OnePlus Pad 3

Will the iPad be the second-fiddle tablet for Mac users now the Pad 3 is here?

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£529 oneplus.​com

SPECIFICATIONS

Display 13.2-inch 3.4K LCD with 7:5 aspect ratio Chipset Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform CPU Qualcomm Oryon CPU @ up to 4.32GHz RAM 12GB/16GB Storage 256GB/512GB Rear camera 13MP Front camera 8MP Operating system OxygenOS 15 Connectivity Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C Battery capacity 12,140mAh Dimensions 289.61x209.66x5.97mm Weight 675g

If any Android tablet is poised to take on the iPad Pro, it’s the new OnePlus Pad 3. It can mirror your MacBook, make sending files to iPhone and iPad easier than any other Android tablet, and it packs a huge iPad Pro-beating 13.2-inch display. Yet, despite its flagship power, slender body and booming speakers, it’s just a fraction of the price of a top-of-the-line iPad.

So where’s the catch? Out of the gate, the OnePlus Pad 3’s screen tech is the most notable compromise, with the IPS display being less contrastrich than iPad Pro OLED panels. There’s also no floating keyboard case – arguably the iPad’s best feature - so anyone picking it up for work will need to rely on a flimsier kickstand tablet folio case.

It feels incredibly well-built and surprisingly elegant for such a large tablet, measuring less than 6mm thick and sporting rounded corners.

The all-metal unibody is made from aluminium; the tab’s button and port mix suggest you hold it sideways, with a USB-C port on the right, power on the left, volume controls on the top left, and speakers on either side.

Around the back are three pogo pins that connect to the magnetic keyboard. This is a two-part accessory, with the kickstand and keyboard components coming together to turn the tablet into a workstation. It’s a bit flimsy compared to an Apple floating keyboard, but also cheaper, more versatile and lighter, though it isn’t particularly comfortable or stable when resting it on a lap.