OnePlus Pad 4 Display Review: Bright IPS Screen, No PWM, But Not Built for Fast Gaming
The OnePlus Pad 4 takes a different route from many premium tablets by using a large 13.2-inch IPS display instead of an OLED panel. That choice brings both advantages and compromises, especially for users who care about eye comfort, brightness, HDR performance, and gaming responsiveness.
For many people, an IPS screen can be a major benefit. OLED displays often rely on pulse width modulation, or PWM, to control brightness. Some users are sensitive to this flickering and may experience eye strain, headaches, or discomfort during long reading or work sessions. The OnePlus Pad 4 avoids that issue, making it an appealing option for anyone looking for a tablet that feels easier on the eyes.
In display testing, the OnePlus Pad 4 reached 924 cd/m² in an APL18 brightness test and 906 cd/m² in HDR mode. These results are more than enough for typical indoor use, whether you are working in an office, watching videos in the living room, browsing the web, or reading documents.
However, when compared with some competing tablets, the HDR brightness is not especially impressive. For example, the Honor MagicPad 4 can reach a much higher HDR peak brightness of 3,084 cd/m². That gives it a clear advantage when displaying high dynamic range content, especially scenes with intense highlights, stronger contrast, and more visual depth.
For everyday use, though, the OnePlus Pad 4’s display performs well. Text looks clear, videos have decent contrast, and the large 13.2-inch panel gives users plenty of space for multitasking, streaming, note-taking, and productivity apps. In normal room lighting, brightness is not a problem.
The limitations become more obvious outdoors. Under direct sunlight, such as near a window, at a café patio, or by the pool, the IPS panel struggles more. Reflections can make the screen harder to see, and colors may appear washed out. Tablets with brighter OLED panels have a clear advantage in these conditions.
Response time is another area where the OnePlus Pad 4’s IPS display falls behind. The panel recorded 37.3 ms gray-to-gray and 32.6 ms black-to-white response times. These numbers are relatively slow, and they matter most in fast-moving content.
For casual use, this will not be a major issue. Watching movies, reading, browsing, handling emails, and working on documents all feel perfectly fine. Even casual gaming should be acceptable for most users.
Competitive gamers, however, may notice the difference. Fast-paced games can show visible ghosting or afterimages, especially during quick camera movements or rapid action scenes. In comparison, the Honor MagicPad 4’s panel can achieve a much faster 0.91 ms black-to-white response time, making it far better suited for high-speed gaming.
The biggest strength of the OnePlus Pad 4 display is its eye-friendly behavior. Since the screen does not use PWM for brightness control, it may be a better choice for users who are sensitive to OLED flicker. This can make long reading sessions, office work, studying, or browsing more comfortable over time.
Overall, the OnePlus Pad 4 offers a balanced display experience. Its IPS screen is bright enough for indoor use, comfortable for sensitive eyes, and well suited for productivity and media consumption. At the same time, it cannot match the HDR impact, outdoor visibility, deep contrast, or ultra-fast response times of the best OLED-equipped tablets.
If your priority is eye comfort, a large screen, and reliable indoor performance, the OnePlus Pad 4 is a strong option. But if you want the most vibrant colors, the brightest HDR highlights, and the fastest display response for gaming, you may want to consider a tablet with a higher-end OLED panel instead.
