After a three-year hiatus, Xiaomi is finally re-entering the tablet market. We have the recently introduced Xiaomi Pad 5 in the editorial office and even in both versions, classic (global) but also Pro. In the review you will learn what the differences are between them and we will also share our experience after intensive use.
Where did we buy Xiaomi Pad 5 / Pad 5 Pro?
We bought Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro from our international partner TradingShenzhen, which traditionally among the first brings the possibility of importing Chinese versions to us, to Europe. Delivery from this seller was, as always, smooth and without any unexpected fees.
Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro Chinese Version
The global version of Xiaomi Pad 5 was again supplied by the officially authorized dealer of Xiaomi equipment for Europe, Goboo. You can order tablets from them now, even from a Spanish warehouse, with a 2-year warranty and a 14-day return period.
Xiaomi Pad 5 Global Version
Thanks to the cooperation with the seller Goboo, we had the opportunity to test the new tablet before the official release for Europe, which took place on the 15th. septembra. On the same day, we also come with a detailed review, which is one of the first reviews in Europe.
Technical specifications
Xiaomi pad 5 | xiaomi pad 5 pro | |
---|---|---|
dimensions |
254.69 x 166.25 x 6.85 mm | 254.69 x 166.25 x 6.85 mm |
Weight |
511 g | 515 g |
Display |
LCD / 11 "/ 2.5K | LCD / 11 "/ 2.5K |
2560 x 1600 px |
2560 x 1600 px | |
120 Hz |
120 Hz | |
processor |
Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 (7nm) | Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 (7nm) |
Graphics |
Adreno 640 | Adreno 650 |
RAM |
6 GB LPDDR5 | 6 GB LPDDR5 |
Internal memory |
128/256 GB (UFS 3.1) | 128/256 GB (UFS 3.1) |
Primary camera |
13 MPx | 13 MPx + 5 MPx |
4K 30 fps | 1080 30 fps |
4K 30 fps | 1080 30 fps | |
Front camera |
8 MPX | 1080p Video. | 8 MPX | 1080p Video. |
Connectivity |
WiFi 5 / Bluetooth 5.0 | WiFi 6 / Bluetooth 5.2 |
GPS |
No | GPS and Glonass |
Mobile networks |
nie | nie |
Speakers |
4 Dolby Atmos speakers | 8 Dolby Atmos speakers |
3.5 mm jack |
nie | nie |
Drums |
8720 mAh | 8600 mAh |
Fast charging 33 W |
Fast charging 67 W | |
USB Type-C |
USB Type-C | |
Keyboard and stylus support |
Yes | Yes |
Contents of the package
The tablets of the fifth series come similarly to some flagship smartphones in two versions, with or without a charger. We have the Pad 5 Pro without charger and Pad 5 in the global version also available with a charger and the appropriate cable.
We received the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro in an elegant black box with gold inscriptions and the Xiaomi logo. The fact that it is a version without a charger is clear at first glance, as the box is extremely flat. Its dimensions are 28 x 19 x 3 cm. Inside, there is only the tablet itself in a cardboard reinforcement and foil, under which we find instructions for use and reduction from USB-C to 3.5 mm jack.
The box of the global version is more than twice as thick due to the charger compared to the Pro version. Here, however, we have a classic white box measuring 28 x 19 x 6.2 cm. Inside, there is also a tablet in the foil, but under which we find a small box with a charger and a cable. There is also a reduction.
Quality of processing and layout of elements
At first glance, it's hard to tell the classic version from the higher version, the Pro. They look exactly the same and differ only in small details, such as the CE logo on the back of the global version. However, the layout of the elements is exactly the same.
The front is a place for a large display and a selfie camera in the upper frame. In the back we find only the camera module with LED light. If we look at the tablet in a horizontal position, the top edge contains grilles for speakers, a microphone and a button to turn the tablet on and off. At the bottom there is another pair of holes for sound from the speakers, a charging USB-C port and another microphone.
The right side contains volume buttons and a pair of holes where the microphones are probably also hidden. The left edge is home to connectors to which an external keyboard is connected, which is one of the accessories that you can purchase separately with the stylus.
The tablet has a metal body and is therefore very comfortable to hold. All edges are sharp, but at least the tablet does not slip out of your hand easily. The quality of workmanship is at a very high level and the design feels inspired by an American competitor.
