From the first few minutes spent with the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro tablet, one impression dominates: Xiaomi is no longer simply playing the role of an ambitious outsider, but that of a manufacturer ready to shake up the established order. The brand has designed this tablet as a strategic weapon, calibrated to grab market share from the industry's leading players. Here we find the recipe dear to the Chinese manufacturer: aligning components worthy of a premium model, but displayed at a price that makes the competition wince. On paper, the equation is simple, but in practice, does the promise hold up against Samsung's current benchmarks or even the standards set by Apple? After several days of use, between multimedia sessions, productivity, and games, the answer proves as interesting as it reveals the direction Xiaomi is taking.
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Xiaomi's price/performance strategy
It's hard to ignore the maneuver: with the Pad 7 Pro, Xiaomi has chosen to hit hard where it hurts, betting everything on the performance/price ratio. The base model, equipped with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage, starts at €531, with offers that can even go below the symbolic bar of €490. This price immediately places this tablet in ambush against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE or the iPad Air 5, two significantly more expensive references with comparable configuration.
The hardware bet is clear: a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 supported by a 144 Hz screen, a combination that quickly relegates many competitors to the background. Where the iPad Air remains stuck at 60 Hz and the Tab S9 FE makes do with an Exynos 1380, Xiaomi chooses to offer demanding users a power/fluidity duo worthy of premium models... for a much more reasonable price.
It remains to be seen whether this raw hardware superiority is enough to erase the software and ecosystem strengths of its rivals, particularly iOS's excellence for creative uses. A question worth asking before delving into the specifications.
Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro Specifications and Positioning:
| Characteristic | Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro | Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (Direct Rival) | Apple iPad Air 5 (M1) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slab | IPS LCD, 11.2″ | IPS LCD, 10.9″ | Liquid Retina (IPS), 10.9″ |
| Resolution | 3.2K (3200 x 2136) | 2304 x 1440 (~249 ppi) | 2360 x 1640 (~264 ppi) |
| Refresh Rate | 144 Hz | 90 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Exynos 1380 | Apple M1 |
| RAM (Max) | 12 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Fast Charge | 67 W | 45 W | 20 W |
Design, construction and ergonomics: a premium tablet
The first time you hold the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro, it's immediately surprising. The cool aluminum chassis feels solid under your fingers, with a reassuring little metallic "click" when you place it on a table. The 500 grams displayed on the scale never feels heavy: it's easy to handle with one hand for reading, and it remains stable in landscape mode with the keyboard. Visually, Xiaomi fully embraces its inspiration: it's hard not to think of the iPad, as the lines are so reminiscent of Californian design. Even the rear camera block, inherited from the Xiaomi 15, creates this aesthetic continuity that places the tablet in a high-end universe.
Yet it's in the details that the Pad 7 Pro stands out. During test video conferences, the front camera centered in landscape mode changes everything: you stay in line, your gaze is more natural, which quickly makes you forget the sometimes shaky experience of other models. The fingerprint sensor integrated into the unlock button is impressively responsive: a touch and the screen lights up, ready to use. As for the USB 3.2 port, it was clearly designed with professionals in mind: transferring around ten GB of RAW photos from an external SSD was done without the annoying slowness that is still too often found elsewhere.
Of course, not everything is without fault. The roughly 5mm bezels, visible when watching a movie in full screen, are a reminder that Xiaomi hasn't yet reached the screen-to-body ratio of the best tablets on the market. Even more annoying, the lack of cellular connectivity is sorely felt when traveling: without Wi-Fi or tethering, working on the go is impossible. A choice that's hard to forgive for a product labeled "Pro."
The Visual Experience: 3.2K 144Hz LCD Display, Should You Be Worried?
The first impression of the Pad 7 Pro is clear: Xiaomi hasn't given in to the AMOLED siren call to lower the price, but the IPS LCD screen chosen surprises with its quality. From the first moments of scrolling through content or watching a video, the 144 Hz is essential: the fluidity is striking, well above the majority of tablets on the market, including premium models.
The 11.2-inch 3.2K (3200 x 2136 pixels) display boasts a 345 ppi density for ultra-sharp text and images. In sunlight tests, the auto-brightness reaches 763 nits, allowing you to continue working or viewing content without squinting. At night, you can enjoy a minimum brightness of just 1.6 nits, ideal for prolonged reading without eye strain.
