Equipment, Design, and Performance: A Practical Tablet Comparison

Equipment

The OnePlus Pad arrives in a slim box that includes the tablet, a custom red USB-A to USB-C cable, documentation, and a OnePlus Community Red Cable Club card.

Charging requires a separate charger for OnePlus, or a charger from BBK Electronics brands such as Oppo, Vivo, and Realme in addition to OnePlus. In testing, Realme chargers performed without issue.

Compared with the iPad packaging, which feels more premium, the iPad box contains a tablet, a Lightning to USB-C cable, documents, branded stickers bearing the bitten apple logo, and a charging stand not commonly found with Apple smartphones.

None of the devices include screen protectors or cases in the box, which means buyers should plan to protect the tablet from day one.

Design

The iPad Pro design is widely recognized: a slim metal body with straight edges and a square camera module. Apple has sustained this look for years, and most users respond positively.

Some users experience discomfort when using a tablet without a protective case because flat edges can press into the hands. Overall construction and materials meet high standards across Apple’s lineup. The iPad Pro weighs 466 grams without accessories.

The OnePlus Pad also features a premium metal chassis with rounded edges that feel comfortable in the hand, offering a tactile similarity to the iPhone 6. The device presents an upscale appearance for a mid-price Chinese tablet.

A notable drawback for the OnePlus Pad is camera placement: in portrait orientation, the lens can be blocked by a hand, especially when held upright. The device weighs 552 grams, which can lead to fatigue if used for extended periods, such as holding it overhead while in bed.

Screen

The OnePlus Pad sports an 11.61-inch IPS display with a 2000 by 2800 resolution and an unconventional 7:5 aspect ratio for Android tablets, a choice that tests well in practice.

Refresh rates offer two modes: standard 60 Hz and high 120 Hz, with no automatic adaptation between modes.

Dolby Vision and HDR10+ are supported on the OnePlus tablet, aligning with premium display expectations for media consumption.

The iPad Pro features an 11-inch IPS panel with a 1668 by 2388 resolution and a 3:2 aspect ratio. The display supports an adaptive refresh rate up to 120 Hz on varying content, though high-frequency mode is limited to higher-end iPad Pro models, not the basic iPad lineup. HDR10 and Dolby Vision are also supported.

Both devices are excellent for movies, web browsing, and reading. The OnePlus Pad includes a True Tone-like feature that adjusts screen warmth to ambient conditions, reducing eye fatigue much as Apple users expect.

Shell

Android offers two navigation paradigms: bottom-anchored three-button controls or gesture-based navigation. iPadOS uses a hybrid approach, with edge-swipe gestures in some apps and a dedicated control button in others, which can feel unfamiliar to users switching between platforms.

Sanctions have limited access to many applications on iPadOS, shaping user behavior and app availability. Android, by contrast, supports sideloading from trusted sources when an app isn’t in the official store, giving users broader flexibility.

iPadOS tends to showcase a strong ecosystem of professional apps, particularly for designers, architects, musicians, and editors, though many of these programs come with price tags. Android offers alternatives, albeit with a smaller pool of top-tier professional tools.

OnePlus optimizes OxygenOS 13.1 for tablets on top of Android 13, delivering a familiar design language for OnePlus, Oppo, and Realme users. A unique multi-window feature is activated by a two-finger swipe from the top edge to split the screen, enabling concurrent tasks such as messaging on one side and streaming on the other.

“Horse”

Many view the tablet as a multimedia hub, while others believe a keyboard could turn it into a laptop replacement. A tech reporter weighed in on a similar setup with the iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard, noting limitations like a restricted software library, limited viewing angles, and cost, estimating the configuration could reach high prices in rubles.

The OnePlus Pad mirrors these limits: its keyboard offers a single usable opening angle and lacks Cyrillic keyboard support, meaning buyers may need to engrave or replace the layout, which can be a worthwhile investment for usability and aesthetics.

Both tablets include a stylus, reinforcing their roles for entertainment and professional use. The OnePlus Stylo stylus resembles the Apple Pencil in design, with responsive pressure sensitivity and low input lag in practice.

Yield

The reviewed OnePlus Pad runs on MediaTek’s flagship Dimensity 9000 chip, paired with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, with higher configurations available in certain markets. In Geekbench 6, it scored approximately 1741 in single-core and 4473 in multi-core benchmarks.

The iPad Pro, powered by Apple’s M2, also carries 8 GB of RAM, achieving roughly 2489 in single-core and 9509 in multi-core scores. Real-world use typically hides these gaps, but performance differences may appear in demanding tasks.

In gaming, the iPad Pro can sustain 120 FPS in Genshin Impact at the highest settings, though sustained heat buildup can occur. The OnePlus Pad maintains 60 FPS at maximum settings with a cooler profile, though texture quality may be less sharp due to Android game optimizations. Memory capacity matters; 128 GB can feel tight for users who install many apps and games, and higher storage options on the iPad come with a higher price tag.

cameras

The cameras on the tablet are primarily for video calls. The OnePlus Pad uses a 13-megapixel ultrawide front camera near the top bezel when held horizontally and can record Full HD video at 30 FPS. The main OnePlus camera is also wide-angle and supports up to 4K at 30 FPS.

The iPad Pro’s front camera is a 12 MP ultrawide with 1080p video at 60 FPS. The left-placed camera during horizontal use can be inadvertently blocked, and the angle is not always optimal for video conferencing.

The iPad relies on a pair of back cameras: a 12 MP main and a 10 MP ultrawide, both capable of 4K at 60 FPS. While not on par with iPhone imaging, they suffice for tablet-grade photo and video tasks. LiDAR is included on some iPad models, enabling interior scanning and 3D modeling for design work.

Battery

The iPad Pro houses a 7538 mAh battery with 18 W charging, typically taking around three hours to reach full capacity. Active use ranges around six to eight hours depending on tasks, which many users will consider average but not outstanding for a premium device.

The OnePlus Pad features a larger 9510 mAh cell with 67 W charging. Realme, Oppo, and OnePlus devices can power it rapidly through compatible chargers, restoring from 0 to 100 percent in roughly eighty minutes. Real-world usage averages about 10 to 12 hours of active operation, suggesting longer endurance than the iPad in mixed use.

For multimedia and casual gaming, the OnePlus Pad may offer more sustained viewing and playing time on a single charge.

Other features

Audio is strong on both devices, with four stereo speakers delivering a rich, punchy sound for movies and music. Neither device includes a headphone jack, which has become a common trade-off for modern tablets.

The iPad Pro relies on Face ID for biometric security, while the OnePlus Pad uses face unlock based on the front camera, a less secure option compared with facial recognition. A fingerprint sensor is not part of either design.

Conclusion

With the iPad Pro priced considerably higher than the OnePlus Pad, a direct value comparison is revealing. The iPad Air’s M1 chip offers strong performance but lacks a high-frequency display, while the mid-range iPad lacks the more powerful hardware and displays found on the Pro. In practice, a modern tablet still cannot fully replace a laptop, but the OnePlus Pad excels as an entertainment device with solid performance and a competitive price point.