The Ultimate Tablet Comparison: Apple iPad Air (2025) vs OnePlus Pad Go vs HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2 vs Xiaomi Pad 7

Tablets have become essential devices for professionals, students, and entertainment enthusiasts alike. With the rapid evolution of technology, choosing the right tablet can be a daunting task. To simplify the decision-making process, this guide will compare four major contenders in the tablet market: the Apple iPad Air (2025), OnePlus Pad Go, HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2-inch, and Xiaomi Pad 7. This in-depth comparison will cover specifications, features, and pricing, helping you determine which tablet best suits your needs.

Modern tablets cater to a variety of needs, whether for work, creativity, or leisure. The four contenders in this review offer unique advantages, from high-end processing power to budget-friendly versatility. This comparison will highlight their strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to make an informed decision.

Apple has consistently set the benchmark in the tablet industry, and the latest iPad Air continues to solidify its position. The iPad Air (2025) is designed to cater to both casual users and professionals who seek a powerful yet lightweight device.

• Display: 11-inch and 13-inch Liquid Retina, 120Hz ProMotion technology.
• Processor: M3 chip.
• Storage Options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB.
• Camera: 12MP ultra-wide front, 12MP rear (4K video recording).
• Battery Life: Up to 10 hours.
• Operating System: iPadOS with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard support.
• Connectivity: USB-C, Wi-Fi 6E, optional 5G.

Apple continues to redefine the tablet experience with the latest iPad Air (2025), designed to cater to both casual users and professionals who need a high-performance device in a lightweight and portable form. This model introduces cutting-edge technology and several enhancements that make it a standout choice in the market. Below are the key features that make the iPad Air (2025) a must-have device:

The iPad Air (2025) comes in two size options—11-inch and 13-inch Liquid Retina displays—delivering exceptional brightness, contrast, and color accuracy. Featuring True Tone technology, the screen automatically adjusts to the surrounding lighting conditions, ensuring a comfortable viewing experience whether indoors or outdoors.

With P3 wide color gamut, users can enjoy a broader spectrum of vibrant and true-to-life colors, making it ideal for creative professionals working on digital art, photography, or video editing. Additionally, 120Hz ProMotion technology provides an ultra-smooth scrolling and responsiveness, making interactions feel seamless, whether browsing the web, gaming, or sketching with the Apple Pencil Pro.

The iPad Air (2025) is powered by Apple’s M3 chip, which brings a 35% faster CPU and 40% improved GPU performance compared to its predecessor, the M1 model. This means faster app launches, smoother multitasking, and enhanced performance for demanding applications like video editing, 3D rendering, and gaming.

Apple’s neural engine improvements further optimize AI-driven tasks such as real-time language translation, photo and video enhancement, and augmented reality applications. The power of the M3 chip ensures the iPad Air remains future-proof for years to come.

Recognizing the diverse needs of users, Apple offers the iPad Air (2025) in four storage configurations: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Whether you need a tablet for basic tasks like browsing and streaming or require ample space for professional-grade applications and media storage, the available options cater to all users. The 1TB variant is especially beneficial for those who store large files, such as high-resolution videos and extensive project work.

Apple has equipped the iPad Air (2025) with an advanced 12MP ultra-wide front camera that supports Center Stage. This feature ensures that users remain in the frame during video calls by automatically adjusting the camera’s field of view, making it an excellent tool for virtual meetings, online classes, and content creation.

The 12MP rear camera supports 4K video recording, allowing users to capture stunning visuals with sharp details and vibrant colors. With improved computational photography, users can expect better low-light performance and enhanced HDR capabilities.

The iPad Air (2025) boasts a battery life of up to 10 hours, ensuring uninterrupted productivity and entertainment throughout the day. Whether streaming movies, attending virtual meetings, or working on creative projects, users can rely on the iPad Air for extended usage without constantly needing to recharge.

• 11-inch: Starting at £549
• 13-inch: Starting at £738

A budget-friendly tablet designed for students and casual users.

