Redmi Pad Review: An All-Rounder Tablet

Xiaomi seems to be keen on redefining the capabilities of a budget tablet as the company has introduced the new Redmi Pad as a pocket-friendly tablet. At the first glance, the device looks premium and it feels nice to hold it. Starting at a base price of Rs. 14,999, the new Redmi Pad seems to be setting a bar for a budget tablet. With almost no compromises, the features look pretty impressive and unusual in the budget tablet category at least on paper. The on-paper specs include a 10-bit 2K 90Hz display with a quad-speaker setup, 8000mAh battery cell, MediaTek G99 chipset and much more. But how does it perform actually? Does it meet the expectations and requirements of consumers? To get answers to all these questions, read our reviews here. We spent more than a week using the Redmi Pad for media consumption, e-reading, casual gaming, and internet browsing and here is our experience.

Redmi Pad display and design

Unlike other budget tablets, the Redmi Pad is a clear exception, offering a standard design for the category. It comes with a sleek metal body and an impressive build quality that we typically don't get to see in budget tablets. The rear panel of the tablet has a smooth matte texture, and the design is very minimal and modern. We have the Mint Green colour variant with us and it looks eye-catching and refreshing. The tablet also comes in Graphite Grey and Moonlight Silver colour options. The rear panel also has a vertical camera module and a Redmi branding.

Despite being 7.1mm thin and 465 grams weight, the 10.61-inch tablet feels light in the hand because of the smart weight distribution.

Now coming to display, Redmi Pad has a 10.61-inch 2-K resolution 10-bit LCD display with 90Hz refresh rate ( a first in its class) and a 15:09 aspect ratio. The display is bright enough for comfortable viewing indoors; however, I faced difficulty in visibility under direct sunlight. Its high resolution 2K display offers decent colour accuracy. Of course, it lacks AMOLED-level colour saturation, but the 10-bit 2K LCD is not bad for a budget tablet. The Dolby Atmos-powered quad speakers offer decent audio with minimum distortion even on high volume.

Redmi Pad performance

Talking about the performance of the new Redmi pad, here also it is quite impressive. The device offers a smooth experience whether you're browsing the internet or watching content or reading an e-book or playing games. Though I didn't try the high-end games, I played Temple run, Subway surfers, Candy Crush and a few others and surprisingly it didn't lag or heat, unlike Motorola Tab G62 LTE which was launched recently under Rs. 20000.

It handled multitasking very well, due to the MediaTek Helio G99 processor and ample 6GB RAM. Apps load quickly, and the tablet can handle multiple apps at once without any lags. You can use the tablet in portrait as well as landscape mode to do video calls.

Now, let's talk about its software. The MIUI 13 software based on Android 12 lets the tab perform effectively during multitasking on the 15:9 aspect ratio screen. To make the most of the display, the device allowed me to run apps in floating windows or split-screen mode. Further, its multi-window feature allows me to run three applications at once.

Redmi Pad Battery Life

The Redmi Pad easily lasts more than a day of heavy use without seeking a power socket. With light to moderate use, the 8,000mAh battery cell even offers upto three days of battery backup. However, its 18W charging support might disappoint you as it takes longer than usual to charge up the device. But keeping in view its price point, it can be ignored.

Verdict

After spending more than a week with the Redmi Pad, I can say that the company has set the bar for budget tablets. Priced under Rs. 15000, it surprisingly offers better performance and experience than any other tablet in this range. Even compared to more expensive Android tablets, this one offers much better value, and an excellent tablet experience. Considering everything, it is indeed the best option we can recommend for less than Rs. 20000.