OnePlus Pad 2 review | Infinium-tech

Introduction

A year and a half later, the OnePlus Pad got its proper sequel – the OnePlus Pad 2 brought a bigger and brighter screen, a top-shelf chipset, louder speakers, and better accessories.

We liked the OnePlus Pad for being a straightforward tablet – it covered all the bases satisfactorily and didn’t have any fancy or showy features. And of course, it was priced affordably. The OnePlus Pad 2 takes things up a notch, so let’s see what’s new.

The new model features an aluminium unibody, with a larger 12.1-inch IPS LCD screen with 2,120 x 3,000 pixel resolution, 10-bit colour depth, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision streaming, and up to 900nits of peak brightness. It also supports the new (optional) Stylo 2 stylus.

The highlight of the OnePlus Pad 2 is the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which will perform well under the large screen and with such a large heat sink (aluminum unibody).

The OnePlus Pad 2 has the same basic cameras as its predecessor – a 13MP rear camera with 4K video capturing and an 8MP front camera with 1080p video.

The OnePlus Pad 2 has a total of 6 speakers, while the original OP Pad had 4. Connectivity has been upgraded with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, but there’s no GPS or optional cellular connectivity – this is a Wi-Fi only tablet. If you already have a OnePlus phone, OnePlus has come up with some nice Continuity features.

Finally, the OnePlus Pad 2 comes with a 9,510mAh battery that is capable of 67W fast charging — the same as the Pad 1.

OnePlus Pad 2 specifications at a glance:

• Body: 268.7×195.1×6.5mm, 584g; Glass front, aluminium back, aluminium frame; Stylus support.
• Display: 12.10″ IPS LCD, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 144Hz, 600 nits (typical), 900 nits (max), 2120x3000px resolution, 12.74:9 aspect ratio, 304ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 14, OxygenOS 14.1.
• rear camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide).
• Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.3, (wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm.
• video capture: rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30ps, Gyro-EIS; Front Camera: 1080p@30fps, Gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 9510mAh; 67W wired, 64% in 30 mins, 100% in 81 mins (advertised).
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, LHDC.
• various: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity (accessory only), compass; stereo speakers (6 speakers).

For a tablet that costs €499, we think the OnePlus Pad 2 has it all – its spec sheet is balanced, it has powerful features, and you even get a free charger and stylus if you buy it directly from OnePlus. The only thing we think could be a potential deal-breaker is the lack of a fingerprint reader.

Unboxing of OnePlus Pad 2

The OnePlus Pad 2 comes in a thin paper box, containing the tablet and a distinctive red USB-AC cable.

Obviously, there’s no bundled charger, although OnePlus is offering a free charger when purchased through the official website. That and a stylus, or a folio case, both make nice gifts.