Xiaomi Pad 5 Review: Is This the Android Tablet We’ve Been Waiting For?

All copyrighted images used with permission of the respective copyright holders.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 is a compelling new entrant into the mid-range tablet segment in India, offering a compelling blend of performance and features at a competitive price starting at Rs. 26,999. This makes it a serious contender, especially considering its compatibility with a stylus and keyboard cover accessories, expanding its capability beyond just media consumption. But is the Xiaomi Pad 5 truly a standout Android tablet, and does its software offer unique value? Let’s delve into this comprehensive review to find out.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Price in India

The Xiaomi Pad 5 is available in two variants, both boasting 6GB of RAM. The base model comes with 128GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 26,999, while the higher-end variant offers 256GB of storage for Rs. 28,999. The tablet is available in a single color, Cosmic Gray, and comes with a charger in the box along with a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable.

Beyond the tablet, there are three optional accessories: the Xiaomi Smart Pen priced at Rs. 5,999, a simple foldable cover priced at Rs. 1,999, and the Xiaomi Pad Keyboard cover which is yet to be released in India at the time of this review.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Design

The Xiaomi Pad 5 features a metal frame with flat sides, sandwiched between a glass screen on the front and a polycarbonate sheet at the back. The Gorilla Glass 3 covering the display resists fingerprints well, but the smooth matte-finished back panel easily attracts smudges and requires frequent cleaning. The cover case, which is sold separately, provides protection against dust and grime while covering the back.

When held horizontally, the tablet boasts two speakers on each side, a magnetic connector for the Smart Pen on the top of the frame, and three contact pins for the keyboard accessory at the bottom. The only prominent element is the single camera module at the back, which doesn’t protrude excessively. The power and volume buttons are conveniently located near the top left corner but require some firm pressure to operate.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 feels premium, but its weight of about 511g makes it somewhat heavy and not ideal for one-handed use. The added weight of the keyboard accessory further amplifies this issue, making the entire package nearly as heavy as an ultra-thin laptop. Therefore, I preferred to remove the keyboard for activities like gaming. The standard foldable cover is reported to be much lighter and serves as a foldable stand for the tablet.

Among the accessories, the Pad Keyboard is an essential addition if you plan to use the Xiaomi Pad 5 for productivity, assuming Xiaomi makes it readily available.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Specifications and Software

Powering the Xiaomi Pad 5 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, introduced in 2021. It’s essentially an upgraded version of the Snapdragon 855+ SoC, released in 2019, utilizing the 7nm process. Designed for premium smartphones, performance shouldn’t be a concern. However, the 6GB of RAM, especially considering Xiaomi’s MIUI skin, might seem questionable. We’ll explore its performance in a later section.

In terms of connectivity, the Xiaomi Pad 5 lacks 4G/5G cellular capability and is only available as a Wi-Fi model. It features Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5, and a USB Type-C port but sadly lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, which could have easily been included given the tablet’s size and thickness. The absence of LTE might be a dealbreaker for those who require internet connectivity while traveling. Unlike the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro, I was able to install WhatsApp and make calls without issues, showcasing the potential benefit of cellular capability. The tablet houses an 8,720mAh battery with support for up to 33W fast charging, though Xiaomi only includes a 22.5W charger in the box.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 runs ‘MIUI for Pad’, a customized version of MIUI 13.0.5 based on Android 11. While visually similar to Xiaomi’s mobile offerings with familiar iconography and UI elements, the brand has commendably reduced the number of preinstalled first-party apps, leaving only one preinstalled third-party app – Netflix. There’s also a Notes app, resembling iOS and iPadOS, which works well with the Smart Pen.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 boasts numerous tablet-friendly customizations throughout the user interface. The home screen features a macOS-inspired dock and menu bar, staying open at the bottom when on the home screen. It serves as a place to pin frequently used apps and displays currently open apps. Accessed with a swipe-up gesture on either side of the horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen while using an app, this gesture is curiously unavailable when switching the navigation style to the three buttons instead of the default gesture-based interface.

