This is the fastest tablet ever made by OnePlus and shipped for consumers to buy. Undoubtedly a great foundation to build upon. I’ve often paid attention to the trajectory of Android tablet usability over the past few years, and while Google has done its part to improve Android for this form factor of devices, it’s tablet makers like OnePlus that have been working hard to make the software productivity-focused. The OnePlus Pad 4, while retaining the larger display real estate of its predecessor, adds more in terms of what the company classifies as “PC level productivity.”
price of oneplus pad 4 ₹54,999 for the 8GB memory and 256GB storage spec, while the 12GB+512GB variant (I recommend it) is priced at ₹59,999. Chances are you’re also considering the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 ( ₹Starting at Rs 1,13,900), Xiaomi Pad 8 ( ₹33,999 onwards; but with a comparatively smaller screen but with a nano-texture matte option), and the Oppo Pad 5 (ie). ₹Starting at Rs 27,999; Even a smaller screen for your next tablet purchase). The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is very similar to the OnePlus Pad 4 in terms of its larger 13.2-inch screen, and it’s significantly more expensive. ₹Starting from Rs 1,22,999. Suddenly, the OnePlus Pad 4 already seems like good value.
I’ll first point out one important reason why you might be considering the OnePlus Pad 4, and that’s productivity – as a laptop replacement, second machine for travel, etc. The flexibility and subjectivity are endless. The good news is that the work OnePlus has done in trying to make the tablet as close to a laptop in terms of productivity possibilities as possible is excellent. I emphasize that this familiarity is a prerequisite for doing any kind of work, and this is not always possible on a consumption-first interface. Multi-tasking improvements increase the number of windows you can have open at the same time, some in the background—it’s now five. And with the keyboard accessory that also has a very useful trackpad (I’d strongly recommend these if this is your laptop replacement), switching between them is simple.
Two major updates within OxygenOS to simplify file management. Firstly, there is the multi-column view within the Files app, which gives you a proper preview of any file (an understandable glimpse of content, file size, date saved and so on) without having to open each file one by one. This is very similar to how the Finder can be configured in macOS or how to set up the Files app on the iPad – it’s nice to see OnePlus bringing the experience closer to this feature. Secondly, there’s support for external drives connected via USB-C, which you can now drag-and-drop between the tablet and that external storage.
The trio of productivity genius is completed with the O+ Connect app which proves the key to using Windows or a Mac or iPad as a second screen – the mouse and keyboard work seamlessly on both devices. File transfers, especially heavy ones, become simple, cross-device. Even if you have a large number of messaging or email notifications coming through on your tablet or PC, repeating them across the screen allows you to actively use them more at a particular time, meaning you won’t miss them as well. OnePlus has always done a good job of creating that ecosystem, at least between its phones and tablets, and this expansion to welcoming computing devices is a very welcome step forward.
This observation sits at the intersection of productivity and subjectivity, but I’m glad to hear that OnePlus has reworked the keyboard accessory. it’s better now. From that fairly useless two part design, to a more reassuring (and premium looking) design that uses a magnet system to dock the OnePlus Pad 4 and has it float slightly above the top of the keyboard. It looks good, feels good, and can even be used on the lap when you’re traveling – something the two-part design doesn’t allow at all. That said, I don’t have any assessment of the keyboard quality, key response, or trackpad experience to describe, as OnePlus hasn’t shipped this review accessory yet.
There is a certain continuity in the design of the OnePlus Pad 4 when viewed side by side with the OnePlus Pad 3. This is definitely a positive thing, because this clean and well-thought-out design language worked last year, and works now too. With a metal chassis, 5.94mm slim design and well-controlled weight, it just works. You have two color options, Dune Glow with a bronze-esque hue and Green-er Sage Mist with a frosted look, both of which provide good contrast to choose from.
Generationally, a huge step up in terms of specifications and therefore inherent future-proofing capability. OnePlus gave last year’s Pad 3 the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, its flagship chip at the time. The OnePlus Pad 4 is built with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, arguably the best silicon OnePlus could have used this time. The larger battery as well (13380mAh with 80W fast charging vs 12140mAh with 80W fast charging) is the perfect upgrade where it was needed.
I would give a lot of importance to the Cryo-Velocity cooling technology, which is essentially a combination of graphite composites and a large vapor chamber, which is claimed to have a volume of 45260 mm square, to keep the thermals under control. You may not often feel the heating on the back panel on a tablet, but the main thing is that it helps in keeping the performance consistent without the heating induced performance slowdown that presents the scenario of sluggish app response or app switching. As an everyday machine or other computing device, it’s best not to notice any changes.
All the specifications of OnePlus Pad 4 seem accurate. The 13.2-inch display size isn’t something that many Android tablet makers offer, especially at these price points (the 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra costs significantly more). ₹122999 onwards). The Xiaomi Pad 8, which sports an 11.2-inch display, still doesn’t have a larger screen size sibling in this category. The attention to detail like the antenna design, which has been reworked for better device-to-device connectivity (OnePlus claims AI is at work here too, I’ll let them make that claim), tells you that the OnePlus Pad 4 has been designed with a lot of thought and unwavering attention to detail.
But then OnePlus goes ahead and launches the Pad 4 in Wi-Fi spec only, which is a big letdown for the audience this tablet is trying to attract – the convenience of 5G via physical SIM or eSIM remains unmatched when you want to get things done quickly without interruptions. It makes sense that they’re pushing the ecosystem for their smartphones here too, but not everyone will be playing ball – tablets will have to appeal equally to a wide audience. While this seems to be generational inertia, we can collectively hope that this will change soon. Even more so, because the OnePlus Pad 4 leaves remarkably little room for criticism.
