I bought OnePlus Pad 3.
A High-Performance, Large-Screen Tablet
The OnePlus Pad 3 is a high-end Android tablet equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite, LPDDR5X memory (the 16GB version has the superior LPDDR5T), and UFS 4.0 storage.
It features a large 13.2-inch display with a 3392×2400 resolution and a 7:5 aspect ratio, making it suitable for viewing two-page spreads of manga and for document browsing.
If you have a smartphone with OxygenOS, you can share mobile data and GPS location information with the OnePlus Pad 3, allowing you to use it like a cellular version while saving power.
This review is conducted with the 12GB+256GB version, OPD2415_15.0.1.306(EX01).
- Snapdragon 8 Elite, balancing high performance and power efficiency
- Huge 13.2-inch display
- Location services available through OxygenOS smartphone integration
- Large 12,140mAh battery
- Equipped with 8 speakers
- Video output supported via USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
- Some unfinished aspects, like the lack of a Game Mode
- The back vibrates at high volumes
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
|---|---|
| OS | Android 15 |
| RAM | 12GB / 16GB LPDDR5X |
| Storage | 256GB / 512GB UFS 4.0 |
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Display | 13.2-inch 3392 x 2400 7:5 Aspect Ratio 144Hz Refresh Rate LCD |
| Dimensions | 289.61 × 209.66 × 5.97mm |
| Weight | 675g (Measured 684.8g) |
| SIM | — |
| Rear Camera | 13MP |
| Front Camera | 8MP |
| Battery | 12,140mAh |
| USB Port | USB Type-C (USB 3.2 Gen 1) |
Index
The only accessory included is the manual; a charger is not included, so you’ll need to purchase one separately if you need it.
You can also fast charge with a third-party PPS-compatible charger.
Also, a protective film is not pre-applied.
Display: Large and Easy to See
The OnePlus Pad 3 features a 13.2-inch display with a 3392×2400 resolution.
It’s quite large with thin bezels, perfect for those who want to enjoy videos and games on a big screen.
The 7:5 aspect ratio, known as the silver ratio, allows manga and other content to be displayed with almost no margins.
Websites and spreadsheets can also display a larger area at once, improving productivity.
The Chinese version has a feature to change the aspect ratio for each app, but it seems this has not yet been implemented in the global version.
When watching videos, the black bars are slightly larger.
There was no stuttering at all during video playback.
When measuring the brightness with an LX-1336B while displaying a full white image at maximum brightness, it reached a maximum of 426 nits.
This is sufficient brightness for indoor use.
It’s a unit that indicates the degree of brightness; the higher the number, the brighter it is.
It’s generally considered that 400-500 nits are needed for indoor visibility, and 800-1000 nits for outdoor visibility.
Incidentally, many devices limit the maximum brightness unless automatic brightness adjustment is turned on.
The refresh rate supports 144Hz.
It can be set for individual apps, with choices of 90Hz, 120Hz, and 144Hz.
Measuring the touch sampling rate with the Touch Sample Rate Tester, the Movement Rate was around 290Hz on average for both single and multi-touch.
It relates to the sensitivity of the screen when touched.
A higher number usually means the screen responds more quickly to touch.
However, touch latency is not determined by this alone; other factors can contribute to a larger overall touch delay.
As a guideline, a Movement Rate that is about twice the screen’s refresh rate is normal, over three times is high, and for gaming smartphones, it’s often around 5-6 times.
The total touch latency measured with the WALT Latency Timer was 41.9ms.
This is the time it takes for the screen to respond after being touched.
The smaller this number, the faster the response.
For gaming phones, it’s around 25ms, while for regular smartphones, the low 30-40ms range is common.
With Widevine L1, you can enjoy high-quality streaming playback on services like Amazon Prime Video.
Back: Metallic
The back has a matte finish, making it easy to wipe off fingerprints and smudges.
The camera protrudes, so it wobbles a bit when placed on a desk.
It weighs 684.8g.
Speakers: 8 Units with Spatial Audio
The OnePlus Pad 3 is equipped with 8 speakers.
The bass and vocals are strong, while the treble feels a bit subdued.
The volume is sufficiently loud, but the back starts to vibrate when you turn it up from around the 5th level.
It only supports its proprietary sound effect called OReality and is compatible with spatial audio called Holo Audio.
Turning on Dynamic Soundscape separates vocals and instruments, enhancing the stereo effect.
Checking the supported codecs with Bluetooth Codec Changer, it supports AAC / aptX / aptX HD / aptX Adaptive / LDAC / LHDC.
LHDC V5 compatible earphones are not restricted by manufacturer and can be used with other brands.
Port: 80W Charging Support
The OnePlus Pad 3 has a large 12,140mAh battery and supports 80W fast charging.
The USB 3.2 Gen 1 port allows for high-speed data transfer and also supports video/audio output via DisplayPort Alt Mode.
Unfortunately, it does not support bypass charging, but there is an option to stop charging at 80%.
[Update] Bypass charging is now available with an update! As of 2025/07/15, you need to flash the EU ROM, but I think it will come to the global version soon.
The OnePlus Pad 3 itself is a Wi-Fi only tablet, but by using the “Communication Sharing” feature with a OnePlus smartphone, you can use mobile data and location information on the OnePlus Pad 3.
With a ColorOS phone, only mobile data sharing is possible, whereas with an OxygenOS phone, you can also share calls and location information.
