OnePlus Pad 3 Review: A Budget-Friendly Rival to the iPad Pro

OnePlus Pad 3 Review: A Budget-Friendly Rival to the iPad Pro

The OnePlus Pad 3 isn’t just another Android tablet it’s a premium-feeling device that comes in at a fraction of the cost of Apple’s iPad Pro. At $650–$699, it delivers an impressive 13.2-inch 3.4K 144Hz display, flagship Snapdragon performance, and all-day battery life. While it has a few shortcomings for content creators, the Pad 3 is an excellent choice for anyone wanting a powerful, sleek tablet under $1,000.

Quick Specs: OnePlus Pad 3

Design & Build Quality

The Pad 3 looks and feels premium, with a slim 0.23-inch aluminum unibody that’s both durable and lightweight. At just 1.48 pounds, it’s easy to hold for long reading or streaming sessions.

The edge-to-edge display makes everything feel immersive, while the front camera placement in landscape mode is perfect for video calls. Unfortunately, there’s no IP rating, so this isn’t a tablet you’ll want near water.

Display: Sharp, Smooth, and Immersive

The 13.2-inch 3.4K LCD delivers stunning visuals with 98% DCI-P3 coverage and up to 144Hz refresh rate. Movies, games, and even YouTube videos look crisp and detailed, with great motion handling and no screen tearing.

While it’s not OLED (so contrast isn’t as deep as on the iPad Pro), the display is vibrant and smooth enough to rival far pricier tablets.

Performance: Flagship Power for Less

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset with Adreno 830 GPU, the Pad 3 is built for speed. Multitasking with three apps in split-screen is smooth, and demanding games like Genshin Impact run well.

It’s also excellent for productivity photo editing, Canva design, note-taking, and even some audio editing all run seamlessly. The only major drawback: Android’s limited pro creative apps compared to iPadOS (e.g., no Adobe suite).

Accessories: Pricey but Useful

To get the most out of the Pad 3, OnePlus offers:

These add-ons can turn the tablet into a capable laptop alternative, but they’re not cheap buying all three adds $350 to the cost.

Cameras, Speakers & Audio

Battery Life & Charging

The 12,410mAh battery easily lasts several days of light use, or around 17 hours of video playback. In my testing, I lost only about 20% after a two-hour gaming session.

Thanks to 80W SuperVOOC fast charging, the Pad 3 goes from empty to full in ~1.5 hours a major win over most tablets.

OnePlus Pad 3 vs iPad Pro

• Wins: Lower price, higher refresh rate (144Hz vs 120Hz), faster charging, longer battery life.
• Loses: No OLED display, fewer pro creative apps, weaker speakers, only 3 years of OS updates.

If you’re a professional content creator, the iPad Pro still wins thanks to its OLED display and robust app ecosystem. But for students, professionals, or anyone who wants a fast, premium-feeling tablet under $700, the OnePlus Pad 3 is a fantastic deal.

Verdict: Should You Buy It?

✅ Buy it if: You want premium performance, great visuals, and long battery life at a mid-range price.
❌ Skip it if: You need pro-level creative apps, OLED contrast, or waterproofing.

Rating: 8/10 — A powerful, well-designed tablet that punches far above its price.

📦 Buy the OnePlus Pad 3 for $650–$699 at OnePlus or Amazon.