Beautiful IPS display with high resolution
Many fans were disappointed when they learned at the presentation of the new tablets that the new series will not get AMOLED displays. NamiIn many of them, the manufacturer reached for IPS panels, which are the same in all versions of the tablet. But don't expect a bad display. Concerns are completely unfounded.
The IPS display is 11 ″ in size and has relatively thin black frames for tablet ratios. It offers up to 2.5K resolution of 2560 x 1600 px and a high refresh rate of 120 Hz. At first glance, we would not guess at all that we have an IPS display here.
The colors are warm, the viewing angles are perfect and the display responds well. Thanks to the high refresh rate, it is extremely smooth. A closer look, of course, shows that black is not as black as on AMOLED displays, but it is very close to it.
Overall, we are completely satisfied with the large display, and in this case, a quality IPS display is also a good choice.
He really has enough power
One of the differences between the available tablet versions is the processor. The classic Xiaomi Pad 5 received the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860, while the Pro version has a higher range of Qualcomm Snapdragon 870. Both processors are manufactured with 7 nm technology and the tested pieces had 6 GB RAM with 128 GB storage.
The classic version is also available in a 256 GB memory version. For the version, it can be purchased in the highest equipment with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB memory, while this variant already has a 5G connection.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 is an eight-core processor with a maximum frequency of 2.96 GHz. It consists of Qualcomm Kryo 485 cores and has a 64-bit architecture. He is seconded to the Adreno 640 graphics chip.
On the other hand, we have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 in Pad 5 Pro. It has a maximum frequency of 3.2 GHz and is also an eight-core processor with a 64-bit architecture. It consists of Qualcomm Kryo 585 cores and has an Adreno 650 graphics chip.
Both processors support 5G networks, but Xiaomi offers this functionality in only one version of the tablet - Pro 5G, which is the highest in the series.
Based on the parameters, the Pro version is of course more powerful, but in reality the differences are not very visible. Although some applications open a second faster on the Pro version, the difference is not large.
However, the result from the popular AnTuT benchmark is interesting. With the global version of the Xiaomi Pad 5, we scored 580 points, placing us in 315th place in the rankings, just behind the Poco X50 GT smartphone, ahead of the Honor 3 Pro +.
The Pro model gained 715 points in AnTuT and surprisingly ranked 460th behind the Redmi K17s Ultra in the rankings and also overtook the Samsung Galaxy S30 + 21G or Galaxy Z Flip 5 3G.
Both tablets have enough power and you can easily play more demanding games on them. Thanks to the large display with thin frames, the games are very pleasant to play. We tried, for example, the Rebel Racing racing game or the popular action shooter Call of Duty: Mobile - Elite of the Elite.
Perfect Pro sound
Although at first glance the difference in the speakers is not visible, since both tablets have the same number and arrangement of holes for sound output, there are differences. The basic version of the Pad 5 has 4 speakers, while the pro version hides up to 8 speakers inside.
The sound from the basic version of the tablet is nice, clean and the treble is especially pronounced. The volume is sufficient and even at the highest volume, no distortion or annoying sounds can be heard. However, the bass component is missing, which is very insignificant. However, Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro plays incomparably better. 8 speakers provide a great sound, which is enriched with very pleasant bass, which the standard version lacks.
Xiaomi pleasantly surprised us with the sound output from the Pro version. The sound is really well balanced and the user can enjoy every movie, video or song thanks to the top 8 Dolby Atmos speakers.
Battery and charging
Because tablets are several times larger than smartphones, there is much more room for a larger battery. Xiaomi took this opportunity to offer us up to 8720 mAh batteries in the classic version and the Pro model has a surprisingly lower capacity, 8600 mAh, probably due to the double number of speakers.
However, the Pro version has the upper hand in charging speed. It supports up to 67 W fast charging, while the classic version only supports 33 W charging. As we mentioned above, unfortunately, we did not find a charger in the pro version in the package.
Charging the Xiaomi Pad 5 Global from 20% to 50% takes almost an hour, 90% in 2 hours and up to 100% in about 2 hours and 45 minutes. As the Pro version supports up to 67 W charging, the charging time is significantly reduced to approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
In terms of endurance, thanks to the high capacity of the battery, you can look forward to multi-day endurance. 30 minutes of playing Call of Duty took only 6% off our battery. During normal internet surfing, the battery discharges very slowly, which is a huge advantage of these tablets.