The gesture-based navigation significantly enhances functionality, as the dock acts like the Windows 11 taskbar, displaying pinned apps and open apps to the side. This minimises the need for the recents menu and simplifies app switching. As with Xiaomi’s smartphones, you can also swipe upwards on the bottom bar to switch between open apps.

Apps can be opened in Floating windows, a feature not universally supported by all apps, including some native Xiaomi apps such as Calendar. However, for supported apps, floating windows work exceptionally well. A long press on an app icon reveals a floating window button, launching the app in a vertical windowed mode, similar to its smartphone appearance.

The floating window can be resized by dragging the dots at the bottom corners, and apps designed for tablet layouts, like Outlook, adapt their layout accordingly as the window stretches. The floating apps reload when switching between vertical and horizontal orientations to adjust the layout. The floating windows can also be minimised to a smaller preview-like window, useful for maintaining focus on the main app while keeping track of activities in other windowed apps.

While a useful feature, floating windows have limitations. I could only open two apps in windowed mode simultaneously, with a third app running in fullscreen mode in the background. Nevertheless, it’s a fantastic tool for productivity tasks, allowing me to have Chrome open in full screen, Google Docs in a separate window, and Slack open in another window, making the tablet highly effective for work.

Although MIUI for Pad draws inspiration from Apple’s iPadOS, it’s one of the more user-friendly Android tablet operating systems I’ve encountered. Predictably, some apps, like Instagram, only open in fullscreen mode, while the Google Discover section appears similar to its smartphone version but with significant empty space on either side of the feed. Google’s new Material You widgets look excellent and function as expected but lack features like wallpaper color matching due to the Pad 5 not running Android 12.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Performance

Software performance on the Xiaomi Pad 5 is strikingly smooth, thanks to the capable processor and the 120Hz display, creating a fluid experience. While multitasking with three apps using Floating windows resulted in no crashes or restarts, previously launched apps accessed from the recents menu often restarted, suggesting that more RAM could have benefited the device.

The 10.95-inch WQHD+ (1,600 x 2,560 pixel) LCD display delivers natural colors when set to Standard color mode. It’s sufficiently bright for tackling direct sunlight and offers decent sharpness with a pixel density of 275 PPI. The display is Dolby Vision certified, and while Netflix and Amazon Prime Video allowed streaming of Dolby Vision content, the display struggled to showcase detailed dark areas in some TV shows. Black levels in streamed video content tended to appear somewhat gray.

The tablet’s maximum 120Hz refresh rate was beneficial during gaming sessions. While generally excellent for a mid-range tablet, I noticed some ghosting when scrolling through text, whether in apps or browsing web pages. Audio quality was impressive, sounding immersive during gaming and movie watching, rendering earphones unnecessary.

Benchmarks confirmed the Pad 5’s expected performance. It scored 5,72,369 points in AnTuTu and 683 and 2,522 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, respectively. These scores aligned with a mid-range smartphone like the OnePlus Nord 2, equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC.

Gaming performance was remarkably good. Asphalt 9: Legends looked stunning, almost console-like with detailed textures, running smoothly with the 60fps mode enabled. Call of Duty: Mobile functioned well at the highest settings available on the tablet – "Very High" graphics, "Max" frame rate, and all effects turned on. Notably, the tablet remained barely warm even while gaming at these settings. Users who prefer not to hold the tablet (due to its weight) can pair a controller, provided the game supports it.

The Xiaomi Pad Keyboard case features hidden magnets within its leather-like plastic exterior, holding the tablet firmly in place when attached. The case itself is high-quality. The keys offer decent travel for a soft tablet keyboard, making typing comfortable despite its smaller-than-usual size. However, a trackpad would have been a welcome addition, reducing interaction with the display. A mouse can be connected via a Type-C hub or Bluetooth, but a desk is required for proper use.

