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Tablets have become the go-to for users
who like working on the go, but don’t
want to be hassled by bringing a laptop
around. With that, it’s also become a
very competitive segment similar to
smartphones. And it’s no surprise that
manufacturers are introducing new models
each year. In this video, we’re looking
at Xiaomi’s latest tablet lineup,
specifically the Xiaomi Pad 8. It might
look identical to its predecessor, the
Xiaomi Pad 7, but features a bunch of
changes under the hood. But the real
question is this. Is the Xiaomi Pad 8
the tablet to get this 2026? Let’s find
out in this review.
As mentioned earlier, the design of the
Xiaomi Pad 8 looks almost identical to
the Xiaomi Pad 7 we reviewed last year.
The layout is very much the same as
before with the volume rocker on the
right side and the magnetic charging
port for the Xiaomi Pen when holding it
in portrait mode. At the top, you’ll
find the power button together with two
speakers. While at the bottom, you’ll
find the other pair of speakers as well
as the USBC port. It looks the same,
right? But then again, that’s not to say
that’s a bad thing. The tablet still
looks and feels premium with its all-
metal build and minimalist styling. At
the back, there’s just the large camera
island on the upper left corner that
houses the single main rear camera, but
more on that later. Across it is a small
Xiaomi logo, which adds a bit of touch
to the minimalist design. Beside the
small logo are three small dots which
connect the tablet to the various
accessories available from Xiaomi. These
include a keyboard and even a keyboard
with a trackpad, allowing to be used
like a laptops. Among all of the cases,
we found the one with the trackpad to be
the best to use. It’s also the heaviest
one, but it felt the most premium and
comfortable to use. You could easily
adjust the angle and work on stuff just
like a laptop. The keyboard spacing
takes a bit of getting used to, but
other than that, it works great. Despite
its identical design and dimensions, the
Xiaomi Pad 8 is a bit thinner, measuring
only 5.8 8 mm thick. It’s still
relatively lightweight, too. Weighing
485 g without any of the accessories.
But then again, even with the
accessories, it’s still very easy to
bring around. The only issue with the
Xiaomi Pad 8, though, is the lack of an
official IP rating. With that, do be
careful when using it outdoors or when
there’s water and drinks around. Given
that the design and dimensions of the
Xiaomi Pad 8 didn’t change from before,
it’s no surprise that the display also
appears to be a carryover from its
predecessor. It continues to feature an
11.2 in IPS LCD panel with 144 Herz
refresh rate, 800 nits peak brightness,
and support for Dolby Vision. It’s a
beautiful display, and we’re not
surprised Xiaomi didn’t see the need to
change it up. We do wish they updated it
to feature an OLED for an even better
viewing experience, but that would also
mean a bump in price. Still, the display
of the Pad 8 is one of the better IPS
LCDs we’ve tried out. The colors are
quite vivid and the blacks can be quite
deep. Although it’s still not as deep as
an OLED or as saturated as an OLED, so
do keep that in mind. The viewing angles
are decent, too, with very minimal color
shifts. No doubt users will have a great
viewing experience with this tablet when
watching videos on YouTube or Netflix.
However, it’s far from perfect display.
For starters, users will notice the very
thick borders all around, which takes up
a big chunk of the display area. Another
thing is the lack of an anti-glare
coating. The display easily picks up
reflections wherever you go. As you can
see here with that, some might find it
irritating, especially when using it in
areas with a lot of light bouncing
around. Thankfully, maxing out the
screen does help with this issue, but it
doesn’t fully address it. Since this is
a tablet, of course, we had to try out
how well it is for taking notes or
doodling using the Xiaomi Pen. It’s
sensitive to pressure, and users can
sketch quite nicely using this tablet.
Well, that’s assuming you have the
skills to draw, which I clearly lack.
