In case you’ve been eyeing the brand new iPad Professional M4 however flinched on the $1,300 worth, there’s another choice that deserves critical consideration.
The pill I’m referring to doesn’t include Apple’s brand or OLED advertising buzz, however it does include a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a 13.2-inch high-resolution show, and the identical form of polish. This places it effectively above most Android tablets. It’s nearer to the iPad Professional than you may count on.
However essentially the most mind-boggling half is that it begins at simply $700.
This isn’t a pill that asks you to settle. It asks a a lot better query: Are high-end tablets overpriced?
The efficiency hole isn’t as vast as you’d assume
The iPad Professional M4 is quicker on paper, however in real-world use, the OnePlus Pad 3 delivers efficiency that feels simply as fluid and succesful for many duties. | Picture credit score — PhoneArena
If you’re aware of the pill scene, and in case you have been studying our current information and evaluations, you most likely already know the pill I’m speaking about — the OnePlus Tab 3.
Let’s begin with the iPad Professional’s largest energy — its uncooked energy. The iPad Professional M4 is essentially the most highly effective pill available on the market in the present day, there’s little doubt about it. It reached a 13,280 rating in our Geekbench 6 multi-core exams, simply outpacing each Android rival, together with the OnePlus Pad 3, which scored slightly below 9,000.
However as traditional, context issues. In day-to-day utilization, you’d be hard-pressed to note the distinction. The Pad 3 delivers uncompromising efficiency—it stayed cool beneath stress and ran with the identical fluidity we’ve come to count on from OnePlus telephones. Except you are routinely enhancing 4K video with a number of digital camera feeds, the Snapdragon 8 Elite delivers extra efficiency than most customers will ever want.
In the meantime, the iPad Professional M4 has the unlucky (and well-known) downside of underutilized energy. iPadOS continues to be restrictive, though this is perhaps altering with iPadOS 26 — extra on that later.
A sharper show with stellar distinction regardless of the dearth of OLED
Apple’s large show improve in 2024 was the transfer to Tandem OLED, and the iPad Professional M4’s 13-inch Extremely Retina XDR panel is legitimately gorgeous. It hits as much as 1,600 nits of HDR brightness and provides inky blacks that you may die for. However OnePlus has accomplished an incredible job as effectively.
The Pad 3 incorporates a sharp 13.2-inch LCD show with a crisp 3392 x 2400 decision. Its 7:5 facet ratio is extra versatile than the iPad Professional’s 4:3, supplying you with additional room for multitasking and video whereas nonetheless feeling comfy for studying and vertical use. And though it’s not OLED, it’s nonetheless sharp, vibrant, color-accurate, and many shiny, peaking at 900 nits. You additionally get a 144Hz refresh fee, which is definitely increased than Apple’s ProMotion 120Hz.
Battery life: OnePlus wins the place it issues
Let’s speak longevity. The iPad Professional M4 13-inch lasted simply 5 hours and 25 minutes on our customized battery rating, with 10h and 54min of internet searching and 8h and 22min of video playback. Not dangerous, however not nice both, particularly contemplating Apple’s traditional “all-day” promise. And with the M4 chip’s increased efficiency ceiling, battery drain throughout intensive duties can drop these numbers quick.The OnePlus Pad 3, then again, reached a 15-hour end in our searching take a look at, demolishing the iPad and even besting most Android rivals. Video and gaming outcomes have been additionally fairly stable.
As for the charging, OnePlus is unsurprisingly the winner because of its 80W charging, which was sufficient to cost the pill 0-100% in simply over 90 minutes. The iPad, then again, takes two and a half hours, utilizing a a lot slower 18W brick.
A greater than anticipated audio expertise
One factor that actually stood out in our OnePlus Pad 3 overview was its audio efficiency. Eight audio system — together with 4 woofers and 4 tweeters — ship booming sound with stunning bass depth. It’s not simply loud, the audio profile is immersive. A lot in order that watching films or taking part in video games with out headphones feels oddly full.
Apple’s audio system are good — may even be the most effective, in reality — however the brand new Professional misplaced some bass as a result of its slimmer construct. It’s nonetheless detailed and clear, however for a tool that prices $600 much less, the Pad 3 comes dangerously shut. OnePlus undoubtedly knew what it was doing right here.
Equipment comparability: cheaper, however they do the job
OnePlus Pad 3 equipment are cheaper than Apple’s, however their decrease construct high quality and enter efficiency go away room for enchancment. | Picture credit score — PhoneArena
That is one space the place OnePlus nonetheless feels a step behind. Whereas the Pad 3’s equipment are extra reasonably priced than Apple’s — $200 vs $349 for the keyboard and $100 vs $129 for the stylus — additionally they fall quick when it comes to polish. The keyboard’s trackpad has inconsistent pointer habits, and the stylus nonetheless lags behind Apple’s Pencil or Samsung’s S Pen on the subject of responsiveness and palm rejection. For a pill with such premium {hardware}, the enter expertise ought to match.That stated, it’s a welcome gesture that OnePlus enables you to select a free OnePlus Pad 3 Folio Case or Stylo 2 in case you order the pill early. It softens the blow and offers new customers an opportunity to get began with out shelling out additional. However going ahead, OnePlus must carry its equipment as much as the identical normal because the pill itself.
iPadOS vs. OxygenOS
iPadOS is sleeker and extra skilled, however OxygenOS on the OnePlus Pad 3 provides better freedom, flexibility, and fewer ecosystem constraints. | Picture credit score — PhoneArena
I feel the distinction between iPadOS and OxygenOS is that this: Apple provides a elegant, constant expertise with fastidiously built-in options, whereas OnePlus has a extra sandbox method that provides you management and adaptability.
iPadOS 26 introduces a glossy new interface, higher exterior show assist, and highly effective instruments like Stage Supervisor 2. And to Apple’s credit score, the pill runs skilled apps like Remaining Lower Professional and Photoshop, which blur the road between pill and desktop computing.
That stated, iPadOS nonetheless enforces some irritating limits. There is no open file system, app workflows may be fragile (as we noticed in our iPad Professional M4 overview, the place minimizing an app mid-export brought about a failure), and also you’re locked into Apple’s tight ecosystem.
Against this, OxygenOS on the OnePlus Pad 3 might not be as refined, however it provides you extra respiratory room. You possibly can set up full Android apps with out gatekeeping, work with information extra freely, and use intelligent options like Open Canvas for multitasking. It even borrows a couple of tips from Oppo’s ecosystem for higher integration with Macs and PCs.
The decision?
The iPad Professional M4 is a technical masterpiece. However the OnePlus Pad 3 is a realistic, and an awesome bang on your buck answer. For about half the value, you get a pill that trades blows with Apple’s finest on show high quality, efficiency, and battery life. It provides higher charging, comparable audio, and arguably extra flexibility for informal and energy customers alike.Sure, you surrender OLED, some ecosystem perks, and Apple’s five-year software program replace promise, however what you get in return is worth that feels virtually disruptive.
OnePlus didn’t simply construct an awesome Android pill. It gave us one of the simplest ways to save lots of on new iPad Professional.
