Xiaomi 11T Pro Review: A Solid Performer at the Right Price

Posted on January 8, 2023 by Gadgets 360

Xiaomi’s Mi 10T Pro was announced in India back in September 2020. It was a solid, premium smartphone packed with features and impressive hardware. Well over a year later, Xiaomi has finally come up with a successor. Like most of Xiaomi’s recent premium and mid-range devices, this new smartphone drops the “Mi” brand and is simply called the Xiaomi 11T Pro.

Going solely by its specs, it’s clear that the Xiaomi 11T Pro is a significant upgrade over the Mi 10T Pro (Review), but at the same time, it is very similar to the lower-priced Mi 11X Pro. The Xiaomi 11T Pro has an AMOLED panel which supports Dolby Vision, an updated Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC, and 120W charging. These hardware features also make the 11T Pro stand out from competing premium smartphones in the sub-Rs. 40,000 price segment. But is it an all-rounder? Let’s find out.

Xiaomi 11T Pro price in India

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is available in three variants and three finishes. There’s a base variant with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, priced at Rs. 39,999 in India. This is followed by a variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage which is priced at Rs. 41,999, and finally, the top-of-the-line variant has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and is priced at Rs. 43,999. The three finishes are called Moonlight White, Meteorite Black, and Celestial Blue. The 12GB variant is only available in the black and blue finishes. I received the top-end variant with 12GB of RAM in Celestial Blue.

Xiaomi 11T Pro design

Apart from the dazzling, multi-colour rear panel that you get if you choose this finish, the Xiaomi 11T Pro’s design does not really stand out. It’s not slim and light like the Vivo V23 Pro (Review), and it features a flat display. The 11T Pro’s frame doesn’t look as impressive as the metal frame of the iQoo 7 Legend (Review). It’s also heavy at 204g and does not havy an official IP rating, unlike its closest sibling, the Mi 11X Pro.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro’s port cutouts feel a bit unfinished.

What I liked about this phone’s design is that it’s comfortable to hold and easy to grip thanks to the matte-finished glass back and polycarbonate mid-frame. The Corning Gorilla Gorilla Victus scratch-resistant glass on the front and rear did not pick up fingerprints easily during the review period either. The 6.67-inch AMOLED panel features a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera and has relatively thin bezels all around.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a side-mounted fingerprint reader which worked reliably in day-to-day use. Given that the phone is quite chunky, it’s not surprising that the camera module does not protrude by much despite featuring a 108-megapixel sensor. The box includes a 120W charger, a USB cable, a Type-C to 3.5mm adapter, and a transparent TPU case.

Xiaomi 11T Pro specifications and software

The Xiaomi 11T Pro features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC which is used by several smartphones at around this price point. The 11T Pro has LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, but with no slot for expanding it. The phone supports multiple 5G bands with dual-5G standby. It also supports Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and the usual satellite navigation systems. There’s an infrared emitter for controlling appliances. The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery which can be charged very quickly using the bundled 120W charger.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro features a glass back with a frame made of polycarbonate

The phone comes with Xiaomi’s MIUI 12 software which is based on Android 11. The interface is typical of what you’d expect from a Xiaomi phone, and there are plenty of preinstalled third-party apps, though these can be uninstalled if needed. There are also plenty of Mi-branded apps – many of them can’t be removed, but some such as the Mi Credit app, can be. Thankfully, I didn’t come across ads anywhere in the interface.

Given this smartphone’s premium price tag, I did expect less bloatware and Android 12 out of the box. Xiaomi has announced a MIUI 13 software upgrade roadmap, and the 11T Pro should be one of the first smartphones to get the update, starting in the first quarter of 2022.

Xiaomi 11T Pro performance

The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a full-HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz peak refresh rate and a 480Hz touch sampling rate which is a bit higher than what you get on the Mi 11X Pro (360Hz). By default, the display is set to the ‘Vivid Colour’ profile, which results in slightly oversaturated colours. Switching to the ‘Display P3′ profile resulted in more natural-looking, accurate colour tones on screen. The display is Dolby Vision certified, and supported content on Netflix looked impressive with deep blacks and excellent contrast. This, along with its stereo speakers and Dolby Atmos support, made for an immersive video viewing experience.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a 6.67-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate

As is the case with most smartphones at this price point, performance was not a problem. The Xiaomi 11T Pro scored 811 and 3,391 points in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests respectively. It also maxed out the 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme GPU test.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro ran most games that I tested at their default settings, without breaking a sweat. I played Asphalt 9: Legends, Honkai Impact, and Call of Duty: Mobile, and all of them worked flawlessly without heating up the phone. Switching to ‘Very High’ graphics and ‘Max’ frame rate in Call of Duty: Mobile (with all the effects turned on) did cause the phone to warm up a little, but performance did not take any noticeable hit.

One odd thing that I noticed when playing games was that the screen’s refresh was always capped at 60Hz. This basically means that games are not allowed to perform beyond that limit even if the hardware is capable of better.

The Game Turbo app is quite useful for tweaking your mobile gaming experience

The Game Turbo app lets you optimise the Xiaomi 11T Pro’s hardware for games. There are per-game optimisations and users can tweak the GPU (to focus on picture quality, performance, or higher frame rates) and touch controls (swipe response, aiming accuracy, etc.), among many things. I noticed much better responsiveness with the swipe response and aiming accuracy settings set to the highest value in Call of Duty: Mobile, compared to the default setting. All in all, the 11T Pro is a very capable gaming smartphone.

With a 5,000mAh battery, I didn’t expect any issues in terms of battery life from the Xiaomi 11T Pro and it definitely delivered. With my casual use (which included some gaming and photography), I got about two days of use from a single charge, and this was with the display’s refresh rate set to 120Hz. Our standard HD video loop battery test also saw a strong result; the phone ran for 16 hours and 21 minutes, which is about the same time that Vivo’s ultra-premium X70 Pro+ (Review) managed.

The Xiaomi 11T Pro has a 108-megapixel primary rear-facing camera

Charging the phone was indeed interesting thanks to the 120W fast charging capability. The Xiaomi 11T Pro went from zero to a fully charged state in just 41 minutes, which is an excellent time for a 5000mAh battery. Surprisingly, the 120W charger is not much larger than the more common 33W charger that Xiaomi ships with its mid-range smartphones.

Xiaomi 11T Pro cameras

The Xiaomi 11T Pro has three rear-facing cameras: a 108-megapixel primary camera that captures 12-megapixel binned images by default, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, and a 5-megapixel macro camera. Selfie duties are handled by a 16-megapixel front camera. The camera app is similar to what we’ve seen on other Xiaomi phones, with a well laid-out interface and easy access to important modes and settings. The phone supports 8K video recording and can even record in HDR at up to 4K. With the latter enabled, the frame rate is limited to 30fps at all available resolutions.

Xiaomi 11T Pro daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Macro camera, primary camera, Ultra-wide-angle camera (tap to see full size)

Photos taken in daylight showed good detail and dynamic range. Whether I was shooting objects or people, the level of sharpness was just right and not excessive. The 108-megapixel camera’s shallow depth of field also meant that I rarely needed to use the ‘Portrait’ mode when photographing objects or people. I found myself switching to this mode only when I needed to blur things in the background intentionally. However, due to the limitations of the primary camera’s sensor size and lens, I was not able to get close to an object without switching to the macro camera.

The 5-megapixel macro camera on the Xiaomi 11T Pro has a longer focal length than the primary camera, effectively offering a 2X zoom (50mm). It can focus on subjects between 3cm and 7cm away, and did a good job of capturing detailed macro photos in daylight. The sharpness of these images was a bit on the higher side but autofocus was quick enough, which even allowed me to shoot usable video clips with this camera. You will need steady hands or will have to mount the phone on a tripod when shooting macro videos, as these can come out quite shaky otherwise.

Selfies taken both indoors and outdoors with the Mi 11T Pro looked quite sharp, and had good dynamic range. Portrait selfies had good edge detection but with limited dynamic range when shooting against the light, as bright backgrounds such as the sky would often be overexposed. Things took a turn for the worse in low light – selfies looked oversharpened, lacked depth, and had poor texture detail even if I had switched to Night mode.

Xiaomi 11T Pro low-light camera samples. Top to bottom: Selfie in Night mode, Auto mode, Night mode (tap to see full size)

In low light, the main rear camera in Auto mode switches to a longer exposure of up to two seconds by default. The shutter speed is determined by the amount of available light, and you can override this by dismissing the popup that appears, but results were better when allowing it to happen. This is probably optional because the main camera lacks optical image stabilisation (OIS), which the Mi 10T Pro did have.

Switching to Night mode, images pack in even more detail, but you’ll have to wait longer to capture and save each shot. In my experience, the results were worth the wait, as the camera was able to extract a lot more detail from dimly lit scenes. While low-light results were quite good overall, the lack of OIS often resulted in images that were not as sharp as they could have been.

The ultra-wide-angle camera captured average photos in daylight, with noticeable barrel distortion and purple fringing along the edges of objects. Low-light photos came out soft and were quite weak on detail.

Videos captured by the Xiaomi 11T Pro in daylight came out clear, and with good detail and dynamic range. Stabilisation was quite good at all recording resolutions. Turning on HDR helped improve contrast and correctly exposed brighter areas of videos too. 8K video footage looked crisp but lacked stabilisation and was often too shaky to be usable, especially if recorded when walking. The phone also offers an HDR mode for selfie videos at 1080p 30fps. While such footage had better dynamic range, it was low on detail with flat textures. 1080p videos at 60fps (with HDR turned off) had better detail and the footage looked less choppy.

In low light, I got the best results when shooting at 4K 30fps. Videos shot in HDR looked a bit dull and dark but exposure was controlled better, particularly in brighter areas (such as billboards, streetlights etc.). 60fps footage in low light looked a bit too dark and dull. There was a slight shimmer at all resolutions when walking around in low light.

