Xiaomi is again alive and kicking in the tablet market with two new models: Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 and Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro. They are two variants from the same series, but they are both high-end tablets. That is the main reason why a lot of people will have a hard time trying to understand which one to buy. Is it better to save some money for the vanilla version or spending more for the Pro variant makes more sense? We hope that this comparison between the two tablets will clear your ideas in regards. Given that they are similar tablets, the comparison will be mainly focused on the differences between them rather than which one is better or worse.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi Pad 5

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro Xiaomi Mi Pad 5
DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT 254.7 x 166.3 x 6.9 mm, 515 grams 254.7 x 166.3 x 6.9 mm, 511 g
DISPLAY  11 inches, 1600 x 2560p (Quad HD+), IPS LCD 11 inches, 1600 x 2560p (Quad HD+), IPS LCD
PROCESSOR Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, octa-core 3.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 860, octa-core 2.96 GHz
MEMORY 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB – 8 GB RAM, 256 GB 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB
SOFTWARE  Android 11, MIUI Android 11, MIUI
CONNECTIVITY Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS  Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS
CAMERA Dual 50 + 5 MP or dual 13 + 5 MP
8 MP f/2.0 front camera		 Single 13 MP f/2.0
8 MP f/2.0 front camera
BATTERY 8600 mAh, fast charging 67W 8720 mAh, fast charging 33W
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Dual SIM slot, optional LTE and 5G, pen support, keyboard support Pen support, keyboard support

Design

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 and Mi Pad 5 Pro have exactly the same design. It includes flat borders just like the latest iPads, a very high screen to body ratio with a display covering more than 80% of the front panel, and a plastic unibody design unlike most of the premium tablets. They are very thin with a thickness of just 6.9 mm and they are also pretty lightweight. Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 and 5 Pro support the pen and a magnetic keyboard, and they have a camera module that is aesthetically similar to those of the Mi 11 series. Despite they are not the most expensive tablets, they are definitely among the most beautiful ones and Xiaomi paid a lot of attention to their design.

 

Display

Just like the design, even the displays of these two tablets are exactly the same. A lot of people will hate the fact that they sport IPS panels: with these displays, you do not get the vivid colors provided by OLED panels. But they are amazing IPS panels and not average ones. They are able to show up to one billion colors with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, the HDR10 certification, and Dolby Vision support. The diagonal of the display is 11 inches, good for productivity but not excessively wide. If you use the keyboard, you can transform these tablets into mini laptops.

 

Specs & Software

The most important difference between the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 and the Mi Pad 5 Pro in terms of hardware is not the performance, but the connectivity. The Pro variant comes in a configuration with 5G connectivity included and a SIM slot, while the vanilla Mi Pad 5 does not have 4G nor 5G connectivity at all. However, there is an important difference between their components as well. The vanilla version is equipped with a Snapdragon 860 chipset which is a high-end SoC, but it is inferior to the Snapdragon 865. With the Pro version, you get a Snapdragon 870 which is actually an upgrade of the Snapdragon 865, as well as 8 GB of RAM in the most expensive configuration (instead of just 6 GB provided by the vanilla version). The tablets run Android 11 customized by MIUI 12.5.

 

Camera

The 5G variant of the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro is one of the best camera tablets in the market. It has a 50 MP main camera which is able to capture stunning shots in terms of detail and it can also record 4K videos. The 50 MP sensor is paired with a secondary 5 MP depth sensor useful for a better bokeh effect. The non-5G variants of the Mi Pad 5 Pro have a 13 MP main sensor which is way inferior to the above-mentioned 50 MP camera, always paired with a 5 MP depth sensor. The original Mi Pad 5 has a 13 MP camera as well, but it lacks a 5 MP depth sensor. Both the tablets have an 8 MP front camera which records 1080p videos.

 

Battery

Despite it is the lower-end model, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 has a slightly bigger battery with a capacity of 8720 mAh. But it is not a huge difference, so you do not get a huge boost in terms of battery life. That is the opposite if we talk about fast charging, given that there is a big power difference: the Mi Pad 5 supports 33W fast charging, while the Pro variant goes up to 67W.

 

Price

For now, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 and its Pro variant are only available in China. The former has a starting price tag of €260/$305, while you need at least €330/$386 to buy the base variant of the latter. The Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 is naturally the inferior one. The Pro variant has a way better camera (if you choose the 5G version), optional 5G connectivity, and faster charging, as well as a better processor. If you need these features, go for the Pro variant, otherwise, you can get the same user experience with the vanilla version.

 

 

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro vs Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro: PRO and CONS

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 Pro

PRO

  • Faster charging
  • Great 50 MP rear camera
  • Better chipset
  • Optional 5G
  • 8 speakers

CONS

  • Price

 

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5

PRO

  • More affordable
  • Bigger battery
  • Same display as the Pro

CONS

  • No cellular connectivity

 

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