Better than the Apple iPad Mini but currently hard to find: Verdict on the Xiaomi Pad Mini

The Xiaomi Pad Mini is positioned as a cheaper alternative to the Apple iPad Mini. With its 8.8-inch form factor (dimensions of 20.5 x 13.2 x 6.5 centimeters) and low weight of 326 grams, this small tablet is ideal for use on the go and can be held comfortably with one hand.

Xiaomi houses the Pad Mini in a high-quality metal housing, which looks much more modern than the Apple iPad Mini thanks to its narrow display bezels. 8/256 GB costs around $430. The larger storage version with 12/512 GB costs just over $580.

High-end performance, 165 Hz refresh rate and 2x USB-C

Powered by the lightning-fast MediaTek Dimensity 9400+, the Pad Mini occasionally delivers better performance than the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is unusual for such a compact tablet. This puts it on a par with its Apple rival in terms of performance and also beats most other current tablets of the same or similar form factor.

The Xiaomi tablet is also fun to use because its LCD TFT display has a high refresh rate of up to 165 Hz, ensuring an extremely smooth display. It also supports styluses such as the Xiaomi Focus Pen.

Another special feature of the Xiaomi Pad Mini is its two USB-C ports, which allow for a wide range of uses. For example, the tablet can be charged via one of the ports while headphones can be connected to the second USB-C port. The USB-C port on the bottom also runs on fast USB 3.2 Gen.1 and supports image output to a monitor.

Long battery life and charges at up to 67 watts

The Xiaomi Pad Mini is not only one of the fastest mini tablets currently available, but also has excellent battery life. In simulated web surfing, it reaches an outstanding runtime of almost 20 hours. Strong competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, on the other hand, only manage 14 hours, and the Apple iPad Mini only 12 hours. The Pad Mini can be charged at up to 67 watts, meaning a full charge cycle takes just under an hour.

However, there are a few drawbacks. For example, Xiaomi does not offer a cellular version of the mini tablet, which is a shame given its 8.8-inch form factor. Instead, it sticks to WiFi 7, so Apple clearly wins in this area. There is also a lack of availability, as the tablet is not widely available in the West and can only be found at certain online retailers.

For more details, see our detailed review of the Xiaomi Pad Mini.