Move over, iPad; there’s a new multitasking king on the block

My day-to-day workflow revolves around browser-based services, and a long-life tablet like the iPad is the perfect on-the-go device for me. In fact, I’ve documented my adventures with the iPad as my primary computer several times in the past. However, as a compulsive multitasker, I keep coming back to my desktop. I swear by my 43-inch TV-as-a-monitor multitasking setup, so you can see why a tablet wouldn’t make it through the work day. However, OnePlus has a solution that changed my mind.

I’ve been looking at the brand new OnePlus Pad 2, and I believe the company’s Open Canvas system is the biggest step forward for tablet multitasking yet. And yes, it’s better than Apple Stage Manager. But more on that later. First, let’s take a quick look at how Open Canvas multitasking works on the OnePlus Pad 2.

Eagle-eyed readers would remember that Open Canvas is not actually new. It debuted at the OnePlus Open, and my colleague Ryan called it the best approach to multitasking on any foldable device in his review. It turns out that what works on a foldable device shines on a tablet.

I’ve been using the OnePlus Open as my primary phone since it launched last year, and Open Canvas is one of my favorite features. However, I rarely use more than two apps at the same time due to screen size limitations. Size isn’t everything, but 7.8 inches isn’t big enough to display three apps at the same time. With its huge 12-inch screen, the OnePlus Pad 2 allows you to have three usable apps on the screen at any given moment. Here’s how it works.

Once you launch your primary app, you can either use the standard Android method, go to the multitasking menu and tap the split screen option, or use the gesture shortcut. As long as the tablet is in landscape mode, a two-finger swipe down the middle splits an app and you can launch another.

For another app, just swipe from the top right corner and pull out the OnePlus Smart Sidebar. This floating toolkit lets you access any app on your phone. Simply hold the icon and drag it onto the screen; opens a third division on the large 12-inch display of the OnePlus Pad 2.

By default, the three-way split highlights two apps and shows the third app overflowing off the screen. However, a quick four-finger pinch reveals all apps at once. At the OnePlus Open, this three-app layout was too small to read. On the other hand, the spacious real estate of the OnePlus Pad 2 makes it a very functional solution.

As a bedroom guitarist, I use my tablet to pull out cards all the time. However, I hate having to jump between the metronome app and Spotify or YouTube for backing tracks. Open Canvas allows you to have all three open at the same time. Me? I love having the tabs and metronome on the screen and Spotify just a tap away. You can even lock specific combinations of apps to easily return to them. Brilliant!

While Open Canvas itself is locked to a maximum of three apps, there’s another trick up its sleeve. You can load the fourth application as a floating window. It’s not quite as usable as full-fledged multitasking, but it will do in a pinch. For me, that means downloading a YouTube tutorial that shows an experienced guitar player how to put together a complex lick. But the possibilities are endless.

That said, I hope OnePlus opens up the Canvas multitasking system for more than three apps — the OnePlus Pad 2’s 12-inch display is big enough to easily display four apps. Maybe even more if it’s displayed in a smartphone-like vertical window. In fact, I wouldn’t even mind an infinite app canvas, even if it meant being locked to three visible at once. But I digress.

OnePlus Pad 2 vs iPad Air: Who was better at multitasking?

Since my primary tablet is an iPad Air, I have a lot of experience with multitasking in this ecosystem. So it made sense to pit the OnePlus Pad 2 against my iPad Air. Out of the box, the iPad’s multitasking is pretty basic, offering little more than a series of two-way splits with a hidden third app on the side. But there’s also Stage Manager to consider—Apple’s attempt to tame desktop multitasking on a tablet.

When I wrote about Stage Manager two years ago, I called it a good start with a lot to learn. Sadly, Stage Manager hasn’t budged an inch since then. I’m using the latest iPadOS 18 beta and haven’t seen any improvements. It’s still just a two-way split with the added benefit of slightly looser constraints on how you want to split the windows. Apple’s focus on animation and theatrics means there’s a lot of wasted screen real estate, and after a quick try later I reverted to the regular interface. This feature is hard to deal with and explains why Apple hasn’t mentioned it once at their WWDCs since.

In contrast, the OnePlus multitasking is much more functional and fluid, making the most of every available inch of the screen.

I could end this story by saying that OnePlus has built the best multitasking system on a tablet. And it has. But it is also necessary to draw attention to its limitations. First, the three-app limit seems like an arbitrary limitation that has no place on a high-end tablet. A more flexible resizing of the window would also be a great addition. However, the most serious problem is the lack of education on how to activate the feature. If I hadn’t already used it on my OnePlus Open, I just wouldn’t have discovered it. I’m sure this feature will, unfortunately, be completely undiscovered by most OnePlus Pad 2 users.

That said, it’s clear that OnePlus has the right ideas when it comes to truly maximizing productivity on a foldable device or tablet. I hope this feature is widely spread across the Android (and Apple) ecosystems. It’s too good not to be. Good job OnePlus!