When I Redmi Pad Pro ReviewI called it Xiaomi. The best budget tablet So far, the combination of decent hardware, a 12.1-inch LCD panel, and a 10,000mAh battery make it a great choice if you just need a reliable option for streaming media or reading on the go.
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So when POCO announced it would be launching a tablet of its own, I was intrigued. Xiaomi’s budget-focused brand is doing all the right things in 2024, and the POCO F6 It’s one of the best phones you can get in the sub-$400 segment. Now, POCO is known for reusing existing Xiaomi designs; the strategy makes sense since it tends to rebrand Redmi products that are usually exclusive to China.
This time, however, it did so with Xiaomi’s latest tablet. The POCO Pad is based on the Redmi Pad Pro, and aside from the logo on the back, there are virtually no differences. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as the POCO Pad is debuting in countries where Xiaomi doesn’t sell the Redmi Pad Pro, so there aren’t too many similarities.
That said, the POCO Pad has two key tweaks that make it a better option in my opinion: it comes with 256GB as standard, and it comes with a 33W charger in the box. Xiaomi is usually good when it comes to accessories, but it did omit the charger on the Redmi Pad Pro, but the POCO Pad fixes that problem.
And with 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage out of the box, you’re getting double the amount of base storage as the Redmi Pad Pro, at the same cost. While the hardware changes are welcome, POCO doesn’t sell a cellular model of the Pad; you’ll need to get the Redmi Pad Pro if you want to insert a SIM card.
Otherwise, the use of both tablets is identical. I switched from the Redmi Pad Pro to the POCO Pad and I didn’t notice any difference between the two. That’s a fact, as they share the same hardware and there’s no difference on the software side either; the POCO Pad is also based on Android 14.
Much like the Redmi Pad Pro, the POCO Pad is great for everyday use; the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 isn’t the most powerful chipset by any stretch, but it’s no slouch at mundane tasks like streaming videos or browsing. I like that there’s a 3.5mm jack, and that the MicroSD slot is intact, so you can easily expand the storage if that’s something you need.
The 12.1-inch LCD panel tops out at 120Hz, and while it’s not as vibrant as the AMOLED panels Xiaomi uses in its phones, it’s serviceable in this context. It has good colors and contrast, and I didn’t see any issues when using the panel outdoors. On a similar note, the built-in sound is pretty good, and is more than adequate if you’re only looking to stream video occasionally.
Battery life is one area where the POCO Pad has a clear advantage – it’s easily able to outperform its rivals and I was able to achieve screen-on time that easily exceeded nine hours between charges. Even though it has 33W charging, it takes over two hours to charge the 10,000mAh battery, but that’s not a huge drawback.
In fact, my main point of contention with the POCO Pad is that it doesn’t have a fingerprint sensor; you’re limited to a traditional password and face unlock. Other than that, I have no issues with the POCO Pad. To round out the hardware, POCO offers the same stylus and keyboard case that comes bundled with the Redmi Pad Pro, and that’s a good thing.
Overall, POCO hasn’t changed things too much from the Redmi Pad Pro, but by increasing the storage and including all the necessary accessories, it has created a budget tablet that’s close to perfect.