Xiaomi Pad 5 has taken Indian tablet scenario by storm. When almost all the offerings were either under-powered or expensive, Xiaomi came out with a truly outstanding performer at an unbeatable price. In fact, you can buy three Xiaomi Pad 5 with the money you need to buy a Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.
Here is my first impressions on the device. In summery, I am quite impressed.
Display of Xiaomi Pad 5
The display with its impressive( for a tablet) pixel density of 274 ppi does a good job in its role. The resolution is 2560 X 1600 pixels which is way more than most of he tablets out there. Videos look stunning in this tablet. I downloaded two 4K videos to see how the display fares in showing 4K UHD videos with HDR. The play back started instantaneously ( see the video )
One draw back of the display is the mirror like reflectivity. You can see in the video that the display shows the ring lights just like you see in a mirror. This is definitely going to reduce the sunlight legibility. But the sunlight legibility issue is evident only with those HDR shows with a lot of dark areas. You should be fine if you are just reading a book.
If you are planning to be in sun a lot with this tablet, you need to look elsewhere.
Storage availability in Xiaomi Pad 5
I have the 128 GB version and around 21.5 GB is already occupied by the OS and default apps( with their latest updates installed). So that leaves you with 106.5 GB of usable space. So by calculation, the 256 GB version would have around 234.5 GB usable storage left.
If you are planning to store a lot of 4k videos, I would definitely suggest you the 256 GB version, If you are going to use the Xiaomi Pad 5 for just browsing and streaming videos, you should be more than fine with the 128 GB version.
Performance of Xiaomi Pad 5
With the near-flagship Snapdragon 860 platform, there is no doubt that the tablet will perform well. And in practice, the tablet does not disappoint. Opening apps is swift and so is the keyboard opening.
I played some 4K UHD videos with HDR enabled to see the performance and the files opened and played without a hitch. The visuals are so stunning that I could not take my eyes off.
As for the gaming performance of Xiaomi Pad 5, I installed a flight simulator and played it with maximum graphics settings. There was no stutter and I could easily play the game without even the tablet getting heated up. I guess a flight simulator is not enough for envelope testing the Xiaomi Pad 5
Camera
Another surprising aspect was the camera. Tablets are not big on their capturing prowess but the 13 MP snapper on the back does produce some sharp pictures. See a sample image from the video.
The front camera is positioned on the shorter side that means the camera will be either to the left or to the right if we are making a video call in landscape orientation. This feels awkward. Nevertheless, the quality of front camera is also sufficient to see clear details.
Speakers and Microphone
Xiaomi Pad 5 has 4 Speakers located on the shorter sides. They are loud and does not show any distortion even when hearing at the highest volume. There is no 3.5mm jack though. If you want to connect to a wired headset, you need a USB C to 3.5mm converter
There are two microphones located at the top. Together, they record good quality audio. It should be perfect for making audio calls and video recordings.
Conclusion
Xiaomi pad 5 with its ultra competitive price point will definitely give other tablets a run for their money. It has a gorgeous display and is performant like a flagship device. There is no lag visible anywhere. It also has a capable snapper. So you will not regret buying this tab.
Here are some links you might like – Newbie Helper Videos
