OnePlus Pad 2 review – On par with the iPad Air, but at half the price.
Well-rounded.
Plenty of power, storage and screen real estate: The OnePlus Pad 2 has lots to offer. The China-based OnePlus strives to compete with major players in the tablet business whilst considerably undercutting them in price. In this review, we’ll explore whether this formula for success holds up this time around.Florian Schmitt, 👁 Florian Schmitt (translated by Zhiwei Zhuang) Published 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 ...
Comparison with possible competitors
Bewertung | Datum | Modell | Gewicht | Laufwerk | Groesse | Aufloesung | Preis ab | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.1 % | v8 | 10 / 2024 | OnePlus Pad 2 SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750 | 584 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 12.10" | 3000x2120 | |
| 85.2 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 09 / 2023 | Lenovo Tab P12 Dimensity 7050, Mali-G68 MP4 | 615 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 12.70" | 2944x1840 | |
| 88.8 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 08 / 2023 | Xiaomi Pad 6 SD 870, Adreno 650 | 490 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 11.00" | 2880x1800 | |
| 87 % v7 (old) | v7 (old) | 11 / 2023 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus Exynos 1380, Mali-G68 MP5 | 627 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 12.40" | 2560x1600 | |
| 85.7 % | v8 | 06 / 2024 | Apple iPad Air 13 2024 M2, M2 10-Core GPU | 617 g | 128 GB NVMe | 13.00" | 2732x2048 |
Note: We have recently updated our rating system and the results of version 8 are not comparable with the results of version 7. More information is available here.
Case and specifications – Large tablet with unibody chassis
The OnePlus Pad 2 is worth a closer look if you prefer slightly larger tablets that offer plenty of screen real estate without having an overly thick bezel and a bulky body. At the time of review, the device, which boasts a 12.1-inch display in a unibody metal chassis, is available online for less than €500 (US$545). Despite its size, the OnePlus Pad 2 exhibits hardly any flex when twisted and is also quite resistant to pressure.
The back of the tablet is milled from a single block of aluminium. The antennas are imprinted, eliminating the need for a plastic insert to improve reception. Thanks to a slightly roughened surface, the tablet sits comfortably in the hand and feels highly premium. Even though rounded edges may have fallen slightly out of favour in modern mobile device design, they enhance the OnePlus Pad 2’s ergonomics, ensuring there are no sharp corners to dig into the user’s palm.
However, the tablet doesn’t offer any IP certification, meaning you should exercise caution when using it in dusty or wet environments.
Featuring 256 GB of storage and 12 GB of RAM, the OnePlus Pad 2 truly offers a substantial amount of space for data. In our comparison, similarly priced tablets come with only 128 GB of storage. Furthermore, for the iPad Air 13 (2024), you currently need to fork out an extra €130 (US$100) on top of the already high price to get 256 GB of storage.
Unfortunately, the tablet lacks an NFC module and a 5G option. As a result, you’ll need either a 5G router or a mobile phone with a Wi-Fi hotspot feature to use mobile Internet on the OnePlus tablet.
One common way of reducing cost on mid-range devices is to include a slow USB-C port connected internally with just USB 2.0. However, OnePlus has avoided this cliché by installing a snappy USB 3.2 Gen 1 port capable of a peak data transfer rate of 5Gbit/s. The tablet can also connect to an external monitor via the USB port.
Connectivity and software – Blazingly fast Wi-Fi and four years of updates
Another highlight of the OnePlus Pad 2 is its support for Wi-Fi 7 – the latest wireless standard. That said, to fully utilise the speed offered by the standard, you’ll need a 10-Gigabit network environment, which is currently still rather expensive. Wi-Fi 7 routers are already available, but we currently didn't have any on hand for our testing.
On OnePlus’ support forums, users have reported that the tablet occasionally has trouble finding high-speed networks in the seldom-used 6GHz band when in Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 mode. We managed to establish a connection by enabling the 6GHz guest network on our router, a workaround we learnt from the forums.
