Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G review: Affordable and practical

Redmi Pad Pro 5G

Devices under the Redmi series from Xiaomi are aimed at offering the best value for money proposition. Be it smartphones, TVs or TWS earbuds, the entire range offers more for the asking price. The newest device – the Redmi Pad Pro – is expected to follow the same philosophy.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G comes in three variants. The base 6GB + 128GB variant is priced at Rs 21,999 and it only comes with Wi-Fi. However, the other two variants – 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB – are available at Rs 24,999 and Rs 26,999 respectively and are only available in 5G variant.

This is a good start for Redmi Pad Pro where Xiaomi is offering 5G connectivity at under Rs 25,000. But, what about other features – the display, performance, battery life and camera?

So, I decided to take it for a spin. But not the tablet alone. I took the Redmi Pencil and Redmi Pad Keyboard cover with it too to identify its true potential and this is what I think about the Redmi Pad Pro 5G.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G: Design and display

Let’s start with the first impression of the design. If you look at it after unboxing, you can tell that it is a budget tablet, but in a good way. Back in my head, I was clear that this is a budget tablet and there will be cost-cutting measures to keep the price in check. The question is at what cost. Simple answer: Not much is there on the line here.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G

For instance, the build quality is solid and it’s all metal design. Looks premium than it costs. Plus, the fit and finish it top notch too. In fact, the tab alone weighs 568 grams and is only 7.5mm thick.

There are quad speakers – two on top and two on bottom or left and right – depending on how you are holding the tablet. Also, Xiaomi has placed the front camera in a horizontal position which makes it better for video calls or conference calls.

Ports and buttons are placed on the right and work fine.

The cost-cutting measure here is the lack of a fingerprint scanner. Xiaomi could have offered a side-mounted fingerprint scanner instead of solely relying on face unlock biometric security. It’s not a big deal though. There are other modes to unlock the tablet – PIN, Password and Pattern.

Coming to the display, the tablet features a 12.1-inch IPS LCD panel with 2560x1600 pixels resolution with 120Hz refresh rate. The display quality is decent here. It is sharp and has a good amount of detail too. However, the colours are a little soft for my liking. But most people will be fine with it. Also, it feels smooth most of the time due to the 120Hz refresh rate or until you push things too hard when the chipset can’t keep up – more on that latter.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G

The display is alright for most use case scenarios – watch, play and work -- that I can think of. I also took the tablet outdoors and the brightness is just fine and unless the Sun is in full blast, I didn’t struggle with the legibility of the display.

All-in-all, I found the display of Redmi Pad Pro 5G good enough for most users, despite some niggles.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G: Performance, software and battery

Redmi Pad Pro 5G is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset paired with 8GB RAM and up to 256GB storage. I admire the fact Xiaomi has opted for a capable chip for the tablet that costs Rs 25,000.

While 7s Gen 2 is no flagship, it is certainly a mid-range chip with mid-range performance. I used the tablet at work for writing articles, watching shows and movies, playing games, browsing social media and even some artworks using the Redmi Pencil.

Well, it certainly didn’t deliver the top-notch frame rates in Genshin Impact or Diablo Immortal, but for everything else, the chip manages to deliver smooth performance. It can handle heavy web browsing, running multiple apps at a time and even doing tasks in multi-window mode or with popup view enabled.

The Redmi Pad Pro 5G can handle games too and it’s not terrible at it. With the right settings, it can run almost any game – yes, Genshin Impact too.

Xiaomi has also added some lightweight AI features on the tablet – the one that the 7s Gen 2 can handle without running out of breath and they work as intended.

Talking about the speakers, the Redmi Pad Pro’s quad-speaker setup is clean and rich. The bass could have been better though.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G runs HyperOS based on Android 14 operating system. HyperOS is feature rich and I am not denying it. However, Xiaomi being Xiaomi, the Redmi Pad Pro 5G comes with tons of pre-installed apps and that’s something I am not a huge fan of. The good thing is that most of them can be uninstalled. If you are looking forward to a clean user experience, then there’s some extra effort here.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G

But, for the most part, HyperOS is smooth and feels polished too. The revamped Quick toggles and customisation options enable a lot of personalisation. Also, there are some tablet-centric optimisations as well. For instance, the OS automatically brings up the unlock option from the side you swipe up. Plus, there’s a dedicated dock at the bottom that allows for easy multitasking.

Overall, the user interface is interactive and looks fresh compared to the MIUI.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G: Keyboard and Redmi Pencil

I added the two most important accessories that I personally think Redmi Pad Pro 5G buyers should invest, in case they are buying the Redmi Pad Pro.

So, the Keyboard cover is Bluetooth-enabled and has its own battery. This means you can wirelessly connect it to the tablet and use it. For me, this enabled a lot of possibilities. The one that I liked the most is the ability to screencast on my TV and then use the keyboard and a Bluetooth mouse to work. Yes, the keyboard misses out on the trackpad, and I think Xiaomi should have included it to make the keyboard cover a foolproof solution. Another issue I have is that I had to charge the keyboard and the tablet separately which is something not that great. But we can’t expect anything more, especially at this price.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G

Nonetheless, the keyboard is good, has solid build quality and the keypress feedback is good too. It feels almost like you are typing on a laptop keyboard.

The Redmi Pencil, well, it looks like the Apple Pencil to an extent. However, the tip is smooth and has a USB Type-C charging port. The response of the Pencil is good. I did notice some latency when moving fast on the screen. Apart from that, everything is just fine, except for the fact that I need to charge the Pencil separately too. Also, Xiaomi’s solution for carrying the stylus around isn’t very creative but it’s functional and more than the magnetic solution. The extra holder that users need to add to the keyboard cover keeps the pencil in place, unlike the magnetic solution that’s seen by other companies. However, Xiaomi could have gone the Samsung way of adding a flap-like design in the keyboard cover or the normal cover to keep the pencil in place when on the go and charge it wirelessly.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G

Overall, both the keyboard and pencil are good-to-have accessories, and they do exactly what they are meant to do.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro: Battery

If there's one place this tablet beats the competition and even tablets from higher segments is battery performance. The Redmi Pad Pro packs a 10,000mAh battery. Xiaomi claims that the tablet will offer over 33 days of standby time and 17 hours of continuous viewing experience.

I used this tablet for almost everything. I carried it to the office, worked on it, brought it back home and then watched some shows while warming up my dinner and then some gaming and social media.

With 5G enabled and Wi-Fi connected to the Redmi Pad Pro 5G, I got one full day and till lunch the next day. I think, if you go a little light with the usage, the tablet can easily deliver up to two days of battery life.

Redmi Pad Pro 5G: What we think

Xiaomi Redmi Pad Pro 5G is a solid tablet – if you have your expectations right. You’ll have to keep in mind that the Redmi Pad Pro 5G is an affordable tablet and it comes with mid-range of almost everything and includes performance, camera, and even display. Battery is an exception here.

I think Xiaomi has managed to strike the right balance between price, features and performance. The keyboard and Pencil support also added to its value proposition and make it a full-fledged tablet that has a “do-it-all" attitude.

Rating: 7.5/10