The Xiaomi Pad 6 has been launched as a new Android tablet for Rs. 30,000 in India, replacing the Pad 5 (Review) that debuted last year. The Pad 6 has some big boots to fill, as its predecessor got most things right, offering good value for money hardware at an attractive price point. The new mid-range tablet got some incremental upgrades over the outgoing model, like a smoother display, bigger battery, and a faster processor. To make the experience more productive, some accessories are also available.
With all it offers, is the Xiaomi Pad 6 a good deal? Here’s our full review to help you decide.
Xiaomi Pad 6 has considerable bezels around the screen
Price of Xiaomi Pad 6 in India
The Xiaomi Pad 6 starts at Rs. 26,999 for the base variant with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The company sent us the 8GB RAM variant with 256GB of storage which is priced at Rs. 28,999. The Pad 6’s top-end option gets more RAM for the same price as last year’s Pad 5. The tablet is available in two color options – Graphite Gray and Mist Blue.
Xiaomi has also launched the Smart Pen (Gen 2) for Rs. 5,999 and a keyboard case for Rs. 4,999. There is also a skin available for Rs. 1,499. To make the deal sweeter, the Pad 6 can be purchased in a bundle that includes a combination of these accessories, making the effective price slightly less than what you’d pay if you bought them individually.
For example, the 6GB RAM variant with keyboard and smart pen will cost Rs. 34,997, while the 8GB RAM variant will cost Rs. 36,997. There are also standalone package deals on the smart pen and smart case.
Xiaomi Pad 6 speakers are quite loud
Xiaomi Pad 6 design and display
Xiaomi has made some design changes to the Pad 6 which helps it to offer a premium look. The Xiaomi Pad 6 continues to offer a flat frame design. Unlike the Pad 5, which featured a plastic back and metal frame, the Pad 6 has an all-metal unibody design. The company has also managed to make the tablet a bit lighter at 490g while measuring 6.51mm thick.
The camera module’s design seems to have been inspired by the company’s flagship smartphone in India, the Xiaomi 13 Pro (Review). Of course, the quality of the cameras between the two devices isn’t even close and the Pad 6 only has a single camera sensor on the back. The bezels around the screen are thick enough for you to hold the tablet comfortably. The front camera is placed at the top center along the length of the bezel, which is suitable for video calling.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 has an 11-inch IPS LCD like its predecessor, but the resolution and refresh rate technology has received an upgrade. It now supports an adaptive 144Hz refresh rate and the screen can adjust it between 30Hz and 144Hz depending on the content on the screen. During my time with the tablet, I only noticed the refresh rate going up to 120Hz (smart switching mode), which in itself is pretty smooth.
Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard accessory lacks trackpad
The screen also offers a screen resolution of 2.8K (2880 x 1800 pixels), as well as support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR certifications. The screen offers good brightness, colors and viewing angles indoors, but in bright sunlight outdoors, I sometimes find myself squinting trying to view the content due to the reflective panel. The screen has a nominal maximum brightness of 550 nits, which could be higher. Complementing the multimedia experience is the four-speaker setup, which is quite loud and produces a good amount of bass. It also supports Dolby Atmos.
Like the Xiaomi Pad 5, the Pad 6 doesn’t have a side-mounted fingerprint reader or a 3.5mm headphone jack. The tablet has a USB Type-C port on the bottom that supports the USB 3.2 standard, which is nice to see considering the more expensive OnePlus Pad (review) had a USB 2.0 port. The Pad 6 also supports video output to a 4K monitor, and while not everyone will need this feature, the faster USB 3.2 standard itself should ensure faster data transfer speeds that content creators are likely to appreciate.
Another productivity-focused feature is support for two new accessories. The Xiaomi Pad 6 supports the Smart Pen (2nd generation) and a keyboard cover. The latter can be attached using the three pogo pins on the back of the tablet. The attachment isn’t as strong as the magnetic keyboard (review) on the 10th generation iPad. Pad 6 fell while I was trying to pick up the tablet by the keyboard. It also doesn’t have a trackpad.
However, the key trip is pleasant. Xiaomi has also used a luminescent coating for the keyboard’s letters and symbols so that they glow in the dark, making it a cheaper alternative to backlighting. The smart pen is quite responsive and offers a lot of features, which we’ll discuss in the performance section of this review.
Xiaomi Pad 6 has 11-inch screen
Xiaomi Pad 6 specs and software
The Xiaomi Pad 6 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC, which is a few years old but still quite capable. The tablet does not support storage expansion via a microSD card slot. It also packs a beefy 8,840mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.