The connection is very fast even with the slightly older Wi-Fi 6E standard offered by our Asus ROG Rapture AXE11000 router, with receive and transmit rates averaging around 1,652 Mbit/s and 900 Mbit/s, respectively. This is more than fast enough for a Gigabit Internet connection, and such speeds are more relevant for internal networks.
We are also very satisfied with the Wi-Fi reception: websites loaded very quickly even when the device was about 10 metres (32 feet) away from the router with three walls in between, and it sometimes even showed full signal strength. Despite lacking a location module, the OnePlus Pad 2 can identify its location fairly accurately using Wi-Fi networks known to Android, provided the user doesn’t move too quickly.
Whilst it is based on Android 14, OxygenOS features a unique and rather clear design and also provides a few extra features on the tablet, such as easier multitasking. At the time of testing, the security patches were dated September 2024, meaning they were still quite up to date. For the tablet, the company promises four years of security updates and OS upgrades up to Android 17. This is acceptable, but more could be done for such a powerful device.
| Networking | |
| OnePlus Pad 2 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Lenovo Tab P12 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Xiaomi Pad 6 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Apple iPad Air 13 2024 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Sustainability, operation and accessories – stylus support with many pressure levels
OnePlus’ sustainability efforts are unfortunately not very credible, as the company hasn’t published a new sustainability report since 2020 and the tablet is still shipped in a plastic film. However, at least the inks used on the packaging are plant oil-based.
Overall, OnePlus follows all relevant international standards, but makes hardly any noticeable efforts beyond that. For instance, the company doesn’t provide carbon footprint analyses or repair instructions for their products. Nonetheless, you can still find a fairly well-hidden official spare parts supplier online.
The highly responsive touchscreen enables you to use the device reliably, without any delay, thanks to the powerful processor and abundant memory. It is also great to have the option of using a stylus. Available directly from the manufacturer for about €100 (US$100), the compatible OnePlus Stylo 2 supports 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity and can also be used for navigating presentations. Additionally, the OnePlus Pad 2 features a magnetic holder for securely storing and charging the stylus.
The OnePlus Folio Case lets the user prop up the tablet securely to watch films, for example. It costs around €50 (US$55), whilst the official keyboard cover will set you back about €150 (US$164). Unfortunately, the cover is only available with the US keyboard layout right now.
Face recognition is the only biometric unlocking option on the tablet. It works reliably via the front camera using a 2D method.
Cameras – 4K video recording capability
Tablets typically aren't amongst the best options for photography. This is especially true for large devices because people are even less inclined to lug them to interesting scenes. The OnePlus Pad 2’s 13MP rear camera is designed more for scanning documents, capturing a moment conveniently, or scanning QR codes rather than high-quality photography.
Nonetheless, we took a few test shots. Although the scene with the plants is quite well brightened, details appear very fuzzy. Similarly, the image of our surroundings is serviceable but has blurry details. In low-light, high-contrast situations, very bright and dark areas become indistinguishable. Image sharpness is mediocre at best., and the camera struggles to capture anything in 1 lux of light.
The camera can record 4K videos at up to 30 fps. Autofocus works reasonably well, and exposure adjustment is quite fast. However, sharpness still leaves something to be desired in video mode as well.
Overall, the 8MP front shooter is somewhat lacking in detail and struggles in dark areas. But the quality is sufficient for a quick selfie.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main camera: plantsMain camera: surroundingsMain camera: low light
Display – Great colour reproduction and no PWM
The OnePlus Pad 2’s IPS display has a resolution of 3,000 x 2,120, translating to a less conventional 9:7 aspect ratio, which the company claims is great for viewing documents. However, you’ll get very thick black bars at the top and bottom when viewing a typical 16:9 video.
In terms of screen brightness, outperforming the OnePlus Pad 2 is not an easy task. The display can reach 550 cd/m² under normal circumstances, but exposing the ambient light sensor to a light source can raise the peak brightness to over 833 cd/m². This high brightness level is available for HDR content and enhances contrast.
