Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE Tablet Review: Budget Champion

Android tablets are cheap: There's a good chance you've used one for under $300. There's some truth to this idea; Generally speaking, any Android tablet priced below this price will have a similar story. The build quality will be poor, the internal components will be outdated, the performance will be poor, and in a year or so it will probably turn into a flat paperweight. It is for this reason that my expectations were low when I was offered a review of the new Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE.

Fortunately, my ailments quickly disappeared when I picked up the tablet. This is the first Xiaomi device that I have used and it did not disappoint me, also it is a cheap device. From the metal body and superb build quality to the impressive performance, Xiaomi has a tablet that delivers more than its price tag.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE

Xiaomi has created an affordable widescreen Android tablet that fits comfortably in the hand and offers impressive performance for its price. With four speakers, a high-resolution display, expandable memory, and more, the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE is a great Android tablet for everyday use.

Warehousing

128 GB expandable via microSD card

Procedure

Android 13, MIUI Pad 14

Drums

8000 mAh, fast charging 3.0 18W

Port

USB-C, 3.5mm

Display type

IPS LCD, 90 Hz, 400 nits

connection

Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual band, Bluetooth 5.0

Color

Mint green, graphite grey, lavender purple

Demonstrative steps

11 centimetres

Screen quality

1200 x 1920 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio (~207 ppi density)

IP protection rating

N/A

Heavy

478 grams

SIM card support

NO

Social

Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6nm)

RAM

4GB/6GB/8GB

Front camera

5 MP front camera, f/2.2, 1.12 micron pixel size

Rear camera

8 MP rear camera, f/2.0, 1.12 micron pixel size

Measurement

255.5 x 167.1 x 7.4 mm (10.06 x 6.58 x 0.29 in)

Supporter

• Good build quality
• Excellent performance for the price
• 90Hz high refresh rate display
• Useful multifunctional function.

Counter

• Not sure about software support
• The speakers are normal.
• There is no fingerprint scanner.

Price and availability

Easy on your wallet

Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE was announced in August 2023 and released a month later. Xiaomi sells the 128GB/8GB model on Amazon for $240. However, Amazon offers 4GB and 6GB options from third-party sellers. The aluminum body of this tablet is available in three colors: mint green, graphite gray and lavender purple.

Design and hardware

Better than necessary

I've used many cheap Android tablets over the years, and I've never been happier with the OG Nexus 7. Today I recently had the chance to use some of the best Android tablets you can buy. including OnePlus Pad and Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra. Each manages to amaze in its own way, but aims at different prices, with Samsung aiming for the top of the category and OnePlus in the middle. In this way the lower band remains open and Xiaomi is blocked.

Right from the start, the feeling of the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE in the hand is simply amazing. The aluminum body is rigid, quiet, and features smooth bevels around the frame to eliminate sharp edges. It features an 11-inch FHD+ IPS LCD panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and a brightness level of 400 nits. Interestingly, Xiaomi has decided to include a higher refresh rate of up to 90Hz, which improves the overall experience. I wish Xiaomi would place a fingerprint scanner under the screen or at least on the power button.

It's hard to imagine a $240 Android tablet feeling premium, but that's exactly what the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE feels like.

The dimensions of this tablet are 10.06 x 6.58 x 0.29 inches and the weight of 478g gives the tablet enough weight to feel premium without being too heavy to hold in your hand most of the time. I know that for years the tech industry and many consumers have made a huge effort to eliminate bezels around device screens. While I like the full-screen view as much as the next person, I like having a ⅜-inch bezel around the screen as it provides a convenient place to store the tablet while I use it without interfering with the screen. it seems.

Inside, the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor and Qualcomm Adreno GPU, 4/6/8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The device I reviewed had 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage, expandable up to 1TB via microSD card, and it worked quite well.

The tablet features four speakers that support Dolby Atmos, as well as custom presets and equalizer settings. The sound is very loud and maintains volume clarity well. What I miss in the sound is a little more bass. The highs and mids sound good, but the low frequencies are lacking. I wouldn't classify this device as a budget tablet, but it's still worth mentioning, especially considering that consuming content on a tablet is quite cheap.