In terms of color, the first impression in “Vivid” mode is a little cold and saturated (7294 K), but after switching to the advanced mode and the sRGB space, the magic happens: the Delta E rgbcmy drops to 2.06, a remarkable score that will delight image professionals. HDR10 and Dolby Vision videos thus take on a whole new dimension, and the choice of an LCD panel no longer seems like an awkward compromise.
For users in very bright environments, the €20 matte glass option is a practical touch that allows you to work without annoying reflections, proof that Xiaomi has thought about real-life use, not just numbers.
In summary, despite choosing an LCD panel, Xiaomi more than compensates with:
Ultra-precise 3.2K resolution
A 144 Hz that outperforms most tablets
Balanced brightness for all conditions
Professionally calibrated colorimetry
Practical options like frosted glass for outdoors
Ultimately, this panel isn't just a cost-saving concession: it becomes a real asset for the user experience, offering readability and fluidity that will appeal to creatives as much as gamers and mobile professionals. Only AMOLED retains an advantage in absolute blacks and contrast intensity, but for everything else, Xiaomi has clearly hit the mark.
Raw performance: the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 put to the test in everyday life
The Pad 7 Pro doesn't just offer impressive numbers on paper: from the moment you pick it up, you can tell this tablet was designed to deliver power that can be used on a daily basis. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 , coupled with generous RAM configurations, allows you to open multiple apps simultaneously, switch from word processing to photo editing in Lightroom, while keeping YouTube running in the background, without the slightest slowdown. Every screen swipe, every animation seems instantaneous, fluid, almost magical compared to mid-range tablets.
During our gaming sessions, the difference becomes even more obvious. Demanding 3D titles exhibit no lag, animations remain perfectly fluid, and loading times are almost invisible. It feels like a mini-PC in your hands, and you quickly forget you're on a mobile tablet.
Benchmarks confirm these impressions. AnTuTu displays a colossal score of 1,516,243 points , while GeekBench Multicore peaks at 5,210 points . These figures reflect sufficient processing power to handle intensive multitasking and the most demanding applications. But what really impresses is the thermal stability : after several hours of simultaneous gaming and editing, the tablet maintains 87% of its maximum performance , without ever heating up to the point of being uncomfortable to hold. The heat remains diffuse, never localized, and the feeling in the hand remains pleasant, even after prolonged sessions.
A subtle but crucial point for the real experience concerns storage. While the tablet supports the ultra-fast UFS 4.0 , this is only available on the 256GB and 512GB models. The entry-level 128GB model remains in UFS 3.1 , which results in slightly longer loading times and slightly slower file transfers. When testing with an external SSD via USB 3.2, the difference is clearly felt: the 256GB tier becomes almost essential for those who want a completely smooth and fast experience.
In everyday use, what you notice most is the feeling of power always available thanks to the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3. You never feel like you have to wait for the device to update or “settle down” to continue working. Whether for editing sessions, multitasking, or demanding games, the Pad 7 Pro transmits this power in a tangible way. It’s exactly what you expect from a “Pro” tablet: raw power, but usable and consistent, without compromise.
Autonomy and recharging: the endurance test
From the very first hours of use, the Pad 7 Pro commands respect. Its 8,850 mAh battery, combined with 67 W , allows you to use it intensively without ever really worrying about the end of the day. In our tests, the official charger brought the tablet from 0 to 100% in just 62 minutes , far exceeding Xiaomi's promise of 79 minutes. This is welcome speed, especially when you're pushing the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and the 144 Hz display to the max during a gaming or video editing session: even in these conditions, the tablet can be recharged before frustration sets in.
When it comes to video playback, the battery life is impressive. The Pad 7 Pro lasted 20 hours and 20 minutes , slightly better than the advertised 19 hours. In practical terms, watching four hours of TV shows or movies only consumed a little less than 30% of the battery. In practice, this means you can go on the road or spend a full day consuming content without a second thought.
However, this “ideal” endurance is nuanced in mixed use. When you combine intensive multitasking, demanding games, streaming, and photo editing simultaneously, consumption climbs quickly. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and the 144 Hz display, despite their efficiency, require a lot of energy, and the autonomy can then seem simply “acceptable.” This is where ultra-fast charging becomes crucial: even a short 20-minute break is enough to restore enough juice to continue working or playing without interruption.
