OnePlus Pad 3

OnePlus continues to lead the way for Android tablets with this 13in beauty, and it's a genuine iPad alternative

- RICHARD PRIDAY

I always hoped the day would come when I'd find an Android tablet I'd be happy to exchange for my iPad - and here it is. I do have a few quibbles with the OnePlus Pad 3, and it can't fully replace an iPad for all people and purposes, but in my view it’s absolutely the best balance of price and features you can get in a tablet. It starts at a reasonably affordable £529 inc VAT in its basic form with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, or £599 for 16GB RAM and 512GB storage.

The design isn’t especially eye-catching. The flat edges and pill-shaped camera bump are par for the course, and it’s only available in a sombre Storm Blue colour. Still, in terms of usability what matters much more is its size. At 6mm, the Pad 3 is palpably thinner than the OnePlus Pad 2 (see issue 364, p86), while the display is more than an inch bigger than its predecessor. These aren't specs for specs’ sake: you now have more to work and play, with zero sacrifices - quite the opposite.

However, the OnePlus Pad 3 has equally slim opposition. The new iPad Air (see issue 368, p56) is 6.1mm thick, while the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ (see p62) matches its 6mm dimensions. Both those tablets are significantly more expensive, however: if you want 256GB of storage (and we humbly suggest you do) then you'll need to pay £899 and £749 respectively. If you're willing to put up with a thicker, 6.9mm frame, the 12.7in Lenovo Idea Tab Pro (see issue 369, p72), is a better-value choice: £400 buys you a 256GB model.

Not so square