OnePlus Pad 3: A Multimedia Marvel or a Workplace Wannabe?

The OnePlus Pad 3 is a tablet that has been designed to be a jack of all trades. It has a larger, sharper display, a bigger battery, and an updated smart keyboard. The software has also seen some meaningful improvements. However, the question remains: is it worth the price tag of $699. 99, which is $150 more than the original model? The tablet features a 13. 2-inch LCD display with a resolution of 3392 x 2400. This makes movies and shows look more vibrant. The display is housed in a slimmer, flatter aluminum frame, making it easier to carry. However, at 675g, it is heavier than the 13-inch iPad Pro and can be cumbersome to hold for long reading or viewing sessions. The tablet's eight-speaker system is a standout feature. It includes four woofers and four tweeters positioned around the device, delivering a more immersive audio experience for YouTube, games, and streaming. The battery life has also been improved with a slightly larger 12, 140mAh cell. It can easily last more than a day and can charge from 0 to 100 percent in 92 minutes. The Pad 3 runs on OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15. This operating system has seen some significant improvements, particularly for light productivity. One of the most notable upgrades is how well the Pad 3 now plays with Apple devices. It supports screen mirroring and easy sharing of files and live photos with Macs or iPhones, making it especially appealing for mixed Apple-Android households. The Mac Remote Control feature is surprisingly useful, allowing you to view and control your laptop or desktop in real time, transfer files between devices, and access PC files remotely from the tablet. The Pad 3 also supports Google’s AI tools. Circle to Search lets you instantly look up anything on screen with a gesture. Google’s Gemini Assistant is easily accessible via the power key or a dedicated Smart Keyboard shortcut. Other features feel basic but genuinely helpful, from writing tools that polish your text to a voice note cleanup feature that strips filler words from transcripts while preserving your original audio. The Pad 3 still falls short for serious productivity. While the larger screen and Open Canvas multitasking system let you run up to three apps side by side or stack and float them, the overall experience remains limited by Android software constraints. A lot of Android apps still aren’t optimized for large displays. The Pad 3 can be purchased with a set of accessories. The Stylo 2 stylus works just as well as before, but to accommodate the tablet’s larger size, you’ll need the $199 Pad 3 Smart Keyboard or the $49. 99 Pad 3 Folio Case. The Smart Keyboard features larger keys that make for a more enjoyable typing experience, along with useful extras like a built-in NFC receiver for quick file sharing and a dedicated key to launch Google’s Gemini AI assistant. However, the trackpad can be disruptive to productivity, and the keyboard’s stability needs improvement. The OnePlus Pad 3 is even better suited for binge-watching, reading, streaming music, and light multitasking than before. The improved software update policy also makes it more future-proof. However, software limitations prevent it from being a true laptop replacement or productivity powerhouse.