OnePlus Pad 2 review

Introduction

A year and a half later, the OnePlus Pad gets its proper sequel - the OnePlus Pad 2 brings a bigger and brighter screen, a top-shelf chipset, louder speakers and improved accessories.

We liked the OnePlus Pad for being a straightforward tablet - it covered all bases satisfactorily and didn't have any niche or gimmicky features. And it had an affordable price, of course. The OnePlus Pad 2 takes things up a notch so let's see what's new here.

The new model has an aluminum unibody with an even larger 12.1-inch IPS LCD screen with 2,120 x 3,000 pixels resolution, 10-bit color depth, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision streaming, and up to 900nits of peak brightness. It supports the new (optional) Stylo 2 stylus too.

The highlight of the OnePlus Pad 2 is the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which should thrive under that large screen and with such a large heatsink (the 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 videos.

The OnePlus Pad 2 boasts a total of 6 speakers, up from 4 speakers on the original OP Pad. The connectivity has been upgraded with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, but there is no GPS or optional cellular connectivity - this is a Wi-Fi-only tablet. OnePlus has come up with some nice continuity features if you already own a OnePlus phone.

Finally, the OnePlus Pad 2 comes with a 9,510mAh battery capable of 67W fast charging - same as it was on the Pad 1.

OnePlus Pad 2 specs at a glance:

• Body: 268.7x195.1x6.5mm, 584g; Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame; Stylus support.
• Display: 12.10" IPS LCD, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 144Hz, 600 nits (typ), 900 nits (peak), 2120x3000px resolution, 12.74:9 aspect ratio, 304ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3x3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2x2.3 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 min, 100% in 81 min (advertised).
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, LHDC.
• Misc: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity (accessories only), compass; stereo speakers (6 speakers).

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

Unboxing the OnePlus Pad 2

The OnePlus Pad 2 ships inside a rather thin paper box, which contains the tablet itself and one of those signature red USB-A-C cables.

There is no bundled charger, obviously, though OnePlus is throwing one for free if you buy it through the official website. That and a stylus, or a Folio Case, both of them nice gifts.