The OnePlus 11 Pro is scheduled to launch on February 7, and we have one in hand, but rumor has it that it's bringing a friend to the party that no one expected, the OnePlus Pad. A leaked image reveals very little about the tablet, with just a look at a top-center camera on the back of the tablet above the OnePlus logo, and a clean design that gives the tablet an elegant look.
As you can see in the photo, the tablet comes in what OnePlus calls Halo Green, which they say "blends the vibrancy of life with the vastness of space." It's a lovely shade of green for sure, but if that's not your thing, presumably it will come in other colors.
According to OnePlus, the Pad will feature an aluminum alloy body with a cambered frame, which should offer a comfortable feel when holding it for long periods.
OnePlus Pad specs
Since this is OnePlus's first foray into the tablet market, and all we have is a single image to go off, it appears that the OnePlus Pad may be between 10 and 12 inches, most likely finding a sweet spot at about 11 inches, is my best guess.
Based on what we have seen from the maker in its phone lineup, we can reasonably postulate that it will feature an AMOLED display with a variable 120Hz refresh rate. We do not know this for sure, but unless OnePlus is going the budget tablet route this is a solid hypothesis based on the fact that it is launching aside the flagship OnePlus 11 Pro.
OnePlus is known for its fast charging technology, so it's a safe bet that the OnePlus Pad will come with fast charging, 80W or 120W would be a massive step up from the 45W max charging for the iPad Pro.
OnePlus Pad camera
My favorite thing to ponder is the camera. OnePlus is still in the midst of its multiyear deal with Hasselblad, which makes me very curious. Most tablet cameras are a bit of an afterthought with users rarely relying on them for more than video calls.
The camera placement at the top rear center is an interesting choice that lends itself to a more natural shooting experience for the user. I expect OnePlus to take the tablet camera up a notch from what we're used to seeing and experiencing. Also, some may worry that there is just one camera back there, but if that camera is excellent, why would you need more?
Outlook
From the image, we can gather limited information. However, based on OnePlus's penchant for delivering high-quality flagship specs at a reasonable price, the OnePlus Pad could shake up the fairly stagnant Android tablet market. OnePlus is wisely getting in before the Pixel tablet arrives later this year, as Google's unique take is another potential game-changer for the Android tablet world that has seen Amazon and Samsung dominate for years. I would love an Android tablet that can truly take on the iPad, but we have to wait till February 7 to find out if this is the one.
I'm already celebrating this leak because I'm hoping for a high-end Qualcomm chip, at least 12GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. If OnePlus could deliver while keeping the price below the $449 iPad, it could have a real chance to shake things up.
That's my fantasy, based on what we have seen from OnePlus in the past and my passion for slowly moving out of the Apple ecosystem, which I'm currently addicted to. We will find out together on February 7.
