OnePlus Pad 3 vs Apple iPad Air M3 11"
OnePlus Pad 3 (#2, best value) vs Apple iPad Air M3 11" (#4): in our Performance Tablets scoring the OnePlus Pad 3 totals 9.1/10 and the Apple iPad Air M3 11" 8.8/10, the OnePlus Pad 3 leading on RAM & Storage and Value. At $699 versus $599, the Apple iPad Air M3 11" costs $100 less.
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TopsFive comparison scores
Side by side
| OnePlus Pad 3 | Apple iPad Air M3 11" | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 | $599 |
| Display | 12.1" LCD, 3000×2120, 144Hz | 11" Liquid Retina LCD, 2360×1640, 60Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Elite | M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU) |
| RAM | 12GB/16GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB | 128GB-1TB |
| Battery | 9510mAh, 80W charging | 10 hours |
| Weight | 584g | 461g |
How they differ in real use
Built from our best performance tablets scoring, each product's published specifications, and verified owner feedback — not hands-on testing.
Both the OnePlus Pad 3 and the Apple iPad Air M3 11" made our Top 5 Performance Tablets, at #2 (best value) and #4. Best price-to-performance with Snapdragon 8 Elite—fastest Android chip. Outperforms iPad Air M2 in gaming at half the price. 90fps Fortnite vs 60fps on Samsung tablets. Mid-tier champion with M3 chip handling 95% of Pro tasks. $400 less than iPad Pro 11" with Pro-level performance for most users.
We score performance tablets on CPU Performance (30%), GPU Performance (30%), RAM & Storage (20%), Sustained Performance (10%) and Value (10%). On that basis the OnePlus Pad 3 totals 9.1 out of 10 and the Apple iPad Air M3 11" 8.8. The widest gap is RAM & Storage, where the OnePlus Pad 3 scores 9 against 8 for the Apple iPad Air M3 11" — memory. Value also separates them: 10 for the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 9 for the Apple iPad Air M3 11".
On paper, the specifications that actually differ: Display — 12.1" LCD, 3000×2120, 144Hz on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 11" Liquid Retina LCD, 2360×1640, 60Hz on the Apple iPad Air M3 11"; Processor — Snapdragon 8 Elite on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus M3 (8-core CPU, 10-core GPU) on the Apple iPad Air M3 11"; RAM — 12GB/16GB on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 8GB on the Apple iPad Air M3 11"; Storage — 256GB/512GB on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 128GB-1TB on the Apple iPad Air M3 11"; Battery — 9510mAh, 80W charging on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 10 hours on the Apple iPad Air M3 11"; Weight — 584g on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 461g on the Apple iPad Air M3 11".
Pricing as of July 29, 2026: $699 for the OnePlus Pad 3 and $599 for the Apple iPad Air M3 11", a $100 difference in the Apple iPad Air M3 11"'s favor. Owners praise the OnePlus Pad 3 for snapdragon 8 Elite fastest Android and 50% faster than Samsung tablets; the most common complaint is LCD not OLED. Owners praise the Apple iPad Air M3 11" for M3 chip proven performance and lighter than Pro; the most common complaint is 60Hz display dated.
OnePlus Pad 3
- Snapdragon 8 Elite fastest Android
- 50% faster than Samsung tablets
- 144Hz display
- 80W rapid charging
- LCD not OLED
- No stylus included
- OxygenOS less polished than One UI
Apple iPad Air M3 11"
- M3 chip proven performance
- Lighter than Pro
- Magic Keyboard compatible
- Apple Pencil Pro support
- 60Hz display dated
- No OLED option
- 8GB RAM limit
Which should you buy?
The OnePlus Pad 3 is the better fit for android performance seekers and mobile gaming — it is the higher-scoring pick here, chiefly for RAM & Storage and Value. The Apple iPad Air M3 11" is the better fit for pro-level performance savings and magic Keyboard users. If the $100 saving matters more than RAM & Storage, the Apple iPad Air M3 11" is the better value. The OnePlus Pad 3 is a poor fit for OLED display needs; the Apple iPad Air M3 11" is a poor fit for 120Hz priority.
Choose the OnePlus Pad 3 if
- Android performance seekers
- Mobile gaming
- Value flagship buyers
Skip it if
- OLED display needs
- Stylus users
Choose the Apple iPad Air M3 11" if
- Pro-level performance savings
- Magic Keyboard users
- Apple Pencil Pro users
Skip it if
- 120Hz priority
- OLED needs
Common questions
Is the OnePlus Pad 3 better than the Apple iPad Air M3 11"?
In our Performance Tablets ranking the OnePlus Pad 3 scores higher overall, 9.1 to 8.8, with the biggest advantage in RAM & Storage. The Apple iPad Air M3 11" does not out-score it on any criterion we weigh.
How much more does the OnePlus Pad 3 cost than the Apple iPad Air M3 11"?
$100 more as of July 29, 2026: $699 for the OnePlus Pad 3 against $599 for the Apple iPad Air M3 11". Prices move, so the merchant page shows the current figure. What the extra buys is mostly RAM & Storage — 9 versus 8 in our scoring.
What is the main difference between the OnePlus Pad 3 and the Apple iPad Air M3 11"?
The headline spec difference is Display: 12.1" LCD, 3000×2120, 144Hz on the OnePlus Pad 3 versus 11" Liquid Retina LCD, 2360×1640, 60Hz on the Apple iPad Air M3 11". In use, the gap that matters most is RAM & Storage (9 vs 8 in our scoring): memory.