OnePlus Pad 2 review: Well-rounded Android tablet

OnePlus Pad 2 is a solid premium Android tablet. It has superior build quality and a powerful Qualcomm processor to deliver smooth performance. Also, accessories -- Stylo 2 and Smart Keyboard folio cover-- bring more value addition not just to productivity, but also fun creative activities like digital art and multimedia editing.

Earlier this month, OnePlus Pad 2 hit stores in India. It comes with several valuable upgrades in terms of a bigger display and a more powerful processor.

OnePlus Pad 2 is available in two variants-- 8GB RAM + 128GB storage and 12GB RAM + 256GB storage-- for Rs 39,999 and Rs 42,999, respectively.

Here are my thoughts on the latest premium Android tablet from the house of OnePlus.

Design, build quality and display

OnePlus Pad 2 sports a premium metallic case on the back. It retains the curved rectangular design language of the predecessor but is bigger and better looking.

The unibody aluminium-based metal casing of the OnePlus Pad 2 is crafted with precision CNC cutting, sandblasting, and anodization/.

It has a uniform colour scheme on the back with a matte finish. The company is offering just one colour-- Nimbus Gray. And, the camera is placed in the centre (in landscape orientation) at the top and the rest is a plain metallic case with the OnePlus logo.

OnePlus Pad 2.

On the front, it features a 12.1-inch 3K(3200 x 2120p) display, pixel density of 303ppi (pixels per inch) and up to 900 nits maximum brightness.

It supports dynamic refresh rates up to 144Hz. Depending on the usage such as reading, web browsing, watching a movie or playing a game, it can seamlessly switch between multiple refresh rates (30 Hz, 48 Hz, 50 Hz, 60 Hz, 90 Hz, 120 Hz, and 144 Hz ) to deliver good viewing experience.

Also, it supports Dolby Vision. The device is optimised to reproduce high image quality and videos on the display with vivid colours, clearer details, and sharper contrast to offer an immersive viewing experience.

Here too, the front camera is rightly placed at the centre (in landscape orientation), which makes the video calling experience better, as users can hold the tablet with two hands comfortably while in a sitting position. And, if the user has bought a folio case with the tablet, they can just fold the case at a suitable angle and just place the tablet on the table and sit back to attend a video conference.

The display is really good for watching movies during the long commute between office and home. It also features reading mode, which turns the screen a tad warmer and reduces blue-light emission, so users can read e-books for several hours with less strain on the eyes.

6-speaker Omnibearing sound system of the OnePlus Pad 2.

It houses a 6-speaker Omnibearing sound system, which makes watching movies or TV series even more enjoyable on a comfy bean bag at home.

It also boasts Omnibearing Sound Field technology. Based on screen orientation, the device switches audio channels from left to right while playing games or watching movies/TV series. And, audio channels swap from top to bottom, it senses the device is in portrait orientation and the user is watching reels on the Instagram app.

OnePlus Pad 2.

Performance

Under the hood, OnePlus Pad 2 houses Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Qualcomm's most powerful mobile chipset to date. It comes paired with Adreno 750 GPU, 8GB / 12GB LPDDR5X RAM, and 128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.

The new premium tablet lives up to the hype. It works smoothly in terms of day-to-day activities. It also supports the Asphalt Legends series and many more graphics-intense games.

It has a dedicated Gaming Mode to deliver a better user experience and block notifications when playing games. Also, it has HyperBoost technology, which combines optimised graphical rendering, AI machine learning, and intelligent performance regulation to reduce power consumption and stabilise frame rates in resource-intensive games.

Have to say, OnePlus has covered almost all bases to deliver a really good gaming experience on Pad 2.

But, having said that the big screen tablet is best suited to play Angry Buds, Candy Crush, Chess and other board game-like titles. Battle Royale games are enjoyed better on smartphones and gaming consoles connected to Big TVs.

