Introduction
A year and a half later, the OnePlus Pad gets its own sequel: the OnePlus Pad 2 brings a bigger, brighter display, a premium chipset, more powerful speakers, and improved accessories.
We liked the OnePlus Pad for its simplicity: it covers all the bases well and doesn't offer any niche features or gimmicks. And it's affordable, of course. The OnePlus Pad 2 goes even further, so let's see what's new here.
The new model features an aluminum unibody with an even larger 12.1-inch IPS LCD display with 2,120 x 3,000 pixel resolution, 10-bit color depth, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision streaming, and up to 900 nits of peak brightness. It also supports the new Stylo 2 stylus (optional).
The OnePlus Pad 2's highlight is the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which should thrive under that big display and with an equally big heatsink (the aluminum unibody).
The OnePlus Pad 2 has the same basic cameras as its predecessor: a 13MP rear camera with 4K video capture and an 8MP front-facing camera with 1080p video.
The OnePlus Pad 2 has a total of 6 speakers, up from 4 on the original OP Pad. Connectivity has been improved with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, but there's no GPS or optional cellular connectivity – this is a Wi-Fi-only tablet. OnePlus has offered some nice Continuity features if you already own a OnePlus phone.
Finally, the OnePlus Pad 2 comes with a 9,510mAh battery capable of 67W fast charging, like on the Pad 1.
OnePlus Pad 2 Specs Overview:
- Body: 268.7×195.1×6.5mm, 584g; Glass front, aluminum back, aluminum frame; Stylus holder.
- Display: 12.10″ IPS LCD display, 1B colors, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 144 Hz, 600 nits (typ), 900 nits (peak), 2120x3000px resolution, 12.74:9 aspect ratio, 304ppi.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm): Octa-core (1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×3.0 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750.
- Memory: 128 GB 8 GB RAM, 256 GB 12 GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
- Operating System/Software: Android 14, OxygenOS 14.1.
- Rear camera: 13 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide angle).
- Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.3, (wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12 µm.
- Video capture: Rear camera: 4K at 30fps, 1080p at 30ps, gyroscope-EIS; Front camera:1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
- Battery: 9510mAh; 67W wired, 64% in 30 min, 100% in 81 min (advertised).
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 7; BT 5.4, aptX HD, LHDC.
- Miscellaneous : Accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity (accessories only), compass; stereo speakers (6 speakers).
For a $499 tablet, we think the OnePlus Pad 2 has it all: it has a balanced spec sheet with powerful features, and you'll even get a free charger and stylus if you buy it directly from OnePlus. The only thing we think might be a deal breaker is the lack of a fingerprint reader.
Unboxing the OnePlus Pad 2
The OnePlus Pad 2 comes in a rather thin paper box, which contains the tablet itself and one of those iconic red USB-AC cables.
There's obviously no charger included, although OnePlus does offer one for free if you buy it through the official website. This and a stylus, or Folio case, are both nice freebies.