The OnePlus Pad is now available to pre-order. However, there’s a catch.
A “blind sale” for OnePlus’ first Android tablet went live today (Apr 10) which allows a limited number of customers to reserve a spot in “line” to receive the upcoming slate, according to a press email. This blind sale seems appropriately named since it requires you to plunk down $99 without knowing the tablet’s full price. OnePlus says the price will be revealed on April 25 and that you can pay off the full balance before April 28.
Thankfully, the deposit is fully refundable. If, for example, you think the tablet costs too much after its price is revealed, you can cancel your pre-order before you’re charged the full amount. The OnePlus Pad starts shipping on May 8.
Those who pre-order the OnePlus Pad will receive a free OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard cover or a OnePlus Stylo digital pencil. The keyboard cover is worth $149, according to the tablet’s listing page.
The OnePlus Pad is an 11.6-inch device sporting a 7:5 aspect ratio display, which is unusually square for a tablet (iPads are 4:3 for instance). It’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset and packs 128GB of storage and up to 12GB of RAM. The Dimensity 9000 uses TSMC’s N4 (4nm-class) production process and is based on Arm’s latest V9 architecture.
As we said in our OnePlus Pad hands-on preview, the tablet is doing some unique things with its form factor. The squarer shape and other unusual design flourishes have quickly established the identity of OnePlus' first tablet. The responsive stylus and a useful keyboard cover, promising performance, battery life and charging speeds and other bells and whistles mark it as different from the best iPads and the best Samsung tablets down to its silicon bones.
If the OnePlus Pad has an attractive price and performs as well as the company claims, it could be an Android tablet worth getting excited about. It's possible that the OnePlus Pad could be a real iPad Pro competitor. Expect a full review from Tom’s Guide, where we’ll be able to render judgment on the OnePlus Pad. Stay tuned for more.
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