The world of Android tablets is in a challenging place right now. There are plenty on the market, but few feel truly worth your time. Xiaomi’s latest offering, the Pad 8 Pro, aims to hit the right notes and stand out as a solid option overall. It is, without question, a powerful Android tablet that tries to balance strong performance with a reasonable price. The device delivers high-end speed, a fast display and a large battery. However, it also comes with a few limitations that may matter if you are looking for something simple and ready to handle all your mobile computing needs.
Unboxing the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is very similar to past years and a relatively unexciting experience. Inside, you will find the tablet, a USB-C cable, and the usual documentation; no charging block is included. Beyond that, all the accessories are sold separately if you want to expand the tablet’s capabilities. The Pad 8 Pro looks and feels like a device designed for both leisure and work, with a clean, striking design.
The metal unibody measures 5.8 millimetres thick and weighs about 485 grams. The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro features a matte surface that helps hide smudges, while squared-off edges give it a more iPad Pro-like feel than previous Xiaomi designs, but I kind of dig it.
Bezels around the screen are slim enough to support an 86 per cent screen-to-body ratio without feeling dated, yet still provide space to rest your thumb in landscape mode, something that tablets with less bezel do struggle with. There is no official IP rating on the globally released version of the tablet, so it is best treated more like a laptop than a rugged tablet. Even for tablets with some protection, I always advise against water, since nothing is worse than having your new device ruined by spilling a glass of liquid on it.
Looking at the front of the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, you will find a stunning 11.2-inch display that is a pleasure to use, whether for media, gaming, or typing up a document. It features an IPS LCD panel with a sharp 3.2K resolution, making text and images look crisp and clear. The 3:2 aspect ratio provides more vertical space than a typical 16:9 tablet, which is especially useful for web browsing, documents and schoolwork, or for writing on a plane where space is limited. Just for reference, I wrote most of this review on the tablet while travelling home from a recent trip and found the screen perfectly suited to the task.
The refresh rate reaches up to 144hz, so scrolling and animations appear smooth, and the overall experience feels very snappy. While the display cannot match an OLED panel for deep inky blacks, it still delivers a solid level of contrast, and colours can be adjusted to look natural. This makes the screen well-suited to both video playback and photo editing, although the Android tablet ecosystem still lags behind the iPad. The hardware is capable of handling a wide range of tasks, but the app experience has not fully caught up.
The Pad 8 Pro ships with the latest version of Xiaomi’s HyperOS 3.0, built on Android. Xiaomi has designed the software to function as a capable mobile workstation (with the aptly named Workstation Mode), adding features typically found on desktop operating systems such as macOS or Windows. You can use the tablet in windowed mode, with apps that can be resized and dragged around the screen, much like on a laptop or desktop. When multitasking, this feature is a godsend and something I found myself using far more than expected.
“The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro delivers a fantastic mobile experience that almost makes you want to leave your laptop at home…”
The Pad 8 Pro can also connect seamlessly with other Xiaomi devices, allowing you to share your phone’s internet connection and quickly transfer files between platforms. It supports cross-device unlocking, cross-device camera access and a range of additional tools that make the broader ecosystem feel connected. It is a feature set Apple users will recognize, but it is implemented well here. If that were not enough, the USB-C port can also drive an external monitor, allowing you to work on a larger screen when needed.
That leads to my biggest issue with the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro: Android as a tablet operating system. It often feels as though Google has let the platform stagnate, particularly when compared with iPadOS. The gap is most noticeable in the depth and quality of tablet-optimized apps and in how well smaller smartphone applications adapt to larger screens.
It is not nearly as rough as it was a few years ago, but there is still work to be done. Xiaomi has done an admirable job bridging that gap and making the Pad 8 Pro feel like a complete device ready for serious work. Still, it would shine even brighter with more dedicated tablet apps built to fully leverage its power.
For all my concerns about Android as a tablet operating system, I have no complaints about the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro’s performance. The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, giving it the power to deliver a high level of performance. Combined with the option of 8 or 12 GB of RAM, you can keep several apps open and switch between them quickly.
It is worth noting that this is a slight step down from the Chinese version of the tablet, which was available in 12 GB and 16 GB configurations. In today’s market, where RAM kits are over 3X what they were even a year ago, such differences are not unusual. Demanding titles, including large open-world RPGs, run at high settings with stable frame rates. Shooters can also take advantage of the high refresh rate, even if many games still cap out below 144 frames per second.