Although the OnePlus Pad 2’s IPS panel can’t achieve absolute black like an OLED display, HDR videos still look extremely crisp on it. The high peak brightness also enables the tablet to be used outdoors even on a brighter day.
The Pro colour mode provided the best colour accuracy in our measurements performed using a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software. In this mode, we couldn’t perceive any difference between the reference and the colours on screen with our naked eye; the measured colour differences were also very low, with the highest value being just 4.07.
We didn’t detect any PWM flicker.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 833 cd/m²
Contrast: 1851:1 (Black: 0.45 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.79 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 3 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
98.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.254
| OnePlus Pad 2 IPS, 3000x2120, 12.1" | Lenovo Tab P12 LTPS, 2944x1840, 12.7" | Xiaomi Pad 6 IPS LCD, 2880x1800, 11" | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus TFT LCD, HDR10, HGL, 2560x1600, 12.4" | Apple iPad Air 13 2024 Liquid Retina Display, IPS, 2732x2048, 13" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | 6% | 17% | 9% | -47% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 34.9 ? | 38.25 ? -10% | 35.16 ? -1% | 35.94 ? -3% | 54.3 ? -56% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 25.6 ? | 19.89 ? 22% | 16.81 ? 34% | 20.43 ? 20% | 35.21 ? -38% |
| PWM Frequency | 280300 | 181600 | 61100 ? | ||
| Screen | -15% | -1% | -15% | -7% | |
| Brightness middle | 833 | 435 -48% | 541 -35% | 789 -5% | 631 -24% |
| Brightness | 771 | 407 -47% | 494 -36% | 762 -1% | 589 -24% |
| Brightness Distribution | 84 | 89 6% | 89 6% | 92 10% | 88 5% |
| Black Level * | 0.45 | 0.58 -29% | 0.65 -44% | 0.72 -60% | 0.62 -38% |
| Contrast | 1851 | 750 -59% | 832 -55% | 1096 -41% | 1018 -45% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.79 | 1.5 16% | 0.9 50% | 2.3 -28% | 1.5 16% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.01 | 3.2 20% | 1.8 55% | 4.2 -5% | 3 25% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3 | 2.4 20% | 1.4 53% | 2.8 7% | 2.2 27% |
| Gamma | 2.254 98% | 2.2 100% | 2.26 97% | 2.31 95% | 2.24 98% |
| CCT | 6419 101% | 6546 99% | 6710 97% | 6722 97% | 6918 94% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -5% /
-11% | 8% /
3% | -3% /
-11% | -27% /
-15% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 25.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 11.1 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 14.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 58 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 34.9 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18.2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 16.7 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Performance, emissions and battery life – High-end performance coupled with six speakers
With the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the OnePlus Pad 2 boasts one of the fastest mobile SoCs right now, whilst maintaining a mid-range price tag. Besides its single-core performance in Geekbench, the processor’s power is evident across various tasks. Although the SoC can’t quite match the Apple M2 in the much pricier iPad Air 2024, it offers enough performance to handle all current apps.
In terms of graphical power, the tablet leaves similarly priced competitors in the dust, providing enough performance to run all modern games and graphically demanding apps. Also snappy is the UFS 3.1 flash storage used by OnePlus. The fast SoC and capable storage controller allow the storage to make effective use of its speed, ensuring quick copy processes and short load times.
Another positive aspect is that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 doesn’t suffer from thermal issues within the OnePlus Pad 2’s large chassis. During our testing, the peak surface temperature was a moderate 41.9°C (107.4°C) after the tablet had been under a prolonged load. That said, we did notice slight throttling under sustained load during the 3DMark stress tests.
The OnePlus Pad 2 features six speakers with a maximum loudness of 87.8 dB(A). The speakers deliver a rather powerful and warm sound for such a slim tablet. We could quite easily tell individual instruments apart when listening to classical pieces, though minor distortions were audible at full volume.
You can connect external speakers or headphones to the tablet via USB-C or Bluetooth. Only the most essential codecs are supported, so those who prefer more exotic Bluetooth codecs may need to adjust their expectations. Specifically, the following codecs are available: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC, aptX Adaptive and aptX TWS+.
