The market of tablet computers has reached unprecedented volumes in a relatively short period of time. If even 7-9 years ago no one even knew about them, today this device is as necessary as a mobile phone. For many, having a tablet is even more important.
Against such demand, there is nothing surprising in the volume of supply of these devices. Many phone companies are also involved in the production of computers, successfully combining these products into entire model lines for more effective promotion in the market.
Chinese Apple
We have all heard of Xiaomi. This, as can be judged even by the name, is a Chinese concern engaged in the production of electronics: smartphones, tablets, various accessories and other gadgets. In the field of view of the world media and fans of technology, this manufacturer appeared relatively recently - approximately in 2011-2012. But the resonance that this corporation was able to cause around itself cannot be compared with anything.
The developer of attractive (outwardly and due to their parameters) devices was dubbed the “newApple . At the same time, the cost of such devices is very modest, given the prices set for similar devices from competing companies.
In the field of our review of the tablet market, we will focus on the product from this company. We are talking about, you guessed it, Xiaomi MiPad. This is a device that has taken a serious position in the Android tablet market. It is to him that we will dedicate our today's article.
Concept
Everyone would like to have the best mobile device, which would be available at an affordable cost and at the same time had the highest possible technical characteristics. This is the main goal of every buyer: to get the most functional device as cheaply as possible. Xiaomi focuses on this requirement.
Don't confuse this developer with a string of Chinese companies that produce copies of well-known products.
The concept of devices released by Xiaomi is unique. The company tries to adhere to the highest quality standards, use the most suitable components, pay attention to the assembly of all elements and the optimization of all processes. All this is done in such a way that it remains possible to offer the buyer the most favorable price for their product. And, of course, the Xiaomi MiPad device proves to us that this approach can be a winning one. Its developers observe it in all versions of their tablet (and two of them went on sale).
Set
We will (traditionally) start with the characteristics of the gadgetideas about his kit. After all, what we see when we open the box with the goods plays a big role. In this case, we are talking about the simple rough cardboard packaging that Xiaomi uses for all of its products.
So, this company, unlike other Chinese suppliers, uses a minimum of resources to be able to offer the buyer the lowest price. This can also be seen in the issue of product packaging.
A charger and a set of instructions - everything we found under the cover of the Xiaomi MiPad box.
Of course, between these elements there is the tablet itself, protected on all sides by a thick layer of cardboard. To tell the truth, it looks even more eloquent and impressive against the background of rough material. Perhaps this is exactly what the developers are trying to achieve.
Design
In terms of appearance, Xiaomi can not be called so individual. Obviously, all the elements of appearance used on smartphones and tablets of this brand are borrowed from Apple itself. For example, in its device, the Xiaomi MiPad tablet (16Gb) resembles the iPad mini. Due to the rubberized glossy coating of the entire body, we can conclude that engineers from China turned their attention to the iPhone 5C. If you do not take into account some differences in individual elements of the case, then Xiaomi MiPad can be called an increased 5C on Android OS.
On the one hand, this is still a very good move, since the shiny plastic looks no less impressive than on its “apple”original. On the other hand, while borrowing a successful design, Xiaomi adopted the less positive qualities of another device, including the “marked” case.
It is expressed in this way: in practice, on Xiaomi MiPad (16Gb), all fingerprints of its user are visible. Because of this, the model after half an hour of operation does not look as attractive as in the picture in the store. However, this is not such a critical moment - it is quite easy to wipe the surface of the computer.
Screen
Chinese engineers paid a lot of attention to the display of the device. It is equipped with an LCD screen, which is superior in its capabilities to many compact tablets on the market with HD and FullHD graphics. The resolution of the Xiaomi MiPad (w3bsit3-dns.com has more details on this) is 1536 by 2048 pixels. With a size of 7.9 inches, this is an excellent indicator that makes the picture as clear and colorful as possible. This is confirmed by another parameter - pixel density. In the case of Xiaomi MiPad (which we are reviewing), this figure is 324 ppi, and it can definitely be called very high compared to similar devices.
Shell
Xiaomi also matched the graphical interface to match its “apple” competitors in the electronics market. At least the MiUI shell, which is installed on smartphones and tablets of this developer, clearly testifies to this.
It's quite easy to notice the similarities: gradients, rounded icons, colors - all this very much resembles everyone's favorite iOS. AndOf course, this developer also plays on such a love for “apple” gadgets, attracting customers to MiPad Xiaomi.
The interface is still based on the Android operating system, which is unchanged on gadgets from this developer (although one of the tablet variations is presented on Windows 10).
Processor
In the operation of any device, performance is an important evaluation criterion. The extent to which the processes on the tablet are optimized, how quickly it is able to respond to user commands, plays a very important role. Therefore, Xiaomi MiPad (16Gb) has a powerful NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor with a clock speed of 2.2 GHz, adapted to play colorful games and work without a hitch. It is very easy to work with it due to the high reaction speed of the device. Plus, given the high computing power of the device, the tablet can work with “heavy” graphics.
