Xiaomi Pad 5 review

Android 11 with tablet-oriented MIUI 12.5

The Xiaomi Pad 5 boots Android 11 OS with a tablet-oriented version of the latest MIUI 12. MIUI 13 should be arriving by the end of 2021, and it's a safe guess the table should be among the first Xiaomi devices to get it.

Xiaomi has promised three major Android updates and four years of security patches for its most recent Xiaomi 11T series. Unfortunately, the Pad 5 was not among the devices to get this special treatment. We still hope Xiaomi to consider the same commitment for all of its new gadgets, including the Pad 5.

The MIUI 12 launcher has been around for a while, and it is plenty familiar already. Of course, the interface has been stretched to fit the tablet needs and features a reworked landscape mode, as well as tablet-appropriate notification and control centers. But other than that, it's the good ol' MIUI.

There is no biometrics-secured unlock on the tablet, such as fingerprint scanner. You can unlock it via PIN, password, or pattern, or you can setup Face Unlock, which is reliable but not that secure as it can be fooled by a photo. Unlocking via a Bluetooth accessory is also a possibility.

Lockscreen • Security options

The homescreens are business as usual - they are populated with shortcuts, folders, and widgets. You can enable app drawer, too, if you find it more organized.

The tablet MIUI has no Google Discover or MIUI Tools leftmost home page. Super Wallpapers aren't supported either.

Homescreen • Folder • Settings • App drawer • app drawer

The notification and control centers are handled as on most tablets - you summon the Notification area from a swipe from the top left part of the screen, while the Control center comes down from the top right area.

Notification Center • Control Center • Control Center

The task switcher has not changed much unless we count the more app cards it can fit - six in portrait and eight in landscape view. Tap and hold on a card for the split-screen and floating window shortcuts, or just swipe it up or down to close it.

There is also a Floating Windows button on top, a cool option offered by MIUI 12. You can put a compatible app in a floating state, but you only have one floating window at a time.

Task Switcher • Task Switcher • Floating Windows • Floating app • Split screen

The MIUI version on our Pad 5 did not support themes and there was no Themes app. We are not sure it it's a regional thing, or a tablet limitation.

Xiaomi enhanced MIUI 12 with a couple of additional privacy options. Now, when sharing stuff, like photos and videos, you can opt to remove location info and/or other metadata (incl. device info) and thus protect your privacy better. Neat.

Gallery • Privacy Settings

MIUI also offers a Security app. It can scan your tablet for malware, configure battery behavior, and free up some RAM. It can also manage the permissions of your installed apps and allows you to define the battery behavior of selected apps, and applies restrictions only to the apps you choose. Shortcuts to Second Space and Game Turbo are also available within the Security app.

MIUI 12 packs proprietary Gallery, Music, and Video apps. In some regions, the music and video apps may include paid streaming options.

The tablet MIUI 12 also offers an improved Notes app optimized for the Smart Pen. It supports all features from the smartphone Notes app, but also comes with handwriting support a couple of brushes.

Security • Game Turbo • Music • Video • Notes

MIUI 12 supports Dark Mode, too, and you can even force it on wallpapers or restrict its application on incompatible individual apps.

Dark Mode

And here are some screenshots taken in landscape orientation mode.

Landscape view

MIUI 12 is fully optimized to work on HRR displays, and it looks gorgeous on the Xiaomi Pad 5. Everything is smooth and fast; animations are unobtrusive yet impressive, the attention to detail is excellent. We did enjoy working with MIUI on this new Pad 5 tablet.

Smart Pen features

Xiaomi is offering an optional Smart Pen magnetic stylus. It's exclusive (so far) to this tablet and works via the updated screen, which reads its input via 240Hz sensing and can recognize up to 4,096 pressure levels.

The Pen connects to the tablet via Bluetooth and requires pairing only once - just attach it on the side and click a button. It has an integrated battery and recharges wirelessly at its spot on the side of the Pad 5. And while we are on the subject, a fully charged Smart Pen can last up to 8 hours of continuous writing. One minute if charging gives you 20 minutes of writing. Unfortunately, when its battery is dead, the stylus just won't work - meaning there is no passive functionality (like the Samsung's S-Pen).

Pairing

The Smart Pen has two buttons with hardcoded functions.

