Xiaomi Pad 5 First Impressions: Built to perform
After a long hiatus, Xiaomi has revitalized its tablet portfolio in India with the launch of the Pad 5. This feature-packed tablet is different from most others in its segment, as it sports a high-resolution display, a powerful processor, and even sports Xiaomi’s Smart Pen. However, there are a few glaring omissions that could be a dealbreaker for some.
Unlike the plastic build of the first Mi Pad (Review), the Xiaomi Pad 5 looks quite premium. It has a metal frame between the display and a polycarbonate back panel. The overall construction feels quite sturdy. The Xiaomi Smart Pen magnetically attaches to the top edge of the tablet for storage and charging, while the Xiaomi Pad Keyboard connects via the contact pins at the bottom of the tablet. Both of these accessories require separate purchase.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 has a back panel made of polycarbonate
The 10.95-inch LCD display on the Xiaomi Pad 5 has a resolution of 1,600 x 2,560 pixels. It features a 120Hz refresh rate, which makes the user interface feel quite fluid. The display is also HDR10+ and Dolby Vision certified for better contrast and colors when streaming supported content. The 10-bit display also has a peak brightness of up to 650 nits. Adding to the certifications is a quad-speaker setup with support for Dolby Atmos.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 comes in two storage variants. The 128GB variant is priced at Rs. 26,999 and the 256GB variant is available for Rs. 28,999. Both the storage variants come with 6GB of RAM and do not feature a microSD slot for storage expansion.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 has a single camera on the back
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC inside the Xiaomi Pad 5 seems a little dated, but should be good enough for the tablet’s productivity and entertainment needs. Sadly, the Pad 5 doesn’t have a cellular variant, meaning you’ll have to rely on Wi-Fi for internet connectivity. The tablet also supports Bluetooth 5 and a USB Type-C port with OTG support. There’s no fingerprint reader, so users are limited to the 2D facial recognition system or the old-fashioned passcode for security.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 runs MIUI 13, which comes with several tablet-friendly optimizations, allowing apps to run in floating windows and more. This version of MIUI 13, however, uses Android 11 as its base. The UI has been heavily customized but ran smoothly during my initial use.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 runs on MIUI 13, which is optimized for a tablet
The Xiaomi Pad 5 has an 8,720mAh battery that charges quickly with the bundled 22.5W charger. The Xiaomi Pad 5 supports fast charging up to 33W, but you’ll have to purchase that charger separately. Xiaomi has also packed a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front-facing camera on the Pad 5.
Xiaomi’s Pad 5 seems like a big comeback compared to the first Mi Pad that was launched in India. However, the Xiaomi Pad 5 belongs to a completely different price segment. The Pad 5 competes with products mainly from Samsung, such as the Galaxy Tab A8 and the more expensive Galaxy Tab S7 FE (Review), and with products from Lenovo, such as the Yoga Smart Tab and the more expensive Tab P11 Pro (Review).
I’ll be putting the Xiaomi Pad 5 through its paces to find out if its software and accessories make it a solid productivity product, in addition to being a potential entertainment powerhouse like the rest of the tablets in its segment. Stay tuned for my full review, coming soon.