Whether it’s shooting photos or recording videos, turning on the camera app’s AI mode often led to exaggerated colours, which looked unrealistic, so I preferred keeping it off.

Verdict

The Xiaomi 11T Pro is a solid premium smartphone, and will appeal to anyone looking for camera performance, display quality, battery life, and raw power under Rs. 40,000.

After using the Xiaomi 11T Pro for more than a week, it’s clear that this phone comes close to being a very good all-rounder. Other than its weak low-light selfie camera performance and loads of preinstalled apps, everything else checks out just fine. 120W charging is currently the fastest we have seen on a smartphone, and the AMOLED display is top notch in terms of quality. Dolby Vision support is icing on…

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Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Review: A Strong Overall Package, if You Can Stomach the Price

Posted on January 7, 2023 by Gadgets 360

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is Xiaomi’s latest mid-range smartphone offering in India. The top-of-the-line phone in the Note 12 series is a direct successor to the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G (Review), which didn’t quite pan out to be a segment leader as many would have hoped for, in our opinion. Xiaomi is now trying to fill the void with the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, with some segment-first hardware.

The headlining feature of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is its 200-megapixel primary camera. The phone is also the fastest charging Redmi Note, ever. However, the combination of premium and segment-first hardware has also attracted a higher price tag. Not only is it a lot more expensive than the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G, it sits almost next to the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge (Review).

Despite the higher price tag, should you consider buying the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G? Here is our full review to help you decide.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G price in India

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G comes in two storage options. The phone’s base model packs 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage and is priced at Rs. 29,999. The variant that Xiaomi sent us has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It is priced at Rs. 32,999.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G design

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G continues to offer a premium in-hand feel thanks to its glass body. The rear panel curves towards to the flat plastic frame, ensuring it feels comfortable to hold even for long durations, despite the phone weighing about 208g. Because the weight is well distributed, the phone does not feel as heavy in the hand. The device also has an IP53 rating for basic protection against water splashes.

Xiaomi sent us the Arctic White colour of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, which, according to me, is the best looking of the lot. The shiny texture makes the phone look striking and premium. Despite the glossy paint job, the white colour helps hide fingerprints and smudges a lot better compared to the Obsidian Black and Iceberg Blue colours. What I did not like as much was that the phone wobbles a bit too much when using it on a flat surface, due to the protruding camera module.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G features a flat plastic frame

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G continues to feature a 3.5mm audio jack at the top, next to which is a dummy cutout for the secondary speaker, a microphone cutout and an IR emitter. The phone does have a dual-speaker setup, with the earpiece doubling up as a secondary outlet. The combined audio output is loud, but at full volume, you can hear mild distortion. I preferred using the speakers at about 70 percent volume level for a good balance of volume and quality.

To offer a well-rounded multimedia experience, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display, which gets quite bright for both indoor and outdoor use. The screen offers a full-HD+ resolution and has support for displaying over a billion colours. You get deep blacks and vivid colours while consuming content. There is support for Dolby Vision HDR, WideVine L1 and HDR10 content on popular apps such as Netflix.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G continues to feature a 120Hz AMOLED display.

That being said, the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G (Review) has a slight edge over the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G when it comes to multimedia experience, in my opinion. The curved-edge display with minimal bezels helps offer a more immersive viewing experience. It is just a matter of preference and if you are someone who prefers a flat display, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G will not disappoint. The Redmi’s screen also refreshes dynamically between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz and 120Hz, depending on the on-screen content.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G specifications and software

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G features a 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC, with an integrated Mali G68 GPU. The phone packs a 4980mAh battery and supports 120W fast charging. It also has support for 10 5G bands in India along with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, etc. The phone has a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and AI face recognition support.

In terms of software, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G runs on the Android 12-based MIUI 13 custom skin out-of-the-box, although I would have liked to see the latest MIUI 14 skin which is based on Android 13 instead. Xiaomi has not revealed the exact details about the release timeline but has confirmed that the phone will get Android 13 and Android 14, along with four years of security support.

MIUI 13 continues to be feature-rich and offers a bunch of customisation options. There is the highly-popular Floating Windows feature, along with a customisable Always-on Display (AoD). MIUI 13 is also primarily about system-level enhancements, such as an optimised file storage system, processor priority optimisation, and more. You also get Android 12’s Privacy Dashboard, permission manager, support for new widgets, etc.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G does not come with Android 13 out-of-the-box

The MIUI 13 update also promised to provide better RAM management when it launched last year, and has stuck to that promise for the most part. Most background apps remained in memory on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, with the exception of some heavy ones which did reload at times. There are a few bloatware apps but you can uninstall the unnecessary ones.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G performance and battery life

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G gets an upgraded SoC over its predecessor’s Snapdragon 695 SoC. However, going by the pricing and specs, you can also consider it to be a successor to the Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge, even though it might seem like a fairly incremental upgrade. However, this does not mean that the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G’s performance unit is a slouch as it is more than capable for routine tasks.

Be it multitasking, app loading times, or simply using the phone for playing games, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G does it all smoothly. I played Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt 9 Legends and the experience was quite smooth. The former game supports the ‘Max’ framerate with ‘Low’ graphics but if you don’t mind compromising and playing with ‘Very High’ frame rate, you can play the game with the ‘Very High’ graphics settings for a more visually pleasing, yet smooth, experience.

Does the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G overheat while playing games for long hours? No, it does not. This could also be due to the chill weather in the northern part of India at this time of the year, or the phone’s vapour cooling chamber actually doing what it’s supposed to. I played the games for about 45 minutes straight and didn’t notice any drop in performance. It did get warm when running the AnTuTu benchmark test, where the phone scored 4,38,678 points. This score was slightly lower than the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G’s score of 5,04,626 points, with the same SoC.

In Geekbench, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G scored 749 and 2165 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. This too was a bit lower than than the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G’s scores.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G in its Arctic White colour

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G should last a full day on a single charge for most users with medium to slightly heavy usage. If you play games and record videos on the same day like I did, chances are you will need a charger by the end of the day. Charging is not a problem as the phone takes about 25 minutes to charge from zero to 100 percent, with BoostCharge enabled. The latter setting needs to be enabled in the Battery Settings section.

While the device took slightly longer to charge completely than the claimed time of 19 minutes, I am still happy with a phone that offers an all-day battery life while charging completely in around 30 minutes, even with Boost Charging disabled. In our HD video loop test, the phone’s battery lasted for 15 hours and 23 minutes. In comparison, the Realme 10 Pro+ 5G’s battery died after 19 hours and 43 minutes in our testing.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G cameras

The headlining feature of the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G is its camera setup. The phone has a 200-megapixel Samsung HPX primary camera sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. I did ask Xiaomi why they haven’t been launching many phones with the much-appreciated 5-megapixel tele-macro camera sensor, found in phones such as the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max (Review). The company cited supply chain issues as the main reason for this, which forced them to replace it with a 2-megapixel macro sensor, which it claims is still quite capable. For selfies, the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has a 16-megapixel front camera sensor.

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G’s camera module is made of metal.

The primary camera captures detailed images with good dynamic range and vivid colours. Despite the phone packing a fairly large 1/1.4-inch sensor, the shutter is quite responsive and captures images instantly. There is a hint of chromatic aberration sometimes when the subject has the sun or any harsh light in the background.

At night, the main camera performance is equally impressive as it manages to expose the shadows well without introducing a lot of noise. The images shot in Night mode though appear slightly soft, which could be due to the aggressive noise reduction algorithm. The highlights too are under check and what I was most happy about was that the night sky looked true to the scene and not bluish. I feel Xiaomi needs to work on fixing the Portrait mode blur effect, which felt too aggressive to a point where it looked fake. The overall processing in this mode also felt a bit too sharp.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G primary camera samples (Top to bottom: Photo mode, Night Mode, Portrait Mode)

The ultra-wide shooter has a 120-degree field of view. While it provides a wider perspective, there is distortion around the edges and despite the software fixes, it is noticeable. The colour temperature is slightly different, with the ultra-wide photos looking slightly warmer. I also noticed that almost all ultra-wide photos shot on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G had a light pink cast.

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G ultra-wide camera samples

There is a noticeable delay when you are switching between the main and ultra-wide cameras. The macro sensor captures okay-ish photos but I would recommend using it in well-lit conditions as there is a lot of noise in photos taken in low light. The front camera is a hit or miss when it comes to capturing the right skin tone. While selfies were detailed and there was fairly less smoothening effect of the skin, there were times where my skin looked a bit too red.

Front camera sample shot on the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G’s rear camera can record 4K videos at 30fps with good details and dynamic range. The front camera’s video resolution is capped at 1080p 60fps. While all cameras expose the subject well, the dynamic range performance is average.

What complements the hardware is a bunch of camera features that the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G offers. There is Vlog Mode, Ultra HD mode for capturing 50-megapixel and 200-megapixel images, Long exposure, Pro mode, etc. There is also this one forgotten feature in MIUI called AI SkyScaping, which offers multiple filters that changes the colour of just the sky, without affecting the overall colour scheme of the photo.

Verdict

The Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G has received many upgrades over its predecessor, or should we say predecessors. I leave it to you to decide which phone it actually succeeds. It scores high points for its superior build quality, excellent display, top-notch camera performance, and very fast charging. The phone offers decent battery life as well, while packing a capable performance unit.

The fact that it doesn’t come with Android 13 out-of-the-box, even in 2023, is the most disappointing aspect. Hopefully, the phone is expected to get the Android 13 update very soon.

While the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G was not an easy or obvious recommendation for its segment, the Note 12 Pro+ 5G makes up for it by offering a solid package and a well-rounded experience. Yes, the phone is the most expensive Redmi Note in the series’ history, but if you put aside the name and simply look at what it offers, then this one checks almost all the boxes.

