Xiaomi has come up with a new option for tablet enthusiasts with the launch of the Xiaomi Pad 7. Positioned as an ambitious mid-range device, the Pad 7 is designed to offer powerful performance, vibrant visuals, and versatile productivity tools at a competitive price point. Starting at ₹27,999 (excluding accessories), Xiaomi’s latest tablet is a strong contender against other Android tablets, offering premium features like a 144 Hz display, Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor, and Dolby Atmos quad speakers.
Design
The Xiaomi Pad 7 boasts a sleek aluminium unibody design, making it feel sturdy yet lightweight. I got the Mirage Purple which gives quite a professional look. Measuring 6.18mm thick, it’s highly portable and easy to handle for extended use. The display, surrounded by slim bezels, maximizes screen real estate while maintaining a compact form factor. This thoughtful design makes the tablet equally suited for streaming movies or managing productivity tasks on the go.
Xiaomi Pad 7 design
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan
Xiaomi has also positioned the quad-speaker setup symmetrically, ensuring an immersive audio experience no matter how the tablet is held. However, it lacks a fingerprint sensor, relying instead on facial recognition for unlocking. While this may not be a dealbreaker, some users might miss the convenience of a fingerprint sensor.
Display
The 11.2-inch IPS LCD display on the Xiaomi Pad 7 is one of its standout features. With a 3200×2136 resolution and a 144 Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate, the screen offers sharp visuals and ultra-smooth navigation. The 3:2 aspect ratio is particularly suited for multitasking, offering more vertical space for productivity tasks. Supporting Dolby Vision, the tablet enhances colour accuracy and contrast for an excellent viewing experience. Coupled with Dolby Atmos quad speakers, it delivers an immersive multimedia experience, making it a great choice for binge-watching and gaming.
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The display supports 12-bit colour depth, producing over 68.7 billion colours with HDR10 compatibility. Its 600 nits peak brightness (800 nits in High Brightness Mode) ensures decent visibility under outdoor lighting, though the glossy screen surface can reflect light in bright environments. Additionally, features like TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification and Flicker-Free Certification prioritize eye comfort during prolonged use.
OS and Features
The Xiaomi Pad 7 runs on HyperOS 2, based on Android 15, offering a clean and optimised user experience tailored for tablets. Features like split-screen multitasking, floating windows, and smooth gesture navigation enhance its usability for both work and leisure.
Xiaomi’s Workstation Mode takes productivity a step further. It eliminates overlap between apps and windows, automatically adjusting layouts to maximize screen space. HyperOS 2 also introduces AI-powered tools, allowing users to write, draw, and summarize tasks more efficiently. Creative professionals will appreciate the ability to supercharge their workflow with features like Quick Note, which makes jotting down ideas easier, and 10x touch resolution for both the hand and stylus, ensuring precise input.
Xiaomi has added thoughtful productivity tools, such as Quick Note for jotting down ideas on the fly, and Dual App Mode, which lets users run two instances of the same app simultaneously. Additionally, the nano texture display enhances the writing experience, making note-taking and sketching feel natural.
Performance
The Xiaomi Pad 7 is powered by the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 processor, an 8-core CPU clocked up to 2.8GHz, and built on the 4nm TSMC process. This processor, combined with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage (up to 12 GB RAM and 256 GB storage in the higher-end variant), ensures smooth performance for most everyday tasks, including browsing, streaming, and multitasking. During testing, games ran at stable frame rates with medium to high settings. While the tablet isn’t designed for heavy 3D rendering or intensive video editing, it’s more than capable for the needs of majority of users.
The tablet delivered impressive benchmark results, achieving a Geekbench single-core score of 1885 and a multi-core score of 5088. These scores place the Xiaomi Pad 7 among the top-performing devices in its category, showcasing its ability to handle demanding tasks with ease. The GPU score of 7754 further emphasizes the tablet’s capability for gaming and graphics-intensive activities.
Camera
The Xiaomi Pad 7 is equipped with a 13 MP rear camera featuring PDAF, a f/2.2 aperture, and support for video recording up to 2160p at 30fps. The rear camera works well for document scanning and casual photography. Meanwhile, the 8 MP front camera, with an f/2.28 aperture and 1080p video recording, ensures clear video calls and online meetings.
One thoughtful addition is the landscape placement of the front camera, ensuring that users remain centered during video conferencing. While image quality is decent in good lighting conditions, the cameras struggle in low-light environments. Overall, the cameras are functional but not a standout feature of the device.
Battery
The 8,850 mAh battery is another strong suit for the device, delivering a full day of mixed usage, including video calls, light gaming, and streaming. It supports 45 W wired charging, allowing the tablet to charge from 0 to 100% in about an hour. This ensures minimal downtime for users on the go.
Accessories
The Xiaomi Pad 7’s capabilities can be significantly expanded with the Focus Keyboard and Focus Pen, sold separately.
Xiaomi Pad 7 accessories
| Photo Credit:
Haider Ali Khan
The Focus Keyboard features a floating design, backlit keys, and a built-in trackpad. While it’s compact and convenient for light productivity tasks, the smaller trackpad and condensed key layout may feel limiting during extended typing sessions.
The Focus Pen, on the other hand, is a highlight. It attaches magnetically to the tablet for charging and offers features like a laser pointer mode and highlighter functionality, making it a handy tool for presentations, note-taking, and casual sketches. While it may not rival the Apple Pencil in precision, it’s a valuable accessory for creative users.
Verdict
With its premium design, vibrant display, and solid performance, the Xiaomi Pad 7 positions itself as a strong option in the mid-range tablet market. It excels in media consumption, basic productivity, and casual creative tasks, making it a versatile choice for a wide range of users.
However, the lack of cellular connectivity may deter some users who rely heavily on specialised apps or on-the-go internet access.
For users looking for a stylish, well-performing Android tablet that delivers excellent value, the Xiaomi Pad 7 is a worthy contender. It may not replace a laptop, but for work, play, and everything in between, this tablet strikes an impressive balance.
Published – January 17, 2025 01:42 pm IST