Keyboard shortcuts are available, and Xiaomi has included a customisable multi-tasking key called the Function key. This key can be used in combination with other character keys to launch both native and third-party apps. Double-pressing the Function key allows switching between recently used apps, proving handy during work sessions. While the keyboard met my expectations at the software level, there were instances where the tablet failed to detect the keyboard even when attached.

Xiaomi also provided the Smart Pen for testing. This accessory attaches to the top of the tablet and uses inductive charging. It fully charges in about 20 minutes with a satisfying snap when perfectly centered, followed by an on-screen notification displaying the current charge and status. Interestingly, the pen can be attached to the left and right of the correct charging spot, but it won’t charge. Weighing just 12.2g, the pen’s soft tip offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, comparable to Samsung’s S Pen.

The Smart Pen functioned as expected, not just for creative workflows but also for simple tasks like signing documents. There’s minimal input lag, resulting in a natural scribbling experience. Palm rejection when using the pen on the Xiaomi Pad 5 isn’t flawless, causing a few instances of stray scribbles. The Smart Pen also features two buttons – one can be held down to capture a screenshot of the on-screen content (which can later be annotated), while the other opens a new note in Xiaomi’s Notes app.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Cameras

The Xiaomi Pad 5 boasts a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel front camera. Photo quality was decent at best, exceeding expectations for a tablet. Video recording quality was average. The rear camera proved useful for scanning documents, and the LED flash made it suitable for low-light conditions. The front camera effectively handled background exposure, and the subject appeared sharp and clear during video calls. It also doubles as a face recognition system, the tablet’s only biometric security option, as a fingerprint reader is absent. While the 2D face unlock system isn’t highly secure, it enables quick access past the lock screen and worked well both indoors and outdoors under sunlight.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Battery Life

The 8,720mAh battery lasted for a full day and a half while fulfilling my work duties, with the display set to sleep after five minutes, essentially meaning it was almost constantly on during that time. Under casual usage including gaming, watching videos, Slack, and two synced email accounts, the tablet easily surpassed two days of real-world use on a single charge.

These results were impressive, especially with the display’s refresh rate set to 120Hz. In our HD video loop test, the tablet lasted for an incredible 15 hours and 59 minutes. Charging the massive battery took 1 hour and 57 minutes using the included charger, which is commendable given that most tablets typically take much longer. A separate purchase of a 33W fast charger from Xiaomi can shorten the charging time.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Verdict

While the original Xiaomi Mi Pad offered exceptional value and performance as a solid budget tablet back in 2015, Xiaomi’s new Pad 5 is a proper mid-range tablet designed with productivity in mind, an uncommon attribute at this price point.

More importantly, Xiaomi has optimized the software experience remarkably, significantly enhancing its usability when paired with certain accessories. The tablet offers a high-quality display for video viewing, and the 120Hz refresh rate comes in handy during gaming. The Smart Pen is also quite useful, and overall, the Pad 5 undeniably functions well as a productivity device.

However, there are a few missing elements like a 3.5mm headphone jack and cellular connectivity. However, I wouldn’t consider these deal-breakers at this price, even after extensive usage.

In the absence of direct competitors, the Pad 5 faces off against more expensive devices like the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro priced at Rs. 44,990 and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE starting at Rs. 39,999 for the base Wi-Fi-only model. iOS users looking for greater app support will gravitate towards the Apple iPad (2021), starting at Rs. 30,999 for the base 64GB Wi-Fi-only model, but its price can quickly escalate with accessories. However, it lacks the high refresh rate display and quad-speaker audio found in the Xiaomi Pad 5, giving the Xiaomi tablet a slight advantage.

Article Reference

Brian Adams
Brian Adams
Brian Adams is a technology writer with a passion for exploring new innovations and trends. His articles cover a wide range of tech topics, making complex concepts accessible to a broad audience. Brian's engaging writing style and thorough research make his pieces a must-read for tech enthusiasts.