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Primeras impresiones de Redmi Note 12 5G: ya no es una opción económica

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Gadgets 360

Redmi Note 12 5G se lanzó oficialmente en India. El modelo Note base ahora está recibiendo soporte para redes 5G por primera vez en India. Sin embargo, al igual que la mayoría de los otros teléfonos inteligentes 5G económicos, el “impuesto 5G” se ha aplicado al Redmi Note 12 5G, por lo que es más caro que sus predecesores. Xiaomi ha lanzado el Redmi Note 12 5G a un precio inicial de Rs. 17.999 en la India. A modo de comparación, el Redmi Note 11 que se lanzó el año pasado en India tenía un precio inicial de Rs. 13,499. Aunque el precio ha aumentado, Xiaomi dice que no se ha comprometido con las especificaciones, y el Redmi Note 12 5G incluye un hardware prometedor.

Comenzando con el diseño, el Redmi Note 12 5G en su color Frosted Green es atractivo. Como sugiere el nombre, el panel posterior de plástico tiene un acabado esmerilado, lo que le da un brillo similar al del vidrio. Este teléfono también está disponible en Mystique Blue y el clásico Matte Black.

El panel trasero se curva en el marco de plástico plano, ofreciendo una buena sensación en la mano. El Redmi Note 12 5G pesa alrededor de 188 gy mide 7,98 mm de grosor. Tiene una clasificación IP53 que indica protección básica contra salpicaduras de agua y polvo.

El lado derecho del teléfono tiene espacio para los botones de encendido y volumen, mientras que el izquierdo tiene la bandeja dual nano-SIM. En la parte inferior, está el puerto USB tipo C, una rejilla de un solo altavoz y un micrófono. El emisor de infrarrojos, la toma de audio de 3,5 mm y el segundo micrófono se encuentran en la parte superior.

El color verde del Redmi Note 12 5G tiene un acabado esmerilado

La pantalla ha recibido muchas actualizaciones en comparación con el panel AMOLED de 90 Hz de 6,5 pulgadas que se encuentra en el Redmi Note 11. El Redmi Note 12 5G tiene una pantalla AMOLED full-HD+ alta de 6,67 pulgadas con una frecuencia de actualización de 120 Hz. El teléfono cambia entre la frecuencia de actualización de 60 Hz y 120 Hz según el contenido en pantalla. La pantalla plana está rodeada de biseles bastante delgados, siendo el mentón una excepción. También hay un pequeño orificio en la parte superior para la cámara frontal de 13 megapíxeles.

Con hasta 1200 nits de brillo máximo, la pantalla es bastante brillante incluso para uso en exteriores. Hubiera sido bueno que Xiaomi lanzara el Redmi Note 12 5G con parlantes estéreo, ya que esto habría complementado la pantalla de alta calidad del teléfono para brindar una experiencia multimedia completa. El Redmi Note 11 tenía parlantes estéreo, por lo que esa es un área donde el Redmi Note 12 5G recibió una rebaja.

En la parte posterior, el Redmi Note 12 5G tiene una configuración de triple cámara. Hay una cámara principal de 48 megapíxeles, una cámara ultra gran angular de 8 megapíxeles y un sensor macro de 2 megapíxeles. Por lo que pude ver en mi breve experiencia hasta ahora, el rendimiento de la cámara principal está bastante bien por el precio. El rango dinámico está un poco apagado, pero la cámara obtiene los colores correctamente. Probaremos el rendimiento de todas las cámaras de este teléfono en nuestra revisión completa.

Los aspectos más destacados del nuevo Redmi Note económico incluyen soporte para 5G junto con un nuevo procesador. El Redmi Note 12 5G cuenta con un SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 1, que hemos visto anteriormente en el iQoo Z6 Lite 5G (Revisión). Si bien este último funcionó bien, probaremos el Redmi Note 12 5G para ver qué tan bien está optimizado.

MIUI 13 basado en Android 12 en el Redmi Note 12 5G

Xiaomi ha lanzado el Redmi Note 12 5G con MIUI 13 basado en Android 12, lo cual es una decepción. La compañía prometió proporcionar dos actualizaciones importantes de Android, lo que significa que los usuarios solo obtendrán Android 13 y Android 14. Xiaomi también prometió proporcionar cuatro años de actualizaciones de seguridad para Redmi Note 12 5G. Hay algo de bloatware en MIUI 13, pero puede desinstalar aplicaciones no deseadas.

El teléfono tiene una batería de 5000 mAh y admite una carga rápida de 33 W. En caso de que se lo pregunte, el teléfono viene con un cargador en la caja.

Con un precio inicial de Rs. 17,999, el Redmi Note 12 5G ofrece 4 GB de RAM y 128 GB de almacenamiento interno. La variante que tenemos tiene 6 GB de RAM y 128 GB de almacenamiento interno y tiene un precio de Rs. 19,999. Este nuevo modelo básico de Redmi Note es más caro de lo que muchos fanáticos de la serie podrían esperar. ¿Deberías considerar comprarlo? Descúbrelo en nuestra revisión completa, que estará disponible muy pronto en Gadgets 360.

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Primeras impresiones de Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G: Subiendo la escalera

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Gadgets 360

Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G se lanzó oficialmente en India y actualmente es el último y mejor teléfono inteligente que Xiaomi tiene para ofrecer en su popular línea Redmi Note. La serie Redmi Note ha tenido éxito en la India principalmente por proporcionar el mejor hardware de su clase junto con precios competitivos. Sin embargo, con los problemas de la cadena de suministro provocados por la pandemia y el aumento de la inflación, el Note 12 Pro+ 5G ahora es más caro que cualquier modelo anterior.

La línea Redmi Note ha superado las Rs. 25,000 puntos de precio por primera vez en India. Sin embargo, Xiaomi ha incluido hardware premium en este teléfono, junto con algunas características de primera categoría que podrían hacer que el Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G sea lo suficientemente fuerte como para unirse a nuestra lista de los mejores teléfonos inteligentes por debajo de Rs. 30.000 en la India. Pero, ¿puede realmente encabezar la lista? Le informaremos en nuestra revisión completa muy pronto. Mientras tanto, aquí están nuestras primeras impresiones rápidas.

Comenzando por el diseño, el Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G sigue presentando un marco plano de plástico. El teléfono tiene un respaldo de vidrio y se siente muy denso en la mano. Para aquellos que quieren los números, pesa 208 gy tiene un grosor de 8,9 mm. Afortunadamente, este grosor permite un conector para auriculares de 3,5 mm en la parte superior, al lado del cual hay un emisor de infrarrojos y un micrófono. El micrófono principal se encuentra junto a la bandeja dual nano-SIM, el puerto USB tipo C y la rejilla del altavoz principal en la parte inferior. A la derecha del teléfono están los botones de encendido y volumen. El botón de encendido funciona como un escáner de huellas dactilares para la autenticación.

El Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G en su color Arctic White

El Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G se siente bien construido. La parte posterior está hecha de vidrio templado no especificado, mientras que en el frente tiene Gorilla Glass 5 de Corning. Me gusta mucho el color Arctic White de mi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G. Aunque brillante, el trabajo de pintura blanca ayuda a ocultar las huellas dactilares y las manchas, que podrían ser más visibles en los colores Iceberg Blue y Obsidian Black.

A diferencia de su principal rival, el Realme 10 Pro+ 5G (Revisión), el Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G tiene una pantalla plana. Los biseles son bastante estrechos excepto por el mentón que es ligeramente grueso. Hay un recorte en la parte superior de la pantalla para la cámara frontal de 16 megapíxeles. La pantalla mide 6,67 pulgadas en diagonal y tiene una resolución Full-HD+. Xiaomi no ha escatimado en ninguna característica; La pantalla de 10 bits del Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G admite una frecuencia de actualización adaptativa de 120 Hz, certificaciones Dolby Vision y HDR10+. El teléfono también cuenta con la certificación DRM WideVine L1.

La pantalla es lo suficientemente brillante para uso en interiores y exteriores. Dicho esto, el brillo máximo se ha reducido a 900 nits en comparación con los 1200 nits del Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G (revisión).

Uno de los aspectos más destacados del Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G es su cámara trasera principal. Como buque insignia de la nueva serie Redmi Note 12, este teléfono tiene un sensor Samsung HPX de 200 megapíxeles de 1/1,4 pulgadas con una apertura de f/1,65 y estabilización de imagen óptica (OIS). La configuración de triple cámara se completa con una cámara ultra gran angular de 8 megapíxeles y una cámara macro de 2 megapíxeles. Para selfies, hay una cámara frontal de 16 megapíxeles. A partir de ahora, puedo decirles que el rendimiento de luz diurna de la cámara principal es bastante impresionante. Probaré el rendimiento de las cuatro cámaras para la revisión completa.

En términos de software, el Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G se ejecuta en MIUI 13 basado en Android 12. Xiaomi se está quedando atrás cuando se trata de ofrecer la última versión de Android en sus teléfonos. Sin embargo, a diferencia del lío que es Realme UI 4.0 en este momento, con su bloatware y recomendaciones de aplicaciones inadecuadas, no ocurre lo mismo con MIUI 13 hasta ahora. Hay algunas aplicaciones innecesarias en MIUI 13 que se pueden desinstalar. Xiaomi ha prometido proporcionar dos actualizaciones importantes de Android y cuatro años de soporte de seguridad para Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G.

El Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G tiene muy pocas aplicaciones de terceros preinstaladas.

Debajo del capó, hay un MediaTek Dimensity 1080 SoC de 6nm, que es el sucesor del Dimensity 920 presentado en el Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge (Revisión). El Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G también toma prestada la tecnología de carga rápida de 120 W del 11i HyperCharge. La compañía afirma que la batería de 4980 mAh del teléfono se puede cargar de cero a 100 por ciento en 19 minutos. Por supuesto, probaremos esta afirmación en la revisión.

Por lo que parece, el Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G parece más el sucesor espiritual del Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge 5G. Xiaomi anunciará los detalles de los precios de las dos variantes (8 GB de RAM + 256 GB de almacenamiento y 12 GB de RAM + 256 GB de almacenamiento) en su evento de lanzamiento el 5 de enero. Entonces, ¿qué significa un nombre?, uno podría preguntarse. Todo lo que importa es qué tan bien funciona este teléfono y si realmente ofrece lo suficiente por su dinero. Para averiguarlo, esté atento a Gadgets 360 para obtener la revisión completa del Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, que estará disponible muy pronto.

