I tested OnePlus Pad 3 for two months to see if tablet could replace my laptop
It came hot on the heels of last year's OnePlus Pad 2 which I said was 'ideal for streaming TV shows, watching movies, reading e-books and magazines and browsing websites'.
It was one of a number of tablets I reviewed in 2024 that hoped to challenge the dominance of Apple iPad in the market.
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Then along came the OnePlus Pad 3 and I ditched my Windows laptop for a couple of months to see if the Android tablet can replace the notebook for both work and play.
It's a large 13.2in tablet with a dazzling display, premium design and build, outstanding performance and superb battery life, all priced to compete alongside Apple's iPad Air in the mid-range market space. OnePlus Pad 3 in everyday use Split screen working is easy on the large OnePlus Pad 3 display (Image: Mark Kavanagh)
The OnePlus Pad 3 looks and feels the part of a premium tablet.
Measuring less than 6mm thin, the device has a metal unibody design to ensure it is super strong and bend resistant. It weighs just 675g so it's light enough to take everywhere with you. My review unit is a hue that the company calls Storm Blue.
The tablet's large, pin-sharp, 13.2in LCD display comes with 3.4k resolution, 12-bit colour depth, 900 nits of peak brightness and a pixel density of 315 PPI (pixels per inch). The refresh rate is a superfast 144Hz but there is no LTPO tech so it only goes down to 60Hz. The firm said it opted for an LCD panel to ensure it could include a high resolution and high refresh rate without adding too much cost pressure on the tablet's price point. The keyboard can be detached from the kickstand cover which is so handy (Image: Mark Kavanagh)
Even without OLED, the screen is one of the most compelling features of the tablet and is perfect for displaying everything from blockbuster movies to your latest work presentation. And its unique 7:5 aspect ratio means multitasking is an absolute breeze. The screen is TÜV Rheinland Eye Care certified, which means it is easier on your eyes over long periods.
Eight symmetrically placed speakers - four woofers and four tweeters - add to the immersive media consumption experience. And the Holo Audio feature adds spatial audio into the mix.
Under the hood is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, the most powerful mobile system-on-chip on the market, coupled with up to 16GB of RAM that should be all the power you need for high-end productivity or intensive gaming. The model I tested had 12GB of RAM but I never noticed any lag or stutter - it breezed through everything I threw at it. Portrait orientation is great for viewing magazines and newspapers on OnePlus Pad 3 (Image: Mark Kavanagh)
OnePlus Pad 3 runs OxygenOS 15 atop Android 15 out of the box. The slick and highly customisable software runs fast and fluidly. OnePlus multitasking features (Open Canvas, split screen and floating windows) meant I could run multiple apps simultaneously even with a couple of dozen tabs open on Chrome. On a working day I was able to carry out all of my usual laptop-run tasks without any issues. You also get Android 15 AI features such as Circle to Search and writing assistant tools.
I've been using the OnePlus Pad 3 with the firm's Smart Keyboard. It seamlessly connects to the tablet using the built-in pogo pins and no Bluetooth connection is needed. The accompanying stand can be adjusted to a range of angles, just like a laptop. The keyboard is detachable from the kickstand which is handy but it is not backlit. The typing experience is pleasing and each key offers a good amount of travel. There's a spacious and responsive trackpad too, although I generally prefer using a mouse with any laptop or tablet set-up. The keyboard includes a dedicated AI key that launches Gemini instantly.
The O+ Connect app enables you to wirelessly transfer files between your tablet and both Mac and iOS devices. You can also share files easily with Windows computers using the Phone Link app. And naturally, Pad 3 can file share, screen mirror and sync notifications seamlessly with OnePlus smartphones. App Relay means you can start an app on your phone and continue where you left off on your tablet. OnePlus Pad 3 other features The rear of OnePlus Pad 13 (Image: Mark Kavanagh)
The OnePlus Pad 3 is also compatible with the firm's Stylo 2 pen, which I asked an artist friend to test Stylo 2 for drawing and illustration on the tablet. She was pleased with its pressure sensitivity and haptic feedback and rated it almost as highly as Apple Pencil.
The tablet lives up to its billing as gamer-friendly. On titles such as Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile and Real Racing 3, gameplay was smooth and stable at 120 frames per second (fps). The impressive cooling system means the device never got too warm or hot.
There's a 13MP rear camera that I never use, while the 8MP front-facing camera is sensibly centred for video calls. It captures video at full HD resolution at 30fps and the quality is acceptable and superior to many laptops. And it can grab decent quality selfie still images. The OnePlus Pad 3 looks and feels premium and even with keyboard attached it is slim and light enough to carry anywhere (Image: Mark Kavanagh)
Battery life from the large 12,140mAh power pack is rated at up to 17 hours - almost double some rival tablets. It never failed to last more than a full busy working day. It supports 80W wired charging and you can recharge it fully in about 90 minutes.
There is not LTE or 5G connectivity but you get Bluetooth 5.4, Wifi 7 and the USB-C port is Gen 3.2 with data transfer speeds of 5Gbps. There is support for an array of audio codecs including aptX HD, LDAC and LHDC.
The main downside when compared to the iPad Air, for example, is the tablet app ecosystem on Google Play Store is nowhere near as vast as the one on Apple's App Store. But this is an issue that affects all Android tablets, even high-end Samsung devices that cost more than double the price of OnePlus Pad 3.
Also Apple offers more than double the number of OS upgrades that OnePlus is delivering. Pad 3 owners will only get updated to Android 18, with the move up to Android 16 coming later this year or early next year. OnePlus is promising six years of security patches, however. OnePlus Pad 3 verdict OnePlus Pad 3 is one of the most compelling tablets of 2025 (Image: Mark Kavanagh)
Overall, OnePlus Pad 3 is one of the best tablets you can buy in 2025. It combines a premium hardware and software experience at a competitive iPad Air price point. You get a fantastic display, amazing battery life and high-end performance. Pricing and availability
OnePlus Pad 3 is on sale at OnePlus.com for €599 (12GB/256GB) and €699 (16GB/512GB). The Stylo 2 accessory is €99, the Smart Keyboard is €169 but currently reduced to €84 and the folio case is €59. You can get Stylo 2 free if you buy the tablet on the OnePlus website.
You can also buy a range of OnePlus products on Amazon.
For comparison, Apple iPad Air prices start at €729 on Apple.com.
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