Apple and OnePlus are exhibiting off their greatest tablets but. It’s wild how totally different approaches can ship comparable energy.

Folks usually think about a pill consumer in a slender approach—possibly somebody shopping the net, catching a couple of YouTube or Netflix movies, or becoming a member of a Google Meet name or two. That stereotype overlooks how tablets match into very totally different routines. You would possibly see a pill within the arms of a child blasting Sweet Crush Saga at full quantity or a enterprise particular person ending duties in an airport lounge. That’s why, in my Apple iPad Professional (M5) vs. OnePlus Pad 3 piece, I need to present that tablets aren’t simply facet units—they will really stand on their very own.

I nonetheless wouldn’t swap my laptop computer or desktop for a pill, whether or not it’s the OnePlus Pad 3 or Apple iPad Professional (M5). However if you happen to transfer round lots and want one thing ultraportable, that’s the place premium tablets are available in. I’ll break down gaming, multitasking, battery life, and all these little extras, so you possibly can see which facet matches your fashion.

Design and show

The 13.2-inch OnePlus Pad 3 ($649.99, $699.99) stays modern at below 6 millimeters thick. It sports activities a strong metallic physique that handles actual use with out flexing. The iPad Professional goes even slimmer. The 11-inch model measures 5.3 mm, and the 13-inch mannequin drops to five.1 mm—nearly paper-thin.

Each tablets supply a few coloration choices. The iPad Professional sticks to house black and silver, understated and modern.  The OnePlus Pad 3 brings extra character with storm blue and frosted silver. I can’t recover from the frosted silver—it feels calm, sturdy, and slightly mysterious. That mixture matches the vibe I prefer to mission.

The Pad 3 has OnePlus’s greatest show but. It delivers 3.4K decision, 12-bit coloration, and 315 pixels per inch, so motion pictures, video games, and displays seem sharp and vivid. Its 7:5 side ratio makes multitasking straightforward and pure. My solely gripe is the LCD display screen as a substitute of OLED, however below $700, that’s regular for many manufacturers.

The iPad Professional (M5) ($999) goes all in with its Extremely Retina XDR OLED show, which Apple calls “the world’s most superior show”. It delivers deep distinction, excessive brightness, and options like ProMotion and True Tone for exact visuals. For those who use your pill open air usually, you’ll love that the iPad Professional reaches 1,000 nits for SDR and HDR content material and peaks at 1,600 nits for HDR. By comparability, the OnePlus Pad 3 tops out at 900 nits.

Winner: Apple iPad Professional (M5)

Battery life

What stunned me most is how these skinny units can maintain such highly effective batteries. The OnePlus Pad 3 packs a 12,140 mAh battery, constructed to last as long as 18 hours of video playback or as much as 72 days on standby. It additionally helps 80 W quick charging.

Apple doesn’t reveal battery capacities for its iPads, however teardowns of the iPad Professional (M5) present it makes use of the identical batteries because the M4 era. The 13-inch mannequin has a bigger battery (10,500 mAh) in comparison with the 11-inch model (8,100 mAh). Because of the power-efficient M-series chips, each fashions ship strong battery life.

The 13-inch M4 iPad Professional lasts round 10 hours for internet shopping or video playback on Wi-Fi and 9 hours utilizing mobile knowledge. The 11-inch mannequin manages about 8 hours of multitasking, together with writing, photograph editing, and lightweight work. You’ll discover that the M5 iPad Professional performs equally, offering sufficient energy for many duties, although it nonetheless falls wanting the Pad 3’s spectacular numbers.

Winner: OnePlus Pad 3

Processor

The flagship Android pill house is small, and the OnePlus Pad 3 stands out with its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. This high processor offers the Pad 3 sufficient energy to match or beat different high-end tablets. You possibly can run any app, change between a number of directly, and all the pieces stays clean.

In Geekbench 6.5, the Pad 3 scores 3,194 factors within the single-core take a look at, above the Snapdragon 8 Elite common and forward of the iPad Air 2025. Within the multicore take a look at, the Pad 3 hits 9,302 factors, retaining it sturdy amongst Android tablets and forward of the Galaxy Tab S10+.

Whereas we don’t have Geekbench numbers but for the M5 iPad Professional, Apple says it guarantees 1.5x sooner 3D rendering with ray tracing than the earlier iPad Professional and 6.7x sooner rendering than the iPad Professional with M1. The M5 has a 10-core CPU with 4 efficiency cores and 6 effectivity cores, bringing Apple’s pill near high-end laptop computer efficiency.