• Display: 11.35-inch 2.4K LCD (2408x1720 resolution).
• Processor: MediaTek Helio G99.
• Storage Options: 8GB RAM, 128GB (expandable up to 1TB via microSD).
• Battery Life: 8,000mAh with fast charging.
• Audio: Quad speakers, Dolby Atmos.
• Operating System: Android-based OxygenOS.
• Connectivity: USB-C, LTE support.

One of the standout aspects of the OnePlus Pad Go is its affordable pricing, making it an attractive option for students, young professionals, and casual users who want a reliable tablet without breaking the bank. Despite being budget-friendly, OnePlus has packed this device with several high-end features that elevate the user experience. Whether it’s for studying, reading, browsing, or entertainment, the OnePlus Pad Go delivers great value for money.

The tablet features an 11.35-inch 2.4K LCD display with a resolution of 2408x1720 pixels, providing crisp and vibrant visuals. The display’s high resolution ensures sharp text, detailed images, and an immersive viewing experience, making it ideal for reading e-books, streaming videos, or attending online classes. While it doesn’t have the deep contrast of an OLED screen, the LCD panel still offers great color reproduction and excellent brightness levels, ensuring usability even in well-lit environments.

Under the hood, the OnePlus Pad Go is powered by the MediaTek Helio G99 processor, which delivers efficient performance for everyday tasks. The 8GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking, allowing users to switch between apps, browse the internet, and watch videos without lag. While it’s not designed for heavy gaming or professional-level video editing, it performs exceptionally well for regular productivity tasks, such as document editing, note-taking, and light gaming.

The tablet comes with 128GB of internal storage, which is sufficient for most users. However, OnePlus has provided an expandable storage option (up to 1TB via microSD card), allowing users to store more files, videos, and applications without worrying about running out of space. This makes the OnePlus Pad Go a practical choice for students who need to store lecture notes, PDFs, and assignments.

Battery life is a crucial factor for tablets, and the OnePlus Pad Go doesn’t disappoint. It is equipped with an 8,000mAh battery, providing all-day usage for tasks like studying, browsing, and watching content. With fast charging support, users can quickly recharge their device and get back to work without long waiting times.

Entertainment lovers will appreciate the quad-speaker system with Dolby Atmos support. This setup provides rich and immersive audio, making movies, music, and online lectures sound clear and dynamic. Whether you're watching Netflix, attending a Zoom class, or playing games, the balanced and loud sound output ensures a premium listening experience.

• Expected under £300

HUAWEI’s high-end tablet aims to compete with Apple and Samsung, featuring a large display and premium build.

• Display: 13.2-inch OLED, 144Hz refresh rate, HDR10.
• Processor: Kirin 9000S.
• Storage Options: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (no expandable storage).
• Camera: 13MP rear, 8MP front.
• Battery Life: 10,100mAh with 88W fast charging.
• Operating System: HarmonyOS 4.
• Connectivity: USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2.

One of the most impressive aspects of the MatePad Pro 13.2 is its sleek and ultra-thin design. At just 5.5mm thick, it is one of the slimmest tablets available, making it highly portable and aesthetically appealing. Despite its slim profile, Huawei has managed to incorporate a robust build with premium materials, ensuring durability without compromising on elegance.

The thin design, combined with lightweight construction, makes it comfortable to hold for extended periods, whether you’re watching videos, taking notes, or using it as a laptop replacement with an external keyboard.

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2 boasts a stunning 13.2-inch OLED display, providing deep blacks, vibrant colors, and excellent contrast. The HDR10 support enhances the viewing experience, making it ideal for watching high-definition movies, editing photos, or designing artwork.

With a 144Hz refresh rate, users get ultra-smooth scrolling, seamless transitions, and reduced input lag, making the tablet perfect for gaming, professional design work, and fluid multitasking. The high brightness levels ensure usability even in bright environments, adding to its versatility.

