At a glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Good value for money
- Great performance and hardware specs
- Useful range of accessories
- Good battery life and fast charging
Cons
- Display glare and limited brightness
- Inconvenient camera bump
- No IP rating
Our Verdict
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is an amazing premium Android tablet, with flagship specs offering good value for money. There’s impressive performance and battery life, useful software features and a range of accessories to get the tablet experience that you want. The display is high spec, but the glossy finish is a downside, while the software support isn’t as long as some rivals.
Price When Reviewed
This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined
Best Pricing Today
Price When Reviewed
Unavailable in the US
Best Prices Today: Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
Xiaomi is taking tablets seriously as the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro lands alongside the Xiaomi Pad 8, offering slightly uprated specs. It’s one of a recent wave of premium Android tablets, looking to challenge Apple’s iPad along with the Honor MagicPad 4 and OnePlus Pad 3.
Where many Android tablets have offered cheaper prices and lower-grade hardware, the likes of the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro come in as a flagship device, better suited to challenge Samsung’s dominance of Android tablets.
Offering better value for money, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro offers a compelling Android tablet experience. I’ve been testing the tablet for the last month to see if it’s the new Android tablet to beat.
Design & Build
- Premium metal design
- Slim 5.75mm profile
- No IP rating
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro updates the Xiaomi Pad 7 with a similar metal body design with flat edges and a near-uniform bezel around the display. It comes in three colours – Pine Green (pictured here), Blue and Gray – and it weighs in at 485g.
The 5.75mm thickness means it’s thinner than the Apple iPad Air, although it’s a little heavier, but only marginally so. If you’re looking for something even thinner and, check out the Honor MagicPad 4 at 4.8mm and 450g.
The only big downside of the design is the raised camera housing
Chris Hall / Foundry
The only big downside of the design is the raised camera housing on the rear of the tablet. Although just sporting one lens, it’s a big blob, which I suspect was designed to look a bit more like the all-encompassing camera systems on the back of a phone – or perhaps the iPad Pro.
The downside of this bump is that the tablet doesn’t sit flat on its back, rocking around if you lay it down on a surface and start poking the screen. If you choose to use any of the range of accessories, then that problem is diminished, but it’s an irritation to bear in mind.
There’s no IP rating given for this device, something that you’ll get from the latest Samsung tablets, making them safer from dirt and accidental splashes.
There’s a fingerprint scanner built into the power button, as well as face unlocking. I found both of these to be reliable and make for seamless access to the device.
Accessories
- Focus Pen
- Keyboards and cases
- Premium prices
One of the things that adds to the appeal of the Pad 8 Pro is the ecosystem of accessories which Xiaomi offers.
First of all, none of these are included in the box – there’s not even a charger, but the firm gives you plenty of options and you’ll likely find them discounted when buying the tablet on the official store.
The Focus Pen feels great to use, offering squeeze functions and gestures
Chris Hall / Foundry
The Focus Pen allows writing and sketching, connecting via Bluetooth and charging when magnetically attached to the side of the tablet. This is a convenient home for the Pen, but it’s not strong enough to keep the Focus Pen in place when slipping the tablet into a bag. The Focus Pen feels great to use, offering squeeze functions and gestures.
The Focus Keyboard (pictured) is similar to the iPad’s Magic Keyboard, offering a trackpad and hinge at the rear, with the tablet floating above the keys. It allows some angle adjustment and I found it convenient for light working – although it does make the tablet rather bulky.
Chris Hall / Foundry
Power is drawn from the tablet itself via pogo pins on the back and there’s a backlit keyboard.
There’s a cheaper standard keyboard that lacks a hinge and trackpad, instead relying on propping the screen up on the case. Finally, there’s a simple folio case, which can also be folded to make a stand for the tablet.
Screen & Speakers
- 11.2in LCD screen, Dolby Vision
- Quad speakers, Dolby Atmos
- Matte Glass Version
The screen on the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro sticks to LCD tech rather than the superior OLED that defines the iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11. That doesn’t mean that it’s a write-off.
Quite the contrary: it’s nice and colourful, packing in a high 3200 x 2136 pixel resolution (345ppi, higher than the iPad) so nicely detailed.
It’s also capable of 144Hz refresh rates, which while sounding impressive might be of limited real use. I found the scrolling around on the tablet was nice and smooth and while some games support higher refresh rates, whether it’s a useful feature will depend on what you’re using the tablet for.
the display and speakers make for a great tablet for entertainment on the move
