The Redmi Pad 2 has just been launched in India, and as per the brand, the new slate has been designed to meet the evolving needs of users across entertainment, learning, and everyday productivity. The tablet has been priced in India starting at Rs 13,999, and offers an 11-inch display, MediaTek Helio G100 Ultra chipset, 9,000mAh battery, feature-rich software, and more. The Redmi Pad 2 also comes with support for accessories that aim to boost productivity and usability.
Read on for a closer look at these accessories and how the device performs in real-world use in this Redmi Pad 2 review.
Table of Contents
Design
The Redmi Pad 2 doesn’t really stand out with its looks. Similar to other budget tablets, the Redmi tablet flaunts a plastic unibody, with flat edges and back, which makes it easy to hold, and a metallic finish to keep fingerprints and smudges at bay. The dual-tone accent, running vertically from the top-left positioned camera module, adds a bit of flair to the overall design. The brand has integrated a pill-shaped camera module that blends more seamlessly into the design as compared to the more common rectangular module. The module houses a single sensor with “AI Camera” branding and the specifications, 8MP F2.0, etched on it.
We received the Sky Blue variant for review, but the Redmi Pad 2 is also available in a Graphite Grey colour option. Depending on the connectivity variant, the tablet weighs either 510 grams or 519 grams, quite reasonable considering its large 9,000mAh battery. While holding it for extended periods may become tiring, its slim 7.4mm profile makes it easy to carry around.
For added convenience, Xiaomi offers a cover for the Pad 2 (sold separately for Rs 1,299). The cover features a flap that automatically wakes the display when opened and puts it to sleep when closed, and it worked as expected during our testing. The flap can also be folded into a stand, allowing the tablet to be propped up horizontally, ideal for watching videos. In addition to functionality, the cover provides 360-degree protection, safeguarding both the screen and the body from minor drops and bumps.
Redmi Smart Pen
In addition to the cover, the Redmi Pad 2 also supports the Redmi Smart Pen, priced at Rs 3,999. The stylus connects via Bluetooth v5.1 and remains paired unless Bluetooth is manually turned off on the tablet. The Pen charges via a Type-C cable and promises to offer up to 12 hours of continuous writing. Users can monitor the Pen’s battery level and even rename it through the tablet’s Bluetooth menu.
The Redmi Smart Pen comes equipped with two buttons. The one closer to the tip opens the notes app with a long press and allows switching between different pen types, eraser, and ruler. The second button activates pairing mode with a long press, captures screenshots by long-pressing and tapping on the screen, and lets users switch between font colours. There’s no way to customise the buttons, though. The tip is replaceable, and Xiaomi has thoughtfully included an extra one in case the original one goes awry.
The Redmi Smart Pen is roughly the same height as a standard pencil, though slightly wider. Weighing just 12.7 grams, its weight is well-balanced, offering a comfortable and natural writing experience. While Xiaomi claims millisecond-level ultra-low latency, I did notice occasional minor delays in response, nothing too disruptive. With just 10g of activation force needed, the pen glides smoothly across the screen, whether you’re writing or sketching.
The Redmi Pad 2 comes with two dedicated apps designed for the Smart Pen: Magic Canvas and BeKids Colouring. Magic Canvas functions as a versatile digital notepad, allowing users to jot down notes, sketch, and doodle with ease. On the other hand, BeKids Colouring serves as a fun digital colouring book, ideal for children to explore their creativity. The tablet also supports ink-to-text, which can convert handwritten text into digital text. However, the feature is only limited to the Search box within the app. There is no dedicated app on the tablet that can do the same for notes.
That might be asking a bit much from a budget-friendly tablet, but I do wish the Redmi Smart Pen offered longer standby time. I’ve often found it drained after just a couple of days of inactivity. Moreover, it would have been more convenient if there were a built-in magnetic attachment or slot to store the pen when not in use.
Display and audio
The Redmi Pad 2 features an 11-inch IPS LCD display with a 2.5K resolution (2,560 x 1,600), a refresh rate of up to 90Hz, and a peak brightness of 600 nits. It gets sufficiently bright for comfortable viewing in moderately lit environments. Colours appear vibrant, though not particularly sharp or crisp, and viewing angles are decent for the price. The tablet is well-suited for streaming content from streaming platforms in HD resolution. However, due to the limitations of the LCD panel, the contrast ratio isn’t ideal, blacks appear more grey than true black, which slightly diminishes the overall immersive experience.
That said, the Redmi Pad 2’s display includes features like DC Dimming, Reading Mode, and TÜV Rheinland certification, all of which help reduce eye strain during extended use, especially in low-light environments. Additionally, the display supports Wet Touch technology, allowing for accurate input even when your hands are wet or there’s moisture on the screen, minimising the chances of false touches. I tested it by spraying some water on the screen, and it worked seamlessly.
For audio, the Redmi Pad 2 is equipped with quad speakers that support Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio. The speakers are loud enough to fill a room, but clarity takes a hit at maximum volume, resulting in a somewhat muddy sound profile. At medium volume levels, audio remains fairly balanced, making the tablet suitable for watching movies or shows. However, the lack of depth in the lower frequencies means bass-heavy tracks lack punch, making them less ideal for music enthusiasts seeking that extra oomph.