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Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G Review: Not What You Might Have Expected

Posted on December 25, 2022 by Gadgets 360

If you’re obsessed with phone specifications and are looking for the best combination of components you can get without spending a huge amount, chances are you’ve spent some time looking up Xiaomi’s Redmi Note and Redmi Note Pro models. The company made its mark in India by selling low-cost phones, but the Redmi Note series has always been about aspiration while remaining affordable. Whether it’s a bigger screen, more powerful processor, higher battery capacity, better cameras, or just more RAM and storage you’re after, Xiaomi knows how to play this game.

However, we’re at a point when it’s tough for companies to keep pushing the envelope – there’s only so much that can be stuffed into a phone, and prices keep rising. The new Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is priced starting above Rs. 20,000 which pushes it into new territory. Do buyers simply have to accept that things are now more expensive, or is this now a phone that’s meant for a different audience? Keep reading to find out if the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G is right for you.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G price in India

The base variant of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and is priced at Rs. 20,999. You can step up to 8GB of RAM with the same 128GB of storage for Rs. 22,999, and it will cost Rs. 24,999 if you want 8GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. At that level, you’d also have choices such as the OnePlus Nord CE 2 (Review), Realme 9 Pro+ 5G (Review), and iQoo Z5 (Review).

Xiaomi also sells the lower-end Redmi Note 11 Pro, which lacks 5G and has a slightly weaker SoC but is nearly identical in terms of display, battery, charging, and software specifications. This model is priced at Rs. 17,999 with 6GB of RAM and Rs. 19,999 with 8GB of RAM. Both options have 128GB of storage.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G design

As I stated in my first impressions, the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is rather plain-looking. Other than the finish of the rear panel, which we’ll get to in a moment, there’s very little design flair to speak of. The lines and angles are all very simple, which is a pity since last year’s Redmi Note 10 Pro Max (Review) had more of an individual look and feel. The two-step camera module on the rear is the only thing that stands out, design-wise, but unfortunately it makes the phone rock from side to side when placed face-up on a flat surface.

The front of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ is all black, except for the prominent transparent camera lens at the top with its silver ring. Normally, this is something I find distracting but it is the only way to tell which way is up at a glance.

The Mirage Blue finish catches light and reveals patterns that look like the surface of a pool of water

This phone is available in three colours – Phantom White, Stealth Black, and Mirage Blue. The former two are relatively plain-looking, but the latter, which is what I have for this review, is extremely eye-catching. You’ll see diagonal intersecting “waves” that of course catch the light when you move this phone around. That perception of motion, along with the effect of depth that you get with such a finish, makes it seems as though you’re looking at water on the surface of a pool. The metal frame is also a matching pale blue. Even after seeing dozens of phones with gradient and pattern finishes over the years, this looks fresh. However, it isn’t for everyone.

At the top of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ you’ll find a 3.5mm audio socket, a grille for the earpiece speaker, and an infrared emitter that can be used to control appliances. The power button with its integrated fingerprint sensor and the volume buttons are on the right, all within reach. The hybrid dual-SIM tray, USB Type-C port, and primary speaker are on the bottom, leaving the left side blank.

I would have preferred more rounded sides or edges since this phone isn’t the easiest to hold and use. It’s comfortable against the ear but if you have smaller hands you might find it a bit awkward in everyday use. The 202g weight and 8.12mm thickness are both slightly above average. Xiaomi says it has used Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and “frosted glass” on the rear. This phone is “IP53 tested” which is technically not the same as saying it has an official IP53 rating, but still provides some reassurance. My unit came with a screen protector already adhered, and a semi-rigid clear plastic case in the box.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G has a 3.5mm audio jack, IR emitter, and speaker cutouts on the top

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G specifications

Keeping in mind that the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G costs considerably more than its predecessors, I’m expecting specifications that can compete with what you’ll find in the sub-Rs. 25,000 market. It’s also interesting that there’s a fairly expensive 256GB storage option – typically not something you’d expect value-conscious buyers to splash out on when you could instead channel that money towards a more powerful phone.

For that reason, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC will need to go up against the likes of the MediaTek Dimensity 900 which is found in the OnePlus Nord CE2 and the Dimensity 920 which powers the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and Xiaomi 11i 5G. We also can’t forget the Snapdragon 778G in the iQoo Z5. All these phones cost about as much as the higher variants of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G.

You get a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1080×2400) AMOLED display with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate. Peak brightness is rated at 1200 nits but there’s no mention of HDR support. Xiaomi also claims DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. There’s an Always-on Display feature which is disabled by default but only stays visible for 10 seconds when the screen is tapped, which contradicts its name.

The battery has a 5000mAh capacity, and this phone supports 67W charging when the charger in the box is used. Other features worth noting are this phone’s stereo speakers, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.1, and support for seven 5G bands.

Software is a bit dated – the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G ships with MIUI 13 but it’s running on Android 11. An update to Android 12 should be released soon. My review unit had the February 2022 security update which is good. MIUI has loads of customisation potential starting with an optional app drawer, navigation gestures or additional shortcuts if you stick with buttons, icon size and layout control, and tweaks for the Recents app menu.

The double-sided tray lets you use either a second Nano-SIM or a microSD card

Much like on iOS, swiping down from the right of the camera hole shows quick toggles while swiping down from the left shows notifications. There’s a system-wide search feature and a widget screen to the left of the main homescreen. In the Settings app, you’ll find controls for more features such as Lite mode, Second Space for privacy, floating windows, and a floating shortcut sidebar.

Unfortunately, some of the default apps such as the GetApps store and MX player show ad notifications without having even been opened. The widgets are also full of promotional content, and Glance shows sponsored content as well as ads on your lock screen if you don’t disable it. Several apps including Facebook, LinkedIn, Amazon Prime Video, Spotify, and Mi Credit are preloaded, and the UI shows “today’s recommendations” and additional icons that make it seem as though users need to download even more apps. Xiaomi has in the past said that it would reduce clutter and make its UI lighter, and so I feel a little disappointed with what I experienced on the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G performance

At this point we don’t expect that any smartphone, even in the budget segment, will struggle with running everyday apps. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G can handle such tasks easily and I had no trouble multitasking with a few big games and apps open in the background. Xiaomi sent the middle variant, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, for this review. The display refresh rate is set to 60Hz by default, and since MIUI has a lot of animations, there was a noticeable improvement in UI responsiveness when I switched to 120Hz.

The fingerprint sensor was quick and easy to use. Face recognition was also convenient, but I was surprised to see a warning during the setup process that it can be defeated by a photo of the user as well as “objects with a similar appearance”. This is concerning, but a photo of my face on another phone’s screen did not work to unlock the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G even after multiple attempts.

The embedded front camera has a distracting shiny ring around it

I found the display readable under sunlight. It’s quite crisp and colours are vibrant, though some might find videos a bit oversaturated. The reflective ring around the front camera is certainly distracting. You get WideVine L1 DRM certification so HD playback should work in supported apps. The stereo speakers are relatively well balanced and sound is quite loud. Voices come through clearly when watching videos, but music sounded a bit harsh and compressed.

In terms of benchmark scores, performance was pretty solid. AnTuTu showed a score of 365,861 and Geekbench 5’s single-core and multi-core results were 688 and 1,903 respectively. These are a bit lower than what the OnePlus Nord CE 2 managed, and quite a bit behind the Realme 9 Pro+ 5G and iQoo Z5. The story was the same for graphics tests –GFXBench’s T-rex scene ran at 82fps but the Car Chase scene only mananaged 17fps. 3DMark Wild Life produced a score of 1,211.

Gaming was fairly pleasant, though the upper rear of the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G did get a bit warm after about 15 minutes. Asphalt 9: Legends ran without any trouble, and Battlegrounds Mobile India also ran well at the HD quality setting and High frame rate. This should be more than enough for most people, but again, doesn’t quite match up to the best in the segment.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G did do well in terms of battery life. With casual everyday use, I still had about a 30 percent charge left at night. Our HD video loop test ran for 15 hours, 8 minutes. Using the supplied charger with the phone powered down, I was able to go from zero to 36 percent in 15 minutes and 66 percent in 30 minutes. It took just over 50 minutes to get to 100 percent. Xiaomi claims a 51 percent charge in 15 minutes which is a big difference, but what I observed was still quite good.

The phone does get uncomfortably warm while charging though, and you’ll need to carry the very bulky 67W charger as well as Xiaomi’s own cable everywhere to take advantage of this charging speed on the go, when you’re most likely to need it. I was able to charge a MacBook Air using this charger, which was convenient.

You get three rear cameras including a 108-megapixel primary camera

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G cameras

Xiaomi has managed to one-up its competition in the camera department, at least when it comes to specifications. The Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G features a 108-megapixel primary rear camera with a Samsung HM2 sensor and f/1.9 aperture. This sensor was also used for the Redmi Note 10 Pro Max last year. There’s no optical image stabilisation, and video recording only goes up to 1080p which is a surprise.

There’s also an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. Interestingly, the lower-end Redmi Note 11 Pro features an additional 2-megapixel depth sensor on the rear – this gives it a slight marketing advantage in terms of numbers, but obviously Xiaomi felt that the more expensive model doesn’t need this. Sadly, the 5-megapixel “telemacro” camera of last year’s Redmi Note 10 Pro series, which I was highly impressed with, has been dropped. The front camera has a 16-megapixel resolution and f/2.45 aperture.

Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G daytime photo samples (Top: standard, bottom: 108-megapixel 1:1 crop) (Tap to see full size)

The camera app is fairly well organised, though there are a few quirks such as having a Macro toggle in a sub-menu rather than implementing this as a mode with all the others. Thankfully, photos are not watermarked by default.

