xiaomi-pad-mini-review-–-small-with-giant-performance

Xiaomi Pad Mini Review – Small with Giant Performance

Android tablets are usually offered in large sizes. The Galaxy Tab S series and iPad Pro are two examples of powerful tablets with a size of at least 10″. Meanwhile, small tablets are only in the mid-range and are rarely offered with flagship processors. The Xiaomi Pad Mini, which went on sale in Malaysia at the end of September, is a tablet that I think is small with giant performance.SPECIFICATIONSXiaomi Pad MiniScreen 8.8″ IPS LCD, 165HzHDR10+, Dolby VisionStylus supportProcessor Dimensity 9400+ (3 nm)Chip 1 x 3.73 GHz Cortex-X9253x 3.3 GHz Cortex-X44x 2.4 GHz Cortex-A720Graphics Chip Immortalis-G925RAM 12GB LPDDR5XInternal Load 512 GB UFS 4.1Main Camera 13MP, f/2.2 (Wide Angle)Selfie Camera 8MP, f/2.3Battery 7500 mAhWired Charging 67WSIM/Telephony NoneNFC NoneAudio Jack NoneWaterproof IP68Scanning System Face ScanSelling Price RM 1999 (12/512GB)SCREENScreen The 8.8″ is of the IPS LCD type but supports a refresh rate of 165Hz. This makes it a pretty good panel for watching media content and gaming. With a 16:10 ratio, it is also compatible with streaming video content aided by Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support. The panel also supports the Xiaomi Focus Pen stylus which is sold separately.With a resolution of 3K, this panel can display content quite sharply. The only issue I have is that because it is an IPS LCD, content will be difficult to see under the hot sun compared to an OLED panel. Touches are detected well and overall this panel was responsive during use throughout the review period.BIOMETRICSUnlike the iPad Mini, the Xiaomi Pad Mini does not have a built-in fingerprint scanner. A rather strange choice because the fingerprint system has become a must even on cheap phones. The tablet only supports a fast facial scanning system but it does not work very well in dark situations since it does not have an IR emitter like Face ID.DESIGNThe tablet has a screen with thick bezels. This is necessary to make it easier to hold in your hand without accidentally touching the screen. Due to its compact design, the Pad Mini is not too heavy in the hand that it becomes tiring after using it for some time.Secondary USB-C charging port on the left sideThe flat side with speakers is placed on the top and bottom of the tablet with both shooting to the side. What makes the Pad Mini unique is that it is equipped with two USB-C charging ports. With this, the tablet can be used to charge for a long time in portrait or landscape position, especially when watching videos or long reading sessions.Audio adjustment and stylus dockThe power button is placed on top with the audio adjustment button on the right side. All buttons are in an easily accessible position and easy to press without hurting your fingers. On the right side there is also a dock to place the stylus. Again, we remind you, the stylus is not included with every tablet purchase.On the back there is a 13MP camera with flash while on the back there is an 8MP selfie camera. There is no camera bump which makes the Pad Mini one of the few modern tablets that can be placed flat on a table surface.The tablet also only supports connections up to WiFi 7 without any support for cellular. Also not provided is a 3.5 mm audio jack, waterproof support and no infrared emitter. In terms of Pad Mini equipment, it is quite minimalist.SOFTWARE – Hyper OS 2Xiaomi HyperOS 2 software is used and it is based on Android 15. It is a bit disappointing that last year's operating system is still used but at least the Pad Mini will receive HyperOS 3 in the near future. When launched, Xiaomi did not say how long this tablet will be supported. But as a flagship tablet, it is probably at least 2+3 years like their flagship phones.The tested tablet is equipped with 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage. This fast memory and storage make the Pad Mini feel very smooth to use. The process of installing and launching applications is very fast, comparable to my experience using the Xiaomi 15T and Xiaomi 15 Ultra this year.The interface looks minimalist with quick shortcuts for several applications at the bottom all the time. This taskbar can be called up at any time by scrolling the white bar at the bottom of the screen. The interface is similar to Hyper OS 2 on phones, but it is designed for a larger screen and has some specific features for tablets. There are a few pre-installed apps, but they are not very many and can be easily removed if the owner does not need them.In the AI era, the Pad Mini also receives the Xiaomi HyperAI feature. Among the things that can be done are writing assistance through AI Writing, image generation using AI Art and image editing in the gallery through AI Gallery Editor. At the same time, there is an automatic language translation feature and audio transcription. There are not many AI features, but based on personal experience, all the features included are what the majority of users need the most.For Google ecosystem users, Circle to Search and Gemini are provided as built-in. So in terms of features, the Pad Mini has all the minimum features of a device offered in 2025.BENCHMARKSHere