OnePlus Pad trademark reveals plans for what could be the ultimate budget tablet

(Image credit: Waqar Khan)

published 6 July 2021

OnePlus looks set to join the tablets fray after a trademark was spotted that suggests it has a new piece of hardware in the works. The OnePlus Pad could become a reality sooner that you'd expect thanks to the fast track status of the trademark.

Filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) on July 1, the trademark application (via MySmartPrice) is a class nine, with the category encompassing tech devices like notebooks, laptops, and tablets. With a name like the OnePlus Pad, it's not a stretch to assume this is most likely going to be a budget tablet.

OnePlus' ethos has always been to make traditionally expensive products more affordable, without sacrificing key features to do so. While some of its recent flagship smartphones have veered off that path a little, with prices rising for the more premium offerings like the OnePlus 8 Pro, the company returned to its roots with the introduction of the OnePlus Nord series which quickly expanded to include the significantly cheaper OnePlus Nord N10 5G and OnePlus Nord N100.

OnePlus has since merged with Oppo, and its fellow BBK Electronics brands like Vivo and Realme are also working to bring out their own tablets. Given the companies proclivity for dabbling in areas outside of smartphones, with the OnePlus Buds and OnePlus Watch, it was only a matter of time before it branched out again into another arena.

There's been no official announcement about the tablet, but OnePlus does love to tease so maybe we'll get a hint at the upcoming OnePlus Nord 2 reveal event at the end of the month. We suspect the tab will be positioned as an affordable piece of tech to go up against the likes of the Galaxy Tab A series, but we'll have to wait and see.

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Shabana worked at T3.com as News Editor covering tech and gaming, and has been writing about video games for almost a decade (and playing them since forever). She's had bylines at major gaming sites during her freelance career before settling down here at T3, and has podcasts, streaming, and video content under her belt to boot. Outside of work, she also plays video games and should really think about expanding her hobbies. If you have any tech or gaming tips, shoot over an email or DM her on social media.