Shots taken with the 108-megapixel camera are binned to a sensible 4000×3000 resolution by default, and that goes up to 12,000×9000 pixels if you override this manually. Downsampled photos taken outdoors in the daytime exhibited slightly crisper detail and punchier colours than full-resolution counterparts, but the true value of a 108-megapixel shot is that you can magnify and crop them to simulate optical zoom without losing fidelity. Either way, colours popped nicely. Detail was good in…

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Primeras impresiones de Xiaomi 12 Pro: un teléfono inteligente premium delgado y elegante

Posted on December 16, 2022 by Gadgets 360

Hasta ahora, los teléfonos inteligentes insignia de Xiaomi se han basado en grandes números y derechos de fanfarronear. El Mi 11 Ultra (Revisión) del año pasado fue un ejemplo perfecto de esto. Con el nuevo Xiaomi 12 Pro, la empresa parece haber adoptado un enfoque más sutil para un teléfono insignia. El diseño del 12 Pro parece más maduro y refinado, y no hay números que llamen la atención sobre las cámaras o incluso la capacidad de la batería. Xiaomi afirma haber trabajado para ofrecer una mejor consistencia. Entonces, ¿este teléfono inteligente premium delgado y elegante de Xiaomi cumple todos los requisitos para un buque insignia de 2022? Miremos más de cerca.

El Xiaomi 12 Pro está disponible en dos variantes. Hay una variante básica con 8 GB de RAM a un precio de Rs. 62,999 y una segunda variante de RAM de 12 GB con un precio de Rs. 66.999 en la India. Ambos tienen 256 GB de almacenamiento interno y no hay ranura para tarjeta microSD para expansión.

El cuerpo del Xiaomi 12 Pro tiene un marco de metal delgado intercalado entre dos láminas de vidrio. La pantalla usa Gorilla Glass Victus de Corning y el panel posterior está hecho de Gorilla Glass 5. Ambos paneles de vidrio tienen lados curvos, lo que facilita el agarre de este dispositivo. Sorprendentemente, con 205 g, el 12 Pro no se siente demasiado pesado.

El Xiaomi 12 Pro tiene una pantalla AMOLED WQHD+ de 6,72 pulgadas con una frecuencia de actualización máxima de 120 Hz

La pantalla AMOLED WQHD+ E5 de 6,72 pulgadas tiene curvas suaves a la izquierda y a la derecha. Tiene una frecuencia de actualización máxima de 120 Hz que puede bajar a 1 Hz, gracias a la tecnología LTPO 2.0. La pantalla también tiene certificación HDR10+ y Dolby Vision, lo que debería hacer que este teléfono sea adecuado para la transmisión de video HDR. También hay una configuración de cuatro altavoces que ha sido ajustada por Harman Kardon.

El Xiaomi 12 Pro ejecuta MIUI 13, basado en Android 12. En mi tiempo limitado con el teléfono hasta ahora, parece tener la mayoría de las funciones de Android 12, pero noté algunas aplicaciones de terceros preinstaladas.

El Xiaomi 12 Pro utiliza el SoC Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 de Qualcomm, que se ha utilizado en casi todos los buques insignia lanzados recientemente. También hay una batería de 4600 mAh que, según Xiaomi, se puede cargar por completo en solo 18 minutos cuando se usa el cargador de 120 W incluido en el modo Boost. El 12 Pro también admite carga inalámbrica de 50 W y carga inalámbrica inversa de 10 W.

El Xiaomi 12 Pro tiene tres cámaras traseras

La configuración de la cámara del Xiaomi 12 Pro es única porque sus tres cámaras traseras tienen sensores de 50 megapíxeles. La cámara principal cuenta con estabilización de imagen óptica (OIS), la cámara ultra gran angular tiene un campo de visión de 115 grados y la cámara de teleobjetivo permite un zoom óptico de 2X. Una cámara frontal de 32 megapíxeles se encarga de los selfies.

Como un teléfono inteligente premium con un precio a partir de Rs. 62,999 en India, el Xiaomi 12 Pro seguramente se ve como un buque insignia adecuado. Parece premium y elegante, pero le falta una característica importante, que es una clasificación IP oficial para resistencia al polvo y al agua. Es un poco extraño considerando que algunos de los teléfonos económicos de Xiaomi tienen clasificaciones de IP. Esto por sí solo podría ser un factor decisivo para algunos compradores. También me interesa ver cómo se compara la implementación de Android 12 de Xiaomi con los buques insignia de Samsung y OnePlus. Si está interesado en este teléfono inteligente premium de Xiaomi, esté atento a mi revisión completa, que estará disponible pronto en Gadgets 360.

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Xiaomi Pad 5 Primeras impresiones: construido para funcionar

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Gadgets 360

Después de una larga pausa, Xiaomi ha vuelto a poner en marcha su cartera de tabletas en la India con el lanzamiento de la Pad 5. Esta tableta repleta de funciones es diferente a la mayoría de las demás en su segmento, ya que ofrece una pantalla de alta resolución, un procesador potente e incluso admite El bolígrafo inteligente de Xiaomi. Sin embargo, hay algunas omisiones notables que podrían resultar ser un factor decisivo para algunos.

A diferencia de la construcción de plástico del primer Mi Pad (Revisión), el Xiaomi Pad 5 parece bastante premium. Tiene un marco de metal intercalado entre la pantalla y un panel posterior de policarbonato. La construcción general se siente bastante resistente. El bolígrafo inteligente Xiaomi se puede conectar magnéticamente al borde superior de la tableta para almacenarlo y cargarlo, mientras que el teclado Xiaomi Pad se conecta a través de los pines de contacto en la parte inferior de la tableta. Ambos accesorios deben comprarse por separado.

El Xiaomi Pad 5 tiene un panel trasero hecho de policarbonato.

El panel LCD de 10,95 pulgadas del Xiaomi Pad 5 tiene una resolución de 1.600 x 2.560 píxeles. Cuenta con una frecuencia de actualización de 120 Hz que hace que la interfaz de usuario se sienta bastante fluida. La pantalla también cuenta con certificación HDR10+ y Dolby Vision para un mejor contraste y colores al transmitir contenido compatible. La pantalla de 10 bits también tiene un brillo máximo de hasta 650 nits. A las certificaciones se suma la configuración de cuatro altavoces con soporte para Dolby Atmos.

El Xiaomi Pad 5 está disponible en dos variantes de almacenamiento. La variante de 128 GB tiene un precio de Rs. 26,999 y la variante de 256GB está disponible por Rs. 28,999. Ambas variantes de almacenamiento vienen con 6 GB de RAM y no tienen una ranura microSD para expansión de almacenamiento.

El Xiaomi Pad 5 tiene una sola cámara trasera

El SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 en el Xiaomi Pad 5 parece un poco anticuado, pero debería ser lo suficientemente bueno para las necesidades de productividad y entretenimiento de la tableta. Lamentablemente, el Pad 5 no tiene una variante celular, lo que significa que tendrá que depender de Wi-Fi para la conectividad a Internet. La tableta también es compatible con Bluetooth 5 y un puerto USB tipo C con soporte OTG. No hay lector de huellas dactilares, por lo que los usuarios están limitados al sistema de reconocimiento facial 2D o al antiguo código de seguridad.

El Xiaomi Pad 5 ejecuta MIUI 13, que viene con varias optimizaciones para tabletas, lo que permite que las aplicaciones se ejecuten en ventanas flotantes y más. Sin embargo, esta versión de MIUI 13 usa Android 11 como base. La interfaz está muy personalizada, pero funcionó sin problemas durante mi uso inicial.

El Xiaomi Pad 5 ejecuta MIUI 13 que ha sido optimizado para una tableta

El Xiaomi Pad 5 tiene una batería de 8720 mAh que se carga rápidamente con el cargador de 22,5 W incluido. El Xiaomi Pad 5 admite una carga rápida de hasta 33 W, pero deberá comprar ese cargador por separado. Xiaomi también ha incluido una cámara trasera de 13 megapíxeles y una cámara frontal de 8 megapíxeles en el Pad 5.

El Pad 5 de Xiaomi parece un gran regreso en comparación con el primer Mi Pad que se lanzó en India. Sin embargo, el Xiaomi Pad 5 pertenece a un segmento de precios completamente diferente. El Pad 5 compite principalmente con productos de Samsung, como el Galaxy Tab A8 y el más caro Galaxy Tab S7 FE (Revisión), así como de Lenovo, como el Yoga Smart Tab y el más caro Tab P11 Pro (Revisión).

Pondré a prueba el Xiaomi Pad 5 para averiguar si su software y accesorios lo convierten en una oferta de productividad sólida, además de ser una potencia de entretenimiento potencial como el resto de las tabletas en su segmento. Estén atentos para mi revisión completa, próximamente.

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Xiaomi 12 Pro Review: A Premium Flagship at the Right Price

Posted on December 11, 2022 by Gadgets 360

Xiaomi’s Mi 11 Ultra (Review) was all about big numbers and bragging rights, and it managed to deliver a very good premium Android experience with only a few shortcomings.The Xiaomi 12 Pro is the company’s most premium offering yet for 2022 and Xiaomi has taken a slightly different approach with it. Rather than simply pushing for the biggest numbers on a specs page like it did with the 11 Ultra, Xiaomi claims it has focused more on consistency while still packing enough premium features to justify the price. A quick look at the specs reveals the usual suspects in terms of hardware, but the quad-speaker setup in the Xiaomi 12 Pro is certainly unique and not something we’ve seen in any flagship phone in India.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is also less expensive than last year’s Mi 11 Ultra, probably because it’s not a direct replacement. Rumours suggest that a more premium model dubbed the 12 Ultra is possibly in the works and should feature a faster Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ SoC. Currently, the 12 Pro is Xiaomi’s flagship phone, and after using it for a week, I discovered that it’s an extremely good one. But is it better than flagships from OnePlus and iQoo?

