Redmi Pad first impressions: the new affordable Android tablet champion?
The demand for large-screen devices increased after the pandemic hit, as people started working and studying from home. The iPad was a popular choice, but it wasn’t the most affordable device, at least in India. Android smartphone makers like Samsung, Realme, Motorola and the likes started launching more and more budget tablets under Rs. 20,000 in India. Xiaomi is a bit late to the party, but it wants to make up for it with the launch of the Redmi Pad.
The Redmi Pad is the first Android tablet in the Redmi series in India. Claiming to be “the right choice”, the Redmi Pad comes in three storage configurations. The base model starts at Rs. 14,999 and includes 3GB of RAM with 64GB of internal storage. The other variants include 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which are priced at Rs. 17,999 and Rs. 19,999 respectively.
The Redmi Pad also comes in three colours. We have the Mint Green colour variant, which has a matte finish. This helps hide fingerprints and smudges. If you want a more classic colour, you can look at the Moonlight Silver or Graphite Grey options. Adding to the looks is a full metal body, which certainly gives the Redmi Pad a premium feel.
Redmi Pad in mint green color
The Redmi Pad has a flat frame with the volume buttons and microSD card slot on the right side. The right corner of the top edge houses the power button. On paper, the Redmi Pad weighs around 465 grams, but it actually feels a lot lighter when you hold it. The corners of the frame are curved to ensure a comfortable grip whether you hold the tablet horizontally or vertically. The back panel has a rectangular module, which houses the single 8-megapixel rear camera.
On the front, there’s a 10.61-inch IPS LCD, which Xiaomi says is the tallest in the segment. It has 400 nits peak brightness and fairly thin bezels for a budget tablet. There’s an 8-megapixel front-facing camera on it, and its positioning makes it practical for video calling. It also has a feature called FocusFrame to automatically switch to a wider view when it detects more people in the frame.
The Redmi Pad has fairly thin bezels for a budget Android tablet
The Redmi Pad’s display offers a 15:9 aspect ratio and for a better visual experience, it comes with Widevine L1 certification and support for over a billion colors. The tall display is complemented by a quad-speaker setup (two on the top edge and the other two at the bottom), which are pretty loud and crisp. We would have liked to see a 3.5mm headphone jack, considering this is a budget tablet and is pretty thick at 7.05mm.
The Redmi Pad is said to be the only tablet in its price range to feature a 90Hz display. Compatible games should be able to take advantage of the high refresh rate. Xiaomi also claims that the Redmi Pad offers best-in-class gaming performance, thanks to the MediaTek Hello G99 SoC. The tablet has a 8,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging. Xiaomi has included a 22.5W charging adapter with a USB Type-A to USB Type-C port in the box.
Redmi Pad runs Asphalt 9 Legends
The tablet runs on Android 12-based MIUI 13.1 skin. MIUI is one of the most feature-rich Android skins out there and offers features like split screen, floating windows, etc. Unlike most Redmi smartphones, the Redmi Pad does not come with many third-party apps pre-installed, saving you the extra step of uninstalling unnecessary apps. Xiaomi also promises support for two major Android updates and three years of security patches for the Redmi Pad.
Redmi Pad is said to have the highest screen in the price segment
The Redmi Pad competes with a slew of Android tablets priced under Rs. 20,000. With the kind of hardware it offers, the Redmi Pad certainly looks promising on paper, but the specifications only tell part of the story. How does it fare in the real world? Stay tuned for the full review of the Redmi Pad coming up soon on Gadgets 360.
