The Android Tablet Market is About to Get a Whole Lot More Interesting

If you’re in the market for a top-spec tablet but don’t want to shell out for a Galaxy or an iPad, you’re in luck. OnePlus, a company known for its high-end smartphones, is teasing the release of what it claims is the “most powerful Android tablet” on the market.

A new challenger emerges in the Android tablet market

The teaser poster, which was uploaded to OnePlus’ official Weibo account in China, shows what appears to be a new product called the OnePlus Pad Pro. The device is expected to be a replacement for the original Pad, which was launched back in April 2023. Rumor has it that the OnePlus Pad Pro could be called the OnePlus Pad 2 if it makes its way to the US and UK markets.

The budget-friendly OnePlus Pad Go

OnePlus already sells the OnePlus Pad and the cheaper OnePlus Pad Go in the UK, and they’re excellent value for money. The Go costs just £299 but has solid battery life, an excellent screen, and easy-to-use software, making it a fine alternative to the cheapest iPad.

The pricier OnePlus Pad retails at £449

The pricier OnePlus Pad retails at £449 and is more of an alternative to the iPad Pro or one of Samsung’s Tab S9 tablets. It has an optional keyboard case and stylus if you want to get productive with writing, drawing, or designing. Given the OnePlus Pad Pro teaser also shows a keyboard and pen, the new product is likely to be a replacement for the original Pad.

The OnePlus Pad Pro is expected to pack high-end specs

For the new OnePlus tablet to truly be the most powerful, the company will have to pack in high-end specs. We might see the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor from the OnePlus 12 and Galaxy S24 Ultra, but OnePlus could have called on Qualcomm’s rival MediaTek to use one of its capable Dimensity processors. MediaTek chips power the existing two OnePlus Pads, so that could well be the case here.

The Chinese launch is set for 7pm Chinese time on 27 June

We won’t have to wait long to find out because the poster says the Chinese launch is at 7pm Chinese time on 27 June. That likely implies this new premium product is initially getting a China-only launch, but that has been the case for OnePlus’ new phones for a couple of years now too. Fingers crossed we see the device break cover for the UK market too, as we’d like to see Samsung - and Apple - challenged when it comes to the tablet market.