FP StaffApr 28, 2022 16:59:28 IST

Xiaomi recently launched the Pad 5 to disrupt the personal tablet that Apple has been dominating. For years now, Apple has been ruling the tablet market with various versions of their iPad, and for good reason. No other tablet has been able to crack the niche little market that Apple has made for itself.

Android tablets have generally fared poorly against Apple’s offering. The only two players who have somewhat of a decent presence in the market are Samsung and Lenovo. Clearly, when it comes to tablets, people prefer to stick with Apple. The last tablet from Xiaomi themselves was released about three years ago.

Xiaomi hopes to revamp its tablet business in India with its Pad 5. The Pad 5 comes with a 10.9-inch WQHD+ display, with an aspect ratio of 16:10, as opposed to the usual 3:2 aspect ratio of most iPads. The display also supports a refresh rate of 120Hz.

Driving the device is a Snapdragon 860 chipset and 6GB RAM across all variants, and offers up to 256GB of storage. Powering the unit is an 8,720 mAh battery, which supports up to 22.5W charging. The Pad 5 runs on Android 11 with Xiaomi’s MIUI Global 12.5.2.

The tablet has been designed keeping content consumption in mind, hence the 16:10 aspect ratio. To make it friendlier for content consumption, the Pad 5 gets a quad-speaker set up that has been tuned by Harmon Kardon.

As for cameras, the Pad 5 comes with a 13MP main shooter at the back and an 8MP front-facing camera for video calling. Expecting these cameras to take breathtaking and stunning photos and videos wouldn’t be wise.

For connectivity, the Pad 5 carries a USB-C port. The device also supports WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and an IR Blaster for wireless connectivity.

Xiaomi is also bringing along the Xiaomi Smart Pen Stylus and Keyboard Case as a separate purchase.

There will be two variants of the Pad 5 available to the public, starting the May 3. The first variant will be a 6GB + 128GB which will be available for Rs 26,999. The second variant is a  6GB + 256GB unit, which will be available for Rs 28,999. Xiaomi is also be making the device available at an introductory discounted price of Rs 24,999 and Rs 26,999 till May 7. Potential customers can also expect a few bank deals to be available, depending on the outlets they go for.