Xiaomi Pad 7’s purple patch emerges from an unconventional generational transition
There may be little to complain about the Pad 7 as it effectively renews the pitch for Android tablets. However, the redesigned keyboard proposition needs refinement, which is in stark contrast to the Xiaomi Pad 6.
It was never going to be easy to follow up on the collective package of brilliance that the Xiaomi Pad 6 from last year proved to be. I can attest to that with certainty, having relied on that as my primary work machine more often than any other Android tablet in the past decade. With the Xiaomi Pad 7 having to follow up on that effort, it was always going to be a scenario where risk was potentially higher than the reward. More that couldn’t match up to the predecessor’s slickness, and even if there was a collective step forward, that’s what everyone expected, didn’t they?

There is a certain degree of aggressiveness with the way Xiaomi has priced the Pad 7, and I’ll illustrate that with how it positions against the competition. The Pad 7’s entry spec 8GB+128GB spec costs ₹26,999 for now, whereas the 12GB+256GB variant will have you part with ₹29,999. Between the two, we’d recommend the latter for the higher memory. There is also a nano-texture display edition (this is priced at ₹31,999), which essentially uses a different glass composition to eliminate any reflection or glare (should be better with the Focus Pen accessory too). Apple has done it across product lines, including the Studio Display, the iPad Pro and the MacBook Pro with M4.
Unfortunately, I cannot lend an opinion on how well this nano-texture display works in the real world, because the review unit for the Pad 7 that Xiaomi shared, is one with the standard display. But to have this option available at these price points, is impressive. For now, Xiaomi says the nano-texture option will be an online exclusive, but to that point, I would believe it’ll be an easier sell if buyers can experience the difference in a retail store.
The Xiaomi Pad 7’s competition landscape includes the OnePlus Pad 2 and indeed the OnePlus Pad which is still very much around, the Honor Pad 9 and for the sake of variety, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (though the 6GB RAM option, is not what we can recommend). Speaking of value, the Pad 7 undercuts the OnePlus Pad 2 significantly (this is priced ₹39,999 onwards) as well as the OnePlus Pad ( ₹35,999 onwards, if you may). The Honor Pad 9 matches this with pricing ( ₹24,999 onwards) but you’ll be contending with a lesser powered Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen1 chip on an otherwise impressive tablet.
Of course, if Xiaomi is keeping the Pad 6 around (prices now start at around ₹17,999), why wouldn’t you consider that too? Spoiler alert, there are aspects to the Xiaomi Pad 7 which football fans would probably categorise as a case of two distinct halves.
The tablet has grown up in size, ever so slightly. The display is an 11.2-inch IPS real estate, up from 11-inches of the predecessor. The aspect ratio has changed perceptibly (it is now 3:2 instead of 16:9) with higher native brightness (though reflections will still come through), and that’s had a bearing on reduction in height, but a slight increase in width (if you’re holding the tab in portrait mode). The fine detail here is, the Gorilla Glass layer isn’t there. This is a fantastic display to work with, be it for reading, streaming movies and Live sports, or editing photos. DC Dimming and ambient colour temperature sensing help, more than you may imagine.
Design is the same, sophisticated mix of aluminium and glass. There could of course be an argument that the Pad 7 which has a comparatively more premium positioning in the hierarchy, the contours and language still come across as too similar to the Redmi Pad Pro 5G (it’s an impressive tablet, something we detailed. Maybe some design differentiation may have helped, though the mirage purple and sage green colours options convey that to an extent.
Generationally, the chip switch from a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 to a Snapdragon 7+ Gen3 may look concerning, at least on the spec sheet. From a higher spec 8-series chip, to a slightly lower-spec 7-series chip, to speak of. I wouldn’t be too concerned about that, because as the Xiaomi Pad 7 exhibited in the time I spent testing this, it doesn’t betray any concerns of either being short on performance when you stretch the multitasking aspect, or with any heating on the back to suggest it’s feeling the load. Mind you, 12GB RAM gives it more than enough headroom to sail through the times when you’ll have multiple apps open on a busy workday. Improvements to HyperOS 2 have played their part in reducing overall system footprints.
As a tablet, the Xiaomi Pad 7 leaves little to complain about. That includes the long stamina 8850mAh battery, which lasts days on a charge. And the HomeScreen+ 2.0 feature (works with recent Xiaomi and Redmi phones; support will widen with time) that brings your phone’s apps to the tablet too. Ecosystem play, at its finest.
Xiaomi’s hoping you’d buy the Focus Keyboard (that’s ₹8,999) and the Focus Pen (part with ₹5,999) to complete the Pad 7 proposition as a multifaceted computing device. All fair and good basis my previous experience with the HyperOS Workstation Mode and the keyboard getting a new design with a touchpad. What could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, the touchpad doesn’t have enough height, and the fingers more often than not hit the borders with swipe gestures. Secondly, the touchpad isn’t consistent with touch responses — often, the slightest of tap selects something on the screen, whereas at other times, a second stab at tapping elicits the desired result. The key size and layout are almost on point, except the top row (numbers keys, backspace, function) sits too close to the tablet and the fingers will often snick it as you reach for them. These fine details take away some of the sheen, at least as far as the potential is concerned. Quite surprising too, considering the refined keyboard experience was on the Pad 6, except that keyboard doesn’t have a touchpad.
There is a reason why I said the Xiaomi Pad 7 is a case of two distinct halves. The tablet when used as a tablet is almost perfect. Even though you may look at the chip hierarchy and say it isn’t on the same footing. Helping in that pursuit is HyperOS 2, and there’s certainly more refinement to come in the months to come. Certain AI functionality is also waiting to drop with software updates, and this includes Xiaomi Creation and AI Writing. Robust battery life (chargers in the box too) and a chip that stays cool even in stressful times, are barometers of Xiaomi’s attempts at refining the Android tablet experience. That said, for the keyboard inconsistencies with the touchpad, I’m not sure if they are a hardware concern, or can be ironed out with software updates. I’ll hold off on the keyboard for now, but the Xiaomi Pad 7 as a tablet (and when paired with the slick Focus Pen for writing, drawing and sketching) is absolutely worth your time and money.