The device runs Android 14-based OxygenOS 14. It has several optimised features to make full use of the tablet's big screen. With just finger-swipe gestures, the user can split the display into three to operate multiple apps simultaneously.

Users can do a three-way vertical split, a two-left-one-right layout, or one-left-two-right.

Also, the device can instantly pair with select OnePlus phones. Once connected, users can view and edit photos, screenshots, and videos taken on the phone using the OnePlus Pad 2’s massive 13-inch display through the control centre.

Users can drag and drop images, videos and even text from the Clipboard app between the OnePlus phone and Pad 2. It also supports the Notification Sync function for cross-device notifications and the ability to launch related apps on the tablet. To avail of these features, both devices should be registered to one OnePlus account ID.

OnePlus Pad 2 with Smart Keyboard accessory.

The new tablet supports OnePlus Stylo 2. It has to be bought separately for Rs 5,499. The retail package also comes with an additional tip. In case the one pre-fitted on the stylus gets damaged, users don't have to buy a new one.

The stylus supports 16,000 levels of pressure sensitivity, which comes in handy to create digital art. Also, the Stylo 2 features a touch control pad to easily navigate through presentations and other documents. It supports a double-tap feature. With this, users can access drawing and annotation tools.

Also, during presentations, users can cast their OnePlus Pad 2 to a larger screen, then press and hold the OnePlus Stylo 2's touchpad and turn it into a laser pointer. Users can switch back to the red annotation pen with a double-click and highlight key points.

OnePlus Stylo 2 accessory of Pad 2 tablet.

As noted earlier, the device supports image/video sync with Oneplus Phone. With Stylo 2, users can easily remove unwanted objects more precisely using the AI Eraser 2.0 feature. Also, it supports Smart Cutout 2.0 to lift objects from the frame to create personalised stickers.

On the the back with a 13MP primary camera with LED flash. It takes decent photos, on par with mid-range phones.

It is good enough to capture documents to convert them to PDF. With the Scam Document feature, users can turn Jpeg image files into PDF documents within seconds.

On the front, it features an 8MP sensor for selfies and video calling.

OnePlus Pad 2 also supports a Smart Keyboard folio cover (Rs 8,499). On the exterior side, it has a premium leather-like texture. It comes with a magnetic holder to dock with the Pad 2's back and features adjustable tilt, ranging from 110-degree to 165-degree. The lower half, which houses the keyboard seamlessly connects via a pogo-pin and Bluetooth.

OnePlus Smart Keyboard for Pad 2 tablet.

It features six rows of keys including a special row with shortcut keys at the top. It works amazingly fast with no noticeable lag when typing on the keypad. and, it features 8,640mm2 touchpad to move the cursor on the Pad 2's screen. Also, there is space for marking with the NFC logo. there, users can place the OnePlus phone and instantly mirror the phone's screen on the Pad 2's display. For the first time, the user has to follow some on-screen instructions. Once done, users can cast the OnePlus phone on the tablet and operate it on the big screen and even answer calls, and reply to the messages as well.

The adjustable tilt of the Keyboard cover ranges from 110-degree to 165-degree.

However, the keyboard cover folio accessory is not designed to work with the tablet on the lap. It needs a stable platform like a table to work efficiently.

With productivity apps available on the Google Play Store, users can create PowerPoint presentations for work with ease.

It has a 9,510mAh battery. It is more than enough to play several episodes of a TV series on a stretch for several hours. With a 67W Super VOOC charger, it can power up the device from zero to 64 per cent in 30 minutes. It can hit 100 per cent in around 80 per cent.

OnePlus Pad 2 with Smart Keyboard accessory.

Final thoughts

OnePlus Pad 2 is a solid premium Android tablet. It has superior build quality and a powerful Qualcomm processor to deliver smooth performance. Accessories -- Stylus and smart Keyboard folio cover-- bring more value addition not just to productivity, but also fun creative activities like digital art and multimedia editing.