Under the hood, the tablet is powered by the Kirin 9000S processor, which delivers fast and efficient performance for various tasks, from productivity to entertainment. Whether you’re editing videos, running multiple apps simultaneously, or playing graphics-intensive games, the powerful chipset ensures smooth operation without noticeable lag.

However, as Huawei's devices do not use Google services, users must rely on Huawei’s AppGallery and alternative app stores to access apps. HarmonyOS 4, the tablet’s operating system, provides an optimized and user-friendly interface with seamless integration between Huawei devices.

The HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2 supports the HUAWEI M-Pencil, making it an excellent tool for artists, designers, and students. The low-latency and high-pressure sensitivity ensure a realistic writing and drawing experience, allowing users to create detailed sketches or take handwritten notes effortlessly. The tablet’s smooth display and high refresh rate further enhance the M-Pencil’s responsiveness, ensuring precision and accuracy.

One of the most notable features of the MatePad Pro 13.2 is its Desktop Mode, which transforms the tablet into a PC-like interface. When connected to a keyboard and mouse, the tablet functions as a lightweight laptop, with multi-window capabilities, drag-and-drop functionality, and advanced multitasking tools.

This feature makes the MatePad Pro 13.2 a versatile device for business professionals and students who need a portable workstation for productivity tasks like document editing, spreadsheet management, and email correspondence.

• Starts at £799

Xiaomi’s latest tablet delivers powerful performance at an affordable price.

• Display: 11-inch LCD, 144Hz refresh rate.
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
• Storage Options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB.
• Camera: 13MP rear, 8MP front.
• Battery Life: 8,600mAh with 67W fast charging.
• Operating System: MIUI for Pad (based on Android 14).
• Connectivity: USB-C, Wi-Fi 6.

At the core of the Xiaomi Pad 7 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, which is one of the most powerful chipsets in the market today. Known for its exceptional speed and efficiency, this processor ensures that the tablet can handle demanding applications and tasks with ease. Whether you're gaming, working with graphics-intensive apps, or running several programs simultaneously, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 allows for smooth, lag-free performance.

The processor is optimized for heavy multitasking, meaning you can effortlessly switch between apps, keep several windows open at once, and enjoy a seamless experience without the tablet slowing down. Whether you're editing a video, playing a high-performance game, or running productivity apps like word processors and spreadsheets, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ensures that everything runs efficiently. It also improves overall battery life and heat management, meaning you get top-notch performance without worrying about the device overheating during extended usage.

The Xiaomi Pad 7 supports the Xiaomi Smart Pen, a feature that transforms this tablet into an efficient productivity tool for students, artists, and professionals alike. The stylus offers a low-latency writing experience, making it feel as natural as writing on paper. This responsiveness is ideal for note-taking, sketching, and annotating documents, helping you get more done in less time.

The pressure sensitivity of the Xiaomi Smart Pen ensures precise control, whether you're drawing intricate designs or making quick annotations. For creative professionals or anyone working in graphic design, the Xiaomi Pad 7 paired with the Smart Pen allows for detailed and accurate strokes, making it an excellent tool for digital artwork. Additionally, the pen makes tasks like highlighting text or marking up PDFs quick and intuitive, improving your workflow.

For those who take a lot of notes, the Smart Pen turns the Xiaomi Pad 7 into a digital notebook, and it's compatible with a variety of apps that benefit from stylus input. It’s also useful for presentations or brainstorming sessions where quick, fluid drawing is essential. By offering Xiaomi Smart Pen support, the Pad 7 enables users to enhance their productivity and creativity, making it more than just a standard tablet.

• Starts at £499

• For Apple users and professionals: The iPad Air (2025) is the best choice, offering seamless Apple ecosystem integration and M3 chip performance.
• For budget-conscious users: The OnePlus Pad Go provides excellent value with a large screen and decent performance at an affordable price.
• For high-end Android users: The HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2 is a premium option with a large OLED display and powerful performance.
• For gamers and performance seekers: The Xiaomi Pad 7 with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is the best pick for high-performance tasks.

Each tablet has its strengths, making it essential to consider your personal needs before making a purchase.