Xiaomi Pad 5 gets price cut ahead of Pad 6 India launch3 reasons to buy, 2 to avoid

By Abhik SenguptaXiaomi will launch its new-gen Xiaomi Pad 6 in India tomorrow, June 13. Ahead of its official debut, the Pad 6’s predecessor, Xiaomi Pad 5, is available with a modest price cut. The base variant with 128GB storage is selling for Rs 25,999, down from the original selling price of Rs 26,999. The 256GB storage option is available with Rs 500 off. It is now selling for Rs 26,499. To further sweeten the deal, customers with ICICI Bank credit cards will get a Rs 2,000 instant discount. It means the Pad 5 can effectively be bought for Rs 23,999 and 26,499. Students with valid ID cards will get an additional Rs 500 off.

While the Pad 6 is expected to feature upgrades, the Xiaomi Pad 5 remains one of the most value-for-money Android tablets on the market. While some users may compare it to Apple’s low-range iPads, the Pad 5 is not meant to be their direct alternative. However, it doesn’t need to be. If you’re looking for a tablet primarily for content consumption, light office work, and gaming, the Xiaomi Pad 5 is a suitable choice. Here are three reasons to consider it and two reasons to explore other options.

3 reasons to buy Xiaomi Pad 5

–The Xiaomi Pad 5 comes with a great display. If you want a tablet to watch movies, read news, and even chat with family on WhatsApp, the Pad 5 will easily suffice. Plus, video calling with the 8-megapixel front camera is pretty good, if not the best. The tablet offers a 10.95-inch WQHD+ (1,600 x 2,560 pixel) LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate, Gorilla Glass 3 protection, and Dolby Vision support — all the good-to-have display features.

–To complement the display performance, the Pad 5 comes with a brilliant quad-speaker system. While most budget tablets have dual speakers or dual speakers with quad chambers, the Pad 5 has four speakers that offer loud audio output with adequate bass. The speakers also have Dolby Atmos support to improve the listening experience.

–The Xiaomi Pad 5 includes a Snapdragon 860 SoC, which might not be a more powerful chipset than Dimensity 9000 SoC on the OnePlus Pad, but it gets the work done (smoothly). The tablet also provides a clean Android experience, which is unlike Xiaomi smartphones.

Two reasons to avoid Xiaomi Pad 5

-While Xiaomi Pad 5 gets the work done, it is yet to receive a stable Android 13 update. Unlike Apple iPads, Xiaomi has also promised limited operating system updates. It means users won’t be able to enjoy the latest Android updates.

–If you’re an upcoming creator, Xiaomi Pad 5 has stylus support, though the first-gen Xiaomi Pen remains unavailable in the country. Additionally, the 2nd-Gen Pen that Xiaomi Pad 6 supports may not have backward compatibility. In that case, check out the Realme Pad X.