Software, performance and battery

Clean and tidy

While the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE works very well, making it a contender for the best budget Android tablet you can find, it's not one of the best gaming tablets. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset will handle most of the needs of an average tablet well. Browsing the Internet, checking email, watching YouTube videos and switching between apps is easy with the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE. I can play some games on the tablet without any problems. I played one of the best racing games for Android, Asphalt 9 Legends, with a high level of graphics pre-installed, and I beat the competition.

The device runs Android 13 software based on Xiaomi's MIUI Pad 14 and comes with various useful features like running two apps at the same time and the tablet is hassle-free. The MIUI Pad 14 was completely unknown to me when I first used it and it didn't take me long to get used to it. The tablet's shell is crystal clear, and Xiaomi says it will support the software for two years with major OS updates and three years of maintenance.

The battery life on this tablet is amazing. The 8000 mAh battery guarantees excellent standby autonomy. When I looked at my device, the battery remained at 44%, meaning more than 189 hours had passed since the last charge. Of course, since the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE combines standby mode and actual use, it can easily last several days on a single charge, depending on what you do. The downside is that it only supports 10W wired charging, so charging takes a while.

Camera

Nothing special

If you entered this segment expecting the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE to be as good as other devices in the photography department, prepare to be disappointed. To be honest, cameras rarely look impressive on any tablet. With this device you get an 8-megapixel rear camera with f/2.0 aperture without OIS or other features. The front camera is nothing special: it has a resolution of 5 megapixels and an f/2.2 aperture.

Both of these lenses have a photography function and can handle slight movement without too much blur. But in good lighting, the image will be dark and grainy. Xiaomi uses some HDR and AI features to try to make the image pop, and while they help, they don't do much. Both cameras can record 1080p video at 30 fps, which is useful for short videos or video calls, but not much else.

competition

Lots of choice, but no real competition.

There are many cheap Android smartphones available in the market. However, as in most situations, you generally get what you pay for. For years, the market for cheap Android tablets has been flooded with unnecessary devices that produce more waste than they offer any real benefit to consumers. Fortunately, this has started to change in recent years, but few offer the same experience as the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE. Out of the box this is Samsung's standard for a budget tablet. The latest device vying to dethrone Xiaomi is the Galaxy Tab A8.

Depending on what time of year you buy it, the Galaxy Tab A8 costs about the same as the $100 Redmi Pad SE. But its performance will suffer greatly from Samsung's offering since it's only available with 4GB of RAM and it is powered by a less powerful Unisock Tiger T618 processor. Instead of an IPS panel, this Xiaomi tablet has a screen that only supports a 60Hz refresh rate and uses a TFT LCD display.

If you're looking for a larger form factor that doesn't run iPadOS, you might want to consider the Amazon Fire HD 10. If you're okay with choosing FireOS over Amazon's Android version, it's a solid tablet worth considering. Note that you won't have access to the Google Play Store, at least not by default, but Amazon's App Store has plenty of options. The Amazon Fire HD 10, like the Redmi Pad SE, won't win any performance awards, but its price is quite good.

Is it worth buying?

If you're looking for an Android tablet at the critical price of $300, the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE is definitely worth it. It's hard to believe that at this price you can find a tablet with an aluminum body, high refresh rate screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, up to 8GB of RAM and expandable storage, all with at least two OS updates. While it all sounds great on paper, or rather on screen, it works just as well in practice.

I really enjoyed using this device and have no problem recommending it as a mid-range tablet for everyday use. The Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE had no issues running apps, streaming movies, or playing games simultaneously. Of course, there's still room for improvement: I wish there was some sort of fingerprint scanner and the speakers had a wider soundstage, but at $240, this tablet is a winner.

Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE

If you're looking for an affordable Android tablet that can compete with Apple's entry-level iPad, the Xiaomi Redmi Pad SE is a strong contender. Priced under $250, it's the perfect combination of performance and quality for a solid Android experience.

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