The Tablet Throwdown
Tale of the Tape
The Breakdown
Battery Life
The OnePlus Pad 3 lasts an absurd 16 hours on a single charge — nearly double the iPad Air M4's 9.5 hours. If you travel or work away from outlets, this isn't even close. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra manages a strong 14 hours. The iPad Air is perfectly fine for a day, but you'll be reaching for a charger by evening.
Display
Samsung's 14.6-inch AMOLED panel is stunning — perfect blacks, vivid colors, and a massive canvas for media and productivity. The iPad Air's Liquid Retina LED is crisp and color-accurate but smaller. The OnePlus Pad 3's 13.2-inch LCD is bright and capable but can't match either OLED or Apple's color science.
Performance
The M4 chip in the iPad Air is absurdly fast — it nearly matches MacBook performance in a tablet. The Snapdragon 8 Elite in the OnePlus Pad 3 is no slouch either, handling anything you throw at it. The MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ in the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is capable but not at the same level as the M4.
Productivity
The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra is the productivity king — Samsung's One UI is optimized for multitasking on the large screen, with excellent split-screen, floating windows, and an included S Pen. The iPad Air with iPadOS has great apps but still feels limited for desktop-style work. The OnePlus Pad 3 runs Android but lacks Samsung's productivity polish.
Value
The OnePlus Pad 3 matches the iPad Air at $599 while delivering a larger screen, nearly double the battery life, and the same flagship chip. The iPad Air is great but Apple charges extra for keyboard and Pencil. The Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra at $1,200 is excellent but twice the price of either rival — and it includes an S Pen, which helps justify the cost.
The Verdict
OnePlus Pad 3
The OnePlus Pad 3 Proves iPads Are Overpriced
The OnePlus Pad 3 wins because it delivers the most complete tablet experience at the most reasonable price. At $599 — the same as an iPad Air — you get a larger 13.2-inch screen, a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip that trades blows with Apple's M4, and 16 hours of battery life that makes the iPad Air's 9.5 hours look embarrassing. The iPad ecosystem matters if you're deep in Apple's world, but if you just want the best hardware for your money, OnePlus is running circles around the tablet establishment.
Quick Specs
| Spec | Apple iPad Air M4 | OnePlus Pad 3 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 11-inch Liquid Retina LED | 13.2-inch LCD | 14.6-inch AMOLED |
| Processor | Apple M4 | Snapdragon 8 Elite | MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ |
| RAM | 12GB | 12GB / 16GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB | 256GB / 512GB | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB |
| Battery Life | ~9.5 hours | ~16 hours | ~14 hours |
| Camera | 12MP front and rear | 13MP rear, 8MP front | 13MP + 8MP ultrawide rear, 12MP front |
| Weight | 1.02 lbs | 1.49 lbs | 1.5 lbs |