Testing Xiaomi Pad 8; an Android tablet built for work and entertainment

Tablets today are expected to do far more than just stream movies or scroll through social media. With gorgeous screens, faster processors, and a growing ecosystem of accessories, they are now trying to double up as lightweight productivity devices. The Xiaomi Pad 8 arrives with that same idea in mind.

Alongside, Xiaomi also introduced the Focus Keyboard and the Focus Pen Pro, which are designed to expand how the tablet can be used. Having spent the last couple of days using the device, here are our Xiaomi Pad 8 early impressions.

Xiaomi Pad 8 design, display

At first glance, the Xiaomi Pad 8 keeps things fairly minimal in terms of design. The tablet features a slim metal body with flat edges, rounded corners, and relatively narrow bezels around the display.

With a thickness of just 5.75mm, it also happens to be among the slimmest tablets in its class out there. To put this into context, the thickness is down from the Xiaomi Pad 7’s 6.18mm edges. At 485 grams, the new tab is also comfortable to hold and use on-the-go.

The front is dominated by an 11.2-inch 3.2K screen with a 144Hz refresh rate, which immediately gives the interface a smooth feel while scrolling through apps or navigating the system. The large screen also provides ample room for tasks like browsing, reading documents, and watching videos.

Xiaomi Pad 8 performance chops

Under the hood is a Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, which promises a 32 per cent bump in CPU performance, and 51 per cent in GPU performance, when compared with the previous-gen Pad 7.

On the software side, the Pad runs Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3 with a bunch of features specifically for larger screens. These include HyperAI features, dynamic widgets, workstation mode for a laptop-like experience, and even cross-platform compatibility with Apple.

It’s early days to pass any judgement on the performance, but the overall experience was smooth to say the least. Everyday tasks such as switching between apps, browsing the web, streaming video, and working with documents were handled with ease. Stay tuned for a more in-depth opinion of the Pad 8’s performance.

Also worth mentioning is the massive 9,200mAh battery powering the Xiaomi tablet. On paper, it claims to offer 13 hours of continuous video streaming and 9.37 hours of continuous gaming. It remains to be seen how closely real-world performance matches these claims. When it comes to charging, there’s support for 45W fast charging.

Xiaomi Pad 8 accessories

The two companion accessories launched alongside the tablet arguably play a big role in how the Pad 8 is meant to be used. Starting with the Focus Keyboard, which magnetically attaches to the tablet, and also doubles up as a protective cover. Once attached, it turns the tablet into something closer to a compact laptop. It certainly ups the tablet’s productivity levels.

Then there’s the Focus Pen Pro, which is essentially a stylus designed for note-taking, sketching, and quick annotations. Pairing the stylus was straightforward, and it magnetically attaches to the edge of the tab. We used the Pen to jot down quick notes, doodle a bit, and even navigate through the interface, and it works like a charm.

Xiaomi Pad 8 early impressions