A newer version of the tablet - Xiaomi MiPad 2 - contains an updated “stuffing”, presented in the form of an Intel Atom x5-z8500 processor, which will further raise the technical characteristics and increase the capabilities of the gadget.
Camera
Of course, no one buys a tablet to take pictures. This is clearly a minor, additional option that the developers include in the set of requirements.
The Xiaomi MiPad 7.9 has a camera with a matrix resolution of 8 megapixels (main) and 5 - additional. This, of course, is far from the ceiling for the mobile device market, nevertheless, for a tablet in its price segment, the device is able to showvery good results. Pictures are processed at the software level, which makes them somewhat clearer and more saturated.
Battery
Another important point is the power source of the gadget. Since we are talking about a tablet, it is obvious that it consumes energy quite quickly due to the large display and the many supported functions. Take at least an activated 3G / LTE connection or playing a high-quality video.
Therefore, the developer installed a 6700 mAh battery on the first version, and 6100 mAh on the newer one. Probably, the power consumption on Xiaomi MiPad 2 will be more optimized. Perhaps the fact that the manufacturer wants to change the dimensions of the device, reducing them on the new model, played a role. Whatever it was, but a battery with a capacity of 6 thousand mAh is also a good indicator.
Versions
Differences in the first generation of MiPad concerned only the color combinations of devices. The user was given the choice of the color of the body of his Xiaomi MiPad. w3bsit3-dns.com shows that in the new generation, the buyer will even be able to choose the operating system on which his computer will function. In particular, as already mentioned above, a version with Windows 10 will be available for sale. A new graphical shell will probably be developed for it, which will repeat the mentioned MiUI.
There are also rumors about the imminent release of a new version of the tablet - the third generation. However, what will be available to its owners is still unclear.
Cost
Prices for Xiaomi devices are alwaysrenowned for their availability. The manufacturer really often relies on the budget of their gadgets. And, as sales statistics show, this is a completely justified move.
So, the first tablet cost between 240-280 dollars (depending on the amount of built-in memory on the device); and the second - from 156 to 203 dollars (meaning the generations of released devices). Thus, we can conclude that the final price of these devices has decreased.
Moreover, the figures are as of the date of release of the tablet. Obviously, after some time after their debut, the cost of devices will fall, which will make them even more affordable.
Reviews
In the course of writing the article, we found numerous reviews describing Xiaomi MiPad. All of them are compiled by device owners, by the way, most of them are positive. Many even appreciated the quality of their tablet.
People who write comments about the device note that on Xiaomi MiPad, the processor is able to show the best results not only in its price segment, but also in the category of compact tablets as a whole. This already makes it possible to talk about high performance and speed. Further, from a positive point of view, the (albeit copied) design is noted. Gadget owners write that the rubberized plastic lies well in the hands, does not slip, but looks great. They also note the high-quality materials from which the Xiaomi MiPad is assembled.
The review practically did not affect the battery life of the tablet - we just gave the characteristics of its battery. Users emphasize that the device can operate for quite a long time without recharging, which makes it ideal for use on the road or when there is no power source.
There are, however, negative reviews - they contain information about the shortcomings of the gadget. For example, someone is not satisfied with the firmware installed on Xiaomi MiPad, as a result of which users want to update the tablet software, preinstall a new version of the OS on it. Among the most common problems of this nature are the “crash” of some applications (for example, the same Skype during a conversation) and the breakdown of the accelerometer, due to which it is not possible to rotate the display as needed.
Some people also have mechanical problems when the device starts to discharge too quickly or refuses to see the charger at all.
A number of users complain about the easily soiled body and fingerprints that remain wherever possible. There are also complaints about the presence of Chinese applications that are not so actively used by us, which is why they have to be removed and replaced with European programs.
We also managed to find complaints about the computer camera. Like, MiPad does not take pictures accurately enough, the camera “noises” and “distorts” the color balance. This may be true, but you should not compare the quality of shooting with a tablet with what even a simple “camera phone” can offer, not to mention a camera.
In addition to the above, there are reports of processor heating (located in the camera area), due to which work with the phonenot so comfortable. With a heavy load, the temperature in this place of the case rises quite noticeably.
Conclusions
The numerous problems that we have described above (and others) are, of course, discomfort in the process of working with any gadget. But on the other hand, all these problems are nothing if we talk about the ratio of the cost of the tablet and its capabilities. The soiledness of the screen or the heating of the case can be tolerated if the device really has such a display, processor and price tag. Which is what thousands of Xiaomi product buyers are doing.
As for the software and the “departure” of applications, the company's developers are always working on these problems, releasing updates with fixed problems. You should not worry about this - and your problem will be solved in the same way.
In general, our review can be summed up with a positive assessment of our “hero”. After all, the tablet is really suitable for many tasks, inexpensive, assembled with high quality, reliable. What else can you ask for from a budget Android gadget for the money?
