Android tablets have had a chaotic life story. While the iPad has maintained a steady dominant path since 2010, I’ve seen Android tablets come and go. Samsung has steadily made good ones; Google has returned focus to them again with the Pixel Tablet. Then there are more budget-friendly options from Amazon and Lenovo. And now OnePlus has its own midrange option, the OnePlus Pad, that’s also worth considering. The good news is that about $500 can get you some good options right now if you want a tablet that runs Android apps. The unclear news is how well Android OS and Android apps will keep adapting to make these tablets everything we want them to be.
If you’ve been following Samsung’s Galaxy Tab designs, OnePlus is taking a similar path with its Pad but at a lower price. The OnePlus Pad feels premium enough to get all your everyday basic tablet needs done, and it has accessories to make it feel like a sort-of laptop, much like an iPad. But, as a device that’s still spiritually separated from Google’s new home-focused Pixel Tablet, it runs a variant type of Android OS. I want the tablet where OnePlus Pad meets Pixel Tablet, mixing the best of both. It’s close. But right now the Android tablet landscape makes you choose your purpose.
I’m writing my OnePlus Pad review on the OnePlus Pad, because it has its own optional keyboard case with a trackpad. This, and a stylus, make it a tablet worth considering if you’re mostly into the idea of working on big-screen apps on the go with work accessories.