Xiaomi has confirmed that its latest Xiaomi Pad 6 tablet, which debuted in China in mid-April, is heading to a number of new international markets, including the United Kingdom.
The Pad 6 debuted in China on April 19, alongside the Xiaomi Pad 6 Pro (and Xiaomi 13 Ultra), more than a year and a half after the Xiaomi Pad 5 line was introduced in the middle of 2021. Later, on June 13, the standard Pad 6 was released in India, and as of July 7, it is being rolled out to additional markets, including the United Kingdom (where it is available for purchase directly from Xiaomi).
The Xiaomi Pad 6, priced at £369 (approximately $470 / AU$710) for the solitary 6GB RAM / 128GB configuration, is likely to make our list of the best inexpensive tablets (and best Android tablets). Its predecessor, the Xiaomi Pad 5, impressed us in our review with its well-rounded experience, intelligent software optimizations, and beautiful display.
The gold Xiaomi Pad 6
The Xiaomi Pad 6 features an 11-inch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio but increases the refresh rate over the Pad 5 from 120Hz (already fast for a tablet) to 144Hz, along with a sharper 1800 x 2880 resolution (increasing pixel density between generations from 274ppi to 309ppi), which should enhance what was already one of the Pad line’s greatest strengths.
Despite packing in a larger battery than the Pad 5 – 8,840mAh, up from 8,720mAh, which Xiaomi claims can deliver up to 16 hours of video playback – the Pad 6 is both noticeably thinner (6.9mm down to 6.5mm) and lighter (511 grams down to 490 grams), and features a stylish aluminum alloy unibody (available in your choice of Gravity Grey, Mist Blue, or gold). The 13MP rear camera is housed in a module that resembles the one found on Xiaomi’s premier 13 series (the 13 and 13 Pro) smartphones.
Other features include a quad-speaker configuration, MIUI Pad 14 on top of Android 13, 33W rapid charging, and support for a variety of accessories, such as a keyboard cover and Xiaomi’s second-generation Smart Pen, to enhance the Pad 6’s creativity and productivity.
Enough to compete with the upcoming Galaxy Tabs?
A notable omission from this announcement is the Xiaomi Pad 6 Pro, which is expected to remain a Chinese-only product, similar to what the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro did in 2021. The chipset and performance are the primary difference between the standard and Pro Xiaomi Pads. This year’s Pad 6 is equipped with a Snapdragon 870 SoC, which represents a modest improvement over the Pad 5’s Snapdragon 860 SoC.
The advent of the Xiaomi Pad 6 could not have been better timed, as it arrives just weeks before the expected unveiling of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 series at the July Unpacked event. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ‘for Galaxy’ chipset is anticipated to power the Tab S9 series, contrary to Xiaomi’s slate, according to rumors encircling the Tab S9 series’ hardware.
Whether that additional power translates to a better user experience than the Pad 6’s MIUI Pad 14 software remains to be seen, but we hope to get our hands on all of these tablets very soon so that we can make a truly informed decision regarding which is the superior tablet.
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