TL;DR Far from it, I still use it in a more casual way, but everyday.
It’s been one year since the OnePlus Pad released, and it was a good one overall. There’s definitely been a learning curve to get the best out of it and it was worth figuring things out. From entertainment to productivity, it’s been a journey!
The Expectations #
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The angle is not adjustable.
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Does it replace a laptop? No, but sometimes it’s all you need.
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Am I going to use it daily? I use it almost daily, mostly at night to watch videos or shows.
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Will I be more productive using it? Depends, it can be an improvised second monitor for quick access to documentation/slack/email.
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Am I going to use the pen and get good at drawing? No
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Is the pen going to stick to the tablet magnetically? Not even close, gonna have to look for it at the bottom of the backpack half of the time. Sometimes it will disappear for days or weeks.
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What about the keyboard case? A little better, gets a lot more use. It’s very portable! Don’t even need a mouse (I’ll still carry one around though)
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Am I gonna run linux and vscode? If I had more space to fool around I’d definitely do it.
The Good #
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The screen is still the biggest feature. The picture quality is delightful. Media consumption really is the meat and bones for this tablet.
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The price is super competitive and really is the best value in this pricing bracket.
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The Keyboard needs to be backlit but it really is the best accessory you can buy. It gets in the way sometimes. The mouse pad it has is handy and responsive. I use it quite often. It’s comfortable to type in it if you’re in a good posture.
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The OnePlus Stylo is very optional but I end up using it a lot despite not drawing. Just navigating with it is pretty fun. I will try using it for 3D Modeling.
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Battery life is good and not to mention charging speed, which should be OnePlus staple feature by now.
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Using it as a separate monitor for my laptop for when I’m traveling is a really good feature. I had to pay for apps like Duet that do a membership instead of a paid app. They work fine with low latency but this is a default feature for iOS and MacOS.
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It has become my main Honkai Star Rail device. This has definitely been the use I give it the most. The mobile games I enjoy the most really take advantage of it. Can’t wait to try Warframe on it.
The Bad #
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Storage is not upgradeable. Needed 256gb for sure but only had the 128gb option. I am running into an issue where I can’t install new stuff or pre-download games. If the OnePlus Pad had an SD Card expansion slot this would be a big contender with the big Samsung Tablets.
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Using it on your lap is uncomfortable. The angle doesn’t feel right, definitely have to take breaks when typing on this.
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The Pen goes missing, it’s very easy to knock over. There are times when the pen goes missing for more than a month and it’s nowhere to be found. On a sidenote, it’s sturdy enough to survive through a washing machine cycle.
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The keyboard doesn’t stick but it mostly holds, sometimes too well. It results in very awkward ways to hold it on the go. You really have to grab it from behind and stick your thumb in that gap between the keyboard and the tablet. Failing to get a good stable grip will result in the magnets separating and your tablet crumbling down.
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Compatibility with mainstream features is very important. That’s the main reason I started daily driving an iOS device over an Android device. Genshin Impact and some other games do not have controller support for Android devices and that really is a deal breaker for me.
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Not quite a laptop replacement. This is my opinion in general for all tablets but most of the times if I had the option I would just rather use a computer just because of software availability. Tablets are becoming more powerful but… for what?
The End of the Honeymoon period (Conclusion) #
This isn’t the best android tablet out there but sure is the best at it’s price range. This would work greatly with a student or someone that wants to try an Android tablet. It’s a very good value for the price. A OnePlus Pad 2 is about to be released so it’s only going to get cheaper and better!