The Redmi Pad Pro 5G enters the tablet market with a balance of performance and affordability. Priced at approximately $264, this tablet is packed with features such as up to 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, a massive 10,000mAh battery, a sleek aluminum unibody, and the latest HyperOS, designed to enhance the overall user experience. But with the tablet market being highly competitive, can the Redmi Pad Pro 5G carve out its own space? Let’s dive into the review to find out.
Design and Build Quality
Redmi has maintained a premium aesthetic for the Pad Pro 5G by opting for an aluminum unibody construction, offering a solid yet stylish feel. Available in Mist Blue and Graphite Grey, the latter of which I reviewed, the tablet’s design is both minimalistic and sleek.
The rear panel is especially eye-catching with its dual-tone finish that separates two shades of grey—the darker shade holding the Redmi branding and the camera module, while the lighter grey covers the rest.
The metal body not only contributes to a premium feel but also keeps the device slim at 7.52mm thick. However, the addition of the bundled keyboard cover makes the tablet considerably bulkier, adding significant weight to the original 571 grams.
This is something users will feel if they plan to carry the tablet around regularly. The edges, though plastic, house essential features such as speakers, volume controls, and the USB-C charging port.
Overall, the build quality is solid, and while the tablet’s weight might be a bit cumbersome with the added accessories, it doesn’t detract from its portability.
Display and Multimedia Experience
The Redmi Pad Pro 5G is equipped with a 12.1-inch LCD display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, ensuring an immersive viewing experience. Even though it’s not an OLED display, the LCD panel delivers excellent color reproduction, making it a good option for those who enjoy streaming content. The Dolby Vision support enhances the visual experience further, ensuring that colors remain vibrant and lifelike.
I tested the screen by watching a few episodes of Emily in Paris on Netflix, and the color accuracy was decent. The Widevine L1 certification allowed for HD streaming, though the absence of HDR10 is noticeable, particularly when compared to tablets in the higher-end market. Despite the slightly reflective surface of the screen, the 120Hz adaptive refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling, whether you’re navigating apps, typing, or gaming.
In terms of brightness, the 600 nits make indoor usage comfortable, though visibility struggles under direct sunlight. Audio quality is another strong point for this tablet. The quad speakers with Dolby Atmos provide balanced sound, making the Pad Pro 5G ideal for content consumption, whether it’s for binge-watching or casual gaming.
Software and Usability
One of the highlights of the Redmi Pad Pro 5G is the introduction of HyperOS, which is based on Android 14. The interface feels fluid and easy to navigate, offering features such as split-screen and floating windows for multitasking.
These features make it ideal for users who need to juggle between various tasks simultaneously, such as browsing the web while watching a video or managing documents and presentations on the go.
Data transfer between a Xiaomi phone and the Pad Pro 5G is impressively fast, thanks to its drag-and-drop functionality. The interface is clean, with minimal pre-installed bloatware—just a handful of useful apps such as Netflix. Additionally, Redmi promises two years of software updates and three years of security patches, ensuring that the tablet remains up-to-date for the foreseeable future.
Performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset powers the Redmi Pad Pro 5G, offering configurations of up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
This setup handles most tasks effortlessly, from casual web browsing and social media to more demanding activities like gaming and multitasking. I found that switching between apps was smooth, though performance dipped slightly when several resource-heavy apps ran simultaneously.
In terms of gaming, the tablet performed well for the most part. BGMI ran at high graphics settings for about 20 minutes without significant issues, though occasional lag occurred after extended playtime.
Thermal performance is average, with the tablet heating up during long gaming sessions but never becoming uncomfortably hot.
Accessories: Keyboard and Smart Pen
Redmi includes a Smart Pen and Keyboard with the Pad Pro 5G, enhancing its productivity capabilities. The keyboard connects via Bluetooth and has a decent key travel of 1.3mm, though its lack of a trackpad and POGO pins reduces its versatility. The keys offer reasonable tactile feedback, but the absence of backlighting hampers usage in low-light environments. The keyboard itself feels a bit limited, given that it must be charged separately via USB-C and does not allow for adjustable tilt angles.
The Redmi Smart Pen, on the other hand, is a delightful accessory. With 4096 pressure sensitivity levels, it is responsive and well-suited for note-taking, sketching, or doodling in Mi Canvas. The pen also includes two buttons, one for Bluetooth pairing and another for taking screenshots, making it a versatile tool for everyday productivity. However, the pen cannot be magnetically attached to the tablet, so users need to be careful not to misplace it.
Cameras
The cameras on the Redmi Pad Pro 5G follow the usual trend for tablets—functional but not exceptional. The rear camera has an 8MP mono sensor, while the front houses an 8MP camera as well. Both cameras are serviceable for basic tasks like video calls or scanning documents, but image quality drops significantly in low-light conditions.
The front camera is adequate for video conferencing and casual selfies, though it includes a few filters for those inclined toward social media sharing.
Overall, the camera setup is fine for basic uses, but it’s clear that photography isn’t a priority for this tablet.
Battery Life and Charging
A major selling point of the Redmi Pad Pro 5G is its massive 10,000mAh battery. During my testing, the battery easily lasted over a full day with heavy usage, and with moderate use, I could stretch it to almost two days.
The tablet comes with a 33W fast charger, which can juice the battery up to 50% in about an hour and takes just over two hours for a full charge. While the charging speed isn’t the fastest in the market, the impressive battery life more than makes up for it, especially if you’re someone who spends long hours on the go.
Final Verdict
The Redmi Pad Pro 5G offers solid value for its price, with a premium design, a large display, and decent performance. It’s an excellent option for users who need a budget-friendly yet capable tablet for daily use, particularly for media consumption, light productivity tasks, and casual gaming.
However, it’s not without its drawbacks—slightly slower charging, average cameras, and limitations with its accessories could be deal-breakers for some.
If you’re looking for an affordable, reliable tablet with solid battery life and decent features, the Redmi Pad Pro 5G is a strong contender.