Trying on the Geekbench 6.5 scores of the iPad Professional 13-inch (M4)—and assuming the M5 will a minimum of match it—Apple’s premium iPads nonetheless maintain a transparent benefit. The M4 mannequin scored 3,779 in single-core and 14,823 in multicore exams, outpacing the Pad 3 in each classes.

Winner: Apple iPad Professional (M5)

Multitasking

With iPadOS 26, Apple modified how multitasking works, making it really feel nearer to utilizing a Mac. You possibly can run a number of apps on the display screen directly, and shifting or resizing home windows feels pure.

The replace provides a Mac-style menu bar on the high of apps and allows you to put folders straight within the house display screen dock. All latest iPads can use the brand new window system, however the iPad Professional handles probably the most apps on the identical time. Now you possibly can match as much as 23 icons within the Dock, so you possibly can pack in a number of folders. In Settings ➝ Multitasking & Gestures, you possibly can select to point out or cover the Dock, similar to on macOS.

Once I take into consideration multitasking, display screen dimension issues lots. If I simply scroll social media or maintain the pill in my arms, 11 inches works high quality. But when I plan to exchange my laptop computer or apply it to a desk, 13 inches offers me far more room.

The bigger display screen actual property makes the OnePlus Pad 3 superior for work, particularly with the Open Canvas system. It permits you to place 3 apps facet by facet, or 2 facet by facet with a 3rd on high or backside—you simply scroll to succeed in it. You may also use split-screen or floating home windows.

Open Canvas appears to be like like the most effective multitasking setups on a pill. Having the ability to zoom out and see all the pieces directly appears wonderful, and dropping a floating window on high adjustments the sport. From what I’ve learn, many OnePlus Pad 3 customers make the most of Open Canvas whereas touring. Some maintain an Airbnb map subsequent to Google Maps and a messenger app, which beats switching between apps on a regular basis.

Winner: OnePlus Pad 3

Gaming

Numerous avid gamers decide Android tablets for one predominant cause—emulation. Proper now, iOS nonetheless locks that down except you mess with jailbreaking or sideloading. For those who plan to transcend DS video games, Android is the way in which to go.

The iPad may not swimsuit emulation followers, however the OnePlus Pad 3 isn’t excellent both. Some customers say it handles PS2 titles, a bunch of Change video games, and apps like GameHub and Winlator at 800p with out hassle. The catch is warmth. The Snapdragon Elite chip runs scorching, so it’s essential to watch temps throughout longer classes. Energy’s nice, however that warmth ruins the enjoyable. Higher cooling would repair lots.

Measurement additionally issues. The Pad 3 packs sturdy efficiency, but it surely’s large, heavy, and doesn’t depart house for a controller mount. For that cause, I lean towards the REDMAGIC Astra. It comes with a 9-inch 2.4K OLED display screen, hits a pleasant steadiness between energy and luxury, and switches to console mode when plugged into an exterior show. Whether or not you name it dock or desktop mode, it really works clean and is constructed for gaming.

Winner: Tie

Equipment

I like that each the iPad Professional (M5) and OnePlus Pad 3 can double as inventive tablets and laptop computer stand-ins once you pair them with a keyboard or stylus. The catch? You’ll have to spend additional—$169 (15% OFF) for the OnePlus Pad 3 Sensible Keyboard or $299/$349 for the iPad Professional’s Magic Keyboard. That’s a steep begin, however if you happen to use a pill for lengthy classes, the keyboard feels important. From what I’ve seen, each supply clean key journey and a roomy trackpad.

The OnePlus Stylo 2 additionally stands out. It snaps onto the highest of the pill with magnets, connects by itself, and powers up proper there. Apple offers you 2 choices as a substitute—the Pencil Professional and the Pencil (USB-C)—every made for sketching, writing, and modifying with precision.

Winner: OnePlus Pad 3

Verdict: Apple iPad Professional (M5) vs. OnePlus Pad 3

After all the pieces—the design, battery, efficiency, multitasking, gaming, and equipment—I really feel like each tablets show they will stand on their very own. I lean towards the iPad Professional (M5) for energy and show, however the OnePlus Pad 3 wins me over with multitasking and battery life. Gaming is a tie in my eyes, and equipment come all the way down to what matches my workflow. On the finish of the day, which pill works greatest relies on how you intend to make use of it, duh.