Strong collaboration with the phone

Review: Xiaomi Pad 7 - Versatile and Affordable

Item: Xiaomi Pad 7
Rating: 74
Author: Erik Mörner

A tablet doesn't have to be expensive. For 4000 kronor, you won't get many of today's mobile phones, but you can get a tablet like this Xiaomi Pad 7.

Erik Mörner

Published 27 March 2025 - 12:26

Betyg Xiaomi Pad 7

Uppkoppling och anslutningar: 7/10
Media och skärm: 7/10
System & program: 7/10
Användarupplevelse: 8/10
Material & kvalitet: 8/10
Totalbetyg: 74%

Priset

Prestanda

Bakre kameran en besvikelse

Högtalarna lite burkiga på hög volym

I start the test out in the spring sun. On a cliff overlooking Lake Mälaren, I can see the screen without any problem, and it actually appears better in the still quite weak sunlight at this time of year, compared to my laptop. The Xiaomi Pad 7 does not have the coveted OLED screen that usually makes tablets something truly special, but here we have to settle for LCD, but as mentioned, with good brightness nonetheless. The Xiaomi Pad 7 also has more tricks up its sleeve that make it feel like more than a budget model.

The screen, which is 11.2 inches, is large enough for you to enjoy entertainment in the form of movies and at the same time be productive. The tablet has four speakers, two on each short side, and they provide a well-balanced sound that is good enough when I watch movies, at least up to about 70 percent volume. Then it starts to sound shrill, but 70 percent is good enough.

You can easily split the screen into several parts with apps of different sizes side by side. There is also a more computer-like mode where the apps are in layered windows.

For productivity, I can, of course, split the screen and use multiple apps simultaneously. It is possible to split for two apps, and I can adjust where I want the boundary between the two to go. In addition, I can have two more apps in floating windows, and thanks to them being minimized when I'm not using them, they become easily accessible without being intrusive. The Xiaomi Pad 7 also has a computer mode where I can open apps in separate windows and can place these over each other, but it is quite limited.

Well-integrated with the phone

The Xiaomi Pad 7 becomes truly impressive when I get home. If you have a Xiaomi phone with the latest software, you can display that phone's screen directly on the tablet. This is done wirelessly and requires that you are connected with both devices to the same Wi-Fi and logged into the same Xiaomi account. When I have the phone charging in the next room, I can still keep full control, which is convenient. I can start apps and fully use the phone remotely. Sound plays locally, so if I watch a film on Instagram or open Spotify, the sound comes from the tablet, not the phone, even though the app is technically on the phone.

On the back of the device, we find a camera module clearly inspired by Xiaomi's renowned good phones in the camera area. At first glance, it looks trustworthy. That impression is shattered partly when I start using the camera and look closer at the camera module. Despite being a large protruding square camera module, it only has one camera. The other three are text, a photo lamp, and a painted ring that does nothing. The only camera also does not maintain high quality, and we do not get anything that can even remotely compare to Xiaomi's mobiles. So, tablet cameras are mainly used for video calls, and there, at least, the embedded camera in the screen delivers according to our expectations, as soon as I have turned off all automatic beauty filters.

Questions and Answers

Does the screen have a fast refresh rate?

Yes, it has a full 144 hertz refresh rate, but even though the tablet itself and the interface feel fast, those 144 hertz don't really come into their own, as it is an LCD screen.

How fast is the charging?

The battery is a fairly generous 8850 mAh, but the 45W charging means it takes a long time to charge the tablet and no charger is included.

What accessories are available?

Xiaomi manufactures cases, keyboards (without keys for åäö), and styluses, but none of these are currently available for purchase in the Swedish store on mi.com where the tablet is sold. According to Xiaomi, they are expected to be released in June.

Camera Example

The selfie camera for video calls is good as long as you turn off the beauty filters (slimmer, smoother skin, larger eyes) as we have here. The rear camera is a real disappointment, with colourless, flat images without a trace of the depth and colour reproduction that Xiaomi's better phones provide.

An alternative

Lenovo Idea Tab Pro is a comparable tablet at roughly the same price level, but if you want an OLED screen, which greatly enhances the experience, Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 is among the cheapest, although it is over a year old and costs at the time of writing 6000 SEK, 2000 more than the Xiaomi Pad 7.