When Steve Jobs introduced the OG tablet to the world, the iPad, he visualised it as the 'third screen' that came between the notebook and the mobile phone. Those days are long gone. Now, if you are investing in a premium tablet, you would expect it to step into your notebook's shoes if and when needed or even be a notebook substitute altogether. Small wonder that almost every brand that launches a premium tablet these days, also launches a keyboard case with it, which allows you to use the tablet as a notebook in times of need. The latest to join this 'always tablet, sometimes notebook' gang is OnePlus.
OnePlus took the wraps off its OnePlus Pad recently, and sure enough, coming alongside it was a keyboard, the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard, which could put the tablet into notebook mode. Of course, comparisons were immediately made with another notebook-killing tablet, the similarly priced iPad (10th generation) which also comes with its own Magic Keyboard Folio. But if you wanted a tablet that could be a substitute for or even slay a notebook, which of the two tablets should you go for? Let's work that out for you.
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Design
Both the iPad and the OnePlus Pad are slightly square-ish shaped, rather than rectangular. This makes them actually easier to use in portrait mode than in landscape mode - the iPad has a 2360x1640 resolution while the OnePlus Pad has a 2800 x 2000 one. So if you are looking for that widescreen feel that you get on notebooks, you will not get it on either. You will instead get slightly tall-ish displays even when they are placed in landscape mode for using the keyboard. The OnePlus Pad has a slight edge over the iPad here as it is both taller (258 mm against 248.6 mm) and wider (189.4 against 179.5 mm). The OnePlus Pad is also slightly slimmer than the iPad (6.5 mm against 7 mm), although it is heavier at 552 grams as against 477 grams. The OnePlus Pad also has curved sides (except for one) while the iPad has straight ones, and has a larger display at 11.61 inches against the 10.90 inches of the iPad. Finally, the location of the camera on the OnePlus Plus Pad puts it at the top centre when placed in landscape mode on the keyboard, which actually makes it easier to use in notebook mode as compared to the more classic left-corner positioning of the iPad's cameras. We think the larger size of the OnePlus Pad's display gets it this round. In terms of pure tablet design, however, some people might prefer the iPad to the OnePlus Pad, and it is also available in more colours (the OnePlus Pad only comes in Halo Green at the time of writing).
Winner: OnePlus Pad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Display
The display is the business end of not just the tablet but a notebook also. And while both tablets come with excellent displays, the OnePlus Pad has both, a slightly larger (11.61 inches to 10.90 inches) as well as a higher resolution (2800 x 2000 as against 2360 x 1640). We think the iPad was handling colours a little better and seemed slightly brighter, but the OnePlus Pad's display comes with a 144 Hz refresh rate which wins it this round, although one does not scroll as much on a tablet and app support for high refresh rates remains limited.
Winner: OnePlus Pad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Hardware
If we are looking in terms of pure hardware, both tablets are at the entry point of the premium segment rather than at the top end. Both come with flagship-level processors that are a little on the older side - the OnePlus Pad runs on the Dimensity 9000 and the iPad on the A14 Bionic, both of which are more than a year old. Apple does not give data on RAM but the iPad comes with 64 GB and 256 GB variants, whereas the OnePlus Pad has 8 GB/ 128 GB and 12 GB/ 256 RAM and storage variants. In the camera department, the OnePlus Pad has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 8-megapixel selfie camera while the iPad has a 12-megapixel camera on the back as well as in front. The iPad has a definite edge in having a fingerprint scanner, which the OnePlus Pad lacks, and also a cellular variant which the OnePlus Pad does not have (it's a Wi-Fi-only machine). Both tablets also come with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity as well as a USB Type C port. We will cover the battery under a separate header, but on paper, the iPad's fingerprint scanner and higher-resolution selfie camera, both of which are handy for notebook users, win it this round.
Winner: iPad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Software
This is the zone where perhaps the biggest difference between the iPad and the OnePlus Pad comes to the fore. The iPad runs on iPadOS, whereas the OnePlus Pad runs on a version of OxygenOS customised for the tablet on top of Android 13. While both operating systems are tablet versions of software developed for smartphones and come with special gestures and features for a tablet interface, there is no doubt that iPadOS works much more smoothly than OxygenOS. Those looking to use the iPad as a notebook will also have a complete, full-fledged office suite (Pages, Numbers and Keynote) as well as the super useful Freeform app from the get-go. The OnePlus Pad on the other hand has no major apps pre-installed although it does come with a trial version of WPS Office. Apps for the iPad also worked much better when we used the iPad as a notebook, connected to the keyboard, whereas a lot of the apps on the OnePlus Pad looked like 'stretched' versions of smartphone apps. The software experience on the iPad simply feels more complete and smooth than on the OnePlus Pad.
Winner: iPad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Keyboards
Both tablets will work with any Bluetooth keyboard, but we are going to be considering the keyboards the brands themselves have released for the tablets - the Magic Keyboard Folio for the iPad and the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard for the OnePlus Pad. Both are keyboards that can also double up as covers for tablets, but they are very different in terms of design. The Magic Keyboard Folio is a two-piece gadget, with a cover for the back and a kickstand, and a separate keyboard. The Magnetic Keyboard on the other hand is a one-piece device with both the back cover and the keyboard attached to the tablet. Both keyboards attach to the tablets through magnetic pin connectors on the wider side and need no battery.