Unlike tethering, it is optimized and is said to reduce power consumption by 30%.
When using Communication Sharing, it truly behaves as if the OnePlus Pad 3 itself is communicating, so you won’t be rejected by location-based games for not having GPS.
It supports Wi-Fi 7 and 6GHz, and I was able to connect at a link speed of 2882Mbps.
It is equipped with sensors such as a magnetic sensor and a gyroscope.
It does not have a fingerprint sensor, so the only biometric authentication available for unlocking is face recognition.
Performance: High Stability and Smooth Operation
The OnePlus Pad 3 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and thanks to its large body, it dissipates heat well, allowing high performance to be sustained.
For some reason, Game Mode is not pre-installed, but you can use it by installing OnePlus Games from the Play Store. I wonder why they didn’t include it…
In Geekbench 6, the package name disguised version (unaffected by manufacturer’s unfair boosting) scored 1631 for single-core and 4792 for multi-core, while the normal version scored 3027 for single-core and 8862 for multi-core.
The significant difference suggests that performance control based on package name detection is being used.
Many manufacturers have been caught cheating by identifying famous benchmark apps like AnTuTu by their package names and then loosening thermal controls or locking high clock speeds just for the benchmark to make scores look better.
This behavior is different from normal app usage, which leads to situations where “the benchmark scores are good, but other apps don’t perform as well.”
Since the boosting behavior differs between manufacturers, comparing boosted results is meaningless.
Therefore, it’s important to change the package name to disguise it as a general app to get the correct, non-boosted score.
This is explained in detail in this article.
It’s a benchmark that quantifies the CPU’s processing performance, used in tasks like background blurring and text processing.
Single-core performance is important for light, everyday tasks, while multi-core performance is crucial for heavy games.
A single-core score of 1200 or more and a multi-core score of 3000 or more should provide a comfortable experience for most uses.
Benchmark results are summarized in this article.
In the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress Test with a disguised package name, the score was 6620 -> 4985.
The stability is high, and the battery temperature is kept low, rising only to 39°C.
Wild Life Extreme is a benchmark that uses the Vulkan API to quantify GPU performance with graphics at a 3840×2160 resolution.
A higher score means smoother 3D rendering in games, and high Stability means that high performance can be maintained for a long time.
Since this is only a general, simple indicator for Vulkan API use, and considering that popular games hardly use the Vulkan API, the score isn’t very useful. Its main purpose is to check the heat generation during GPU use.
One can only speculate that if it performs well in Vulkan, it will likely perform well in OpenGL too, or if it tends to heat up, it might be difficult to maintain FPS in actual games.
In PCMark Work 3.0 (package name disguised version), which measures performance in everyday use like document manipulation, the score was 13186.
It’s a benchmark that quantifies processing performance for tasks like web browsing and editing images and videos.
A higher score means faster processing, but the balance with battery consumption is also important, so a lower score is not necessarily bad.
A score of 8000 or more is sufficient.
It is equipped with UFS 4.0 storage and LPDDR5X memory.
The results from the CPDT Benchmark showed top-class speeds for both read and write.
Sequential read/write is the read/write speed that affects copying large files and video encoding/decoding.
Random read/write is the speed for reading/writing small files, and this speed is important when using apps and games.
Playing the CPU-intensive game Genshin Impact for 30 minutes in Performance Mode at the highest graphics settings and 60 FPS in Natlan (moving along a path while using skills in combat) and measuring with Scene 8, it averaged 59.9 FPS with a power consumption of 114.02mW per FPS.
The battery temperature rose to a maximum of about 35.7°C.
Despite the high resolution, power consumption is low, it generates little heat, and the frame rate is stable, which is excellent.
Unfortunately, unlike the Chinese version, the global version does not have frame interpolation or upscaling features.
Lower power consumption per FPS indicates better power efficiency.
Good power efficiency means less battery consumption, while poor efficiency leads to rapid battery drain.
A smartphone with poor power efficiency in games tends to have high battery consumption in other apps as well, often making the battery feel like it drains quickly.
Average FPS (frames per second) indicates how smoothly the display can be maintained, and higher is better.
(To be more specific, the perceived smoothness improves with a high average FPS and fewer “janks” or stutters.)
Playing the GPU-intensive game Honkai: Star Rail for 30 minutes in Performance Mode at the highest graphics settings in Penacony’s “The Golden Hour” while repeatedly using Acheron’s technique resulted in an average of 59.5 FPS.
The battery temperature reached a maximum of 38.4°C, which is hotter and consumes more power than Genshin Impact. However, doing the same on a smartphone often results in temperatures exceeding 40°C and unstable frame rates, so the OnePlus Pad 3’s ability to sustain performance is quite excellent.
Summary
- Snapdragon 8 Elite, balancing high performance and power efficiency
- Huge 13.2-inch display
- Location services available through OxygenOS smartphone integration
- Large 12,140mAh battery
- Equipped with 8 speakers
- Video output supported via USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
- Some unfinished aspects, like the lack of a Game Mode
- The back vibrates at high volumes
The OnePlus Pad 3 is a highly satisfying tablet with its high performance, beautiful large display, large-capacity battery, and 8 speakers that let you enjoy spatial audio.
If you have a smartphone with OxygenOS, you can also share mobile data and location information, allowing you to use it for navigation and other purposes outdoors.