Xiaomi Redmi Pad 2 Unboxing & Review: Worse than the Predecessor?

The Redmi Pad and Redmi Pad SE were two quite popular tablets because they were very affordable. Now Xiaomi has released the Redmi Pad 2, which we got a few weeks early and were therefore able to test extensively.

Pretty cool this time is that it supports the same stylus as the Redmi Pad Pro. But when we compared it directly with the predecessor, we noticed one thing that makes us wonder if Xiaomi exaggerating a lot of the spec sheet.

Unboxing

But let’s go step by step and unbox it first. The MSRP for the cheapest version starts at $249 and for that, you get 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. We reviewed the version with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage, which costs a bit more.

In the box of the regular Wi-Fi model, we first find the tablet itself, which resembles its predecessors. Underneath that, there is a USB-C-to-A cable, as well as some paperwork and an eject tool.

Xiaomi also sent us the 4G version. Here too we have the tablet, which has a plastic cover on the back for the antennas. This time, there is even a power adapter included, along with the same cable, paperwork, and a SIM eject tool.

Of course, we also tested the stylus. In the box, there is a spare tip included, as well as the stylus itself.

We also tried out the official cover and it makes quite a high-quality impression.

Design

Since we shot the unboxing footage, a few weeks have passed. The basic design of the Redmi Pad 2 looks almost exactly like its predecessors. We do get a unibody metal housing, but it feels quite cheap. The build quality is okay, but not good. As I said, the 4G version has a plastic cover for the antennas.

The buttons are solid, and the transition to the display is cleanly finished. But not as high-quality as with flagships, because there is a bit of plastic between the metal housing and the glass.

Camera & Ports

It offers a 5-megapixel front camera and an 8-megapixel main camera. Videos can be recorded at up to 1080p at 30 FPS. The front camera sits on the long side, which is good for video chats. For that and for snapshots, the cameras are okay, but compared to similarly priced smartphones, they are bad. That’s always the case with tablets.

On the sides, there is a USB C 2.0 port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a microSD card slot. The 4G version, of course, also has a slot for a SIM card.

You can only unlock it via insecure face recognition or PIN or password. There is no fingerprint scanner.

Hardware & Performance

The Redmi Pad 2 relies on the Mediatek Helio G100 Ultra chip. Our review unit comes with 256 GB storage and 8 GB RAM, but there is also a version with half as much storage.

Simple tasks like browsing the web and watching YouTube are handled well by the tablet. But it’s not suitable for demanding apps.

In the Geekbench 6 benchmark, the tablet achieved similar results as the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9, slightly ahead of the Redmi Pad SE, and as you can see, the performance is rather weak.

Although the Helio G100 Ultra is a newer chip, the performance is almost as weak as the predecessor’s. We think we’re seeing hidden inflation here. For the same price, we’re getting almost the same weak hardware as in the last few years.

Gaming Test

Gaming is therefore only possible to a limited extent on the Redmi Pad 2. Fortnite can be installed and played at a maximum of 30 FPS and medium quality. But that’s not fun because it stutters too much. Only when we set everything to low and turn down the 3D resolution to 50% does it run at 20 to 30 FPS. That is playable, but of course not fun. We clearly do not recommend it for Fortnite.

Other games like PUBG or Wild Rift run significantly better. Wild Rift, for example, runs smoothly at 60 FPS. The graphics are not high-resolution, but the gaming experience is pleasant.

That is actually a plus point of Android. There are so many cheap devices that are so popular worldwide that many games run surprisingly well on very simple hardware. Sure, as Fortnite shows, not everything works. But many simple games can be played well.

Read: Xiaomi Pad 7 vs Pad 7 Pro: Which One Should You Get?

Display & Speakers

The 11-inch display has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and offers a refresh rate of 90 Hz. It’s an LCD and not OLED. Since it has a Widevine Level of L1, you can watch Netflix and other services in HD resolution.

The high resolution makes the display look high quality. Content on YouTube or Netflix looks sharp and makes the Redmi Pad 2 a usable media tablet.

But compared to the Redmi Pad SE predecessor, it quickly becomes clear: In practice, the brightness does not reach the advertised 500 nits. Instead, we estimate it at about 400 nits. The predecessor is significantly brighter, although the Pad 2 is supposed to reach 600 nits in outdoor mode.

We don’t have a brightness meter. But the Pad 2 is also clearly darker than the iPad Mini 7, which is also supposed to have 500 nits. So Xiaomi is clearly exaggerating here or may have mistakenly installed the wrong displays. We have two versions, and both are that dark.

In addition, the viewing angle is very narrow. Even at a slight tilt angle, the display significantly loses brightness.

Also interesting: As soon as the stylus is connected, the refresh rate drops to 60 Hz. That’s a pity because pens also benefit from a faster screen.

The sound quality of the four speakers is mediocre, but okay for this price. It supports Dolby Atmos, and although you can adjust it in the settings, it doesn’t add much value.

Stylus

The Redmi Pad 2 supports the separately sold Redmi Smart Pen. On the larger and only slightly more expensive Redmi Pad Pro, we really liked the stylus.

On the Pad 2, however, it frustrates us more: There is a clearly visible lag, which is certainly also due to the 60Hz. A few times it also failed to properly detect our palm.

In Xiaomi’s own Notes app, the pen is barely usable – we also noticed some jitter. In third-party apps like Noteshelf 3 and Sketchbook, it works a little better.

It’s possible that Xiaomi will improve the writing experience with software updates. But based on our tests, it currently makes no sense to choose the Pad 2 if you want a cheap tablet with a good stylus.

Much better alternatives are the Redmi Pad Pro with the same pen or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite 2024 with S Pen. The latter is the best budget tablet with a stylus, but it doesn’t have as many good features as the Redmi Pad Pro.

Read: Acer Swift 16 AI Review: We expected boring. We got brilliance.

Software: Android 15 & HyperOS 2

The Redmi Pad 2 ships with Android 15 and Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2. The user interface is good and well implemented. However, there is no animation for the lower gesture navigation bar, which irritated us a bit. But you can get used to it.

We currently don’t know how many updates the Pad 2 will get. But in this regard, Xiaomi has actually been pretty good lately. Also with the Redmi tablets. So it should be a few years.

Battery Life

The 9000 mAh battery can be charged at a maximum of 18 watts, which makes charging take quite a long time. In our battery test, where an HD YouTube video was played in an endless loop at maximum brightness, the Redmi Pad 2 achieved a runtime of 9.5 hours. That’s an average value for this price range.

Redmi Pad 2 Review: Our Conclusion

The Redmi Pad 2 performs rather poorly in our test overall and we find it difficult to really recommend. It does score with a sharp display and decent battery life, but it disappoints in almost every other area. The promised display brightness is clearly missed, the performance is just okay, and the stylus is mostly unusable.

Sure, it can be used as a media tablet. And if it drops below much below $200 on days like Black Friday or Prime Day, it starts to get more interesting. If you find it at that price, it’s okay.

But if there’s any way at all, we recommend spending a little more money and going for the Redmi Pad Pro. Depending on the deal, that tablet costs around $50 more. But it is significantly, significantly better than the Pad 2, and unlike the Pad 2, the Pad Pro is a top recommendation from us with a very good price/performance ratio.