In terms of layout, both keyboards come with touchpads, but the iPad keyboard has an extra row of 14 function keys on the top, which the OnePlus keyboard lacks (the function keys are blended into the number row at the top.) We found the iPad keyboard easier to type on as its keys and touchpad are a little bigger and more responsive (the touchpad on the OnePlus Pad's Magnetic Keyboard is prone to responding to accidental touches).
The design of the iPad's Magic Keyboard Folio also allows one to have multiple viewing angles of the display while typing, while with the OnePlus Pad's Magnetic Keyboard, you are stuck with a single angle. That said, it is easier to use the OnePlus Pad with the Magnetic Keyboard when on the move as it is more stable on one's lap or other uneven surfaces. It is also easier to just take out and use, as compared to the iPad and the Magic Keyboard Folio, where you need to first fix the view angle and then fold out and connect the keyboard. All said and done, the better (and more) keys on the iPad and Magic Keyboard Folio and its more responsive touchpad win it this round.
Winner: iPad and Magic Keyboard Folio
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Battery and charging
The iPad has been legendary for its ten-hour battery life and the new iPad carries this tradition forward, easily lasting 10-11 hours on a single charge. The OnePlus Pad, however, not only matches this in spite of having a larger display with a higher refresh rate but sometimes actually seemed to last a little longer than the iPad on a single charger. The OnePlus Pad also pulls away from the iPad when it comes to charging - its SuperVOOC 67W charger charges the OnePlus Pad from 0 to 100 per cent in about 80-90 minutes, which is superior to the 2 hours taken by the 20W charger with the iPad. Using the tablets with the keyboards does not result in a very significant battery drain - you might lose about half an hour. As notebook killers, both tablets excel in the battery zone.
Its longer battery life and faster charging win the OnePlus Pad this round.
Winner: OnePlus Pad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Notebook functionality and performance
This is what it really boils down to - which of the tablets works better as a notebook. The OnePlus Pad scores on battery life and display size, and is easier to use in keyboard mode when one has to balance it on their lap or an uneven surface. However, the iPad has a clear edge in terms of typing experience on its Magic Keyboard Folio, and iPadOS on the iPad just works so much more smoothly than OxygenOS on the OnePlus Pad. There are also more productivity apps for the iPad than for the OnePlus Pad at the time of writing, and the iPad also comes with a fingerprint scanner, which makes it a more effective notebook substitute.
Winner: iPad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: General performance
If we look at general performance, the difference between the two tablets in notebook mode is not very significant. Both come with good processors and plenty of RAM so are capable of handling routine tasks like browsing the web, social networking, messaging and mail. Both devices were also at ease in handling multiple apps. And as the two tablets come with excellent displays and stereo speakers, both are great for watching films and shows, and even some heavy-duty gaming.
We think the quad speakers on the OnePlus Pad deliver slightly better sound, but the iPad’s cameras (both front and back) were consistently superior to those on the OnePlus Pad. Subject tracking on the selfie camera of the iPad also worked much better as compared to the OnePlus Pad. That said, we found the OnePlus Pad and Magnetic Keyboard combination easier to carry and maintain than the iPad and Magic Keyboard Folio combo, as the Keyboard and cover are white and pick up dust easily.
We are giving this one to the iPad mainly because of its clear camera edge and of course, the option of having a fingerprint scanner, but we can see many preferring the OnePlus Pad simply because it seems easier to pick up, and use and can be carried around with lesser fear of mucking it up!
Winner: iPad
OnePlus Pad vs iPad: Price
The OnePlus Pad is a runaway winner here. It is priced at Rs 37,999 for its 8 GB/ 128 GB variant and Rs 39,999 for its 12 GB/ 256 GB variant. The iPad on the other hand comes for Rs 44,900 for its 64 GB variant and Rs 59,900 for its 256 GB variant. The iPad's Wi-Fi+ Cellular variants are even more pricey - Rs 59,900 for 64 GB and Rs 74,900 for 256 GB. Mind you, the iPad is available at slightly lower prices with some retailers so its base model can compete with the OnePlus Pad, but if you are chasing more storage, even the 256 GB variant of the OnePlus is priced lower than the 64 GB variant of the iPad, which kind of tells the tale.
The disparity of prices in keyboards is even more spectacular. The OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard is priced at Rs 7,999, which is less than a third of the Rs 24,900 that the Apple Magic Keyboard Folio retails for.
You can get a OnePlus Pad with the Magnetic Keyboard for a starting price of Rs 45,998. You can get an iPad with a Magic Keyboard Folio at a starting price of Rs 69,800. We hear some retailers are offering the iPad and Keyboard combo for about Rs 59,000 but even at that price, it is nowhere near the official price of the OnePlus Pad and keyboard pair.
Winner: OnePlus Pad
Verdict: I wanna dump my notebook, which Pad do I go for?
So which of the two should you be going for if what you are seeking is not just a tablet, but a tablet that can slay a notebook? Well, if your budget is tight, the answer is a simple one - the OnePlus Pad with its keyboard costs only a little bit more than the base iPad (without the Magic Keyboard Folio). However, the iPad and Magic Keyboard Folio combo win hands down if budget is not a constraint and what you are seeking is actually a tablet and a keyboard combination that can actually give a mid-segment notebook (say, with a Core i5 chip), a run for its money. In a perfect world, we would have loved to have something like the iPad with the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard, or the OnePlus Pad with something close to iPadOS.
Alas, that does not seem possible, so we will keep it simple:
Every buck matters: OnePlus Pad + Magnetic Keyboard
Performance counts: iPad + Magic Keyboard Folio