In a move that cements its commitment to delivering high-performance Android tablets, OnePlus has unveiled the Pad 3—its first slate outside of China to pack Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. This latest addition to OnePlus’s tablet lineup not only ups the ante in terms of raw speed, but also delivers an impressively thin design, a sprawling 13.2-inch display, and a suite of multitasking tricks that could tempt users away from more established competitors like the iPad Air or Pro.

On paper, the Pad 3 feels like a bit of a paradox: OnePlus has significantly enlarged the display from the Pad 2, yet managed to shave even more millimeters off the chassis. The new 13.2-inch LCD sports a 3.4K resolution—enough to make text and images almost leap off the screen—and refreshes at a silky-smooth 144 Hz. In spite of this larger real estate, the tablet measures just 5.97mm thin and tips the scales at only 90g heavier than its predecessor. For comparison, that’s actually slimmer than the latest iPad Air, though still a hair thicker than Apple’s 13-inch iPad Pro (which also carries a heftier price tag).

OnePlus Pad 3

Packed with 12GB RAM, 256GB storage, and 80W charging, the OnePlus Pad 3 is built for serious work and play.

$700 at OnePlus

Of course, OnePlus opted for LCD rather than OLED—likely a cost compromise—but the panel still manages vivid colors and solid brightness, peaking at around 500 nits in typical mode and climbing to 700 nits under direct sunlight. That means the Pad 3 can hold its own whether you’re watching a high-drama series on Netflix or sketching in bright outdoor conditions.

The headline here is obvious: for the first time, a OnePlus tablet outside China is powered by Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite. Built on a 4nm process, this chipset is roughly on par with what you’d find in flagship-level Android phones, offering rock-solid performance for everything from gaming to video editing. In the Pad 3, it’s paired with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM (16GB is available in Europe) and at least 256 GB of UFS 4.0 storage—ensuring apps launch quickly and can shuffle large files without breaking a sweat.

Complementing the power train is a sizable 12,140 mAh battery, which is rated to last a full day of mixed use—streaming video, multitasking between apps, and even some light 3D gaming. If you do run low, 80W wired charging can top things off in about 90 minutes, making it far less painful to plug in and go than some rival tablets.

Gone is the circular camera “bump” that earned mixed reactions on the first two generations; the Pad 3 instead adopts a slender, pill-shaped module in the upper corner. This cleaner look feels more mature and less “gadgety” than before.

The company has also tweaked the speaker setup: a total of eight drivers (four on each long side) pour out sound in a Dolby Atmos-like configuration. Whether you’re binging a show or cranking out an impromptu DJ set, audio remains punchy and well-balanced—something you simply don’t always get from cheaper Android tablets.

As with the Pad 2, OnePlus sells its Smart Keyboard and Stylo 2 stylus as standalone accessories. The keyboard (priced at $199.99) magnetically snaps to the lower bezel and employs Bluetooth to reduce latency, offering a typing experience that’s fluid enough to handle long emails or even essay drafts. The Folio Case ($49.99) doubles as a kickstand at various angles, while the Stylo 2 ($99.99) supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity—ideal for note-takers or digital artists.

With these extras, the Pad 3 steps into “laptop-lite” territory. Once you dock the keyboard and attach the stylus to its magnetic rail, you can fire up OnePlus’s upgraded multitasking suite—Open Canvas—which lets you run up to four apps in a grid or host two apps side by side, with drag-and-drop between them. In practice, this setup handles web browsing, document editing, and media playback without hiccups, which is a boon for students or professionals on a budget.

Out of the box, the Pad 3 ships with Android 15 skinned by ColorOS (or OxygenOS in select regions). OnePlus has leaned heavily into cross-device integration: if you own a OnePlus phone, you can pull files directly from your handset, sync notifications seamlessly, and even let the tablet piggyback on your phone’s data connection when needed—helping conserve battery compared to leaving a hotspot active all day. Additionally, OnePlus has promised three major OS updates (up to Android 18) and six years of security patches, a pledge most budget Android tablets can’t match.

On top of that, the company’s Multitasking 2.0 revamps split-screen management: dropped windows float in movable, resizable bubbles, making it trivial to glance at chat threads or jot down quick notes without losing your place. It’s not quite the same as Samsung’s DeX mode or Apple’s Stage Manager, but it gets the job done—especially since Android tablets have historically lagged behind in this department.

At $699.99 for the 12GB/256GB model, the OnePlus Pad 3 undercuts the 10.9-inch iPad Air by about $100, while offering a larger display and faster charging. It’s also significantly cheaper than the 13-inch iPad Pro, which starts at $1,099—though Apple’s slate still enjoys a more robust app ecosystem and features like ProMotion OLED and Face ID. On the Android side, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 series remains the gold standard but carries a premium that can exceed $900 for similarly specced configurations.

If you don’t mind passing on features like a fingerprint sensor or 5G connectivity, the Pad 3 represents a sweet spot: a big screen, flagship-level performance, and accessory support—all without breaking the bank. It’s a reminder that the Android tablet market is still worth watching, even if it remains niche compared to Apple’s ecosystem.

The Pad 3 isn’t perfect. Aside from the absent fingerprint reader (you have to rely on face unlock via the front-facing camera), there’s no 5G option—something Samsung and Lenovo offer on their high-end tablets. Cellular connectivity is strictly Wi-Fi only, which might be a deal-breaker for frequent travelers. Additionally, the decision to stick with LCD instead of OLED means black levels aren’t as deep, and contrast doesn’t quite match what you’d get from Samsung or Apple’s mini-LED panels.

Battery life, while solid, can dip into two-day territory only under moderate use; if you fire up graphically intense games or run several windows side by side, expect closer to a single day’s use. The stylus, meanwhile, isn’t as snappy as Samsung’s S Pen, and the keyboard still lacks backlighting—a miss for anyone who wants to type in dimly lit environments.

Overall, the OnePlus Pad 3 feels like the tablet OnePlus should have released from the start: it pairs top-tier silicon with a big, fast display and a design that borders on industrial art. While it does ask you to pay extra for a keyboard and stylus, the core hardware punches well above its price bracket, especially if you’re already embedded in the OnePlus ecosystem. And in a world where high-end Android tablets are few and far between, it’s refreshing to see a challenger that clearly prioritizes performance and longevity.

If you’ve been on the fence about diving into Android tablets—particularly if you use a OnePlus phone—the Pad 3 is worth a hard look. It may not dethrone Apple’s market share, but it certainly narrows the gap enough that, at $700, you can’t say it isn’t competitive. Preorders are live now, and while shipping dates vary by region, you can expect deliveries to start rolling out later this month.