OnePlus Pad
The OnePlus Pad offers a lot of performance and great battery life. It may be OnePlus' first attempt at a tablet, but it instantly became one of the best you can get. With a MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chip and 8GB of Ram, the OnePlus Pad can handle just about any task you can throw at it.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a decent option if you can find it on sale. It comes in a variety of configurations and colors and can cover most entertainment needs. It may struggle a big if trying to get more intense tasks done. It does have a 5G model for those who require an internet connection on the go.
For a long time, Samsung has been the default manufacturer if you are looking for one of the bestAndroid Tabletsavailable. The Android tablet space is beginning to see a shift, with more companies entering the space. OnePlus launched itsOnePlus Padearlier this year, and it instantly became a fantastic option in the midrange tablet market. TheSamsung Galaxy Tab S7 FEwas released in 2021 and features the same design as the higher-end Galaxy Tab S7 but with reduced specs to get it into the midrange segment. Today we pit the newcomer against the perennial favorite in the Android Tablet space to see which reigns supreme.
Price, availability, and specs
The OnePlus Pad became available in May 2023 and can be found at OnePlus or Amazon for $479. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE launched way back in May 2021 and comes in a few different variants. The 64GB version is $530, the 128GB version is $600, and the 256GB version is $680. There is a 64GB 5G version that costs $670. Given its age, the Galaxy Tab S7 FE can be found on sale easily and shouldn’t be purchased at full retail price. It can be found at Amazon, Samsung, Best Buy, and carriers like T-Mobile.
Like many tablets, the front of the OnePlus Pad and the Galaxy Tab S7 FE are dominated by their respective displays with a little bezel surrounding them. Moving away from the front, OnePlus chose rounded edges, a brushed metallic back with a large camera housing displayed prominently for all to see. It’s nice to see OnePlus take some design chances, but the camera housing placement can interfere with your hand placement while holding it in portrait mode. The OnePlus Pad measures 258.03 x 189.41 x 6.54mm and weighs 555g.
Samsung went with a boxier design with the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. The back is mostly flat, except for a raised edge around the camera housing and along the short edge near the camera. Samsung included its S Pen, which will be music to the ears of anyone who enjoys using a stylus. The S Pen is held in place on the back magnetically. The Galaxy Tab S7 FE measures 284.8 x 185 x 6.3mm and weighs 608g.
Neither tablet has a fingerprint sensor, but both are capable of facial recognition, PIN, and pattern unlock. The OnePlus Pad is available in a single color, Halo Green. You can get the Galaxy Tab S7 FE in Mystic Black, Mystic Silver, Mystic Green, or Mystic Pink. If you want the 5G version, then you will be limited to Mystic Black.
The OnePlus Pad features an 11.61-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2800 x 2000. With up to a 144Hz refresh rate, you can expect a smooth experience from the display. The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a 12.4-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600.
Unfortunately, Samsung equipped its tablet with a 60Hz refresh rate, which will look downright jittery next to the OnePlus. Odds are you won’t be using these side by side, but if you are coming from a phone with a high refresh rate, going back to a 60Hz display can take some getting used to.
Regardless of the refresh rate, content consumption will be fantastic on either of these tablets. With their high resolution, you can expect both to deliver crystal-clear images. Just don’t expect deep blacks or punchy colors due to both utilizing LCD technology.
The OnePlus Pad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE currently run on Android 13 and have their own custom UI’s placed on top. OnePlus used OxygenOS 13.1, and Samsung uses One UI 5.1. If you have ever used either company’s phone, you will feel right at home with either of their implementations here. Both have been scaled up to better utilize the larger screens on a tablet. Both are easy to navigate, and you should be able to pick them up quickly if they’re new to you.
OnePlus promises three years of Android upgrades and four years of software updates. Samsung also promises three years of Android upgrades and four years of software updates. That means Samsung will update the Galaxy Tab S7 FE to Android 14 and stop updating it in 2025.
Performance
Performance is going to go to the OnePlus Pad, not just for stronger performance, but for avoiding the convoluted model choices that Samsung gives with its tablet. The OnePlus Pad comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 9000, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and 128GB of storage.
The Galaxy Tab S7 FE ships in a variety of configurations. The Wi-Fi versions ship with a Snapdragon 778G process with either 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The 5G gets a downgraded chipset and comes with a Snapdragon 750G, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. A midrange tablet should never ship with 4GB of RAM as it will really hamper your ability to get actual work done. Samsung does let you expand the storage with up to a 1TB microSD card.
The OnePlus Pad with its MediaTek Dimensity 9000 is going to be stronger in just about everything you ask it to do. Whether it’s browsing the web, multitasking, or playing a game, the OnePlus Pad will do it better than the Galaxy Tab S7 FE.
Battery life
The battery in the OnePlus Pad is slightly smaller than the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. It has a 9510mAh battery and comes with a 67W SUPERVOOC charger. The SUPERVOOC charger should let you charge the OnePlus Pad in as little as 80 minutes and should last you more than a day of use. Standby time is also excellent and should barely sip any power when you aren’t using it.
Samsung went with a 10,090mAh battery in the Galaxy Tab S7 FE. This will easily get you through a day of use, but charging is going to be slow. Samsung includes a 15-watt charger but can charge up to 45W if you want to purchase one.
Don’t expect much from either of these tablets regarding their cameras. The 13MP rear camera in the OnePlus Pad can get decent shots if the lighting is good, but image quality quickly diminishes as the lighting goes down. The rear camera can record 1080p and 4K video at up to 30fps, and the 8MP front-facing camera can record up to 1080p at 30fps.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE has a 5MP front-facing camera and an 8MP rear-facing camera. You can expect similar results compared to OnePlus’ offering when taking images. Both cameras can record video 1080p video at 30fps. Neither tablet’s rear camera is going to replace a high-end smartphone, let alone a dedicated camera, but it’s nice to have for video conferencing or if it’s the only one near you in a pinch.
Which is right for you?
The OnePlus Pad and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE are in an interesting position. The OnePlus is the new kid on the block and offers tremendous value. It offers a much better overall package and sells at a cheaper price. At its base model, it has a much stronger processor, more RAM, more storage, a better display, and very fast charging. OnePlus made some design gaffes, namely the placement and size of the rear camera module, but if you use this tablet in landscape mode, it won’t ever be an issue. For $479, the OnePlus Pad is simply excellent.
The OnePlus Pad offers all the bells and whistles at a fantastic price. It has a large display, high refresh rate, solid performance, and great battery life. It may be OnePlus' first attempt at a tablet, but the company knocked it out of the park outside its odd camera placement.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is pricier and slower than the OnePlus Pad. In no way should a tablet at this price ship with only 4GB of RAM. If you love Samsung and only need a tablet for enjoying your favorite content, then this tablet could serve that purpose. The one trick up Samsung’s sleeve is its cellular connectivity. If you need a 5G connection, this has it and will suit your needs just fine. Just make sure you get it on sale.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE is a decent performer that is simply overpriced at its retail price. If you can get it on sale, which happens frequently, it can serve as a great entertainment device. It even offers a cellular model, giving you an internet connection on the go.
