Redmi Pad Review - Decent Budget Tablet

Redmi launched a new tablet on 5th Oct-22 – Redmi Pad – in India. Its price will be under ₹15,000, They are targeting budget audience segment with “Redmi Brand” name. This ambition can be credited to the success of the Xiaomi Pad 5, a premium tablet that is priced slightly higher and has slightly superior internals.

It has MediaTek Helio G99 gaming SoC and 10.61-inch screen with 90Hz refresh rate which claims this tablet is developed with both performance and content consumption in focus. Redmi has tried to show it separate & useful device but there are several such options available in the market.

Redmi Pad Specifications

Display & Design: 10.61-inch (24.94 cm) IPS LCD display, 10-bit (1B color depth), WUXGA+ resolution (2,000 x 1200 pixels), 220 ppi pixel density, 15:09 aspect ratio, 80.92% screen-to-body ratio, 90 Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate, 400 nits brightness, 1,500:1 contrast ratio, 70% NTSC, TÜV Rheinland certified, SGS in-built eye protection, Widevine L1 certified, IP52 rating
Software: MIUI 13.1.1 interface, Android S 12 operating system
Software Support: upgradable to MIUI 14 (2023) & MIUI 15 (2024), up to 3 years of Android OS upgrades (2 versions), 3 years of Android security updates
CPU: 6nm MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core SoC clocked up to 2.2 GHz (Cortex-A76 + Cortex-A55 processors)
GPU: ARM Mali-G57 MC2 Graphics
Memory: 3 GB OR 4 GB OR 6 GB RAM (LPDDR4x)
Storage: 64 GB OR 128 GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, microSD card support up to 1 TB
Main Camera: Single 8 MP Camera, 1080p @30fps Video Recording, no LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8 MP
Connectivity: USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac)
Audio: Quad speakers, Dolby Atmos support, Hi-Res Audio, Hi-Res Audio (Wireless), dual microphones
Others: 3rd party pen support, face unlock, no fingerprint scanner
Cellular: N/A (Wi-Fi only)
Battery: 8,000 mAh battery
Charging: 18W fast charging (22.5W in the box)
Colors: Graphite Gray, Moonlight Silver, Mint Green
Dimensions: 250 mm x 157 mm x 7.05 mm
Weight: 465 grams
Price: ₹12,999 (3 GB + 64 GB + Wi-Fi), ₹14,999 (4 GB + 64 GB + Wi-Fi), ₹19,999 (6 GB + 128 GB + Wi-Fi)
Offers: 2 months of YouTube premium free
Availability: 5th October 2022, mi.com, Mi Home stores, Flipkart, and other retail stores

Software & User Interface

The Redmi Pad is powered by its MIUI for Pad interface version 13.1.1, the software is actually based on the Android 12 operating system. The Redmi Pad comes with Android S 12 out-of-the-box with the security patch dated 1st August 2022. It’s good to see that the tablet runs on the Android 12 OS.

The interface is quite similar to what you see on MIUI-based smartphones although the Android for tablets is slightly different from what you see on smartphones, for instance, the desktop or homescreen which you see in portrait view can actually be changed to landscape view. The interface on the Redmi Pad has been customized for the tablet experience and offers a chunk of Android features and customizations. The Settings page as you can see is divided into two sections, the left side which holds all the Settings whereas the right has the appropriate menu settings.