Ultimately, Xiaomi has clearly opted for a pragmatic approach: offering solid battery life for typical use while compensating for consumption peaks with lightning-fast charging. In practice, this strategy works perfectly, and users quickly feel secure in knowing they can rely on their tablet, whether they're on the go or using it intensively at home.
Xiaomi Software, Productivity and Ecosystem: HyperOS 2.0 Under Pressure
With the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro tablet , we understand that the software is both a promise and a challenge. HyperOS 2.0 features a cleaner and better optimized interface than previous versions of MIUI. The Apple inspiration is evident, but Xiaomi adds its touch with fine customization options, such as a modular lock screen and more flexible interface settings. We feel that the goal is ambitious: to transform this tablet into a true productivity center while remaining pleasant to use for leisure.
The ecosystem is particularly compelling in everyday use. Sharing a file from a Xiaomi smartphone to the tablet is done in an instant, and mirroring a phone's screen to the Pad 7 Pro works surprisingly smoothly. These interactions give the impression of a device designed to fit naturally into a complete Xiaomi environment, with the promise of a credible alternative to the Apple and Samsung worlds.
Artificial intelligence is everywhere. Generating images from sketches is astonishingly fast and accurate, and tools for instant translation, quick summaries, and object removal work almost like magic. Access to advanced features like Gemini or Circle to Search further reinforces the feeling that you're dealing with a tool capable of going far beyond simple content consumption.
However, the results are not without their gray areas. PC mode , which is supposed to offer floating windows for typical computer use, still seems messy and difficult to master. More annoying are the reliability issues that arise in everyday use: the screen can sometimes be unresponsive, requiring you to tap harder for an action to be taken into account, and multitasking or split-screen sometimes reveal annoying bugs. These small flaws, while harmless in isolation, end up impacting the overall fluidity and confidence one can have in the tablet for professional use.
Ultimately, HyperOS 2.0 reveals a paradox: the hardware is worthy of a professional tool , capable of impressive performance and deep integration into the Xiaomi ecosystem, but the software, ambitious and rich in features, is not yet fully at the level of this power. We will have to wait for major updates for the Pad 7 Pro to truly combine raw power and software reliability.
Camera: priority to videoconferencing
As soon as you pick up the Pad 7 Pro, you immediately feel that Xiaomi has thought about the device's practical use. The 50 MP rear camera and its 2 MP depth sensor don't try to compete with a high-end smartphone, but they are perfectly sufficient for capturing documents, notes, or contextual photos in the field. In our tests, capturing a manual page or a diagram was instant and clear, even in average light. 4K video at 30 FPS works, but it's secondary: the experience isn't that of a portable camcorder.
The magic happens on the front, however. The 32 MP , centered in landscape mode, radically changes the video conferencing experience. Placing the tablet on your desk and launching a Zoom or Teams meeting immediately gives the feeling of a professional tool: the image is sharp, the face stands out naturally, and even in a slightly dark room, the noise reduction does its job without producing a plasticky effect. During our side-by-side test with an iPad Pro M1, we noticed that the Pad 7 Pro captures facial details better and offers slightly better fluidity in 1080p 30 FPS.
What's really striking is intelligent prioritization : everything about the camera experience seems designed with the "human" user in mind. We find ourselves having long video chats without experiencing eye strain, participating in online classes or business meetings, and finding that the device makes these interactions more natural and enjoyable. We understand that the back is there to help out, but that the front is the central tool: the tablet then becomes a true teleworking companion.
The Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro doesn't promise creative photography, but it excels where it really matters in its positioning: making video exchanges clear, fluid and enjoyable, and putting the user back at the center of the experience.
Dedicated accessories: the cost of productivity
As soon as the tablet slides onto the Focus Keyboard , the Pad 7 Pro transforms before our eyes: it ceases to be simply a touchscreen and becomes a real mini-laptop. Placing your fingers on the keys, feeling the precise feedback with each keystroke, it immediately gives a feeling of seriousness and robustness. The touch experience is reminiscent of Apple's Magic Keyboard, but with its own personality, more solid and more stable on the desk.