But in the hands of someone who is
skilled, they can sketch some really
nice art. As for the speakers, it comes
with quad stereo speakers, giving users
a great listening experience. Not to
mention, it now adopts Dolby Atmos,
which further improves the audio quality
when you have it turned on. The speakers
themselves aren’t that loud despite
having an option to bump the volume up
to 200%. However, the speakers do have a
great sound quality with a decent sound
stage, especially when the tablet is in
front of the user. It’s still lacking a
bit of bass in our opinion, but the mids
and highs are decent. Paired with the
large display, there’s no doubt users
will have a great time watching movies
on this tablet. Remember the large
camera island at the back? Well, don’t
be fooled. The Xiaomi Pad 8 only
features a single 13 megapixel shooter,
while at the front there is an 8
megapixel camera for selfies. If you’ve
been watching our channel for a while,
then I’m sure you already know our stand
when it comes to using a tablet to take
photos and videos. You’re still going to
look stupid doing so, even in 2026. Just
use your phone. But if you choose to
ignore our suggestion, then using the
Xiaomi Pad 8 to take photos and videos,
it does so decently. The images are
sharp and there’s a nice balance between
the highlights and shadows. There’s nice
contrast, too, but nothing too extreme
that gives it that overly moody feel.
Even at 2x zoom, the images are still
usable, but beyond that, the quality
drop is very, very obvious. The output
is very much identical when it comes to
video. The rear camera can record up to
4K at 30 fps, while the front is limited
to 1080p at 30 fps. Interestingly, there
also seems to be some form of
stabilization, even though there is no
option to turn it on in the settings.
With that, the video didn’t come out as
shaky as we expected, and we were able
to capture some nice footage overall.
While the Xiaomi Pad 8 might look
identical to its predecessor on the
outside, one of the biggest changes they
made can be found under the hood. It now
packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8S Gen 4
chipset. Our review unit comes with 8 GB
of RAM and 128 GB of storage, which is
the base variant available. Storage is
honestly a bit small at 128 GB, and
there’s no micro SD card slot to expand
storage further. With that, we recommend
getting the Xiaomi Pad 8 with a higher
storage capacity just so you don’t run
out of storage. Even with just 8 GB of
RAM, the Pad 8 ran very smoothly and can
handle all the tasks we threw at it. Run
multiple applications simultaneously,
not a problem. Users can leave apps
running in the background and can easily
switch between them to pick up where
they left off. There’s no need to worry
about losing productivity time when
using this tablet to get work or school
work done. But of course, it’s not just
all work. The Xiaomi Pad 8 is also great
for playing games. It could easily
handle graphic intensive titles like
Genchin Impact with all the settings
maxed out. There’s no frame rate drops
or stuttering even when there’s a lot
going on on the screen. Paired with the
beautiful 144 Herz display, there’s no
doubt users will enjoy exploring the
world of Tabot and not just complete
their dailies and move on. Other games
ran smoothly as well, including CarX
Drift 2, which ran on the max graphics
and unlimited FPS. All in all, users can
definitely enjoy work and play on this
device, no problem. As for the
benchmarks, they’ll be on screen right
now, and as expected, they’re quite high
numbers.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 runs on Hyper OS3 which
is based on Android 16. As expected from
Hyper OS3, it’s great and easy to use
and even in its tablet form. Not to
mention, users will have the complete
suite of AI features to help make work a
lot easier. For productivity, there’s
split screen and floating windows which
makes it easy for users to get work done
if needed. Given the capable chipset, it
could even run Genchin and other apps at
the same time in a split screen mode.
Meanwhile, Gemini and Circle to Search
can easily be accessed anytime should
there be a need to do so. Other AI
features from Hyper OS are available
too, including AI eraser in the gallery
and AI writing assistant in notes.
There’s also AI art which automatically
generates images in various styles for
those who can’t draw just like me.
Thankfully, there is no bloatware on the
Xiaomi Pad 8 which is a heavenscent.
Powering the Xiaomi Pad 8 is a 9,200
milliamp hour battery, which is huge
considering the size of this tablet.
