For decades, smartphones have progressively grown larger, and subsequently, so have tablets, and the lines between big phones and small tablets have grown progressively more blurry. Some companies make smaller phones or tablets, but these are exceptions to the rule.
A case in point is Samsung’s tablet portfolio. Samsung debuted the Galaxy Tab S10 series in October but dropped a replacement for the regular Galaxy Tab S9. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra pick up where their predecessors left off, but if you’re a Galaxy Tab S9 user, you’ll either have to buy the FE series or switch to an alternative.
One potential alternative is the OnePlus Pad 2. It’s larger than the Galaxy Tab S9 but slightly smaller than the Tab S10 Plus. I’ve been using it for a few months, and it’s phenomenal. In particular, it’s the perfect blend of productivity, portability, and power, and some of OnePlus’ staple features — like super-fast charging — are a cut above the competition.
Yes, it still suffers from the same perils as all Android tablets — namely that the iPad has a higher overall quality of apps — but that aside, OnePlus has developed an unbeatable formula. Here’s why the OnePlus Pad 2 is still my favorite Android tablet here in 2025.
Flagship hardware in tablet form
The OnePlus Pad 2 follows previous OnePlus devices by combining flagship specs in a more affordable form factor. This means the latest silicon, great battery life, and super-fast charging — and the OnePlus Pad 2 delivers in every way.
It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. There’s a 12.1 display — versus the 12.4-inch in the Tab S10 Plus — but a tweaked aspect ratio to the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus means the OnePlus Pad 2 is significantly shorter and a little wider.
At 584 grams, the OnePlus Pad 2 is heavier than Samsung’s latest tablet, but the smaller size and more friendly aspect ratio means it’s easy to carry. I find the thinner and bigger Samsung design language less friendly, but OnePlus has built a tablet that feels great in the hand.
Excellent battery and super-fast charging
If you’ve used a OnePlus phone before, you’ll be familiar with the OnePlus battery and charging experience. The OnePlus Pad 2 follows OnePlus phones by offering much faster charging than the competition and excellent battery life. Like the Galaxy Tab S10 series — and unlike OnePlus phones — you get a USB cable in the box but no charging brick.
As long as you’ve got a OnePlus phone, chances are you will have a brick capable of delivering the 67W charging speeds on the OnePlus Pad 2. Like most products, it rapidly charges at first before slowing down toward the end. For example, charging around 60% takes just 30 minutes, but a full charge will take almost 90 minutes.
The 9,510mAh battery isn’t the largest, but it is more than capable of lasting several days with average usage. I’ve achieved more than 11 hours of mixed usage on a single charge, and the standby time seems much stronger than other tablets. The Galaxy Tab S10 Plus has a slightly larger battery and display but offers similar battery life, albeit with slower 45W charging speeds.
A great media and gaming experience
The OnePlus Pad 2 stands out as a media player for one key reason: OnePlus focused on the display and the media playback experience. The list of features is considerable and includes Dolby Vision support, a 144Hz refresh rate, and 900 nits peak brightness. It’s made for media, gaming, and everything in between.
The display is only IPS, and there are occasions when I miss the Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the Tab S10 series, but it’s one of the best Android tablet displays that I’ve used. Unfortunately, it’s still not on par with the Tandem OLED display on the iPad Pro with M4 — which stacks two OLED displays on top of each other — but it’s a phenomenal experience otherwise.
In particular, it’s an excellent portable Netflix player. Instead of carrying an Apple TV+ — a key item on my travel tech list — for shorter trips, I’ve paired the OnePlus Pad 2 with a USB-C to HDMI cable and plugged it into a hotel TV. It lacks the DeX desktop features of the Galaxy Tab S10 series, but otherwise, it works flawlessly and is the perfect way to add Netflix or YouTube TV to any hotel TV.
A fantastic keyboard with one exception
The OnePlus Pad 2 keyboard makes typing fun again. The soft finish on the keys, a springy action, and good key travel make it fun to type away on the keyboard. Unfortunately, OnePlus also tooketh away: it opted against my favorite keyboard.
Like the Magic Keyboard for the iPad Pro, OnePlus used to offer an excellent magnetic keyboard for its tablets. Unfortunately, for the Pad 2, OnePlus chose to make a smart keyboard style keyboard instead, and while the keyboard is fantastic, it isn’t ideally suited for use in your lap on the go.
The benefit is that the keyboard is now detachable from the tablet, allowing it to simultaneously serve two purposes. I hope that OnePlus develops the Magnetic Keyboard again, but for now, the Smart Keyboard is still a joy to use.
Great multitasking and software features
The OnePlus Pad 2 is compatible with the OnePlus Stylo 2, the company’s answer to the Apple Pencil. The tablet also brings the best multitasking features on a foldable form factor to a bigger display, and despite my love for Samsung’s approach to multitasking, Open Canvas on the OnePlus Pad 2 is my new favorite.
Let’s start with Open Canvas, which made its debut 18 months ago on the OnePlus Open. Until OnePlus, every Android manufacturer has approached multitasking in the same way: splitting the display into different-sized windows that can each load an app.
OnePlus took an entirely different approach, and it is innovative enough that it deserves to be the default multitasking feature on all Android devices. Instead of splitting the screen into three different windows, Open Canvas imagines multiple screens that you can swipe between. It’s great on a foldable, but it shines on the 12.1-inch screen on the OnePlus Pad 2.
Outstanding value for money
The OnePlus Pad 2 is a quintessential OnePlus device as it offers excellent specs and a great all-around experience at a more affordable price than the competition. In short, the OnePlus Pad 2 offers excellent value for money. It’s a compelling package, but then you consider its pricing and positioning compared to the competition.
In the U.S., the OnePlus Pad 2 costs $550 for the higher-spec version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. There are often deals available and at the time of writing, it’s discounted by 18% to just $450. The OnePlus Pad Smart Keyboard costs $135 additional, while the OnePlus Stylo 2 costs $100. However, at the time of writing, you can choose one of these as a gift when purchasing the OnePlus Pad 2.
How does this compare? In the Android space, it’s the same price as the Galaxy Tab S9 FE Plus — which comes with a bundled S-Pen but charges extra for the keyboard — but less than half the price of the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus, which starts at $1,000. For those wanting an iPad alternative, the OnePlus Pad 2 is akin to the iPad Air, which starts at $599 for the 11-inch and $799 for the 13-inch models.
It’s not often I actively use an Android tablet over my iPad, but the OnePlus Pad 2 has earned its spot in my go-bag. I just wish OnePlus had made a Magnetic Keyboard.
