The IPS display of this OnePlus tablet can compete with many OLEDs—but ultimately falls short

An IPS screen certainly has its advantages, especially for people with sensitivity issues, since OLED screens often use PWM to reduce brightness.

The OnePlus Pad 4 features just such a 13.2-inch IPS screen. So what are its pros and cons?

Measurements from our test

We measured 924 cd/m² in the APL18 test and 906 cd/m² in HDR mode—values that are perfectly adequate for indoor use. However, the Honor MagicPad 4’s HDR maximum is 3,084 cd/m², which is more than three times that value.

The IPS panel’s response times—37.3 ms gray-to-gray and 32.6 ms black-to-white—are on the lower end of the spectrum. This is particularly relevant for professional users.

Brightness is sufficient for the office and living room

In everyday office use or under room lighting, the brightness poses no problems. Documents are easy to read, and videos display sufficient contrast.

It’s only in direct sunlight—at an outdoor pool or by a window—that the IPS panel’s limitations become apparent: content appears washed out, and reflections obscure details. Here, OLED panels with higher peak brightness would have a clear advantage.

Response times cause problems in fast-paced games

The 37.3 ms gray-to-gray response time is clearly too slow for competitive gaming. Fast-paced action games suffer from visible ghosting and afterimages. The Honor MagicPad 4’s panel achieves 0.91 ms black-to-white here—meaning it responds more than 35 times faster.

However, casual gamers and users who primarily consume media or work with documents will hardly notice the slow response times.

No PWM – A benefit for sensitive eyes

On the plus side: The panel does not use pulse width modulation (PWM) for brightness control. Users who experience headaches with OLED displays will find the OnePlus Pad 4 to be an eye-friendly alternative. This difference is clearly noticeable during hours of reading or working.

The OnePlus Pad 4’s display strikes a reasonable balance: bright enough for indoor use, gentle on the eyes thanks to the absence of PWM, but somewhat lacking when it comes to HDR and gaming.

If you’re looking for an OLED-quality display with vibrant colors and very fast response times, you’ll have to look elsewhere.

The in-depth review of the OnePlus Pad 4 includes all measurement results.