OnePlus unveiled its Pad 3 tablet today, positioning the device as the first consumer tablet powered by Qualcomm's flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite processor in a direct challenge to Apple's iPad Air and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra.
The Chinese manufacturer announced the 13.2-inch tablet would launch immediately in Europe and North America at €599, with an Indian release planned for later this year. The move represents OnePlus's most ambitious tablet offering yet, as the company seeks to capitalize on growing demand for premium Android tablets in a market traditionally dominated by Apple.
The Pad 3's Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset delivers what OnePlus claims are 45% CPU performance gains and 40% GPU improvements over its predecessor1. Early Geekbench testing shows the tablet achieving median scores of 3,074 single-core and 8,980 multi-core, outperforming Samsung's Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, according to Notebookcheck2.
The device features a 12,140mAh battery supporting 80W fast charging, alongside eight speakers arranged in a quad-woofer, quad-tweeter configuration34. OnePlus says the battery provides up to six hours of gaming or 17 hours of video playback4.
The tablet's 3.4K LCD display supports Dolby Vision HDR and reaches 900 nits peak brightness, though it lacks the OLED technology found in some premium competitors35.
OnePlus is pricing the Pad 3 aggressively, offering European early adopters the higher-end 16GB RAM model for the same €599 price as the base 12GB version1. According to GSMArena, the strategy includes bundling accessories like the Smart Keyboard and Stylo 2 stylus during the pre-order period1.
ZDNET awarded the tablet its Editors' Choice designation, with reviewer praising its "striking balance of hardware and software" at the $699 US price point2. The publication noted the device serves as a viable laptop replacement for many users.
The launch comes as tablet manufacturers increasingly target productivity users seeking laptop alternatives. OnePlus has equipped the Pad 3 with its Open Canvas multitasking feature, allowing up to three apps to run simultaneously12.
Business Standard reports the device challenges both the iPad Air and Galaxy Tab S10 with "top-end hardware" that could potentially "shake up the Android tablet market" if pricing remains competitive in India3. The tablet's success may hinge on whether OnePlus can maintain its aggressive pricing strategy while delivering the premium experience users expect from flagship-grade hardware.
