OnePlus Pad 3: our tops & flops
The OnePlus Pad 3 marks the age of maturity for the series. If the Pad 2 had already convinced me as a product capable of replacing a PC in most situations, the Pad 3 goes even further. It offers a larger, more beautiful display—truly a pleasure to look at—paired with a far more functional keyboard than its predecessor, better built and more durable as well. OxygenOS 15 also feels much improved, making it better suited to running even heavy software compared to the past, though I’ll need to test the upcoming OxygenOS 16 to see if the Pad 3 can push things even further.
Of course, Android remains the main limitation: it can’t truly replace highly professional tasks like video editing (though for photo editing, in my opinion, it’s actually more convenient than a PC) or AutoCAD. Another drawback is that it only has a single USB-C port—yes, it does everything from charging to data transfer (it handles external hard drives with no problem) and even HDMI output, but having at least one more would have been handy, especially because the otherwise good battery efficiency inevitably drops during heavier workloads. Still, for the price, it remains a small powerhouse.
What we like:
- Smart form factor (it doesn’t feel as big as it is);
- Build quality;
- System fluidity;
What we don’t like:
- The real limitation is Android;
- Only one USB-C port
- Device’s cleaning is a bit hard
Prices in Scandinavia
What a build quality
As usual, we start with the build quality, which is excellent. OnePlus has done a great job, except for one thing: both the tablet and the keyboard cover pick up fingerprints very easily and are hard to clean. The cover, in particular, is a nightmare, practically impossible to keep clean.
Like the previous model, the keyboard cover is made of two pieces: the keyboard itself and the rear cover. The connection between them is not as secure as on the OnePlus Pad 2, especially when open and resting against the stand: it disconnects too easily.
The tablet is made entirely of aluminum with a unibody shell and glass front. It feels premium but weighs 675g, making it best suited for desk use rather than prolonged handheld use.
It supports both a stylus and a keyboard. The keyboard is excellent, with a large, responsive touchpad and well-spaced keys with generous travel. Accent characters are missing, but it’s still great for writing long texts. The touchpad supports the same gestures as the touchscreen, including multitasking and quick app switching.
Performance and security
The OnePlus Pad 3 features the Snapdragon 8 Elite, delivering top-tier performance for work, multitasking, and gaming. It’s paired with 12GB of RAM in the 256GB model or 16GB in the 512GB version, with UFS 4.0 storage — an upgrade from last year’s UFS 3.1. Performance is flawless, with smooth animations and ultra-fast response thanks to the 144Hz refresh rate.
Software
Let’s move on to the software. We have Android 15 with OxygenOS 15 as the base, and you find a deep article about here.
It’s a complete interface, well-suited for tablet use, thanks to a series of gestures for features like multi-window or “Canvas,” which allows you to keep up to three windows open simultaneously. Depending on the arrangement, the third window can be hidden or shown, and you can bring it back instantly by swiping from the bottom, right, or left.
You can also open apps in floating windows, and with an upward swipe from the bottom, you can pull up the taskbar. This taskbar gives quick access to your favorite or most recently used apps — something I’ve found incredibly handy since Android introduced it, not only here but also on foldables. It makes the experience feel more like using a computer and makes switching between apps smoother.
There’s no heavy bloatware — just a few extra apps from OnePlus, like OnePlus Community, a recorder, WPS Office, and of course AI features. These include OnePlus’ own tools, such as summarizing a web page, text-to-voice, or text-to-speech for web content, and AI photo editing within the gallery. You also get Google Gemini integration, similar to what we now see across many Android tablets.
Some parts of the interface are already well-adapted to the large display, while others less so. For example, the notification shade feels cramped on the right, and to access notifications you need to swipe from the center — so you have to be careful where you swipe. Notifications are centered, quick settings are on the right, and icons might be a bit smaller than they could be. Widgets are not always perfectly scaled either. There’s still room for improvement, and much of it would need to come from Android itself before manufacturers can refine it further.
On the left side, you have Google Discover — the news feed — while swiping from the center opens the app drawer. On such a large screen, the app drawer isn’t particularly pretty, but it works.
Now, let’s talk connectivity. We have a USB Type-C 3.2 OTG port on the right side. I should also mention the display’s 7:5 aspect ratio, which I really like — something only OnePlus offer. It’s perfect for web browsing and also works well for watching media, without feeling overly wide. When mirroring to an external monitor, you’ll see black bars because the aspect ratio is different from standard monitors.
There’s no LTE variant — only Wi-Fi. That’s a shame, because an LTE version (especially with eSIM support) would have been a practical and competitive option, given how few large Android tablets offer it.
For wireless, we have Bluetooth 5.4 and Wi-Fi 7. As for cameras, there’s a 13MP main camera and an 8MP front camera positioned at the center of the long edge, allowing Full HD video calls. The main sensor has been moved from the center (as it was last year) to the left side, alongside the LED flash — handy for scanning documents, though obviously not meant for high-quality landscape photography.
Perfect for digital nomads
In general, even more so than its predecessor and like very few other devices (the only ones that come to mind are the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ or Ultra (here our review)—but those are much more expensive), this OnePlus Pad 3 is excellent for those who work on the go.
Once again, I’ll use the oft-overlooked but still relevant example of an automotive journalist—or a journalist in general. Today’s journalist must not only write, but also take photos, edit them, shoot videos, and know how to edit those videos. All of this while traveling between planes, trains, hotels, and under tight deadlines. The Pad 3 handles all of it. Aside from my recommendation to avoid Chrome in favor of OnePlus’s native browser, which works brilliantly, writing on this device is a real pleasure.
The keyboard has improved greatly in terms of tactile feedback, and the software typing system no longer makes you miss, as it once did, accents or special characters from languages other than English. In addition, photo uploads and downloads are very fast, as is video uploading to YouTube, thanks to support for external hard drives and SSDs, along with a truly well-designed file manager—which, in this regard, is even better than Windows or macOS. In short, it allows you to leave your PC at home, write comfortably on the tiny tables of airplanes, and significantly lighten the weight of your backpack.
