The PadRedmi is the first tablet with the Redmi brand, but is it worth buying over the Xiaomi Pad 5? Redmi started out as an affordable line of smartphones from Xiaomi, offering models at a lower price point than those launched under the Xiaomi brand. However, in 2019 Xiaomi turned Redmi into a separate sub-brand.
Since then, the Redmi product portfolio has expanded to include headphones, smartwatches and fitness trackers, laptops, monitors, smart TVs and even home appliances such as washing machines. Surprisingly, the Redmi Pad is the sub-brand’s first tablet. Alongside Redmi, Xiaomi has another subsidiary called Poco which offers performance-focused and budget gaming phones.
The Redmi Pad has a 10.61-inch 2K (2000×1200) display which is a bit smaller than the Xiaomi Pad 5’s 11-inch WQHD+ (2560×1600) display. are LCD panels, they can display up to a billion colors. However, while the Redmi Pad has a 90Hz refresh rate, the Xiaomi Pad 5 refreshes at 120Hz and also includes support for Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG. The Xiaomi Pad 5 also supports the stylus, but the stylus (and optional keyboard case) must be purchased separately.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 is more powerful
The Redmi Pad is powered by MediaTek’s Helio G99 6nm processor, and it comes in 3GB+64GB, 4GB+128GB, and 6GB+128GB configurations. It also has a microSD card slot for an expansion up to 1 TB. On the other hand, the Xiaomi Pad 5 uses the more powerful Snapdragon 860 processor combined with 6 GB of RAM. Buyers have a choice of 128GB or 256GB of storage, but there’s no SD card slot. Both tablets have an 8 MP front camera. There is an 8MP camera on the back of the Redmi Pad, while the Xiaomi Pad 5 has a 13MP rear camera with dual LED flash.
Neither tablet has a headphone jack, but they do feature quad speakers with Dolby Atmos. The Redmi Pad has Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 5 while the Xiaomi Pad 5 has Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6. There is no cellular variant available for either. When the Xiaomi Pad 5 launched in August 2021, it was running Android 11 out of the box. However, it has now been updated to MIUI 13 based on Android 12, while a developer version of Android 13 is also available. In contrast, the Redmi Pad runs MIUI 13 based on Android 12 out of the box. Xiaomi promised that it would receive “2 versions of Android and MIUI upgrades over 3 years” and three years of security updates. The tablets run a customized version of MIUI called MIUI For Pad which brings features like split-screen multitasking, floating windows and multi-window, but it is not based on Android 12L. Notably, these features are not available on the 3GB RAM version of the Redmi Pad.
When it comes to battery life, the Redmi Pad packs an 8,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging and comes with a 22.5W charger. On the other hand , the Xiaomi Pad 5 has a larger 8720mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging, but comes with a 22.5W charger in the box. The Redmi Pad is available in Europe for a starting price of €279 (~$279). Unsurprisingly, the Xiaomi Pad 5 costs more with a starting price of €349 (~$349). Unfortunately, neither tablet is sold in the United States. The Redmi Pad is ideal for anyone looking for an affordable tablet with a great screen and powerful speakers for media consumption and casual gaming. However, the Xiaomi Pad 5 does all of this and more, making it a better option than the PadRedmi for those who can afford it.
Source: Xiaomi 1, 2