Xiaomi 12 Pro price in India

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is available starting at Rs. 62,999 in India for 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. The second variant has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and is priced at Rs. 66,999, and this is the variant I have for this review. The phone is available in three finishes: Couture Blue, Noir Black, and Opera Mauve.

Xiaomi 12 Pro design

Xiaomi’s 12 Pro looks and feels very polished and premium. The metal frame is very slim on the left and right sides of the phone, where the front and back glass curve to meet it. The frame and rear Corning Gorilla Glass 5 panel have matte finishes, making the device quite slippery. The camera module around the back is made of metal and looks modern and sleek thanks to fine lines that separate the sensors. The ports and all cutouts in the metal frame are polished to perfection, with no sharp edges or corners.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has two speakers hidden under each grille.

While the Xiaomi 12 Pro is a top-end smartphone, it lacks an official IP rating for dust and water resistance. Xiaomi did confirm to Gadgets 360 that the phone has all the necessary seals in place to meet the equivalent of an IP53 rating, but this is still insufficient at this price, in my opinion, since we expect nothing less than an IP68 rating. It’s has become more common for Android manufacturers to skip obtaining an official IP certification of late, possibly to save a bit on cost. However, considering the fact that even many budget phones such as the Redmi Note 11S (Review) have at least an IP53 rating, it’s strange to not have any such assurance with a flagship offering.

The phone’s 6.73-inch AMOLED display has Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus protection and is also good at resisting fingerprints. The cover glass curves sharply on either side but the display itself has a much milder curve. There are speaker grilles on the top and bottom, and an infrared emitter on the top.

Xiaomi 12 Pro specifications and software

The Xiaomi 12 Pro uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC. The internal storage is not expandable. The SIM tray can hold two nano-SIMs and this phone supports dual-5G standby. Communication standards include several 5G bands, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and multiple satellite navigation systems.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro’s display offers a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz, and a 480Hz touch sampling rate. LTPO 2.0 technology allows the refresh rate to drop as low as 1Hz in order to save power. It also has an embedded fingerprint reader. The WQHD+ resolution (3200 x 1400 pixels) makes for a density of 522ppi.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro’s 6.72-inch AMOLED display is Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certified

The phone has a 4,600mAh battery and comes with a 120W charger in the box. There’s also support for 50W wireless charging and 10W reverse wireless charging.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro runs Xiaomi’s MIUI 13, which is based on Android 12. The software has all the Android 12 essentials including the new widgets, a permissions manager, and a privacy dashboard (called Privacy Protection). MIUI 13 still has the usual bloatware including Xiaomi-branded apps and some third-party ones. I also kept receiving annoying pop-up notifications prompting me to update apps through the GetApps store.

The interface for the widget picker now looks different and takes up the whole screen. Adding a widget requires a long-press (or a pinch-out gesture) on the home screen, after which you get three options at the bottom for the wallpaper, widgets, and home screen settings. Xiaomi’s implementation of resizing widgets is a bit annoying as you need to move each one a bit (just a wiggle) to enable an edit mode, which is an extra step. However, everything worked flawlessly once set up. Xiaomi, like other manufacturers, has implemented a theme engine which changes the accent colours of the interface, widgets, and keyboard based on the colours of your wallpaper.

Xiaomi 12 Pro performance

The Xiaomi 12 Pro performed as expected in benchmark tests. The phone scored 9,82,727 points in AnTuTu, and 1,237 and 3,654 points in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests respectively, which are all on par with the competition. Software performance was also smooth and fluid with daily usage.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro’s MIUI 13 interface has few visual changes compared to MIUI 12

The display gets quite bright outdoors and produces very accurate colours when using the ‘Original colour’ mode. There’s also an ‘Adaptive colours’ toggle in the Settings app that adjusts the display’s colours based on ambient light. Content looks sharp on the 12 Pro’s display, which is also Dolby Vision and HDR10+ certified. While supported content on Netflix appeared fine, HDR videos streamed through Amazon Prime Video looked a bit dim. Dolby Vision HDR support is not something we see on many Android phones.

The in-display fingerprint reader is quick and reliable for unlocking the phone. During my testing, the Xiaomi 12 Pro’s screen refresh rate changed as expected based on the different content I viewed. It generally stayed locked at 60Hz when playing games, 120Hz when scrolling through feeds in apps or the interface, and 10Hz when I was not interacting with anything. I expected the refresh rate to drop to 1Hz when using the Kindle app, but that did not happen.

My gaming experience on the Xiaomi 12 Pro was quite good. The phone got hot while playing games for long periods, but performance did not dip. I played Call of Duty: Mobile, which ran smoothly at the highest possible settings. Asphalt 9: Legends felt almost console-like, running at 60fps by default, but the phone did get hot after a while. The touch sampling rate was also spot on after tweaking it in the phone’s Game Space app.

Xiaomi has done an excellent job of delivering immersive sound with the new quad-speaker setup of the 12 Pro. The speakers have been tuned by Harman Kardon and you get a tweeter and a woofer on each end of the phone. The audio quality was quite impressive, as the four speakers delivered balanced sound with emphasis on the bass and mid-range. The phone also offers multiple Dolby Atmos audio presets and an equaliser to tweak the sound to your liking.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has a 4,600mAh battery and supports wireless charging

While the speakers are great, I found the placement of the speaker grille on top of the phone quite odd. It’s in the bottom-left corner of the frame which is a problem when playing games as I almost always covered it when holding the phone horizontally. The bottom grille is in the diagonally opposite corner so no matter which way you hold the phone horizontally, you’re bound to block one of them. I experienced the best sound output when holding the phone vertically, or if it was resting on a phone stand.

The battery life of the Xiaomi 12 Pro was quite good, even though it didn’t perform too well in our HD video loop test, lasting just 12 hours and 18 minutes. The phone easily ran for for a day and a half with my regular use, which included an hour of gaming plus some camera usage and video streaming. The 120W charger managed to fully charge the 12 Pro in just 27 minutes, when using boost mode. The phone does get warm when charging in this mode, and also shows a notification on the screen to alert you that this will happen and that it’s normal.

Xiaomi 12 Pro cameras

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has three rear-facing cameras and all of them have 50-megapixel resolutions, which according to Xiaomi, should deliver consistent image quality. The primary camera has OIS, the ultra-wide-angle camera has a 115-degree field of view, and the telephoto camera delivers 2X optical zoom (48mm). Selfies are handled by a front-facing 32-megapixel camera. The primary camera of the 12 Pro is the first to use Sony’s new 1/1.28-inch IMX707 sensor which has 1.22μm pixels. This in theory, should help bring out more detail in all kinds of lighting conditions. It’s noticeably larger than the Sony IMX766 (1/1.56-inch) sensor, which we’ve seen in plenty of 2022 Android flagships.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro is the first phone in India to feature Sony’s IMX707 sensor

The camera app should be familiar to anyone who has used a recent Xiaomi phone. The 12 Pro can record HDR video with its main and telephoto cameras at up to 4K 30fps. HDR10+ videos on the other hand can only be recorded with the main and selfie cameras. The 12 Pro can shoot up to 8K 24fps videos with the main camera.

The Xiaomi 12 Pro has some useful “Pro” features too. It can record video with the screen off to save power. There’s even a live in-ear monitor feature that you can use to listen to the sound being recorded. Pro Video mode lets you shoot video in Log format (flat colour profile) so it can be colour graded in post-production. Focus peaking and exposure verification can be useful for professionals.

Xiaomi 12 Pro daylight camera samples. Top to bottom: Ultra-wide-angle camera, primary camera, telephoto camera (Tap to see full size)

Photos captured in daylight using the primary camera had plenty of detail and good dynamic range. The telephoto camera also managed detailed close-ups of most subjects, and photos looked sharp and loaded with detail when using Auto or Portrait modes. Edge detection in the Portrait mode was very good too. If you get the placement of your subject right, the large sensor of the primary camera produces a soft, natural background blur similar to what you can get with a DSLR. One thing that could have been better was skin tones, which tended to look unnaturally warm, making me appear reddish.

The ultra-wide camera was good for shooting landscapes and managed relatively good detail, although not as good as the primary camera. Software correction for barrel distortion did a fine job of keeping the perspective of the scene intact, but objects still looked a bit stretched towards the edges. Despite Xiaomi’s best efforts to deliver consistent image quality, it’s easy to tell the difference between shots taken with the main and ultra-wide cameras.

Unlike the iQoo 9 Pro (Review), the Xiaomi 12 Pro does not have autofocus on its ultra-wide-angle camera, which means it does not also function as a macro camera. I did manage some nice extreme close-ups using the primary and telephoto cameras, which were a decent substitute for a macro camera or a dedicated macro mode.

Xiaomi 12 Pro low-light camera samples. Top to bottom: Telephoto camera, Auto mode, Night mode (Tap to see full size)

The Auto mode in low light tends to take slightly longer exposures, just like on the Xiaomi 11T Pro (Review). Ignoring the on-screen notification to use Night mode will result in basic image quality (minus the waiting) and while the primary camera still managed good photos, the ultra-wide and telephoto ones only delivered okay results. Night mode helped cut down on noise and delivered clearer images.

The primary camera did an excellent job with not just colours but also detail and dynamic range in low light. Night mode wasn’t very useful with the ultra-wide-angle camera since other than a reduction in noise, details were still slightly weak. The telephoto camera had trouble locking focus in low light. Whether I was simply zooming in to a landscape or focusing on people and objects, photos (with or without Night mode) were quite blurry and soft.

The selfie camera did a fine job in…

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Xiaomi OLED Vision (55-inch) Ultra-HD Android TV Review: The ‘Affordable’ OLED Television

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Gadgets 360

LED-LCD technology in TVs is still the most common and affordable type, and Xiaomi smartly chose to focus its products around it during its early years of selling televisions in India. The company still pushes large volumes of its affordable LED televisions, but has also experimented with premium TVs such as the Mi QLED TV 4K range which is available in a massive 75-inch screen size, priced at Rs. 1,39,999. This adventurous approach to the premium price segments has now led to the launch of Xiaomi’s first OLED TV in India.