Software-wise, Xiaomi Pad 6 boots MIUI 14 for Pad software based on Android 13. The custom Android skin is quite clean and offers a good amount of features that make good contribution to most productivity and customization requirements.
Xiaomi has also provided many software features that take advantage of the big screen, such as floating window and split screen. The latter requires you to open the main app and then swipe with three fingers from left to right across the screen to open the second compatible app. The software also gives you the option to pair apps and save them as an icon on your home screen so both can be opened with a single tap.
Some apps like JioCinema are not yet optimized for landscape mode
Xiaomi has also ensured that its own apps are optimized for the 16:10 aspect screen. Also worked with some popular app developers for the same. For example, the home screen of the Disney+ Hotstar app can also be viewed in landscape mode, which was not possible when we reviewed the Redmi Pad (Review).
However, there are many popular apps that are still not optimized for the big screen, although this is more of an Android problem than strictly a Xiaomi one. Jio Cinema, for example, shows gray bars when you open the app in landscape mode, and Twitter and Instagram are simply zoomed-in versions of the mobile app.
Regarding the updates, Xiaomi has promised to provide three major versions of MIUI for the Pad 6, but has not revealed whether these updates will include the new generations of Android and for how many years they will be supported.
Xiaomi Pad 6 performance and battery life
The SoC in the Xiaomi Pad 6 still has enough power to punch through most tasks, including gaming. I played BGMI and Asphalt 9: Legends on Xiaomi Pad 6 and the performance was very good. My issue was more related to grip and comfort when holding the device to play games. I found the large screen and flat edges a little uncomfortable for playing games like BGMI that require a lot of tapping. If you have a Bluetooth controller, the tablet can bring you a fun gaming experience.
Xiaomi Pad 6 has some software features to take advantage of the big screen
During my week with the device, I didn’t find any major interface bugs. RAM management is very good on the 8GB variant. In AnTuTu (v10), the tablet scored 755,321 points. In Geekbench 6, it scored 1,308 and 3,371 points in single-core and multi-core tests.
Coming to the Smart Pen, the stylus is quite responsive. There is no noticeable delay between input and output on the screen. The pen is also pressure sensitive, allowing you to draw a darker/thicker line in the Notes application when pressed harder. The pen’s main button can be long-pressed to quickly open the Notes app. You can also use the stylus to navigate between various writing and erasing tools. The secondary button can be used to take screenshots. Furthermore, you can also use it to scroll vertically on a webpage in Chrome.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 has three pogo pins on the back for the keyboard attachment.
In terms of battery life, the Xiaomi Pad 6 can last a full day on Wi-Fi, with a little gaming. On days when I played BGMI for more than an hour, the average screen-on time (SoT) was around seven hours. On lighter usage days, the SoT was around 8 hours and 30 minutes. In our HD video battery loop test, the Xiaomi Pad 6 lasted 12 hours and 4 minutes, which was surprisingly average. The device takes about an hour and 45 minutes to charge from 0 to 100% using the included 33W adapter.
Xiaomi’s Smart Pen can be charged magnetically and lasts around 150 hours on a full charge, which is a huge upgrade over the previous generation’s claim of just eight hours. Xiaomi claims that charging the new stylus for one minute should give users seven hours of battery life.
Xiaomi Pad 6 cameras
The Xiaomi Pad 6 has a single 13-megapixel camera on the back, which is mainly aimed at document scanning. For photography, the output is decent with good colors and dynamic range.
Xiaomi Pad 6 camera module design is similar to Xiaomi 13 Pro
For selfies and video calling, there’s an 8-megapixel front-facing camera that does a decent job with colors and exposure under sufficient lighting. It tends to add a facial beauty filter by default. The camera supports Focus Frame, which is Xiaomi’s version of Apple’s Center Stage. The feature currently works on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger video calls, where it tracks your face and adjusts the frame accordingly so you’re always in the center.
Xiaomi Pad 6 rear and front camera samples (tap to view full size)
Verdict
The Xiaomi Pad 6 checks a few boxes when it comes to delivering a smooth and cost-effective Android tablet experience. The updated design, sharper display, powerful performance unit, and all-day battery life come at no additional cost over the outgoing model, which is a great plus point. However, it’s been a year since we got the Pad 5 and it would be nice to have a newer processor in the new model. Things like a fingerprint sensor are still missing and there’s no cell phone model either. And finally, we’d expect better battery life, especially for video playback.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 can also be used as a productivity machine with its suite of optional accessories and with the bundle offer, in fact it would still cost less than something like the OnePlus Pad (review). The latter is a more premium tablet that also costs a little more and might be worth stretching your budget if you want a more unique looking tablet, better processing power and nicer accessories.