Title: Xiaomi Pad 7: Striking a Balance Between Quality and Affordability
The Xiaomi Pad 7 revolutionizes mid-range tablet expectations, challenging the base iPad in pricing, squaring off against the iPad Air in capabilities, and even boasting a feature usually reserved for the iPad Pro. Its polished accessories elevate its status, marking a new standard.
I've tested the tablet for over two weeks, using it for media consumption, Lightroom edits, and Google Docs draft completion. This tablet provides the most encompassing user experience you can find under INR 40,000 with the keyboard accessory.
Xiaomi Pad 7 as a Multimedia Machine

The tablet has undergone an upgrade, becoming slimmer and sturdier than the previous-gen Xiaomi Pad 6. It boasts an all-glass and aluminum build with a cleaner rear panel exhibiting a 13MP camera, an aesthetic reminiscent of the Xiaomi 14's triple-camera setup, even if it's just a single camera on the Pad 7.
The upgraded front screen on the Xiaomi Pad 7 boasts an 11.2-inch LCD with a 3.2K resolution (3200x2136) at 345 pixels per inch. It supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision for compatible content and offers up to 800 nits of brightness, making it ideal for outdoor use.

The screen's upgrade is noticeable, with colors appearing brighter and clearer compared to the iPad. Its 3:2 aspect ratio may not be ideal for Netflix, but it serves fantastic purposes for productivity and gaming.
Watching movies on Netflix or Prime Video revealed no significant banding issues, despite the LCD panel. While it's not OLED quality, it still ranks among the best LCD displays you'll find on a smart device. Its audio output is aided by a quad-speaker setup, delivering an immersive movie experience.

The Xiaomi Pad 7 is also available with a nano-texture display variant priced at INR 31,999. This feature, usually found only on devices costing over INR 1,00,000, reduces reflections and improves content visibility in bright environments. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to test this variant during this review.
Under the hood, the Xiaomi Pad 7 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7+ Gen 3 SoC, delivering efficiency and power. It handled games and Lightroom tasks smoothly, even with sustained workloads.

For photo editing, the 256GB variant with 12GB RAM (INR 30,999) is suggested for its faster UFS 4.0 storage, offering quicker processing of high-resolution photos. The cheaper 128GB model with 8GB RAM (INR 27,999) still provides a P3 color gamut for excellent on-screen editing.
The new INR 5,999 Focus Pen offers more precise editing, featuring additional buttons for stylus functions, such as pointer usage in presentations or Mi Canvas triggering.

The Pad 7 boasts an 8,850mAh battery with 45W fast charging capabilities, allowing the device to reach 100% in 80 minutes. It delivers lasting battery life, providing hours of use for movie marathons.
Xiaomi Pad 7 as a 2-in-1 Productivity Tool

While no tablet can fully replace a laptop, the Xiaomi Pad 7 thrives as a secondary device for on-the-go productivity. Its right software features and accessories work together to transform it into a formidable 2-in-1 tool.
The Focus Keyboard, inspired by the Apple Magic Keyboard, comes with a trackpad. Although it's heavier than luxurious alternatives, providing extra stability. It offers a comfortable typing experience and a compatible trackpad, perfect for enhanced productivity.

The keyboard allows for tilt adjustments between 0 to 124 degrees, with my preference leaning towards a more flexible range of motion. Placing the device on a soft surface can result in instability, so hard, flat surfaces are recommended for optimum use.
Hyper OS 2 features the new Workstation mode that keeps multiple tabs open on the screen like a laptop. This makes multitasking a breeze, but its taskbar could benefit from further improvements, offering a more user-friendly interface for recent app viewing.

The Xiaomi Pad 7's focus on creating a seamless experience between a flagship Xiaomi phone and the tablet shines by allowing you to access phone features on the tablet, boosting communications and convenience.
The superior 8MP front camera, positioned in landscape orientation, works brilliantly during virtual meetings, offering sufficient clarity for work calls.
Xiaomi Pad 7 Review: Conclusion
The Xiaomi Pad 7 offers the best value for money in recent memory, surpassing its own past achievements. It's a significant improvement over the similar-priced iPad, providing a bright and vivid display, excellent audio, smooth user interface, fantastic performance, and impressive battery life.
The Pad 7's standout features, including the Focus Pen and Focus Keyboard, remain affordable and contribute to an overall appealing ecosystem.
Strengths:
- Sharp and bright display.
- Great performance.
- Premium tablet experience.
- Important accessories at reasonable prices.
- Superior value for money.
Weaknesses:
- Workstation mode could use refinement.
- Focus Keyboard is quite heavy.
After testing the Xiaomi Pad 7, I found it to be a compelling alternative to the base iPad, offering similar capabilities at a lower price point. In fact, I even use it with my Xiaomi phone to enjoy a seamless experience between the two devices.
Despite the Xiaomi Pad 7's close resemblance to the Apple iPad, there's a new player in town that you might want to consider: the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5. Featuring an ARM-based processor, this tablet ensures smooth performance, just like the Pad 7, but with a different operating system.