Redmi Pad series has built its space in the budget segment where the demand might not look high but the use case makes it a very practical product to offer. The Redmi Pad 2 is the next version, one that gets cellular data support via SIM which gives it the all-time connectivity badge, a rarity in the sub Rs 20,000 price range.

The brand is making some concessions to offer some useful features but without compromising on the overall experience. You even get stylus support for this middling tablet. But does that make it enough in the tank to be an obvious choice for students or anybody eyeing a budget tablet? We look for these answers here. 

Big And Bright Enough 

The design of the Redmi Pad 2 will not win any awards or even help it stand out from the crowd but that is not the purpose of the device anyways. The back of the tablet is kept simple with the cameras placed at the top-right. 

The dual finish is nicely blended into the body which weighs 519 grams and measures under 7.5mm which is quite sleek for a device carrying a 9,000mAh battery. The 11-inch form factor is not the most compact and most of you will need to hold it with both hands. But you also get the luxury of using a device for multimedia purposes.

The 11-inch LCD display gets 90Hz refresh rate which becomes a readymade tool for people to watch videos and for students to get through their lessons and homework. It is not the brightest or the vibrant screen we have used in recent times but for the segment it is more than adequate and punchy to let you enjoy viewing content. The outdoor visibility might be an issue but for indoor use the brightness levels will be enough for most users. 

How It Performs 

Redmi uses the MediaTek Helio G100 Ultra processor with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. The benchmark scores told us the levels of this hardware but Xiaomi seems to have optimised it enough to keep the tablet running without major issues. It is not meant to run through the wall for your tasks but for its price and package, the tablet does well enough. We did see the tablet stutter a bit but can’t really say that was because of the tuning of the chipset. 

The tablet can handle gaming but we’re not sure how many people would actually fancy a 11-inch slate to play games like BGMI or even Call of Duty Mobile. 

The OS part of the Redmi Pad 2 needs work and the HyperOS version, without bloatware, looks to get the best out of the hardware. Even though the display gets 90Hz refresh rate, the UI felt sluggish to the extent that we forgot that it was not a 60Hz display. The company needs to fix these minor issues which should be doable with an update. 

Other Important Points To Consider 

The Redmi Pad 2 gets 4G LTE support via SIM card which allows you to use the tablet all-time and you don’t need to hunt for a Wi-Fi network to keep it running. The stereo speakers on the Redmi Pad 2 can get loud but the finesse and bass is missing which is hardly surprising for the price range. We anyways suggest you to use headphones or earbuds. 

Having the stylus supported for the Redmi Pad 2 is a smart call. You buy the Redmi Smart Pen separately and get it working with the tablet to take down notes and that it does quite effectively. Yes, it is not as premium or functional as the Apple Pencil but what you get is a decent option for a budget tablet. 

The Long Race Horse 

Redmi Pad 2 comes loaded with a 9000mAh battery which is clear enough to suggest the tablet will last you well over a day. And so it does.

The PCMark score of over 17 hours might not show its value but average usage can easily let you use the tablet for almost 2 days with the right settings in play. Having said that, the 18W charging support feels archaic even for this price, and a large battery takes forever to fully charge with this setup. 

Redmi Pad 2 is a budget tablet with support for stylus, offering a decent screen size for viewing and studies. The hardware is reliable in most cases, 4G LTE support is welcome, and the battery life will give you less anxiety than the charging speeds on offer.