OnePlus Pad 4 Review: A Serious Contender Challenging the Tablet Throne

In a market long dominated by Apple’s iPad lineup, the OnePlus Pad 4 emerges as a bold contender from OnePlus. This premium Android tablet aims to be more than just another device for media consumption; it positions itself as a universal productivity powerhouse that can rival and, in several practical aspects, even surpass Apple’s offerings, such as the iPad Air, and approach the value of Pro models.

With a starting price of around ₹59,999, the Pad 4 boasts flagship hardware at a price point that undercuts many of its Apple counterparts. This review will explore whether you should choose the Pad 4 or stick with the iPad.

DESIGN & BUILD

OnePlus has refined its tablet design language with the Pad 4, resulting in one of the slimmest and most premium-feeling Android tablets available. Measuring just 5.94mm thick and weighing 672 grams, it feels remarkably portable for its large 13.2-inch screen size. The metal unibody construction reflects high quality, featuring a sleek Sage Mist finish that resists fingerprints better than I expected.

The 7:5 aspect ratio is a smart choice, making the tablet taller and more book-like than the wider 16:10 panels on many competitors. This orientation is ideal for reading documents, browsing the web, and completing productivity tasks, while also providing an immersive experience for media consumption. The bezels are thin and symmetrical, maximizing screen space without sacrificing ergonomics. The device also features eight speakers that produce rich audio, offering stereo sound with strong bass and clarity. In fact, it often outperforms iPads in terms of volume and spatial effects for movies and music.

Build quality is top-notch, with excellent rigidity and no flex. It supports the new Stylo Pro stylus and a Smart Keyboard accessory that transforms it into a laptop-like workstation. However, there are minor trade-offs as there is no fingerprint sensor (relying on face unlock, which works well but isn’t as secure or convenient in all lighting), no cellular variant, and an LCD panel rather than OLED, meaning blacks aren’t as inky as on high-end iPads.

PERFORMANCE

Under the hood, the OnePlus Pad 4 is a beast, powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, the “world’s fastest mobile CPU”. Paired with up to 12GB LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage, it handles everything from demanding games to heavy multitasking with ease. The Adreno 840 GPU ensures smooth graphics performance.

In my day-to-day use, apps launch instantly, and five-window multitasking in OxygenOS 16 feels fluid and productive. Gaming titles like Genshin Impact or Call of Duty could run at high settings and high frame rates, thanks to a large vapour chamber cooling system.

Benchmarks rank it among the top Android tablets, often competing with or surpassing Apple’s M-series chips in multi-core tasks, while iPads may excel in single-core optimization and specific creative apps. The tablet runs OxygenOS 16, based on Android 16, and is clean and feature-rich, offering enhancements such as improved split-screen and floating windows. Software updates from brands are expected to be reliable, though Apple typically excels in longevity.

The display has a 13.2-inch 3,392×2,400 (3.4K) LCD with a 144Hz adaptive refresh rate, up to 1,000 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision support, and excellent colour accuracy. Scrolling, sketching, and video playback feel buttery smooth, with 540Hz touch sampling for near-zero lag with the stylus.

BATTERY

Battery life is arguably the OnePlus Pad 4’s strongest suit. The massive 13,380mAh cell is one of the largest in premium tablets, delivering exceptional endurance. I got up to 20 hours of video playback, several days of mixed use (browsing, streaming, light productivity), and impressive battery life even under demanding tasks like gaming or stylus work.

After multiple tests, the Pad 4 delivers exceptionally long battery life during continuous use, making it ideal for travellers, students, or professionals who need all-day reliability without frequent charging.

Charging is speedy with 80W SUPERVOOC support, going from low to full in under an hour, faster than many competitors. This combination of capacity and speed addresses a common tablet pain point, giving OnePlus a clear edge over Apple in this critical area.