are the Antutu 3D, Geekbench 6 and 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme benchmark scores. I compare the Dimensity 9400+ chip used by the Xiaomi Pad Mini with the flagship chips below.Dimensity 9400+ – Xiaomi Pad MiniDimensity 9400+ – Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 UltraDimensity 9500 – Oppo Find X9 ProApple A19 Pro – Apple iPhone 17 ProSnapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7Snapdragon 8 Elite – Honor Magic V5Snapdragon 8 Elite (7 Core) – Oppo Find N5Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy – Samsung Galaxy S25 UltraAnTuTu 3DChip ScoreXiaomi Pad Mini 2,743,058Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra 2,787,650Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold 1,214,735Oppo Find X9 Pro 3,472,342Apple iPhone 17 Pro 2,634,345Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 1,747,012Oppo Find N5 2,157,718Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 1,946,864Geekbench 6Single Core Multi Core ChipXiaomi Pad Mini 2535 7429Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra 2643 8686Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold 2303 6134Oppo Find X9 Pro 3158 9298Apple iPhone 17 Pro 3560 8835Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 2745 9060Oppo Find N5 2866 7987Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 2957 94353DMark Wildlife ExtremeChip ScoreXiaomi Pad Mini 5587Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra 6106Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold 3266Oppo Find X9 Pro 6127Apple iPhone 17 Pro 5873Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 5633Oppo Find N5 5507Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 6135The Pad Mini has a performance that is not much different from the Tab S11 Ultra which is equipped with the same Dimensity 9400+ chip. So its performance is impressive for a tablet priced at RM1999 as the Tab S11 Ultra is sold at a starting price of RM5999 each.Common applications launch quickly thanks to the UFS 4.1 storage and many applications can be opened simultaneously without refreshing due to the large 12GB RAM size. There is an additional virtual memory mode if you feel that the memory is still not enough.COD Mobile and Genshin Impact can be played at the highest settings without any issues. Despite the small size of this tablet, its performance is comparable to some other large-sized tablets on the market. I did not notice any serious heating issues during the review period. This small tablet can be used as a portable console. While traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Belfast a month ago, I spent a lot of time playing GTA San Andreas using this tablet. The 13-hour journey continued to be less boring.CAMERAThe camera performance is just enough to take pictures and you will not win any photography awards. Without OIS on the main camera, the photos taken were all less sharp and the colors looked a bit washed out. Since this is a tablet, I won't criticize too much because the camera's capabilities are usually at the bottom of the list of requirements before making a purchase.BATTERYThe 7500 mAh battery can last almost 14 hours when watching video content. I tested this myself by watching Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube videos downloaded on the plane. Charging up to 67W is supported with the charging head included in the box. The battery recharge time is around 60 minutes using this charger. Fast time for a large battery capacity.But it should be noted that fast charging can only be enjoyed if the charger is connected to the bottom USB-C port and not the secondary port on the left side of the tablet. File transfer speeds are also only fast using the bottom USB-C port. This is because the bottom port supports USB 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5Gbps) and the side port is just USB 2.0Bottom USB-C portAUDIOTwo stereo speakers support Dolby Atmos with the sound produced quite loud and clear. The large audio grille helps produce audio that feels dynamic and not cramped. The relatively high position of the grille also avoids the issue of it being covered by the hand when held.IN THE BOXHere's what's included in the box.1x Xiaomi Pad Mini1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.1x 67W USB-A charging head1x Manual.The frame above is sold separatelyCONCLUSIONThe Xiaomi Pad Mini is the best Android mini tablet I've reviewed this year. It has a beautiful screen, a top-notch processor that can run games at high settings, and a long-lasting battery with fast charging. Value-wise, it's a better buy than the Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra with the same chip if you don't need a tablet with a giant screen.The only negatives are the lack of waterproofing, no cellular support, and the camera is just okay. But at a retail price of RM1999 each, I feel these aforementioned shortcomings can be overlooked. The Xiaomi Pad Mini is my favorite gaming and media player tablet this year.Pros165Hz screen supports Dolby VisionPowerful Dimensity 9400+.Fast RAM and storage, and a large size in Malaysia.Long-lasting battery.Fast charging.ConsNo cellular version.Not waterproof.The camera is mediocre.