OnePlus Pad 3 review – GSMArena.com tests

Introduction

OnePlus built its name by offering flagship performance that undercut its key competitors and the OnePlus Pad 3 is no exception. As a sequel to last year’s OnePlus Pad 2, it goes all out on the hardware front with an even larger display, the latest flagship Qualcomm chipset and a higher capacity battery.

That’s all achieved in a thinner aluminum body, which now measures just 6mm, and OnePlus also added an updated eight-speaker setup.

OnePlus Pad 3 is built around 13.2-inch LTPS LCD with 2,400 x 3,392px resolution and a fast 144Hz refresh rate. You also get support for the optional OnePlus Stylo 2 pen.

Pad 3 is part of a rare breed of flagship Android tablets sporting the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. There aren’t that many slates out there that can claim they offer the very best chipset, and it should be fully unleashed in this large form factor.

The cameras remain unchanged from the previous generation with an 8MP front-facing camera and a 13MP main shooter with 4K video recording on the back. We’re glad that OnePlus went with a less obtrusive look this time around and opted for a more discreet bump in the corner as opposed to the previous OnePlus Pads and their larger circular cutouts.

There’s a total of 8 speakers onboard the Pad 3. As for connectivity, you get Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, but there’s no GPS or cellular connectivity yet again.

OnePlus Pad 3 comes with an upgraded 12,140mAh battery, which is a nice boost over its predecessor. The charging support is also updated and now supports up to 80W speeds.

OnePlus Pad 3 specs at a glance:

• Body: 289.6×209.7×6.0mm, 675g; Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back; Stylus support.
• Display: 13.20″ LTPS LCD, 68B colors, Dolby Vision, 144Hz, 900 nits (HBM), 2400x3392px resolution, 12.72:9 aspect ratio, 315ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite (3 nm): Octa-core (2×4.32 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L + 6×3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M); Adreno 830.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• OS/Software: Android 15, ColorOS 15.
• Rear camera: 13 MP.
• Front camera: 8 MP.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30ps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps.
• Battery: 12140mAh; 80W wired.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD.
• Misc: Accelerometer, proximity (accessories only), gyro, compass; stereo speakers (8 speakers).

OnePlus Pad 3 ships with OxygenOS 15 based on Android 15 with the OnePlus AI suite powered by Google Gemini. You get the usual slew of features, including Circle to Search, as well as translation, summary, writing, and speaker assistant.

One thing that makes the Pad 3 stand out from other Android slates is its ability to remotely control Mac and Windows machines via the O+ Connect app. You can find more details in the software section.

Unboxing the OnePlus Pad 3

OnePlus Pad 3 arrives in a premium white box with the usual OnePlus red accents on the inside. The tablet greets you head-on as you lift up the lid, while the bottom compartment holds the signature red and white OnePlus USB-A to C cable.

We also received the optional Smart Keyboard, which is an extra purchase. At the time of writing, OnePlus is giving away the Stylo 2 and the Folio case with all OnePlus Pad 3 purchases.