The Focus Pen adds a creative and practical dimension. You pick it up, start scribbling, annotating, or drawing, and immediately, the 8192 pressure levels and low 3 ms latency are forgotten: each gesture is faithfully translated on the screen, as if the pen and the tablet were one. The magnetic charging on the top edge is a small daily pleasure: no need to look for a port, it clips in and charges automatically. During drawing and editing tests, the precision is such that you almost forget you're on a tablet and not a professional graphics tool.
But all this comes at a cost. Add in the 256GB tablet at €531, the keyboard at €149.90 and the stylus at €79.90, and the investment reaches around €760. The attractive initial price quickly fades when compared to the cost of the complete ecosystem , and it's clear that Xiaomi is playing a price-attracting strategy: the Pad 7 Pro only really shines when you accept the investment in its premium accessories.
A surprising immersive detail: the keyboard and tablet in working position automatically adapt the interface. The touchscreen deactivates, and as soon as a Bluetooth controller (Xbox or Razer) is connected, the tablet transforms into a portable console. We find ourselves switching naturally between productivity and gaming, without ever touching a complex configuration. We can work on a document, then place our fingers on the controller and launch a game, all while maintaining this feeling of power and fluidity.
The Pad 7 Pro is compelling on its own, but it's with its accessories that it becomes a fully immersive experience: productive, creative, and even fun. Every gesture, every interaction is designed to transform the tablet into a living tool, capable of keeping pace with its user.
Summary of Strengths and Weaknesses
- Unmatched Performance: Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 delivering flagship power and thermal stability (87%)
- Exceptional Display: 144 Hz 3.2K screen, superior fluidity and sharpness, brightness 763 Nits and Delta E 2.06 after calibration
- Battery Life and Charging: 20h20 video endurance and 67W fast charging, full charge in 62 minutes
- Price/Quality Ratio Material: Very aggressive base price considering the specifications
- Software Stability: HyperOS 2.0 suffers from bugs (touch insensitivity, multitasking) to be corrected
- High Total Cost: Expensive accessories (Pro Keyboard €149.90, Stylus €79.90) increase the TCO
- Limited Connectivity: Lack of cellular version (SIM/eSIM) restricts mobile use
- Storage Segmentation: UFS 4.0 only from 256 GB
Conclusion: Is the Pad 7 Pro really worth it?
After spending several days with the Pad 7 Pro, it no longer feels like a simple tablet on the desk: it becomes a companion for work, play, and creation. Every app launch, every scroll on the screen, or every video conference session gives the impression of power and fluidity that we expect from a true flagship. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 , combined with the 3.2K 144 Hz display, transforms gestures into instant actions. We navigate between heavy applications, multitasking, and demanding games without ever feeling the slightest slowdown.
The screen is a real treat for the eyes. Scrolling through a website, watching a series, or editing a photo: the fluidity at 144 Hz and the 3.2K sharpness make you forget that you're on an LCD screen and not an AMOLED. Even bright outdoor scenes remain perfectly readable thanks to the 763 Nits, and the colors, calibrated with a Delta E of 2.06, are surprisingly accurate for this price.
The battery life is impressive. Watching multiple episodes or working all day won't scare the 8,850 mAh battery. And when it's time to recharge, the 67W fast charging is like a turbo: in just over an hour, the tablet is ready to go again, ready for new intensive sessions.
But the Pad 7 Pro isn't without its compromises. HyperOS 2.0 , ambitious and feature-rich, still shows its limits. Sometimes the screen doesn't respond immediately, and multitasking can feel messy. Floating windows in PC mode are promising but not yet fully developed. And if you want to get the most out of the tablet, the Focus Pen and Focus Keyboard become essential, which pushes the total cost to around €760 for the full experience.
Despite these limitations, the tablet shines where it should: power, fluidity, battery life, and value for money . For power users, content creators, and demanding Android gamers, it's a serious alternative to high-end models from Samsung or Apple, offering an experience close to a mini-laptop.
Bottom line: If you're willing to put up with a few software imperfections, the Pad 7 Pro transforms tablet use into a seamless and immersive experience, combining raw performance and versatility in a surprisingly accessible package. Every interaction reminds you that the device isn't just there to consume content: it's there to support you in all your tasks, whether professional or recreational.
What you can do with the Xiaomi Focus Pen
Here's a great video in English that perfectly illustrates what you can accomplish with the Xiaomi Focus Pen on the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro:
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