OnePlus Pad 4 Is the Android Tablet India Has Been Waiting For, But It Has One Painful Secret

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Picture this. You are in an airport lounge, the OnePlus Pad 4 sitting open in front of you, keyboard attached, moving between spreadsheets and emails as naturally as you would on a proper laptop. No lag, no overheating, no frustration. That is the experience OnePlus set out to build with the Pad 4, and honestly, at this price, nothing else comes this close.

A Tablet That Finally Takes Work Seriously

There was a time when Android tablets were glorified phone screens. Big, sure. Useful for watching a film or scrolling through social media, yes. But actual work? Not really. OnePlus has been quietly changing that story over the past couple of years, and the Pad 4 is the most confident step they have taken yet.

Priced at ₹54,999 for the 8GB+256GB model and ₹59,999 for the 12GB+512GB version, this tablet is not trying to be budget-friendly. It is trying to be worth every rupee you spend. And for most people who need a large-screen productivity device without spending Samsung money, it largely succeeds.

ALSO READ |Infinix Launches GT 50 Pro and Every Serious Gamer Should Pay Close Attention Right Now

The Power Inside Is No Joke

The OnePlus Pad 4 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the best chip available for an Android device right now. Paired with OnePlus’ Cryo-velocity Cooling system, which combines graphite composite with a vapour chamber measuring 45,260mm² in volume, the tablet stays cool even when you push it hard. No throttling, no slowdowns, no moment where the device suddenly feels like it is thinking too hard.

For anyone who has ever had a tablet turn warm in their hands during a video call and then watched app switching become sluggish, this is genuinely good news. Performance consistency is what separates a device you trust from one you merely tolerate.

The battery has also grown from 12,140mAh on last year’s Pad 3 to 13,380mAh, with 80-watt fast charging still onboard. That combination should carry most users through a full day without anxiety.

OxygenOS Has Grown Up

Software is where Android tablets have historically let people down. OnePlus clearly knows this, and the version of OxygenOS on the Pad 4 feels like a genuine attempt to bridge the gap between a tablet interface and a desktop one.

You can now have five windows open simultaneously, some running in the background while you focus on others. The Files app has been given a multi-column view, so you can see file contents, size and date at a glance without opening each one individually. It is the kind of detail that sounds small until you realise how much time you used to waste doing exactly that.

External storage via USB-C now supports drag-and-drop transfers, which again feels obvious in hindsight but is the sort of thing many Android tablets simply did not do before.

And the O+ Connect app lets you extend your workspace by using a Windows PC, Mac or even an iPad as a second screen, with a single mouse and keyboard working across both devices without skipping a beat. File transfers, notifications and messages follow you across screens. It is a thoughtful ecosystem play that actually works in practice.

ALSO READ |YouTube Shorts vs Instagram Reels: Where Can You Get More Money Faster?

The Keyboard Accessory Deserves Its Own Mention

OnePlus redesigned the keyboard accessory for the Pad 4, and the difference is significant. The old two-part design was awkward and completely unusable on your lap while travelling.

The new one uses a magnet docking system where the tablet floats above the keyboard, giving the whole setup a clean, premium appearance. More importantly, it is stable enough to actually use while seated on a train or in a car. That alone makes it worth recommending as a travel companion.

A 13.2-Inch Screen That Has Almost No Competition Here

The display size alone is a talking point. A 13.2-inch screen at this price is genuinely rare in the Android tablet market.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra offers more screen at 14.6 inches but starts at ₹1,22,999, more than double what OnePlus is asking. Xiaomi’s Pad 8 stays at 11.2 inches with no larger option on the horizon. The OnePlus Pad 4 occupies a space that very few others are even trying to enter.

The slim 5.94mm metal chassis keeps things looking and feeling premium. You can choose between Dune Glow, a warm bronze tone, and Sage Mist, a frosted green. Both are mature, considered colour choices that feel appropriate for a device people will carry into offices and meetings.

The One Flaw That Is Hard to Forgive

Here is where the honest conversation begins. Despite everything the OnePlus Pad 4 gets right, it launches in India with no cellular connectivity at all. No 5G, no 4G LTE, no eSIM. Wi-Fi only.

For a tablet that is being positioned as a laptop replacement and a travel productivity machine, this is a frustrating contradiction.

The freedom of a tablet over a laptop is partly about not being tethered to a desk. But a Wi-Fi-only device means you are always one step away from being offline the moment you step out of a familiar network. Tethering to your phone works, but it is an extra dependency that premium tablet buyers should not have to think about.

OnePlus appears to be banking on its own smartphone ecosystem to fill this gap, which is fair as a strategy but unfair as an assumption. Not every buyer owns a OnePlus phone, and not every buyer wants to juggle devices just to stay connected.

This is not a new problem with OnePlus tablets, but given how much the Pad 4 improves elsewhere, the absence of a cellular option feels more noticeable and more disappointing than ever before.

ALSO READ |Realme 16 5G Sale Begins Today: A Feature Packed Smartphone Ready to Impress

Who Should Actually Buy This

If you are looking for a large-screen Android tablet for work, travel, creative projects or simply because you want a device that can genuinely handle multitasking, the OnePlus Pad 4 at ₹59,999 is a remarkable package.

It competes with devices that cost significantly more, it handles daily work with confidence, and it is the kind of tablet you can see yourself using two or three years from now without wishing you had bought something else.

But if cellular connectivity is non-negotiable for you, this tablet will disappoint. That single missing feature is the one reason some buyers may need to look elsewhere, and it is a reason that OnePlus created entirely for itself. Everything else here is very nearly excellent.

Disclaimer:

This article is based on information available at the time of publication, including early review details and pricing sourced from published reports. Prices mentioned are subject to change. Readers are advised to verify the latest specifications, availability and offers directly with OnePlus or authorised retailers before making a purchase decision.