I switched from an iPad to a OnePlus Pad because of fast charging

I have a love-hate relationship with even the best Android tablets. While most of my working hours are spent chained to my large-screen monitor, I usually grab my M1-powered iPad Air to catch up on magazines and RSS feeds or to pull up guitar tabs every few days. Lately, however, I’ve completely switched over to the OnePlus Pad ($479 at OnePlus). And it’s all because of one reason — fast charging.

My biggest pain point with either tablet tends to be standby time. By no means is it bad, but I’m not one of those users who religiously use their tablet daily and put it back on charge. And that means my tablet is usually out of charge exactly when I need it. It’s the same story every time. I put it back on charge, get distracted by other activities, and forget about it. And then the cycle continues.

Fast charging on the OnePlus Pad has completely changed how I use my tablet. The 67W charging speed means it barely takes 80 minutes for a full charge. That’s pretty incredible in its own right considering the Pad has a 9510mAh battery. But that’s not the most important thing here. The fact that I can get the tablet up and running within minutes, with enough juice to get half an hour of browsing guitar tabs to noodle on the guitar, is what really does it for me.

In fact, it takes the OnePlus Pad a mere six minutes to go from 0 to 10%. In the same time, the iPad Air barely has enough charge to power on. Try it out. It’ll promptly go right back to shutting down.

A fast charge while I dial in the settings on my amp, and the OnePlus Pad has enough juice to last me an hour or so. I can live with that. If I’m in the mood to catch up on the latest issue of the Monocle or Aesthetica, I’ll just go make myself a cup of coffee. The OnePlus Pad usually has enough power to get me an hour or two of use by the time I’m ready to settle in. That’s a game changer and something I cannot count on from my iPad.

Don’t believe me? I put the two to our standard charging test, and the data, predictably, backed up my experience.

Fast charging is not a novelty to me. I’m used to smartphones that top off at 100W or even 150W speeds, but the tech has eluded tablets so far. Now, fast charging on the OnePlus Pad has completely upended how I use my tablet, and I’m spending more time with it despite its glaring app store and ecosystem limitations. More importantly, it has clearly highlighted the fundamental differences in how we use phones and tablets.

My phone is nearly attached to my hand all throughout the day. If its battery level gets too low for comfort, I charge it immediately. When out and about, the phone sits on a wireless charging mat in my car while blasting out the latest Metallica album.

But that’s not how I, or most people, use a tablet. Tablets are, by and large, intermittent-use devices. And the OnePlus Pad’s ability to quickly get in enough juice for an episode of the latest Netflix show or look up a recipe comes in clutch more often than you’d imagine.

I’m not saying you should toss your iPad for a OnePlus Pad anytime soon. That will invariably depend on your usage style, budget, and dependence on the app selection. However, if you’re in the market for an Android tablet, the OnePlus Pad’s fast charging really helps seal the deal in its favor — especially if you live in a market where the Pixel Tablet and its charging dock won’t be available.

The OnePlus Pad might not have the absolute best hardware on the market, but I’ll take fast charging and a good enough package over some of the gimmicks offered by more expensive alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8.