Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro review – threatens premium rivals

Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro follows the latest trends. The frame is thin and light (6.2 mm and 500 g), the edges are flat and many will compare it to the iPad Pro in appearance. The metal body feels high-quality and robust - the back is matte metal, which effectively hides fingerprints. It fits perfectly, nothing creaks or gives the feeling of cheapness. Although it measures 11 inches from corner to corner, the small edges make it relatively comfortable to use.

Elementi ohišja so standardni: ob strani sta tipka za glasnost in tipka za vklop, v katero je vgrajen stranski bralnik prstnih odtisov, ki pa bi lahko bil malenkost odzivnejši. Spodaj najdemo USB-C priključek, ki podpira USB 3.2 Gen1 hitrosti za hitro prenašanje podatkov, če se seveda poslužujete kabla za prenos. Izhoda za slušalke ne boste našli. Na hrbtni strani je opazno izbočen kvadratni modul kamere. Če tablico položimo plosko na mizo brez etuija, se zaradi tega ziba. Z uporabo ovitka oziroma priklopne tipkovnice, ta težava izgine.

The tablet officially has no IP protection against water or dust, which does not mean that every splash of water or dust ingress will be fatal for the tablet. In all likelihood, the protection is quite sufficient, it's just that Xiaomi did not decide to purchase certificates.

The LCD screen is a strong asset

Xiaomi je vgradil 11,2-palčni IPS LCD panel nenavadnega 3 : 2 razmerja stranic (enako ima tudi novi iPad Pro), z osupljivo visoko ločljivostjo 2136 × 3200 slikovnih pik. To ustreza gostoti 345 ppi, kar pomeni zelo ostro sliko. Za primerjavo: iPad Pro ima 264 ppi, Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra pa 239 ppi, vendar ima tudi večji zaslon. Boste to opazili? Zelo težko, razen če imate res izostren vid za detajle.

The 3:2 format is slightly taller than the usual 16:10 tablet screens, which is welcome when working (more content on the screen in documents or the web), while minimal black borders appear when watching widescreen movies.

Zaslon podpira visoko osveževanje 144 Hz, kar gladko prikazuje animacije in pomikanje po vsebinah. Privzeto je vključen adaptivni način, ki sam prilagaja frekvenco glede na vsebino, da varčuje z baterijo. Le malo iger sicer dejansko doseže 144 sličic na sekundo, a visoka frekvenca osveževanja se pozna pri splošni tekočnosti vmesnika. Za dotik je hitrost vzorčenja do 360 Hz (oziroma 240 Hz z uporabo pisala), kar zagotavlja odzivno zaznavanje tudi hitrih potez s prsti ali pisalom.

Xiaomi lists a brightness of up to 800 candelas (nits), which is average for this price range. Indoor or shaded use is worry-free, colors come to life vividly, and HDR content (Dolby Vision and HDR10 formats are supported) comes to the fore with a wide range of tones. In very bright sunlight, the LCD struggles a bit and reflections quickly become annoying. Blacks and contrast are not at the level of a good OLED screen, but somewhat within the expectations for LCD technology.

Although I'm used to OLED screens, I had no complaints about the viewing experience on the 11-inch LCD. The Andor series looked beautiful, perhaps the only thing I missed was deeper contrast in black scenes. The relatively good speakers also contributed to a good experience.

Tablica je odlična tudi za študijske in ustvarjalne opravke. Digitalno beleženje zapiskov poteka gladko. Z dodatnim pisalom (Xiaomi Focus Pen) lahko pišemo zapiske ali rišemo skice z minimalno zakasnitvijo le 3 ms, kar je praktično neopazno. Pisalo zaznava kar 8192 nivojev pritiska in podpira nagib, zato se pri risanju debelina linije naravno spreminja glede na kot in pritisk, podobno kot pri pravem čopiču.

Where do I draw the line? A good LCD screen with flaws that are a result of LCD technology.

Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro – flash drive and a very good chip

Inside the tablet ticks the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, an octa-core chip of the latest generation, which was designed as a slightly more economical version of last year's flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. If you were expecting a Snapdragon Elite, you will have to reach for a higher tier. Although it is not an elite, the chip is still very powerful. With Adreno 735 graphics and 12 GB of RAM (LPDDR5X), with the appropriate drivers, you will also be able to play certain Switch and Windows games. You will easily play classic mobile games at mostly the highest settings (Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, PUBG ...).

It is clear that you will have way too much performance for other tasks as well. Unless you are one of the 1 % users, there is no scenario in which you will use all the performance. The consistency is also impeccable, moving around the system is always smooth, there are no lags, which means that the HyperOS operating system has also been polished.