Holding the bottom key and hitting the display will start the Notes app into handwriting mode. Then, when writing, a click on that key will scroll through the different bushes or holding it will act as eraser.

Some of the Pen functions

When you hold the top key, you will enter the screenshot mode. Here you can choose between four different types - custom rectangle, custom oval, custom form, or full screen.

When writing, clicking this top key scrolls between your predefined favorite colors.

Pen shortcuts • Notes app • Notes brush change • Notes color change

You can use the stylus instead of your fingers, of course, and scroll through MIUI. The navigation gestures are supported by the Smart Pen, too. And there is one bonus gesture - a swipe from the bottom left corner with the Smart Pen makes a quick screenshot on the entire display.

You can also use the Pen to hover over UI or web items for precision purposes.

Quick screenshot • Hover (over the YouTube icon)

There are no Air Gestures like on the Galaxy Tab S7 series.

Finally, MIUI also supports some advanced AI features for the Smart Pen like stylus tracking compensation, handwriting beautification, one stroke forming, handwriting recognition and correction.

Performance and benchmarks

The Xiaomi Pad 5 is the second device we meet running on the Snapdragon 860 chipset. The SD860 is a repacked version of 2019's top SoC - the Snapdragon 855+. It has the same processor and graphics but has widened camera and RAM support.

The Snapdragon 860 is based on the 7nm node from TSMC and the chip packs an octa-core processor with 1+3+4 configuration - there is a single Kryo 485 Gold core (a Cortex-A76 derivative) clocked at 2.96GHz; three more Kryo 485 Gold cores clocked at 2.84GHz and a cluster of four Kryo 485 Silver cores (Cortex-A55 derivative) ticking at 1.78GHz.

The GPU is Adreno 640 - even if it's two iterations old GPU, it is still more powerful than any mid-range offering and should be handing HRR-capable games hassle-free.

The global version of the Xiaomi Pad 5 is available in two configurations - our base model has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, while the more expensive version comes with 6GB+256GB combo. The RAM is LPDDR4x and the storage is the UFS 3.1 type.

Let's run some tests, now.

For a €350 tablet the Xiaomi Pad 5 offers excellent CPU performance, noticeably better than the €600 Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE.

GeekBench 5 (multi-core)

Higher is better

• Huawei MatePad 11
  3282
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
  2690
• Xiaomi Pad 5
  2583
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  1904
• Realme Pad
  1236

GeekBench 5 (single-core)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
  959
• Huawei MatePad 11
  920
• Xiaomi Pad 5
  743
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  615
• Realme Pad
  340

We can safely say the GPU performance is flagship-grade, close to what the Huawei MatePad 11 and the premium Galaxy Tab S7+ offer. Nice!

GFX Manhattan ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Huawei MatePad 11
  44
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
  40
• Xiaomi Pad 5
  35
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  16
• Realme Pad
  14

GFX Car Chase ES 3.1 (onscreen)

Higher is better

• Huawei MatePad 11
  26
• Xiaomi Pad 5
  24
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
  24
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  9.7
• Realme Pad
  8.5

3DMark Wild Life Vulkan 1.1 (offscreen 1440p)

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
  4126
• Huawei MatePad 11
  3797
• Xiaomi Pad 5
  3396
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  1092
• Realme Pad
  691

Finally, the compound AnTuTu test also present the Pad 5 as one very capable tablet with dependable performance.

AnTuTu 9

Higher is better

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7+
  655528
• Huawei MatePad 11
  639631
• Xiaomi Pad 5
  555079
• Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE
  355430
• Realme Pad
  226474

The Xiaomi Pad 5 provides fast and lag-free performance, and its Snapdragon 860 allows for HRR gaming. It is a very dependable device and has a good cooling system as we felt no hot spots around its body.

We also ran some stress tests and it's safe to say the Pad 5 aced those. It scored 85% stability on the 1-hour CPU Stress Test and 99.4% on the 3D Mark Stress tes.

3D Mark • 3D Mark • CPU Throttle

So, as far as performance is concerned, the Xiaomi Pad 5 is properly equipped to handle heavy-duty tasks and modern games hassle free, for long periods of time at that. Its performance is great, its cooling is adequate, and we are happy with what the Pad 5 offers, especially at that attractive price.