OnePlus Pad 4 or iPad Air: which tablet should you buy?
The OnePlus Pad 4 costs ₹62,999 and the iPad Air 11-inch ₹89,900. Here is who should pay the extra ₹26,901 for Apple, and who should keep the money.
The Synap verdict
Buy the OnePlus Pad 4 at ₹62,999 for the bigger screen and the saving. Pay ₹89,900 for the iPad Air 11″ (M4) only if you want Apple's apps, Pencil Pro and updates.
Buy it if
You want a 13.2-inch, 144Hz tablet with 256GB for ₹26,901 less than the 11-inch iPad Air
Skip it if
You own an iPhone or Mac, want Apple Pencil Pro, or need a 5G tablet
Buy the OnePlus Pad 4 at ₹62,999 unless you already live in Apple’s world: it costs ₹26,901 less than the iPad Air 11″ (M4) at ₹89,900 and gives you a bigger, faster-refreshing screen. Pick the iPad Air if you own an iPhone or Mac, want Apple Pencil Pro, or care about a long update record. Prices are today’s India prices, checked on 27 October 2026.
OnePlus Pad 4 or iPad Air: which is better value?
The OnePlus Pad 4 is better value for most people. The OnePlus Pad 4 has one version, 8GB + 256GB with Wi-Fi, at ₹62,999. The cheapest iPad Air 11″ (M4) is 128GB with Wi-Fi at ₹89,900, and its 256GB version is ₹1,01,900, which is ₹38,901 more than the OnePlus for the same storage, according to The Synap’s tablet pages.
| OnePlus Pad 4 | iPad Air 11″ (M4) | iPad Air 13″ (M4) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price, Wi-Fi | ₹62,999 (256GB) | ₹89,900 (128GB) | ₹1,19,900 (128GB) |
| 256GB, Wi-Fi | ₹62,999 | ₹1,01,900 | ₹1,31,900 |
| 5G version | No | ₹1,07,900 (128GB) | ₹1,37,900 (128GB) |
| Maker keyboard | ₹17,999 | ₹26,900 | ₹29,900 |
| Tablet plus keyboard | ₹80,998 | ₹1,16,800 | ₹1,49,800 |
Add each maker’s keyboard and the gap grows: ₹80,998 for the OnePlus against ₹1,16,800 for the 11-inch Air, a difference of ₹35,802. The Apple Pencil and OnePlus Stylo Pro are both sold separately, so neither pen is a hidden saving.
Which has the better screen and speakers?
The OnePlus Pad 4 has the better screen on paper. It is a 13.2-inch LCD at up to 144Hz with 1,000 nits peak brightness, claimed by OnePlus. The 11-inch iPad Air is a 500 nits LCD with no ProMotion (Apple’s name for a screen that speeds up and slows down), and the iPad Air 13″ (M4) reaches 600 nits.
Sound follows the same pattern: eight speakers on the OnePlus against two on either iPad Air. For films on the sofa, that favours the OnePlus. For colour accuracy and drawing, no independent measurements have been published on either that we can cite.
| OnePlus Pad 4 | iPad Air 11″ (M4) | iPad Air 13″ (M4) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 13.2″ LCD, 144Hz | 11″ LCD | 13″ LCD |
| Peak brightness (maker) | 1,000 nits | 500 nits | 600 nits |
| Chip | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 | Apple M4 | Apple M4 |
| Memory | 8GB | 12GB | 12GB |
| Battery (maker) | 13,380 mAh, 80W | 28.93 Wh, 20W | 36.59 Wh, 20W |
| Weight | 672 g | 464 g | 616 g |
| Speakers | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| Software | OxygenOS 16 | iPadOS 27 | iPadOS 27 |
Which is faster, and which lasts longer?
Both are fast enough that most buyers will not feel a gap in notes, streaming or browsing. The OnePlus uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, a flagship phone chip, and the Air uses Apple’s M4 with 12GB of memory. The Air has more memory, which matters if you keep many apps open or edit video.
Battery is hard to compare, because OnePlus quotes milliamp-hours (mAh) and Apple quotes watt-hours (Wh). Apple rates both Air sizes at up to 10 hours of browsing or video. The Synap’s page for the OnePlus lists no maker hours figure, and no independent battery test is cited here for either, so treat battery as unproven. The charging gap is clear: 80W on the OnePlus, 20W on the iPad.
Is the iPad Air worth ₹26,901 more?
Yes, if the Apple ecosystem is the reason you are shopping. The iPad Air works with Apple Pencil Pro, runs iPadOS 27 and has the deeper pool of tablet-first apps. The OnePlus Pad 4 runs OxygenOS 16, and the maker has not published an update promise for it, so there is no promise to compare. Apple publishes no fixed number either, though its iPads have a long record of updates.
The iPad Air 13″ (M4) is the poor-value pick here. It starts at ₹1,19,900, which is ₹56,901 more than the OnePlus for a similar screen size. It makes sense only if you split the screen between two apps all day and want to stay with Apple. If the size is what you want, the OnePlus gives it for far less.
What about cheaper tablets?
If neither fits your budget, the iPad (A16) is Apple’s cheapest iPad at ₹49,900 for 128GB, though Apple Intelligence skips its A16 chip. For Android with 5G, the OnePlus Pad Go 2 is ₹39,499 for Wi-Fi and ₹45,499 for the 5G version with 256GB, and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S10 FE is ₹52,999. Browse every tablet by price on the tablets page.
Quick answers
Does the OnePlus Pad 4 have a 5G version?
No. It is Wi-Fi only, at ₹62,999. The iPad Air 11″ (M4) adds 5G for ₹18,000 on the 128GB version, from ₹89,900 to ₹1,07,900.
Does either tablet come with a pen or keyboard?
No. On both, the pen and the keyboard are sold separately. The OnePlus Smart Keyboard is ₹17,999, and Apple’s Magic Keyboard is ₹26,900 for the 11-inch Air and ₹29,900 for the 13-inch.
Which is better for students?
The OnePlus Pad 4 gives a bigger screen and 256GB for ₹62,999, which suits notes and study on a budget. Choose the iPad Air 11″ (M4) if you own an iPhone or want Apple Pencil Pro for handwritten notes.