However, on the bright side, the Redmi Pad 2 offers flexible audio options, allowing users to customise sound settings and use both wired and wireless earphones. The tablet features a 3.5mm headphone jack for traditional audio gear, along with Bluetooth v5.3 for stable wireless connectivity. I used the recently launched OnePlus Bullets Wireless 2 earphones with the device, and there was hardly any latency in the audio.
Cameras
The Redmi Pad 2 features a basic 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera, both supporting 1080p video recording at 30fps, along with Document mode and HDR. The cameras offer useful features like autofocus and face detection, and they’re adequate for casual use. Image quality leans more towards functionality than clarity. The Document mode, however, is quite handy; it accurately detects text and captures documents with readable sharpness.
Interestingly, the video mode includes a ‘Teleprompter’ feature that allows you to read a script while recording. You can either draft the script directly on the tablet or import it in DOC, DOCX, or TXT formats. The feature works with both the front and rear cameras, making it especially useful for content creators, educators, and online presenters.
Performance and software
At the heart of the Redmi Pad 2 is the MediaTek Helio G100 Ultra SoC, coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The storage is further expandable up to 1TB via a microSD card, available on both the Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + 4G cellular variants. This generous capacity is impressive, making the tablet well-suited for storing data. Given its affordable price tag and the chipset, the tablet provides a smooth, if not snappy, performance for everyday use and light multitasking. The Pad 2 handled app browsing, social media scrolling, app switching, and more effortlessly, without noticeable stutters or slowdowns during our time with it.
The tablet’s synthetic benchmark numbers back our findings. On AnTuTu, the Pad 2 scores approximately 4.30 lakh, whereas its Geekbench scores stand at 727 and 1,969 in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. This means the device can handle demanding tasks such as gaming, but not for prolonged usage. The Burnout CPU throttle test revealed the tablet’s performance dropping to 63.5 percent from its peak output, and its thermals rising to 10 degrees after playing BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile, and Real Racing 3 at low graphics at 30 minutes each. Overall, the Redmi Pad 2 should manage casual gaming and short bursts of heavy workloads with ease.
Speaking of its software, you get Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2 skin layered atop Android 15 out of the box. There is no word on future software updates for the Redmi Pad 2 yet. Be that as it may, the software experience is similar to Redmi and Xiaomi smartphones, with several pre-loaded apps (40 of them in the tablet, out of which 5 are third-party), customised icons, animations, and more. Some changes have been made here and there to enhance the usability of the tablet, like the three-dot icon that seamlessly enables split screen and picture-in-picture mode to run multiple apps at once.
The tablet may not offer a wide range of AI features, but it does include the ‘Circle to Search’ function, allowing you to search for anything on your screen quickly. The Redmi Pad 2 also features Google Gemini, a personalised AI assistant that can help with tasks like writing, coding, research, design, and voice commands. It integrates smoothly across various Google apps, with multi-platform support and services. The tablet also benefits from Google Photos’ Magic Editor, Eraser, and Unblur tool to enhance images; however, for that, you will need to enable backup to the Google cloud.
Additionally, the Redmi Pad 2 supports seamless interconnectivity within the Xiaomi ecosystem. When signed in with the same Xiaomi account, users can effortlessly transfer content, answer calls, and access Magic Canvas notes across compatible Xiaomi devices.
Battery and charging
Powering the Redmi Pad 2 is a sizeable 9,000mAh battery, one of the largest you’ll find in an affordable tablet. It works to the device’s advantage, offering impressive battery backup for extended use. The Redmi tablet lasted for 13 hours on the PCMark battery test, which simulates real-world activities. During our usage tests, the tablet consumed just 5 percent battery in a 30-minute YouTube session and 27 percent during 90 minutes of gaming, solid results for a budget-friendly tablet. The standby time is equally commendable. With moderate daily use, reading for an hour, a couple of hours of video streaming, a quick 30-minute game of Ludo, and jotting down to-do lists intermittently, I was able to stretch the battery across two full days.
The Redmi Pad 2 supports 18W charging, which feels relatively slow given the size of its 9,000mAh battery. Using the 15W bundled charger, it takes over two and a half hours to go from 20 percent to a full charge. That said, the tablet includes a smart charging feature that learns your usage patterns and limits charging at 80 percent during idle periods to help prolong battery health over time.
Verdict
The Redmi Pad 2 gets most of the essentials right, starting with its price. This makes it one of the most affordable tablets with stylus support and a beefy battery that is capable of lasting days on regular usage. Moreover, the tablet offers a large 11-inch 2.5K display, solid battery life, decent performance for everyday tasks, and a software experience that feels familiar to Redmi smartphone users. The Redmi Smart Pen and protective cover add to its productivity potential, especially for students, casual note-takers, and light creatives.
While there are a few niggles like slow charging speeds, cameras, and underwhelming standby time and the integrated ecosystem of the Redmi Smart Pen, features like the teleprompter mode, Wet Touch support, and smart charging are welcome additions that help elevate the overall user experience.
Just don’t expect high-end performance or pro-grade stylus capabilities. But if your usage involves content consumption, light productivity, and casual tasks, the Redmi Pad 2 is an easy recommendation in the affordable space.
Editor’s rating: 8 / 10
Pros
- Stylus support
- Good display
- Smooth performance
- Excellent battery life
Cons
- Slow charging speeds
- Cameras need improvement