The battery has a fairly substantial capacity of 9,510 mAh, allowing the OnePlus Pad 2 to achieve impressive battery life: it lasted 14h 26min in our Wi-Fi test, which is certainly enough for you to spend an entire rainy day on a sofa.
The tablet can charge at up to 68 watts over a wired connection. No charger is included in the box, but you can buy one from the manufacturer for around €40 (US$44). The Pad 2 worked well with all the chargers we tested, with the fastest charging time we achieved being about an hour for a full cycle.
| Geekbench AI | |
| Single Precision TensorFlow NNAPI | |
| Average of class Tablet (243 - 1243, n=8, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (243 - 489, n=7) | |
| OnePlus Pad 2 | |
| Half Precision TensorFlow NNAPI | |
| Average of class Tablet (227 - 5204, n=8, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (227 - 498, n=7) | |
| OnePlus Pad 2 | |
| Quantized TensorFlow NNAPI | |
| Average of class Tablet (508 - 4998, n=8, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (508 - 1128, n=7) | |
| OnePlus Pad 2 | |
| OnePlus Pad 2 | Lenovo Tab P12 | Xiaomi Pad 6 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Tablet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -35% | -15% | -61% | -8% | -43% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 2003.1 | 956.07 -52% | 1673.97 -16% | 537.33 -73% | 1749 ? -13% | 1055 ? -47% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 1732.7 | 776.24 -55% | 745.32 -57% | 245.73 -86% | 1163 ? -33% | 692 ? -60% |
| Random Read 4KB | 236.5 | 241.23 2% | 298.45 26% | 228.19 -4% | 286 ? 21% | 191 ? -19% |
| Random Write 4KB | 348.6 | 234.58 -33% | 304.34 -13% | 68.58 -80% | 319 ? -8% | 191.4 ? -45% |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 41.9 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
3DMark Stress Test
OnePlus Pad 2 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (12.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple iPad Air 13 2024 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 6.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 3% similar, 91% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
| Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus | |
| OnePlus Pad 2 | |
| Xiaomi Pad 6 | |
| Average of class Tablet (319 - 1764, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| Apple iPad Air 13 2024 | |
| Lenovo Tab P12 | |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – A true flagship killer at an affordable price
If iPadOS isn't an absolute must for you, the OnePlus Pad 2 is a superb alternative to much more expensive Apple tablets. Similarly, other Android offerings pale in comparison with the Pad 2, which is snappier, better spec’d and, most importantly, affordable.
OnePlus has packed plenty of storage, outstanding battery life, a blazingly fast processor, impressive graphics performance and stylus support into a reasonably lightweight and sturdy metal chassis. The OnePlus Pad 2 may look somewhat dated because a more angular design has come into vogue again with many manufacturers. Nevertheless, this ultimately boils down to a matter of taste; the rounded chassis design isn’t very noticeable anyway when the tablet is in the folio case.
We only have minor gripes with the product: OnePlus promises to provide four years of updates for the Pad 2, which is fine but could be much better considering the tablet’s performance. Not everyone is going to like the display’s rounded corners, as they may sometimes obscure part of the screen content in unoptimised apps.
On the flip side, the speakers sound fantastic, and the chassis doesn’t get too warm. Additionally, not even the iPad Air 13 (2024), which costs at least twice as much, can offer the same level of wireless performance coupled with Wi-Fi 7 support.
The OnePlus Pad 2 is a truly stunning value proposition that doesn’t have to shy away from significantly more expensive tablets.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 is a more affordable and wieldier alternative, whilst the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus is a great option for those looking for a large tablet with 5G functionality.
Price and availability
Hinweis: Wir haben unser Rating-System aktualisiert und die Ergebnisse von Version 8 sind nicht vergleichbar mit den Ergebnissen von Version 7. Weitere Informationen dazu sind hier verfügbar.
OnePlus Pad 2
- 10/15/2024 v8
Florian Schmitt
Total Sustainability Score: Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was freely purchased by the author at his/her own expense. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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