Xiaomi Pad 6 review

Android 13 with MIU 14 for tablets

The Xiaomi Pad 6 runs on MIUI 14 on top of Android 13. MIUI for tablets isn't that much different from MIUI for phones, though it does include a couple of improvements such as landscape orientation (with two-column spilt in some apps) and enhanced multi-tasking.

The Pad 6 has no biometric security and you must rely on PIN/password or not as secure 2D face unlock or Bluetooth accessory recognition. There is no always-on display option.

MIUI 14 is business as usual - all apps are on your homescreens (optional app drawer is available), there is support for widgets, large folders, and quick shortcuts (tap and hold on an app). The Google Discover page has been optimized for the large screen.

Some apps support two-column view to make use of the large screen and high resolution.

Two-column view

The dock at the bottom of the screen has Recently Opened apps at the left corner just like on most tablets these days.

MIUI also supplies the basic apps you may need to get you started - Camera, Gallery, Videos, Notes, Recorder, Weather, File manager, Security Manger.

Gallery • Videos • Notes • Weather • Security • Files

The multi-tasking is the most important aspect of the Xiaomi Pad 6, so let's talk about that.

The task manager has been optimized for the big screen and it shows a lot of app cards at once. A tap and hold on a card reveals options for Split Screen and Floating Window. There is also an always visible Floating Window shortcut atop all cards.

When in app you will notice two gray lines on each side of the white gesture line. A swipe on those will reveal the dock together with the recently opened apps.

Split screen works as expected in both orientations and you even get a Split Screen card if you go to the Task Switcher.

You can also have up to two floating windows at once. Oh, and those two can be active over two apps that are working in split screen, which means the Pad 6 supports up to 4 apps in multi-tasking mode on one screen. Nice!

Multi-tasking

There is a dedicated Features for Tablets menu in settings. Here you can learn some neat multi-tasking gestures for the floating windows and split screen. If you own a Xiaomi phone, you can make its screen and file system visible from the tablet from here (Connected Devices) and exchange files seamlessly. Conference Tools is the final option, which is a limited sidebar available when watching videos.

Tablet tools

'Stylus and keyboard' menu is also available - you can adjust some settings from here if you've bought one or more of these optional accessories.

Stylus and keyboard'

The Smart Pen is quite useful for notes and drawings on the go, as well as custom screenshots.

Using the Smart Pen

Performance and benchmarks

The Xiaomi Pad 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 870 chipset from Qualcomm. The SD870 features an octa-core CPU in a 1+3+4 configuration with the prime core maxing out at 3.2GHz. The Adreno 650 handles the graphics and should deliver flagship-grade performance, including HFR gaming.

The Pad 6 has three major variants with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS3.1 storage - 6GB RAM + 128GB, 8GB RAM + 128GB (ours), and 8GB RAM + 256GB.

The Xiaomi Pad 6 offers more than decent performance in this price range even if it is not chart-topping. Its processor and graphics are enough for smooth UI and multi-tasking experience, as well as breezy gaming.

We also tested the sustained performance and it is excellent. The tablet scored 94% CPU stability and 82% GPU stability - some impressive numbers, indeed.

CPU test • GPU test

Finally, the heat dissipation has been done properly on the tablet as we never felt hot spots on its unibody.