An iPad mini rival could be coming from an unlikely source – and it's tipped to be more powerful, too

OnePlus could be preparing a brace of premium tablets, with the launch of a 13.2-inch OnePlus 3 Pro as well as a smaller 8.8-inch Mini. The launches could build on the strength of the OnePlus Pad 3 launched in 2025.

The details come from Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via 9to5Google), outlining the details of the OnePlus Pad 3 Pro as a 13.2-inch display, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor and huge battery.

That puts it in a premium position to challenge the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra (or the Tab S12 Ultra successor) and sees it joining an increased number of premium Android tablets, including the Honor MagicPad 4 and the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro.

The smaller 8.8-inch tablet is perhaps even more interesting, as the Apple iPad mini has fewer decent rivals. It's thought to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, the slightly lower tier hardware that's in devices such as the Motorola Signature and other sub-flagship phones. That would still likely make it more powerful than Apple's latest device, though.

The increased interest in the tablet segment poses more competition for Apple's iPad generally. Apple has dominated tablet sales for a number of years, while Android manufacturers haven't always responded with the most powerful hardware, opting for cheaper devices instead.

However, there seems to be a growing trend for more powerful tablets, looking to revive sales, with Google also boosting the software experience with increased focus on how Android behaves on a larger display.

There's no fixed timeline for the launch of the new tablets from OnePlus, but it's thought that the larger device will launch first, followed by the smaller iPad mini competitor.

When we reviewed the OnePlus Pad 3, we said that "this OnePlus slate is an excellent buy, out-speccing comparable iPad and Galaxy Tab products."

OLED displays remain rare – it’s mainly the top Samsung and Apple tablets that offer that tech – but offering powerful hardware at more agreeable prices is something that Chinese brands are good at.

While we praised the OnePlus Pad 3 for that great hardware, the accessories can't keep up – although it's worth considering that Apple's high-quality iPad accessories are devilishly expensive, increasing the overall price of investing in an iPad if you're serious about working on it.