JOIN USRedmi Pad first impression: Well-rounded budget tablet
Xiaomi earlier in the year launched a mid-range Mi Pad Android tablet. It had a really good build quality, bright display, and offered long battery life and the pricing was just perfect, which gave several tier-1 premium brands a run for their money.
Now, its subsidiary has introduced the budget Redmi Pad series in India. It is available in three configurations--3GB RAM + 64GB storage, 4GB RAM + 128GB storage, and 6GB RAM + 128GB storage-- with an introductory prices of Rs 12,999 (MRP: 14,999), Rs 14,999 (Rs 17,999) and Rs 16,999 (MRP: Rs 19,999), respectively.
DH received the Redmi Pad review unit (6GB RAM + 128GB storage) and here are our initial thoughts on the latest Android tablet.
Design and display
Redmi Pad flaunts a metal casing with flat rails around the edges and curved corners. The high quality of metal can be felt when held in the hand. It has a slim exterior outlook but weighs almost half a kg (to be precise, it weighs 465g). Add to that, the device comes with IP52 water-splash resistant rating. There are very few that come close to this model in terms of premium build quality and durability. The company offers three colour options-- graphite gray (this review variant), mint green, and moonlight silver.
On the front, it has a thick but uniform bezel around the edges. I have no issues with this design language as it offers enough space for the fingers to hold on to the tablet while watching or browsing the web and not obstruct the viewing experience.
Another noteworthy design aspect is the camera placement on the sides and not at the top in the vertical position. With this change, when the tablet is used in landscape mode be it for an office meeting or online class, or for a personal video call, the subject will remain focused in the middle of the frame. And, if there are more people, the screen can accommodate them in the frame without any issues.
Redmi Pad hits the sweet spot with a 10.61-inch screen, not too big or small. Also, it has a bright LCD-based 2K screen with 2000x1200p resolution.
With a 90Hz refresh rate, the device offers a good user experience in terms of browsing the web and reading news. It has a pixel density of 221 ppi (pixels per inch) and offers peak brightness of 400 nits.
Also, it has in-built SGS eye protection and TUV Rheinland certification; this means, there will be less eye strain and offer a comfortable viewing experience for long hours of reading or watching, or playing a game.
And, it has a quad-speaker tuned with Dolby Atmos. The speakers are good and even with the volume at max, there is less distortion of audio.
Processor configuration
Redmi Pad is powered by a 6nm class MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core chipset, which can clock CPU speed up to 2.2GHz. It is backed by ARM G57MC2 graphics processor and mentioned above, the device comes in three RAM+Configurations-- 3GB RAM + 64GB storage, 4GB RAM + 6GB RAM + 128GB storage. During my brief time with the device, Redmi Pad has been very efficient in terms of speed of opening apps, loading the camera, and switching between apps.
Our review device (6GB RAM + 128GB storage) runs on the Android 12-based MIUI 13 and have to say, the company has a good job with customisation. It is very easy to back to the previous app or split the screen or floating window for multitasking. The transition is as smooth as it gets and there is no noticeable lag-ness as such.
The company says the device will get two years of software updates and three years of security support.
I believe even the base model has enough hardware to ensure smooth performance in terms of day-to-day activities.
It houses a massive 8,000mAh battery. It is more than enough to binge-watch at two-three movies (around two hours each) without any anxiety. Also, devices with a Wi-Fi connection can go for extended sessions with ease.
Redmi Pad is tested to deliver close to 21 hours of video playback or 12 hours plus of gaming.
The retail box comes with a 22.5W charger, but the device's charging speed is limited to 18W.
It also comes with an 8MP camera on the back and a 5MP camera on the front. I will file the full review detailing how the cameras fare when taking photos of documents and while video calling.
Initial thoughts
Redmi Pad promises to be a well-rounded budget Android tablet. In the short time, I have spent with the device, I am very impressed with the display and the build quality. So far, it has performed smoothly. Most of the rival brands in its class have outdated chipsets causing constant app crashes and gaming apps will barely able to perform to their optimal best.
The MediaTek Helio G99 processor is very new in the market, the display is great and the pricing is just crazy (there is no better word to describe it) low. These aspects make the Redmi Pad, the go-to budget Android tablet under Rs 20,000 price bracket.
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