With that, we were expecting it to last
a very long time given how big the
battery is. Unfortunately though, that
wasn’t the case. When we used it to play
games, run the benchmarks, take photos
and videos. We noticed that the battery
dropped rather fast. That’s considering
it was connected to Wi-Fi with the
brightness and volume maxed out when we
were playing games. However, the
benchmark showed a similar story. Using
PC Marks Work 3.0 battery test, the
Xiaomi Pad 8 recorded only 12 hours and
29 minutes of battery life, which is
average at best. For reference, the test
was run on 50% brightness, zero volume,
and on airplane mode with the Wi-Fi
turned on. Charging unfortunately isn’t
that fast either given the large
battery. It only features a 45 watt fast
wired charging with no support for
wireless charging. As for connectivity,
it features Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, and
infrared. No eim support here, so Wi-Fi
only. Overall, the Xiaomi Pad 8 is a
great choice for a tablet if you need
one for work and play. It may have a lot
of carryover features from its
predecessor, but it also packs a new,
more powerful chipset along with Hyper
OS3. And then again, don’t change what
isn’t broken, right? It’s far from
perfect though, given the fast draining
battery. But aside from that, it’s a
great tablet for everyday use in all
situations. Not to mention, there are a
bunch of accessories users can choose
from to suit their needs. Now, as for
the price, well, at the time we recorded
this video, Xiaomi has yet to reveal the
price of the Xiaomi Pad 8, but we’ll be
sure to pin it down in the comments once
we have it, so you can check it out
there. But so far, what do you guys
think of the Xiaomi Pad 8? Is this the
tablet you’re considering for 2026? Or
would you choose the more capable Xiaomi
Pad 8 Pro if you need the more
firepower? Or would you choose something
else entirely? Whatever the case, share
your thoughts in the comments below. Of
course, if you enjoyed this video,
please do drop a like and subscribe to
watch more. Don’t forget to follow us on
our social media platforms. That’s
Facebook, Instagram, X, and Tik Tok. And
of course, visit ugate.com for the
latest tech news and reviews. Once
again, this has been Oay. This has been
the Xiaomi Pad 8. And I’ll see you guys
in the next
⚠️ This transcription is auto-generated from YouTube captions. Some text may not be 100% accurate.
Ever found yourself lugging around a laptop when all you really needed was something lighter for emails, streaming, and maybe a bit of work? We’ve been there too. That’s why tablets have become such a tempting middle ground. The market is flooded with options, and Xiaomi just dropped its latest contender, the Xiaomi Pad 8. From the outside, you might do a double-take. It looks almost exactly like last year’s Pad 7. But as we all know in tech, the real magic often happens under the hood. So, what’s actually new? Is this just a simple spec bump, or does Xiaomi have some genuine upgrades that make it the tablet to beat this year? We unboxed it, connected all the accessories, and put it through its paces to see if it lives up to the hype. In our latest video review, we dive deep beyond the familiar aluminum chassis to explore the performance, the display, and how it stacks up as a true laptop replacement, especially for Filipino users on the go. Want to know if it’s worth your hard-earned peso? You’ll have to watch to find out.
What You’ll See in This Video
- Sleek, all-metal build that looks identical to its predecessor but feels premium in hand.
- Features a magnetic charging port for the Xiaomi Pen and connector dots for keyboard accessories.
- We tested the keyboard case with a trackpad, which transforms it into a laptop-like experience.
Curious about the real-world performance, battery life, and camera quality of the Xiaomi Pad 8? Don’t just take our word for it. Hit play on the video above for our full, detailed review and see if this tablet deserves a spot in your bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Xiaomi Pad 8 available in the Philippines?
Xiaomi tablets typically arrive in the Philippine market. While official local pricing and availability for the Pad 8 are yet to be announced, it’s expected to follow the global launch and be available through official stores and partners.
What are the main upgrades from the Xiaomi Pad 7?
Our video dives into the specifics, but the upgrades are primarily internal. We’re looking at a newer processor, potential display improvements, and updated software features. The external design remains largely unchanged.
Can I really use it like a laptop?
With the optional keyboard accessory, especially the one with a trackpad that we feature in the video, it certainly gets close. It’s great for productivity tasks, browsing, and content consumption, making it a solid companion for students and professionals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Xiaomi Pad 8's design compare to the Xiaomi Pad 7?
The Xiaomi Pad 8 looks almost identical to the Xiaomi Pad 7, with the same layout and features.
What materials is the Xiaomi Pad 8 made of?
The tablet has an all-metal build and minimalist styling, giving it a premium look and feel.
Where are the speakers located on the Xiaomi Pad 8?
Two speakers are at the top, and the other pair is at the bottom, along with the USB-C port.
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