When testing the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro with games such as Genshin Impact and Arknights: Endfield, I was surprised by how smooth the experience felt. These games are designed to run on a range of differently specced devices, but throughout my time playing, performance remained steady. There were no noticeable frame rate drops or stutters, even in crowded areas packed with on-screen effects that pushed the Qualcomm processor hard. That consistency carried over to Diablo Immortal and Fortnite, with both titles running smoothly throughout my sessions.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro supports Wi-Fi 7, meaning you should have no trouble reaching top download speeds, provided you have a compatible router. The tablet also includes Bluetooth 6.0 support, so modern wireless headphones and game controllers connect without issue.
At the time of writing, there is no version with built-in cellular connectivity or GPS. That means you will need to rely on Wi-Fi or a hotspot from your phone when away from home or the workplace. It is a feature I have appreciated on the iPad, and it is disappointing that Xiaomi does not offer a variant with those options.
“The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro features the Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform, giving it the power to deliver a high level of performance.”
Still, if you are a Xiaomi phone user, sharing a data connection is quick and relatively seamless. With Xiaomi Interconnectivity, it’s just a click of a button to use your phone’s connection to jump online; it even shows up as a special icon in the Wi-Fi list. I was honestly surprised it was as painless as it turned out to be, so kudos to Xiaomi for that.
Looking at the back of the tablet, the cameras are better than those on many cheaper devices. That said, you are still better off using your phone for most photography needs. The 50-megapixel rear camera captures clear document scans and produces decent photos in good lighting, but it is limited, as one would expect with a tablet. You can still use it to grab a quick snapshot for sketching or other uses, but the pictures didn’t look great in my experience and felt flat compared to even your most basic smartphone.
On the front, a 32-megapixel ultra-wide camera works well for video calls and online meetings, keeping your face sharp and bright in most conditions. Both cameras struggle in low light, producing more noise and less detail than a good smartphone, which is expected at this size and price point, but they get the job done, so what else can you ask for?
Thankfully, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro’s audio performance helps offset its camera shortcomings. Sound is delivered through four speakers positioned around the frame. They reach impressive volume levels for such a thin device and keep voices and music clear, even at higher settings. There is enough bass presence to make movies and games more engaging than on a basic tablet or laptop.
Looking at the battery front, the 9,200mAh battery can last well over a full day of mixed use, including web browsing, streaming and some gaming. In lighter use, such as reading and writing with the brightness turned down, it can stretch close to two days. Fast charging at up to 67W means you can go from low to full in around an hour and a half, which makes it easier to top up during a break rather than leaving it plugged in all night.
I used the tablet for a full plane ride coming back from the Rainbow Six International tournament in Paris, an eight-hour flight, and even with using a range of apps and some video playback for good measure, I only managed to bring the Pad 8 Pro to around 75 percent over the full plane ride. This will vary depending on brightness and the types of apps you are running, but I am overall very impressed, and I feel confident travelling with the tablet without worrying about it running out on a standard plane or train ride, depending on where you are going.
As with most Xiaomi launches, a range of accessories is available for the Pad 8 Pro, including the Focus Pen Pro, Focus Keyboard, Pro Keyboard, and Pro Cover. I have used the Pro Keyboard for most of my testing, and I genuinely enjoy it. It provides everything needed to use the tablet as a laptop-style device, including a touchpad and a full-size keyboard.
I have never been a fan of standard keyboard covers on most tablets (calling out OnePlus here, great tablet, horrible keyboard cover). When travelling, you do not always have a flat surface available, and those covers can feel unstable. The Pro Keyboard solves that problem by offering a proper hinge and sturdier construction. That said, it ultimately comes down to personal preference. Both keyboards deliver a solid typing experience, and the Focus Keyboard is noticeably lighter if you want to travel as light as possible.
The Focus Pen Pro delivers an experience closer to what you would expect from an iPad, with an impressive 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity and low-latency input. It also allows you to squeeze the pen to bring up a shortcut menu, similar to features found on Apple’s stylus. This function can be used to access drawing tools in compatible applications, though so far I have tested it only within Xiaomi’s dedicated creative apps. It remains unclear which other applications will support the feature at launch.
In many ways, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is my ideal tablet. It is designed for users who value speed, a smooth, sharp display and long battery life, and who are willing to put in some setup work to tailor the experience to their needs. It delivers performance and features that match or surpass many rivals and offers one of the most robust ecosystems available on Android.
For students, creators and tech-savvy users who are comfortable importing devices and installing their own apps and services, it is an appealing option. The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro delivers a fantastic mobile experience that almost makes you want to leave your laptop at home…almost.
