Review | Xiaomi Pad 6 — a value-packed Android tablet with impressive upgrades

The Xiaomi Pad 6 sports a sleek and premium all-metal unibody design, quietly whispering sophistication. It is lighter and thinner than its predecessor, weighing in at just 490g and measuring 6.51mm in thickness. The tablet features an 11-inch IPS LCD display with an adaptive 144Hz refresh rate and a sharp 2.8K resolution. It is also HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR certified, ensuring vibrant and immersive visual experiences. While the screen offers excellent brightness, colours, and viewing angles indoors, it may suffer from visibility issues under bright sunlight due to its reflective panel. Despite this limitation, the overall design and display quality of the Xiaomi Pad 6 are commendable.

Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, the Xiaomi Pad 6 delivers robust performance for a variety of tasks, including gaming. The tablet handles multitasking with ease, offering a smooth and responsive user experience. It runs on the MIUI 14 for Pad software, which is a clean and optimised version of Android 13. Xiaomi has added several features to leverage the large display, such as floating window and split-screen functionalities. While some apps are optimised for the tablet's screen size, others may not fully utilise its potential due to limitations within the Android ecosystem. Despite this drawback, the Xiaomi Pad 6's performance and software experience are excellent.

The Xiaomi Pad 6 is equipped with a generous 8,840mAh battery, ensuring extended usage periods. With moderate gaming and Wi-Fi usage, the tablet's battery can easily last a full day. Additionally, the 33W fast charging feature allows for quick recharging, minimizing downtime. Xiaomi has also introduced a range of accessories to enhance productivity. The Smart Pen (2nd gen) offers a responsive experience with no noticeable lag and pressure sensitivity, making it suitable for note-taking and navigation. The optional keyboard cover supposedly provides comfortable key travel and features glow-in-the-dark lettering for convenience. However, it lacks a trackpad, which may be a drawback for some users. I did not receive a review unit of the keyboard case, so I cannot confirm this. Overall, the Xiaomi Pad 6 offers a strong battery life and optional accessories that add value to the tablet.

In terms of performance, the Xiaomi Pad 6 excels in benchmark tests, delivering smooth multitasking and gaming capabilities. It efficiently manages its available RAM and offers a reliable performance across various applications. On the camera front, the tablet features a 13-megapixel rear camera that captures decent photographs. While it may not match the quality of dedicated smartphone cameras, it is sufficient for basic photography needs. The 8-megapixel front camera performs well for video calls and taking selfies, with additional features such as Focus Frame adding to its capabilities.

The Xiaomi Pad 6 is an impressive Android tablet that offers significant upgrades over its predecessor. With a competitive price point and a range of attractive features, including a sleek design, a vibrant display, powerful performance, and excellent battery life, the Pad 6 provides great value for money. While the reflective display and limited app optimisation may be minor drawbacks, the tablet compensates for these with its optional accessories, such as the Smart Pen and keyboard cover. If you're in the market for a cost-effective yet feature-rich Android tablet, the Xiaomi Pad 6 should be high on your list of considerations.