers polish and stability, with three promised Android updates + six years of security support 

Open Canvas multitasking: Enables up to three concurrent app windows—resizable and draggable—for productivity that rivals desktop setups

AI features & cross‑device help: Side swipe toolbar for AI Writer, Summarize, Gemini search; plus O+ Connect enables file sharing, remote Mac control, and Apple device integration 

Verdict: Easily among the most advanced multitasking experiences on Android. Small app inconsistencies aside, this feels like a laptop-like experience for many tasks.

Accessories & Ecosystem

Smart Keyboard ($199): Attaches via pogo pins or Bluetooth, decent travel, integrated trackpad, and NFC for OnePlus Phone quick transfer 

Style 2 stylus ($100): Same as Pad 2—magnetic snap and auto-recharge.

Bundles: Launch promotions offer free keyboard and stylus with preorders until July 7 or later

Verdict: Accessories elevate the Pad 3 from a media device to a serious productivity tool. Battery-charging keyboard a handy feature, though some find its lap stability lacking .

Strengths, Weaknesses & How It Compares

 Pros

Flagship-level performance, beating top Android and rivaling iPad Pro 

Best-in-class multitasking via Open Canvas 

Excellent battery endurance and rapid charging

High refresh-rate display with vivid visuals and superb audio quality .

Long-term software support commitment 

Cons

Price leap: $700 base, ~$900 with accessories—no longer “mid-range

Missing: OLED screen, biometric fingerprint sensor, and cellular connectivity

Android app ecosystem isn’t fully optimized for large tablets

Alternatives like Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro may offer better brightness, cameras, Dolby Vision, at lower price (~€450) 

Real-World Use: Who Is It For?

Creative professionals: Solid for drawing, photo editing, video playback, with keyboard/stylus support.

Business users: Great for email, document editing, remote desktop, and multitasking—though full laptop replacement still stumbles when Android apps fall short.

Gamers and streamers: High refresh rate, strong GPU, and immersive speakers make it a joy for entertainment.

Travelers/consumers: Excellent battery life, quick recharge, and compact form make it commuter-ready.

 A Flagship That Challenges the iPad—With Caveats

The OnePlus Pad 3 delivers on its promise: it's big on performance, blending flagship-grade power, sophisticated multitasking, and long-lasting battery—all wrapped in a sleek package. It's not perfect—no OLED, no fingerprint, and comes at a premium price—but it’s arguably the most capable Android tablet ever released.

If you're seeking an iPad Pro alternative with a top-tier Android experience and can invest in keyboard/stylus accessories, the Pad 3 should be at the very top of your list. For those seeking OLED or an integrated budget (sub‑$500) option, other slates may be more fitting.

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TL;DR Table

Feature	Strengths	Limitations
Performance	Snapdragon 8 Elite, top-tier Geekbench & 3DMark scores	N/A
Display & Audio	13.2″ 144 Hz LCD, Dolby Vision, 8 speakers	LCD vs OLED, modest 600 nits standard brightness
Multitasking	Open Canvas with true target-like multitasking	Android app fragmentation
Battery	Huge 12,140 mAh, ~16 h video test, 80 W charging in ~90 min	N/A
Accessories	Keyboard (pogo + BT), stylus	Sold separately, full kit ~ $900
Value	Full flagship slate experience at ~70% Apple price	Not suited if OLED or biometric fingerprint is priority

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The OnePlus Pad 3 is not just another Android tablet—it’s a statement. By combining blistering performance, thoughtful software, and robust battery life, OnePlus is staking a serious claim as a top-tier tablet maker. Whether it's enough to unseat the iPad Pro in popularity remains to be seen, but for Android enthusiasts, it’s hard to imagine a more compelling package right now.