Let’s be trustworthy, Android tablets have lengthy been a failure. It’s why the words tablet and iPad are nearly synonymous today. Every yr, Apple made tweaks to its cellular working system to optimize it for its tablets—going as far as to ultimately separate it out as a standalone OS called iPadOS—whereas Google solely periodically supplied its consideration to the Android pill area.

I purchased the Nexus 7, certainly one of Google’s first tablets (made by Asus), again in 2013, and I used it to demise. It was compact and straightforward to make use of, and I by no means felt an identical degree of attachment with one other Android pill since—till now, with the brand new OnePlus Pad. OnePlus’ first pill is a slick machine with highly effective {hardware} and the correct software program that encourages you to make use of it for extra than simply leisure. With this slate, Android tablets are beginning to lastly really feel like a viable different to the iPad and a pc you may reliably use for work and play.

Clean Slate

Some of the success of the OnePlus Pad has to do with the working system itself. It runs Android 13, which, as promised by Google last year, has a number of tablet-friendly optimizations that make interacting and multitasking with a bigger display slightly simpler. That contains extra first-party apps designed to utilize the bigger display actual property.

That’s to not say OnePlus hasn’t added any of its personal perks. I’m penning this evaluate, for example, on the Pad with split-screen mode turned on. I’ve one Chrome tab on the left of the display, and one other on the correct with reference materials. You can induce this split-screen mode fairly simply in any app with only a two-finger swipe down on the display.

Apps may float, not in contrast to Slide View on an iPad. There’s slightly tray of (customizable) apps you may pull out from the correct facet of the display. Tap on one, and the app will open as a floating window you may partially resize. When I’m in split-screen mode, I open up Slack or Gmail in floating view as a 3rd app to rapidly test a notification with out having to fully go away the apps I’m working in. Multitasking feels fairly darn fluid on this machine, and that is vital. Before, working for lengthy stretches on an Android pill was a ache within the rear. Now, I truly do not thoughts spending a workday on the OnePlus Pad.

It helps that each cameras are positioned within the middle too. Neither the 8-MP selfie digicam nor the 13-MP rear digicam are something to write down residence about (video high quality is sufficient), however the former is in a great place for video conferences and the digicam can comply with your face when you’re shifting round in your seat, like Center Stage on the iPad. This works in Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams. I took a gathering on the Pad with Microsoft Teams and the digicam stayed near my face, and I used the floating window mode for Google Docs to take notes on the identical time. It was easy.