Tablet sales were pretty stagnant until Covid struck. Then the category got a new lease of life thanks to learners working remotely and office workers with a lot more couch time. The growth of video streaming services in South Africa doubtless also played role.
While Apple’s iPad still dominates the tablet market, suddenly consumers are looking for more affordable alternatives. The unassuming Xiaomi Pad 5 fills that space brilliantly, handling all the basics of multimedia and gaming well, and boasting a few neat extras.
For a mid-range device the 11-inch screen is sharp and bright, and more than big enough for enjoyable movie watching and web browsing. A highlight is the near-4K resolution and the 120Hz fast refresh which enahnces video, gaming and delivers buttery smooth scrolling for your social feeds. Also unusual for a budget tablet it has a four-way speaker system and, combined with Dolby Atmos support, movies and games sound great.
Tablet cameras are seldom exciting, but the 13MP main shooter on the Pad 5 compares well with a mid-range phone, and the front facing 8MP camera also does a decent job of video calls.
The Snapdragon 860 is amongst the faster chips from last year, and that is well-supported by the Adreno 640 graphics chip which makes for excellent gaming experience, even with today’s most demanding mobile games.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 falls just short of a full-strength business device, however, with minimal storage for large file sets (and no microSD slot) and lacking a 4G SIM slot, essential for persistant connectivity on the road.
None of these limitations detract from the overall value, though, and the delightful screen and well-balanced design made this one of our favourite products of the year, and certainly worthy of it’s high ranking on our Top 5 listing.
11″ WQHD+ display @120Hz, 6GB RAM, 8MP front / 13MP rear cameras, 128GB storage, wifi 5/BT 5, quad speakers, Dolby Atmos, USB-C, 255x166x7mm, 511g, R8000 mia.africa.com
The large 8720mAh showed impressive stamina and kept going for well over 3 days of mixed use including social scrolling, YouTube and light gaming.
