I didn’t know I wanted a small tablet until I used this iPad Mini killer

Android phones are wonderful gadgets that can do pretty much anything, but their screens are too small for some tasks. That’s why tablets make for great secondary devices, but choosing the right one can be a challenge. For years, I’ve been on the “bigger is better” train, using Android tablets with 11-inch or larger screens. But after recently trying a smaller, iPad Mini-sized Android tablet, I’ve started to question why I ever liked the larger models in the first place.

The appeal of larger Android tablets is obvious: their large, vibrant screens make watching videos and playing games incredibly immersive. Media consumption is their forte, and no other product category does it better. However, few people want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device just for media, which is why so many companies try to position their tablets as laptop replacements.

The problem, though, is that Android tablets all suck at doing laptop-like things. While they’ve gotten much better at multitasking in recent years, they still don’t hold a candle to my Windows laptop. Whenever I tried to be productive on one of my larger Android tablets, the experience felt forced and inefficient. Sure, my laptop is bulkier, but not by that much, and its own large, vibrant OLED display means it’s no slouch for media and gaming either. When it came to choosing a device to bring with me for a trip, my laptop always won. That was until I got the new Xiaomi Pad Mini.

Don’t call the Xiaomi Pad Mini a clone

From its looks to its specs, the Xiaomi Pad Mini doesn’t particularly stand out. There’s nothing about it that makes me go “wow,” like the thinness of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 or the size of the OnePlus Pad 3. Sometimes, though, a device is so solid all-around that I’m willing to overlook its lack of standout features. Xiaomi is particularly good at this; it often releases products with similar specs to competitors but at a lower price, which leads some to call them “cheap knockoffs.”

But the Xiaomi Pad Mini is anything but a cheap imitation of the iPad Mini. It’s a fantastically well-thought-out device sitting in a product segment that desperately needs more competition. It’s an Android-powered alternative to the iPad Mini that finally made me understand why people love small tablets.

With an 8.8-inch screen, the Xiaomi Pad Mini certainly isn’t the smallest tablet you can buy. The iPad Mini has a smaller 8.3-inch display, and a foldable like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers an 8-inch screen when opened. The key difference, though, is the Pad Mini’s aspect ratio, which is much better suited for media consumption. Its 16:10 screen results in smaller black bars (letterboxing) when watching videos, which are typically produced in a 16:9 format.

In contrast, the iPad Mini’s squarer 3:2 display and the Z Fold 7’s nearly 1:1 screen both produce significant letterboxing with 16:9 content. While the Pad Mini’s display might not be as ideal for productivity as a taller screen, it strikes a fantastic balance. It’s about as optimized for media as a tablet can get without becoming too wide to hold comfortably. It’s also tall enough to run most phone apps without awkward stretching, and you can even run two side-by-side. Essentially, it’s like a blown-up phone screen, making it perfect for consuming all kinds of content.

While you can hold most phones in one hand without discomfort, the same can’t be said for larger tablets. The Xiaomi Pad Mini, however, strikes a comfortable middle ground. You likely won’t hold it in one hand for as long as a phone, but it’s far more manageable than a bigger tablet. At 326g, it’s remarkably lightweight compared to many others I’ve used in the past.

This portability is enhanced by the brilliant optional case, which features a strap on the back. You can slide your hand through it for a secure one-handed grip, and the strap is also sturdy enough to double as a kickstand, letting you prop the tablet up on a table.

The Xiaomi Pad Mini’s appeal extends far beyond its form factor and clever case; it’s a truly solid all-around device with very few weaknesses.

Its display, for example, is excellent. Sure, it’s an LCD panel, but it’s a high-resolution (3K) screen that refreshes at up to 165Hz (the iPad Mini is stuck at 60Hz), reaches 700 nits of peak brightness, and looks great thanks to various display enhancement and comfort settings.

Performance is another high point. The tablet is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+, a chipset that excels at nearly any task you throw at it. Paired with plenty of RAM (8 or 12GB), it easily handles day-to-day use and light productivity. If you want to push it further, Xiaomi includes powerful multitasking features like a new “Workstation” mode for managing app windows, split-screen shortcuts, and cross-device controls for your phone. You can even use the tablet as a secondary monitor for your PC.

With the optional Xiaomi Focus Pen, the tablet becomes a capable device for handwritten notes and annotations. While its compact size isn’t ideal for extensive writing, it’s a huge step up from trying to take notes on a phone with a stylus.

Every device makes compromises, some better than others

The Xiaomi Pad Mini isn’t without its flaws, however. My biggest complaint is its reliance on basic 2D facial recognition as its only biometric option. While this works for unlocking the tablet, it isn’t secure enough for Android to allow its use for unlocking apps or authorizing payments. This lack of security has another annoying consequence: Android requires you to re-enter your PIN, pattern, or password every 24 hours, which is a hassle if you use a complex password like I do.

On a more minor note, the tablet’s MediaTek processor creates some headaches for specific types of gaming. While the MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ is no slouch at playing native Android games, it struggles when emulating titles for the Nintendo Switch or Windows. This isn’t an issue of raw horsepower, but rather one of poor driver support and the fact that emulator developers tend to prioritize other chipsets. The situation is thankfully improving, at least for Windows emulation, but if you’re hoping to play backed-up copies of Switch games or titles from your Steam library, you’re better off choosing a different device.

My final complaints are with the tablet’s operating system, HyperOS. While I’ve grown accustomed to its design after using the Xiaomi 15 Ultra for months, I ran into some frustrating issues when setting up the Pad Mini.

First, the custom home screen layout I perfected on my phone didn’t carry over. When I tried to recreate it manually, I discovered another limitation: many widgets, like Google’s At a Glance, can’t be freely resized, leaving them stuck taking up only half the screen’s width. While this can be solved by switching to a third-party launcher, it highlights that HyperOS may not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Second, the tablet doesn’t support extending its display to an external monitor. I love that Xiaomi added a second USB-C port with video output, but it’s annoying that it only mirrors the main screen. This has practical downsides. For example, if you connect a pair of smart glasses to watch a movie on a plane, the tablet’s screen will stay on the entire time, needlessly draining the battery.

Hopefully, upcoming software updates should address some of these issues. We already know the productivity experience is set to improve with Android 16, for instance. This update will bring foundational improvements to the desktop experience and add a powerful new Linux Terminal app. It also promises to expand the tablet’s already long list of AI tools, which includes utilities for writing, speech recognition, and interpretation, as well as fun features like AI Art that can transform rough sketches into digital artwork.

I’m hopeful my opinion on the Xiaomi Pad Mini won’t sour over time as it has with larger Android tablets. If you think my criticism of bigger tablets has been harsh, that’s fair — not every device is for everyone. I used to believe small tablets weren’t for me, and I never understood the appeal of products like the iPad Mini. But after finally giving one a shot, I get it. The Xiaomi Pad Mini didn’t just meet my expectations; it changed my perspective on what a small tablet could be.

The Xiaomi Pad Mini is available in select Asian countries for approximately ~$429, and it comes in either Gray or Purple. Other specifications include 256 or 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage and a 7,500mAh battery with 67W wired charging. For connectivity, it offers dual USB-C ports, Wi-Fi 7, and Bluetooth 5.4. The tablet is rounded out with dual stereo speakers, a 13MP rear camera, and an 8MP front-facing camera.