OnePlus Pad 3 Storm Blue, 13.2″ 3.4K LCD 144 Hz Review

The OnePlus Pad 3 is a tablet that knows its audience. With a screen that lands in the 94th percentile and a massive 12,140 mAh battery, it's built for long sessions of streaming and browsing. But the specs tell a more nuanced story. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 12GB of RAM sound great on paper, but the CPU and GPU performance percentiles sit in the 30s and 40s, which means it's solid but not a powerhouse. It's a device that prioritizes the viewing experience above all else.

Performance is a mixed bag. The Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is capable, but its CPU and GPU scores land in the 39th and 41st percentiles respectively. That means it's fine for everyday tasks and casual gaming, but don't expect it to keep up with the top-tier tablets in heavy workloads. The 12GB of RAM helps with multitasking, though it's only in the 31st percentile. The real star is that 13.2-inch 3.4K 144Hz LCD screen. At the 94th percentile, it's stunningly sharp and smooth, making everything from scrolling to video look fantastic.

At $700, the OnePlus Pad 3 is priced as a premium Android tablet. You're paying primarily for that elite screen and the large battery. The performance hardware, while decent, doesn't match the price tag when you look at the percentiles. You can find competitors with stronger CPUs and GPUs for similar money, but few will match this specific combination of display quality and battery capacity.

Compared to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+, you're getting a better screen but weaker overall performance and less storage. The Tab S10+ will likely feel faster. Against the Apple iPad Pro, there's no contest in raw power or app ecosystem, but the OnePlus Pad 3 undercuts it on price and offers a higher refresh rate display. The Lenovo Idea Tab Pro offers a similar large-screen experience for less money, but with lower-end specs. If your top priority is a beautiful screen for media consumption and you live in the Android world, this tablet has a clear edge.

The OnePlus Pad 3 is a fantastic media consumption device held back by middling core performance. If you want the best possible screen on an Android tablet for watching movies and browsing the web, and you don't need to do heavy lifting, it's a compelling choice. But if you need a tablet for productivity, gaming, or future-proof performance, the CPU and GPU percentiles suggest you should look at the competition. It's a specialist, not an all-rounder.