Priced at Rs. 89,999, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is available in a single 55-inch size and is the company’s most expensive TV of its size in India. Even so, this television strongly undercuts the competition, and will be a tempting proposition for buyers who want the benefits of OLED screen technology, but without having to pay the exorbitant premium. Xiaomi’s OLED TV has launched at a price where you typically find high-end quantum-dot LED TV from brands such as Sony, Samsung, and OnePlus.

With key specifications such as support for Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Atmos, 30W of sound output, and the Ultra-HD OLED screen that gives this TV its name, is the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV the best television you can buy under Rs. 1,00,000? Find out in this review.

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV has far-field microphones, which can be set to always-listen for the Google Assistant wake commands

Xiaomi OLED Vision (55-inch) Ultra-HD Android TV design and specifications

Most 55-inch OLED televisions are priced well over Rs. 1,00,000, so the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV’s price gives it a significant leg-up over the competition. At Rs. 89,999, this is by far the most affordable 55-inch OLED TV you can buy in India (that I am aware of) right now. The benefits of the OLED display at this price makes this an enticing proposition, particularly since the much higher pricing of competing OLED TVs has been a barrier for buyers thus far.

Despite the price, Xiaomi hasn’t really held back with this TV when it comes to design and specifications. At just 4.6mm thick, the OLED Vision TV is very slim at the edges, although the centre portion of the back of the TV gets a fair bit thicker where the electrical components and ports are. The bezel around the screen is similarly slim on all sides, and a module at the bottom has the Xiaomi logo, indicator light, power switch, and a switch for the far-field microphones.

The television can be wall-mounted or stand-mounted, and standard VESA-compatible wall mounts work with the TV. Professional installation is provided for free by Xiaomi and the stands are included in the sales package, but the wall-mount kit isn’t. You can, however, request Xiaomi for wall-mounting the TV at the time of installation, and the technician will provide a wall-mount kit if you don’t have one of your own.

The ports and sockets on the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV are quite conveniently positioned for a large television and are easily accessible even when the TV is wall mounted. The RJ45 Ethernet port, Optical Audio-out (Toslink) port, RCA sockets, and Antenna socket face downwards, while the three HDMI 2.1 ports, two USB Type-A ports, and 3.5mm audio jack face the left of the screen. HDMI ARC is supported on one of the ports. The power cord is permanently attached to the TV to the right of the screen, and was disappointingly short for my liking.

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is only available in a single 55-inch size, for now

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV has a 55-inch Ultra-HD (3840×2160-pixel) OLED display, with each individual pixel capable of self-illumination without the need for backlighting. There is also support for high dynamic range content up to the Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ formats, a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, and a DCI-P3 colour gamut of 98.5 percent. The contrast ratio is expectedly high at 15,00,000:1, and there is also the Reality Flow MEMC engine for motion interpolation.

For sound, the television has a 30W speaker system with eight drivers, and support for the Dolby Atmos and DTS:X formats. Connectivity is handled via Wi-Fi 6 with dual-band support, Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5 for wireless audio and for connecting to the TV remote. The TV has 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage for apps and app data, and is powered by a quad-core ARM Cortex-A73 processor.

Xiaomi OLED Vision (55-inch) Ultra-HD Android TV remote and features

Some things barely change, and Xiaomi’s TV remote is one of them. The company’s basic, minimalistic plastic Bluetooth remote is bundled in the box with the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV, albeit with some small changes. Disappointingly, despite the price of the TV, batteries for the remote aren’t included in the box, which is a complaint I’ve had for a while.

The remote itself functions well enough and some relatively recent feature additions such as quick mute (press volume-down button twice quickly), quick wake (turns the TV on in 3-4 seconds from standby), and quick settings (long-press the PatchWall button) cover for the obvious lack of dedicated buttons for those functions. Usefully, you can quickly switch between Xiaomi’s PatchWall user interface and the stock Android TV UI by pressing the dedicated buttons.

There are hotkeys for quick access to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, and the complete list of apps installed on the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV. A microphone for voice commands and a button to invoke Google Assistant are also present on the remote, although the TV also has far-field microphones that can be set to always listen for the wake command, to serve the same function.

This worked well, with a simple ‘OK Google’ or ‘Hey Google’ command to invoke Google Assistant even from across the room, followed by proper understanding of even complex voice commands. The microphones are naturally always listening when this mode is on, so if this feels like a privacy issue to you, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV does let you flip a switch (just under the logo, at the bottom of the TV) to turn this off.

The remote of the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is a familiar one, but there are small changes in the button layout

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV also has built-in Chromecast for casting from supported devices and services, and Auto Low-Latency Mode (ALLM) which is said to optimise the TV’s settings for improved latency and performance when gaming with a connected gaming console. There are no other specific features for gaming, and the peak refresh rate of 60Hz means that this TV isn’t ideally meant for use with current-generation gaming consoles.

Xiaomi OLED Vision (55-inch) Ultra-HD Android TV software and interface

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV runs on Android TV 11, with the PatchWall 4 and stock Android TV user interfaces on top, similar to how it is on much of the company’s other television range. Apps and games can be installed through the Google Play store for Android TV, which has a catalogue of over 5,000 apps right now, including popular content streaming apps, social media apps, and other services.

PatchWall hasn’t received any major additions since the Mi TV 5X, but it remains a content-focused UI with excellent content curation, lists, and a pleasant appearance. IMDb integration, the availability of the Mi Home app for easy access to IoT devices in your home, and plenty of supported apps and services for the curation make PatchWall a good interface to use.

The stock Android TV UI has gotten some new additions from the last Xiaomi TV I reviewed. The interface is now the Google TV-like UI that rolled out in late 2021, with a bit more focus on content recommendations and curation, although the lack of support for Netflix in the recommendation engine is still disappointing. You can still use Google Assistant or regular search to find content on Netflix and many other sources, or access the specific apps directly.

The overall software experience with the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV was as good as I expected it to be, and I experienced no serious issues or bugs during my time with the television. While I personally preferred the app-focused approach of the stock Android TV interface, PatchWall’s content-friendly interface should also appeal to many users.

Xiaomi OLED Vision (55-inch) Ultra-HD Android TV performance

Customers looking for a 55-inch TV with a budget of around Rs. 1,00,000 would typically consider a good quantum-dot LED television, such as Sony’s Triluminos range, Samsung’s QLED range, and the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro. However, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV offers buyers the option to get something with arguably better screen technology at the same price, given that OLED TVs are typically priced well over Rs. 1,00,000.

That’s not to say that the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is necessarily on par with premium OLED TVs such as the LG CX range, but the benefits of OLED technology itself – particularly the black levels – are clear and present on this television. I watched a variety of content on the TV across resolutions and dynamic ranges, going from Ultra-HD Dolby Vision to simple standard definition, and the TV undeniably delivered the kind of performance that can be expected at this price.

The Xiaomi OLED Vision TV has the new Google TV-like user interface, as well as PatchWall UI

Watching Love, Death & Robots Season 3 on Netflix in Ultra-HD with Dolby Vision, the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV performed at its absolute best. The black levels were expectedly excellent, offering true pitch blacks that also helped in getting the contrast levels right. While this naturally made an impact across scenes, night-time scenes across content looked particularly good on the TV.

This also helped to make the colours feel much more impactful and punchy, particularly with the beautiful, bright animation of the ‘Three Robots: Exit Strategies’ episode of Love, Death & Robots. The effect of Dolby Vision was also noticeable, not only due to the visible bump in brightness but also in the colours, as they felt a hint more vibrant. This was the case even with The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals, where the scenic landscapes and beautiful holiday homes looked impressive on the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV.

Taking high dynamic range content out of the equation did considerably change the way the TV performed, but the differences didn’t take too much away from the overall viewing experience. Better Call Saul in Ultra-HD resolution (but with standard dynamic range) looked sharp and detailed on the big screen, and the excellent black levels of the TV suited the gloomy, sombre scenes of the show very well.

The brightness levels, even in daylight scenes, didn’t feel as strong as with Dolby Vision content, but the sharpness and reasonable colour accuracy made up for this to a large extent. However, I did notice some motion interpolation issues and stutter during scenes with quick movements while watching Better Call Saul, particularly in dimly-lit night time scenes. This got particularly distracting at times, and is a fairly large drawback of this TV.

Black levels and contrast are excellent on the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV

Full-HD and lower-resolution content looked decent enough, with a natural sense of softness in the picture that seemed to suitably cover for the lack of sharpness that comes with lower resolutions. Movies such as The Matrix Resurrections and sitcoms such as Kim’s Convenience, as well as live-streamed Formula 1 races, all looked decent, with good colours and black levels. Issues with motion were still present and seemed to crop up more often in the Formula 1 races, but seemed less obvious in lower resolution content.

Sound on the Xiaomi OLED Vision TV is acceptable for most purposes, with the tuning focused on making voices sound clear. This worked across all types of content, but helped particularly when it came to sitcoms and sports content where dialogue and commentary needed to be heard clearly. There isn’t quite as much grunt in the sound, but the speakers get reasonably loud and does deliver clean, uniform sound, without any significant volume spikes.

Dolby Atmos support on the TV did seem to help with giving the sound a bit more spaciousness and a better soundstage with supported content, including Our Great National Parks. Although the sound was decent, it might be worth stepping up to a proper soundbar such as the Sony HT-A7000 or an equivalent speaker system to match up to the considerably better visual experience the TV has to offer.

Verdict

The expense involved in buying an OLED TV has…

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Xiaomi Pad 5 Review: The Android Tablet Experience Done Right

Posted on December 2, 2022 by Gadgets 360

The Xiaomi Pad 5 is a new entrant in the mid-range tablet segment in India and is priced competitively starting at Rs. 26,999. It packs a powerful processor and a high refresh rate display, two hardware features that are not commonly found on a tablet around this segment. This makes it a very competitive product, especially when you consider that it is also compatible with a stylus and keyboard cover accessories, which can be purchased separately.

