OnePlus and Oppo's next move may be a premium and compact Android tablet

Phone Arena

a day ago

Referential image of the OnePlus Pad. | Image credit — OnePlus OnePlus and Oppo may be planning a new chapter in their tablet strategy, with both companies rumored to be working on compact Android tablets powered by a next-gen flagship chipset. According to a leak posted on Chinese social media by the reliable tipster Digital Chat Station, the tablet will feature Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which is expected to be formally announced in September under the name Snapdragon 8 Elite 2.The OnePlus version of this device is reportedly slated to launch sometime in the first half of 2026, alongside the OnePlus 15T. That phone is expected to succeed the OnePlus 13T and could feature a 6.3-inch display. If this timeline holds, it would be one of the first Android tablets to use Qualcomm's next-generation high-end chip.
Image credit — Digital Chat Station on Weibo Both versions of the tablet — from OnePlus and Oppo — are said to include an 8.8-inch display, making them smaller than the companies' previous tablets, such as the OnePlus Pad (11.6 inches) and the Oppo Pad 2 (also 11.6 inches). While no other specs have been confirmed yet, this new form factor suggests the two brands may be targeting the compact premium tablet segment, potentially in competition with Apple's iPad mini or Lenovo's high-performance Tab Extreme models.Given the close relationship between Oppo and OnePlus, it is not surprising to hear that the two might be developing similar hardware under different brand names. The two companies have previously released nearly identical devices with minor software or design differences, such as the Oppo Pad 2 and OnePlus Pad, which were both released in 2023 and featured the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset.While we still don't have pricing or a detailed spec sheet, the timing of the launch — well after Qualcomm's chipset announcement — suggests both tablets may arrive in early 2026. That could give OnePlus and Oppo a chance to position these models against competitors' next-gen tablets, including Samsung's expected Galaxy Tab S11 lineup and whatever follow-up Apple has planned for the iPad mini.
As always, we'll be keeping an eye on this development and will share more once specifications, design, and regional availability become clearer. For now, the idea of an 8.8-inch Android tablet with top-tier internals is something that will likely appeal to users who want a compact yet powerful slate without having to jump to the more expensive or larger tablet options.