The Redmi Pad 2 9.7 is one of Xiaomi’s latest lightweight Android tablets, targeted at the users who would prefer to have a bigger screen than their smartphones but would not want to take a bulky 11-inch tablet. It features a 9.7-inch screen, 120Hz refresh rate, a big battery and a thin metal frame.
Performance and charging, however, are areas where there are compromises on this tablet, even though the specifications may be great for the price point.
What do you need to know?
Design
The Redmi Pad 2 9.7 features simple and modern design, which has an aluminium alloy body. The size of the Wi-Fi version is approximately 226.5mm tall, 148mm wide and 7.4mm thick. This is more convenient to carry than bigger tablets.
The tablet is available in both Silver and Graphite Gray color. The all-metal finish will make it look more premium than a budget tablet.
This is one of its most appealing features, because it’s also smaller in size. It can be easily stored in a small sized bag and will fit nicely in your hands while reading, surfing the web or watching videos.
Display
The display is likely to be the highlight of the Redmi Pad 2 9.7.
It has a 9.7-inch LCD panel with a 2048 x 1280 resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It can be refreshed up to 120 frames per second, so swiping through websites, menus, and supported applications will be smoother than on a standard 60 frames per second tablet. Xiaomi’s specifications boast up to 500 nits of brightness in typical mode, and up to 600 nits in outdoor mode.
It’s especially convenient for daily use, thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. Swiping through social media, moving around the interface and visiting websites seem to flow more smoothly.
The screen is one of the tablet’s best features; tested brightness may be much lower than the outdoor brightness levels claimed by Xiaomi, depending on how it is tested.
The maximum value obtained by Notebookcheck was approximately 436 cd/m².
The display is additionally qualified by TÜV Rheinland for features such as low blue light, flicker-free display and circadian-friendly use.
Performance
The Redmi Pad 2 9.7 gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 2 processor. It has an 8-core CPU, with Adreno 610 GPU. The processor can be clocked up to 2.9GHz, Xiaomi claims.
The tablet can perform the basic functions in everyday use, like browsing, watching YouTube, reading, checking email and social media.
However, this is not a tablet designed for demanding gaming or heavy multitasking.
The processor is incapable of handling more intensive tasks during testing when the tablet is pushed. In addition, Notebookcheck reported the limited performance reserves, which may become more prominent in future applications.
If you use a tablet primarily for entertainment, schoolwork and standard productivity, then the performance should be good. For those who are serious about playing games, you can find better performing tablets.
Battery Life
Another plus side is the battery life.
Redmi Pad 2 9.7 has a 7600mAh battery. Under its own testing, Xiaomi claims its device offers a 15-hour online video playback, 18+ hours of audio playback, and 16+ hours of online reading.
The large battery should enable the tablet to be used for lengthy study sessions, reading, watching movies and films, and browsing without having to look for a charger regularly.
There is one important weakness, though: charging is not particularly fast.
Xiaomi says the tablet supports a maximum charging power of 18W, while the standard charger has a 15W output.
That means you can look forward to the charging process to take a bit of time, particularly when the battery is almost depleted.
Cameras
The tablet comes with a 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera.
Both of the cameras are not designed to be a match for a modern smartphone. They work well with simple tasks, like scanning documents, capturing photos or making video calls.
The front camera is more convenient for video calls and online classes, the back camera can do common everyday photos.
However, if you’re looking to get the best camera you can, this may not be the tablet you should get.
Storage
The storage varies from market to market, but Xiaomi offers 4GB of RAM and 64GB or 128GB of storage in some variants. There is also expandable storage with microSD for the tablet.
The main one is that you can add a lot of storage. Xiaomi claims it’s possible to expand the tablet storage up to 2TB via a compatible SD card.
This may be helpful if you download movies, music, documents or any large files.
Software
The tablet is powered by Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3, which includes Xiaomi’s ongoing software architecture and some cross-device capabilities.
In some cases, Xiaomi devices’ interconnectivity can enable data-sharing, content copying between compatible Xiaomi smartphones and tablets, and synchronization of some functions.
This tablet also has the ability to search what is on the screen, without having to open any other application, thanks to Google’s Circle to Search feature.
Audio and Connectivity
Redmi Pad 2 9.7 features a dual speaker setup for stereo audio, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
If you still use wired earphones/headphones, then that headphone jack comes in handy, if you don’t want to use Bluetooth only.
There is also a 4G version of the tablet. 4G mode enables the insertion of a SIM card for mobile internet connection, which is more convenient for those who frequently use their tablet outside, where there is no WiFi coverage.
Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 9.7 Review: Is It Worth Buying?
The Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 Review is all about what you can expect from an affordable tablet.
The compact design, 120Hz refresh rate display, huge 7,600mAh battery and expandable storage and aluminium frame are its strong points. These features make it appropriate for students, readers, casuals and those who are primarily seeking a portable entertainment device.
The major drawback is that its Snapdragon processor is relatively low and it charges slowly. The tablet has also been called out by independent reviews for its lack of performance for heavy work or games.