Is Xiaomi’s Pad 5 a good enough mid-range Android tablet and more importantly, does it have anything special in the software department that could help it be more than just a media consumption device? Let’s find out in this review.

Xiaomi Pad 5 price in India

The Xiaomi Pad 5 is available in two variants and both of them have 6GB of RAM. The base variant comes with 128GB of storage and is available for Rs. 26,999, while the other offers 256GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 28,999. The tablet is available in a single colour called Cosmic Gray and comes with a charger in the box, along with a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable.

There are three accessories available for this tablet, which are sold separately. The Xiaomi Smart Pen is priced at Rs. 5,999, while the simple foldable cover is priced at Rs. 1,999. There is also the Xiaomi Pad Keyboard cover, but this is yet to go on sale in India as as of this review, so we don’t have the pricing.

Xiaomi Pad 5 design

The Xiaomi Pad 5 has a metal frame with flat sides, sandwiched between a glass screen on the front and a polycarbonate sheet at the back. The Gorilla Glass 3 cover over the display does not attract fingerprints easily, but the smooth matte-finished rear panel is a smudge-magnet and is quite hard to keep clean. If you buy the cover case, this should cover the back and offer some protection against dust and grime.

The Xiaomi Pad 5’s back panel is made of polycarbonate and gathers fingerprints easily

When held horizontally, the tablet has two speakers each on the left and right sides, a magnetic connector for the Smart Pen on the top of the frame, and three contact pins for the keyboard accessory at the bottom. The only component that doesn’t sit flush with the rest of the tablet is the single camera module at the back, but it doesn’t protrude too much. The power and volume buttons are located close to the top left corner. They are easy to find but require some pressure to use.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 feels quite premium and weighs about 511g, which I found to be a bit heavy. Indeed, it’s not ideal for one-handed use. Attaching the keyboard accessory adds quite a bit of weight and makes the whole package nearly as heavy as an ultra-thin laptop, so I preferred to remove it when doing things such as gaming. The standard foldable cover (without the keyboard) is said to be a lot lighter and it also works as a foldable stand for the tablet.

Out of the three accessories, I would say that the Pad Keyboard is a must-have if you plan to get some work done with the Xiaomi Pad 5, provided Xiaomi actually makes it available.

Xiaomi Pad 5 specifications and software

The Xiaomi Pad 5 tablet is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, which was announced in 2021. This is basically an upgraded version of the Snapdragon 855+ SoC, which was announced in 2019. It’s built using the 7nm process, but was designed for use in premium smartphones, so performance should not be much of an issue. What does seem a bit questionable is the 6GB of RAM, especially keeping in mind Xiaomi’s heavy MIUI skin, but we’ll see how that works out in the following section.

Shown above is the Xiaomi Pad 5 with the Smart Pen and Pad Keyboard accessories

As for communication standards, the Xiaomi Pad 5 lacks 4G/5G cellular capability and is only available as a Wi-Fi model. There’s Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5, and a USB Type-C port, but it’s missing a 3.5mm headphone jack which I feel could have been easily accommodated given the tablet’s size and thickness. The lack of an LTE option may turn out to be a dealbreaker for those who need to be connected to the Internet when travelling. Unlike the Lenovo Tab P11 Pro (Review), I was able to install WhatsApp and make voice and video calls without any issues, so cellular capability would have come in handy. The tablet has a 8,720mAh battery and supports up to 33W fast charging, although Xiaomi bundles only a 22.5W charger in the box.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 runs ‘MIUI for Pad’, which is a customised version of MIUI 13.0.5 based on Android 11. While it looks similar to what Xiaomi typically offers on its mobile devices with similar looking iconography and UI elements, the brand seems to have cut down on preinstalled first-party apps, which is a very good thing if you ask me. In fact, there is just one preinstalled third-party app, which is Netflix. There’s also a Notes app, which looks very similar to iOS and iPadOS but works well with the Smart Pen.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 has plenty of tablet-friendly customisations all over the user interface. The home screen has a macOS inspired dock and menu bar which stays open at the bottom when on the home screen. It can be used to pin frequently used apps and also shows you the apps that are currently opened. You can access it with a swipe-up gesture (on either side of the horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen) when using an app. Oddly, this gesture is not available if you switch the navigation style to the three buttons instead of the default gesture-based interface.

The dock and menu bar stays open at bottom when on the home screen

Things are a lot easier with the gesture-based navigation as the dock functions like the Windows 11 taskbar, showing apps that you have pinned in the dock and the currently open apps to the side. It reduces the need to jump into the recents menu and makes switching between apps a lot easier. As is the case on Xiaomi’s smartphones, you can also swipe upwards on the bottom bar to switch between other open apps.

Apps can also be opened in Floating windows, as Xiaomi calls it. Once again, not all apps work in this mode and this strangely also includes some native Xiaomi apps such as Calendar. Regardless, the floating windows feature works very well for supported apps. You simply need to long-press on an app icon and a pop-up menu will show a floating windows button. Tapping on that opens the supported app in a vertical windowed mode, similar to how it appears on a smartphone.

However, you can resize the floating window by dragging the dots at the bottom corners of the window. If the app has been built to adapt to a tablet-like layout, you will see the layout of the app, such as Outlook, change as the window stretches. The floating apps will reload when you switch between vertical and horizontal orientation, as it needs to adjust the layout accordingly. The floating windows can also be minimised to a small preview-like window, which is good if you need to focus on the main app, while keeping track of other activities in the windowed apps.

The Floating windows feature on the Xiaomi Pad 5 is really useful and works well with supported apps

There are limits to the floating window feature. I was only able to open two apps in windowed mode, while a third app ran in fullscreen mode in the background. It works really well when you want to do some serious office work. I had the Chrome browser open in full screen, Google Docs in a separate window, and Slack open in another window, which made the tablet quite useful for productivity tasks.

While MIUI for Pad seems heavily inspired by Apple’s iPadOS, it is one of the better Android tablet operating systems I’ve used. As expected, some apps such as Instagram only opened in fullscreen mode, while the Google Discover section appeared as it does on a smartphone but with plenty of empty space on either side of the feed. Google’s new Material You widgets looked great and worked as expected, but lacked some features such as the ability to match the colour of the wallpaper because the Pad 5 doesn’t run Android 12.

Xiaomi Pad 5 performance

Software performance was very smooth on the Xiaomi Pad 5, thanks to the capable processor and the 120Hz display which made everything feel fluid. While I was able to multi-task with three apps opened at the same time using Floating windows without any app crashes or restarts, previously launched apps pulled up from the recents menu often restarted, hinting that the device could have benefitted from more RAM.

The 10.95-inch WQHD+ (1,600 x 2,560 pixel) LCD display produces natural colours when used in the Standard colour mode. It’s bright enough to tackle direct sunlight and offers decent sharpness, with a pixel density of 275 PPI. The display is Dolby Vision certified, and while Netflix and Amazon Prime Video did allow streaming of Dolby Vision content and everything worked as expected, the display had trouble when it came to showcasing good details in the darker areas in some TV shows. Black levels in streaming video content usually ended up looking somewhat grey.

The tablet also offers a maximum 120Hz refresh rate which was useful when playing games. While everything seemed perfectly fine for a mid-range tablet, I did notice some ghosting when scrolling through text, be it in an app or when browsing through web pages. Audio quality was also quite good and sounded immersive when playing games and watching movies, so much so, that I didn’t feel the need to connect a pair of earphones.

When it came to benchmarks, the Pad 5 performed as expected. It managed 5,72,369 points in AnTuTu and 683 and 2,522 in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests respectively. These scores were similar to a mid-range phone such as the OnePlus Nord 2 (Review) smartphone which has a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 SoC.

Gaming performance was quite good. Asphalt 9: Legends looked brilliant and felt almost console-like, with detailed textures and ran well with the 60fps mode enabled. Call of Duty: Mobile worked well at the highest settings that game allowed on the tablet, which was ‘Very High’ graphics and ‘Max’ frame rate, with all effects turned on. The tablet barely got warm even when gaming at these settings. Those who don’t like holding up a tablet (because of its weight) can also pair a controller with it, provided the game supports it.

The Xiaomi Pad 5’s Pad Keyboard is a bit compact when compared to a 13-inch MacBook Pro

The Xiaomi Pad Keyboard case has magnets hidden inside its leather-like plastic exterior and they hold the tablet firmly in place when attached. The quality of the case is really good. The keys have good travel for a soft tablet keyboard and the typing experience is quite comfortable despite its smaller-than-usual size. What I missed was a trackpad, which would require less interaction with the display. You can connect a mouse via a Type-C hub or Bluetooth, but you will need a desk to properly work with such a setup.

There are keyboard shortcuts as well and Xiaomi has also included a customisable multi-tasking key which it calls the Function key. This can be used in combination with the other character keys to launch both native and third-party apps. A double press of the Function key allows you to switch between recently used apps, which came in handy when doing work on the tablet. While the keyboard met my expectations even at the software level, there were several instances where the tablet would not detect the keyboard even when attached.

Xiaomi also sent me the Smart Pen to try out. This accessory attaches to the top of the tablet and uses inductive charging to charge. The pen charges fully in about 20 minutes and you get a satisfying snap when it is placed perfectly in the centre, followed by a notification on screen showing the current charge and charging status of the pen. Oddly, the pen can still be attached to the left and right of the correct charging spot, but it won’t charge. The pen weighs just 12.2g and the soft tip offers 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity similar to Samsung’s S Pen.

The Smart Pen worked as expected and not just for creative workflows, but also comes in use for simple things such as signing documents. There’s very little input lag and it feels quite natural when scribbling with it. Palm rejection when using the pen on the Xiaomi Pad 5 isn’t perfect, which did lead to a few stray scribbles in the app. The Smart Pen also has two buttons, one of which can be held down to take a screenshot of the on-screen content (which can be annotated…

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