Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 Review: Mi Pad 2 With Enhanced Hardware

Though we have reviewed too many tablet PCs that can turn into laptops when necessary, most of them are regular transformers. So when it comes to classic tablets, many don’t know what to buy. Especially this statement refers to Android-running tablets priced between 1000-2000 yuan ($145-290). Fortunately, we can always rely on Xiaomi. This brand has been always known for its large assortment of products designed for all cases of life. In this sense, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3, which has been quietly launched a few days back is just an addition to the list of useful devices. As for now, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 is one of the best options if you are looking for a regular tablet at affordable price tag. Let’s explore why this product can be what you are searching for and what the key features of the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 are.

The second-gen Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 has been launched a year and a half ago. You may wonder why it took so long to come in with a new tablet. The answer is related with the specifications of tablet market. Apple and Samsung have divided it into two big parts. So the rest of manufacturers have to get satisfied with what is left by those predators.

Xiaomi Mi pad 3 Unboxing Photos

This question is quite reasonable as both models come with a 7.9-inch LCD screen at a resolution of 2048 x 1536 (aspect ratio 4: 3) and 326ppi pixel density. By the way, these three parameters are identical with the iPad Mini (except the first generation). But in comparison to the 16: 9 ratio, 4: 3 display ratio brings a larger display area, which is more conducive to reading.

It’s worthy to mention the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3’s screen is made by a full fit technology, which means the protective glass and display layer are too close to each other. Thanks to a lack of additional air layer the screen provides more transparent perception.

Without going deeper in details the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3’s rear is identical to the Mi Pad 2’s back panel. Both models are made of one-piece all-metal body, which passes a sandblasting process. The later differs from what we can see on the iPad, but it is still acceptable if taking into account we are dealing with an Android device.

A 13MP camera is located on the left upper corner. It has no protrusion.

The USB Type-C is located on the bottom of the device, which comes with a standard 5V / 2A charger.

The 3.5mm audio jack is on the top.

There are three Android traditional touchable buttons located under the screen.

As for the dimensions, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 comes at 6.95mm thickness, it’s a bit thicker than the iPad Mini 4 that comes at 6.1mm. The Mi Pad 3 also is a bit heavier at 328 grams, while its competitor weighs only 300 grams.

So as we can see, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 looks absolutely identical to the previous-gen tablet. There is no change made in the design. But on the other hand, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 has been looking great, so why the manufacturer has to refine what is already perfect?

The hardware has been changed a lot. So if you are disappointed of the invariable design, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 specs will make you smile.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 Features

Screen: 7.9-inch LCD, resolution 2048 x 1536, ppi 326, black and white display mode support

SoC: MediaTek MT8176 (2 x A72 + 4 x A53, 28nm HPM process)

GPU: PowerVR GX6250

RAM: dual-channel 4GB LPDDR3

Storage: 64GB eMMC5.0

Rear camera: 13MP, f / 2.2 aperture, supports 1080p video recording

Front camera: 5MP, f / 2.0 aperture

Battery: 6600mAh

Dimensions: 200.4 x 132.6 x 6.95mm

Weight: 328g

Operating system: MIUI 8.2, based on Android 7.0

Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 4.1, WiFi 802.11 ac

Color: Champagne Gold

Price: 1499 yuan ($217)

Looking at the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 specs list we can note four main improvements.

1. The Intel Atom X5-Z8500 has been replaced with MediaTek MT8176 SoC.
2. The RAM of 2GB LPDDR3 has become a 4GB LPDDR3.
3. Built-in storage has been upgraded from 16 / 64GB eMMC 4.5 to 64GB eMMC 5.0.
4. The battery capacity has been upgraded from 6190mAh to 6600mAh.

The MT8176 was launched in October, 2016. It’s been designed mainly for Android-powered tablets. This SoC has two Cortex A72 cores clocked up to 2.1 GHz and four Cortex A53 cores. The GPU carries a model name of Imagination Technologies PowerVR GX6250 and it’s clocked at 600 MHz. Thanks to it the Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 supports 4K H.265 video decoding. If compared to other chips, the MediaTek MT8176 is close to the Snapdragon 650. But the latter comes with a slightly weaker CPU and a slightly stronger GPU. However, we comparing to the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2, the third-gen device should provide the way better performance.

The AnTuTu score shows both chips provide identical performance, as predicted.

In the Geekbench 4 CPU test, Cortex A72 big cores let it run out of more than 1600 points at single-core test. To understand what this mean just imagine this is too close to what we have seen for the Snapdragon 820/821. GPU run points (Figure 3) reach 2100, which is slightly lower than the Snapdragon 650, and the Kirin 950.

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 comes with MIUI8.2 based on Android 7.0 pre-installed. This means anything in it is deeply customizable.

The Xiaomi Mi Pad 3 is similar to its sibling in terms of appearance. But the manufacturer has made a few changes in hardware to provide better performance. Looking at the specs list and the benchmark results it’s difficult not to agree with this statement.

However, the selling point of this device still remains the pricing. As we said, it is packed with a 4+64GB memory combination, and 1499 yuan is too less for it. Say, the Apple iPad Mini 4 is priced at 3688 yuan ($534).

Buy Xiaomi Tablet Mi Pad 3 at $316.90 on GearBestXiaomiToday Best Deals

Source link