This is how they take pictures of the Pad 5 series tablets
One of the main differences between the tablets from the new series is the cameras. Both nami the tested tablets have a primary 13 MPx camera, which in the Pro version is complemented by a 5 MPx depth of field sensor.
Despite the low number of megapixels, the daily photos are surprisingly nice. Few people use a tablet for photography, but even a middle-class smartphone would definitely not be ashamed of this camera. Both tablets take very similar photos and differences are difficult to find. The attentive eye will notice a slightly higher proportion of yellow in the photos from the global version, as well as a slightly higher contrast.
Photos from Xiaomi Pad 5 (Global)
Photos from the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro tablet
The tablets also have a well-known night mode, which also does its job well. Photos without night mode have little detail, are often not very sharp, and light sources cause unsightly glow. The night mode brings sharpness to the photos and the quality is completely sufficient for normal use.
The selfie camera of both tablets has 8 MPx, but the output is also decent. Here we can observe a more significant difference in color rendering. Xiaomi Pad 5 offers a more natural skin color, while the photo from the version has too strong a yellow component of the color spectrum.
MIUI environment for tablets
The tablets of the fifth series run on the Android 11 operating system with the MIUI extension in version 12.5. The environment is slightly different from what we are used to from smartphones. However, these are only slight design differences.
At the bottom of the main screen there is a small bar where you can place a maximum of 7 applications. MIUI for tablets does not have a home screen in the style we know from smartphones. The home screen is the same as the other screens in the application menu. You can place applications or widgets on any of these screens. Said bottom bar is displayed on each of these screens.
The system is ready for efficient multitasking and productivity. It basically offers the possibility of splitting the screen, respectively opening two different applications side by side. The advantage is also the direct integration of the Xiaomi smart stylus into the system, which we did not have the opportunity to try during the review. But we already have the accessories on the way and as soon as they arrive, we also publish a test of the stylus, keyboard and magnetic case.
The big difference between the Chinese and global versions of the Xiaomi Pad 5 tablets is the language localization. The Chinese version contains only Chinese and English, the global version is full of all European languages, including Czech and Slovak. The global version also includes full integration with Google services or even pre-installed Netflix.
However, it is not a problem to install all these services even in the Chinese version. Reseller TradingShenzhen has even installed a Mi Pad 5 Pro for all Google services.
The settings menu is also slightly different, which is divided vertically into 2 parts. The control center that you invoke by swiping from top to bottom is only displayed on the right side of the screen, making it easier to control with one hand. Overall, the environment is very well tuned and we did not encounter any problem.
Final evaluation
Xiaomi Pad 5 tablets come after a three-year break with very interesting parameters. I offer high performance, a beautiful and large display with a very fine resolution, while it is probably the highest quality IPS display we have ever seen. Honestly, the displays in the new Mi Pads achieve the quality of OLED panels. We also appreciate the exceptional quality of the construction.
In addition, the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro delights with perfect sound thanks to eight Dolby Atmos speakers and fast 67W charging. However, the classic version, which has the advantage of a lower price, will not be ashamed either. Personally, we lack the support of mobile networks in tablets, which is only offered by the highest version, Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro 5G.
To sum it up, the three-year wait for the successor to the tablets from Xiaomi has paid off. These are excellent multimedia machines that, with the addition of accessories, can replace more expensive and heavier laptops in certain tasks. If you are looking for a new center of fun, relaxation, but also work, Xiaomi Pad 5 and Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro will definitely not disappoint you and we can only recommend them to you.
Dobrý den.
Can I ask for information on the maximum resolution of Netflix?
Díky
Hello, we only had 480p on the Chinese version… We are not sure about the global version.
Hello, you write from Tab 5 Pro charges for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I bought a 67W Xiaomi charger, I didn't measure it, but I think the charging is definitely faster, from 15% to 100 in 20 minutes and I got my eyes full (charging switches to Xioami Fast charge and deducts the percentage in hundreds, unlike Quick Charge). You may not have a good charger, the original xiaomi charger must also be a cable.
Hello, so Pad 5 Pro will not be in the Global version?
Can I connect a mouse to the tablet?
A mouse can be connected to Android devices by default.
I can't set the external keyboard to type in Czech, ie hooks and long lowercase letters… can anyone advise me ?? The manual is only in English, Czech does not exist… thank you