Shranjevanje je prav tako hitro. UFS 4.0 pomnilnik zagotavlja bliskovite prenose (približno 200 MB/s prek USB povezave na zunanji SSD), razširitev prostora z microSD kartico ni mogoče.

Xiaomi je opremil Pad 7 Pro z baterijo kapacitete 8850 mAh, kar je primerljivo z drugimi 11–12-palčnimi tablicami. V praksi se je izkazalo, da je avtonomija izvrstna, če napravo uporabljamo za tipične naloge, kot na primer za brskanje po spletu, gledanje posnetkov in občasno igranje iger. V povprečju mi je zdržala dober dan in pol, preden sem moral poseči po kablu. Če boste resni glede igranja iger, boste na primer med igranjem Genshin Impact v eni uri porabili 20 % baterije.

When the tablet runs out of power, you can charge it relatively quickly with a power of 67 W, which is another advantage Xiaomi has over the competition. Unfortunately, a charger is not included, so make sure you already have a charger at home that supports Power Delivery 3.0 and QuickCharge.

What bothers me is that Xiaomi hasn't officially clarified how many years of patches and upgrades the tablet will receive. Two years is the hygiene standard, but it would be great if they offered at least four years.

The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is a Wi-Fi tablet (supports Wi-Fi 7), there is no LTE connectivity, nor is there built-in GPS.

Turns into a small laptop with the keyboard

Xiaomi is clearly aiming for the Pad 7 Pro to replace a lightweight laptop in certain scenarios. That's why it offers a whole range of accessories: two different keyboard cases and the aforementioned smart pen. The tablet has pogo-pin connectors on the back for direct connection to a keyboard, which attaches to it magnetically. I was skeptical that it would stand still (I'm used to it being attached from the bottom), but the magnet is very strong.

The more advanced of the keyboards (Focus Keyboard) is essentially a cover with a full keyboard and a built-in touchpad. The keys are full-size, have a top number row and arrow keys, and boast good travel and responsiveness, making typing surprisingly comfortable. The touchpad supports multi-touch gestures for navigating the system, which, combined with the desktop interface, provides a laptop-like experience.

The stylus connects to the tablet via Bluetooth and magnetically attaches to the edge, where it also charges wirelessly. The Xiaomi stylus has three buttons on the body that add functionality: one button (called Spotlight gumb) omogoča hitro aktivacijo laserskega kazalnika na zaslonu ali poudarjanje besedila med predstavitvami, lahko pa služi tudi kot daljinski sprožilec kamere. Drugi gumb je bližnjica za beležke – z njim v trenutku odprete aplikacijo Mi Canvas (ali drugo nastavljeno beležnico) in že lahko pišete, ne da bi ročno iskali aplikacijo. Tretji gumb pa vam z enim klikom zajame zaslonski posnetek in ga odpre v načinu za označevanje, da lahko takoj kaj pripišete ali narišete po posnetku.

On the software side, HyperOS is well-suited for work. It supports multitasking well. Applications can be run in split-screen or floating windows. HyperOS offers a so-called “desktop mode” that provides a PC-like experience. Applications open in windows on the external display, while the keyboard and touchpad control the cursor.

You will have to purchase both accessories separately, but this applies to all manufacturers.

As expected, you will also be able to play with artificial intelligence: Gemini, AI summaries, AI text recognition from the camera and AI image generation in the Mi Canvas app, and the like.

Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro – great value for just over €500

Xiaomi has found a niche where there isn't much competition. To stand out, they rely on a good chip, display, and battery that can compete with significantly more expensive tablets.

If you're looking for a versatile Android tablet that will satisfy both work and play, and you don't want to spend a fortune, the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro is definitely one of the best choices on the market right now. For similar performance, you can also check out the HONOR MagicPad 2 and Oppo Pad 3 Pro. The price is very similar, but they are harder to find in our market.

Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro price and specifications

• Xiaomi Mi Pad 7 Pro 12GB/512GB: 629 € (trenutno znižana na 549 €)

• Processor: Snapdragon 8S Gen 3 (4nm)
• Dimensions: (H) 251.22mm x (W) 173.42mm x (D) 6.18mm
• Display: IPS LCD Adaptive Sync do 144Hz, 800 nitov svetilnosti
• Diagonal: 28,35cm (11,2″)
• Resolution: 3K 3200×2136
• Main camera: 50MP f/1.8 PDAF, 4k | 30/60fps, 1080p | 30/60fps, 720p | 30 fps
• Front camera: 32MP, 0.61um f/2.2, 1080p | 30fps, 720p | 30fp,
• Battery capacity: 8850mAh (typ.)
• Charging: 67W fast charging, charger not included
• WLAN: WiFi 7, WiFi 6, WiFi 5, WiFi 4
• System: HyperOS 2, Android 15
• Weight: 500g