It’s time to unbox the OnePlus Pad 3 and reveal this magnificent monolith of a tablet in all its glory. I’ve been eagerly anticipating how this beast feels in my hand ever since I first heard early rumours and reports about it.
As is the way here, you can find the unboxing video below.
For those specs geeks out there (you know who you are), here are the specs
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
| Colours | Storm Blue |
| Dimensions | Length: 289.61 mm Width: 209.66 mm Thickness: 5.97 mm Weight: 675 g |
| Performance | Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU: Qualcomm Oryon CPU @ up to 4.32GHz GPU: Adreno 830 @ up to 1.1GHz Architecture: 64-bit |
| RAM | 12GB: LPDDR5x @ 4266MHz (4×16-bit) 16GB: Faster LPDDR5T @ 4800MHz (4×16-bit) |
| ROM | 256GB / 512GB (UFS 4.0) |
| Battery and Charging | 12.140mAh capacity Up to 80W charging |
| Display | Size: 13.2 in, 33.53cm Screen Ratio: 7:5 Ratio Type: LCD (LTPS) Screen Colour Depth: 12bit (8bit hardware +4bit FRC) Resolution: 3392*2400 Screen Ratio: 89.3% PPI: 315 Color Gamut: 96% NTSC, DCI-P3 coverage: 98%, DeltaE0.7 Refresh Rate: Up to 144 Hz, adaptive refresh Touch Sampling Rate: Up to 540 Hz, Default 120 Hz Brightness: 600nits (HBM 900 nits) |
| Audio | Speakers: 8 Speakers (4 Woofers + 4 Tweeters) Microphones: 2 Bluetooth Audio: SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, LHDC |
| Connectivity | WI-FI: Wi-Fi2.4G, Wi-Fi 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n/ Bluetooth: BR/EDR/BLE, Bluetooth 5.4, Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth High Power |
| Ports | Type-C (USB3.2 Gen1 @ 5Gbps) Audio Device Ports: Type-C |
| Cameras | Rear Camera: 13MP Front Camera: 8MP Rear Camera Shooting: Video Recording: 4K/1080P/720P @ 30fps (default: 1080P @ 30fps) EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation) supported Digital Zoom |
| Operating system | OxygenOS15 |
| Biometrics | Features Face Unlock |
| In the box | OnePlus Pad 3, Type-C Cable, Quick Start Guide, Safety Information and Warranty Card |
Now that we have the video segment and specs table out of the way, how about a full tour of the device
Starting on the right-hand side, we find the first pair of speaker grills, each containing a pair of speakers – a tweeter and a woofer. Nestled against the USB Type C 3.2 port is one of the noise-cancelling microphones, which allows for charging at up to 80W when used with an appropriately rated SuperVOOC charger.
Moving around to the bottom of the tablet, we find nothing on this version as the way of making the connection to the keyboard has been changed for the OnePlus Pad 3.
Continuing to the left-hand side where we find another pair of speaker grills and the sleep/wake button that is also the power key.
Next, we move to the top edge, which is a little bit busier as we have got the volume keys on the far left, and then towards the right-hand side, we have the area where the OnePlus Stylo 2 would connect and charge wirelessly We also find another noise cancelling microphone here as well.
Moving to the back, we find the camera island on the top right corner. It houses the 13MP camera and Dual LED flash. I’m pleased to see they’ve avoided packing a larger sensor camera into this space. With a tablet this size, the only likely subjects for photography are documents and similar items. The 13MP unit will be more than sufficient for this task.
Down at the base of the back panel, we find the newly repositioned Pogo Pin connectors for the keyboard accessory. I believe this is a better position as it alters the hinge mechanism for the keyboard, which we’ll delve into further during the full review.
The OnePlus Pad 3’s large size is due to its 13.2” LCD display. This display has a 7:5 aspect ratio and an 89.3% screen-to-body ratio. It features an adaptive refresh rate of 144Hz and a touch sampling rate of up to 540Hz, but defaults to 120Hz in normal use. The screen can reach a bright level with an HBM of 900 nits and an average of 600 nits. In terms of colour accuracy, the screen colour depth is 12-bit, comprising 8-bit hardware and 4-bit FRC. The colour gamut readings are 96% NTSC and 98% DCI-P3. The resolution is 3.4k, with 3392 x 2400 pixels.
This makes for a great screen to view content on. It’s plenty bright and punchy enough for indoor use, although I haven’t tried it outside yet. I’ll put it to the test when I’m out on the road next week or two.
Hiding away at the top of the display is the 8MP front-facing camera. It seems like the right size for its intended use case, which will likely be video chats and other similar activities.
Finally, I have included a few shots of the OnePlus Pad 3 with the OnePlus Pad 3 Smart Keyboard to show you what the OnePlus Pad 3 looks like when in laptop wanna-be mode. I am intending this to be the main way that I use the tablet as a laptop replacement.
I’m planning to use this over my MacBook Pro 14 for the next few weeks to give it a proper test. I’m fortunate that I’m also using an Oppo phone for photos and other tasks, so I can use the O+ Connect software to connect the OnePlus Pad 3 to my phone for screen mirroring and file transfer. This should streamline my workflow and allow me to use the Pad 3 effectively wherever I am, whether it’s at home or in the office.
If you’re interested in pre-ordering a OnePlus Pad 3, you can do so now from the OnePlus website, where the double storage offer is still in place. However, the OnePlus Pad 3 Smart Keyboard, which was previously a free gift, is now on a half-price offer. I would definitely consider getting this keyboard if I were to buy the tablet, even if I had to pay for it, as it allows you to use it as a quasi-laptop. Unfortunately, since the keyboard can’t be included as a free gift, you’re now limited to the OnePlus Stylo 2, the OnePlus Pad 3 Folio Case, or a OnePlus SUPERVOOC 80W Dual Ports GaN Power Adapter Kit.
Check back in with us in a few weeks for our full review of the OnePlus Pad 3 and see if it managed to replace my MacBook!