Xiaomi Pad 7

Iterative updates are the name of the game for mobile devices in 2025 and Xiaomi's flagship tablet range is no different.

- Chris Martin

The Pad 7 comes along with a similar design and set of specs to its predecessor.

That's not an inherently bad thing, however. The Xiaomi Pad 6 was an excellent Android tablet and iPad alternative and the new model comes in at the same price, £369, and it’s not completely lacking in upgrades.

You get a big jump in software to HyperOS 2, a brighter screen, a new(er) processor and faster charging. Xiaomi also has a wide range of accessories available including its first floating hinge keyboard design, helping the Pad 7 to rival the iPad Pro as a laptop replacement.

DESIGN

The dimensions might be a few millimetres different from the Pad 6 here and there, but you'd struggle to choose between the two tablets in a lineup.

Still, that's no bad thing as it means this is a stylish tablet with nothing short of a premium feel.

From the front, the Pad 7 looks like most modern tablets, including Android, but with its 3:2 aspect ratio, it most closely resembles the iPad. On the back, however, it has a much more distinctive Xiaomi design.

The aluminium rear cover comes in three colours – grey, blue and green – and the square camera module looks very similar to the Xiaomi 15 phone, giving a nice coherent look.

The downside, if you don't use a case, is that the camera module means the tablet wobbles on a flat surface.

The Pad 7 is suitably thin at just 6.2mm but it's put on a little bit of weight, now hitting the 500g mark. I'd say this the biggest downside here as it does start to feel on the hefty side when you add things like the official Cover case and Focus Pen stylus.