Realme has been getting quite serious in the tablet segment. The company introduced Realme Pad earlier this year, which was a decent tablet. The company then launched Realme Pad Mini a while ago as a smaller version of the big tablet. The Realme Pad Mini is the cheaper version of the Realme Pad and is meant for those who want a compact device under a budget. The tablet offers features like an octa-core Unisoc processor, 6,400mAh battery, an ultra-slim design, 18W quick charge, and more. It comes with a starting price of Rs 10,999 for the base model and goes up to Rs 14,999 for the top-end model with LTE support. So, the question here is: Does it make sense to buy the Realme Pad Mini even after four months of its launch? We have been using the device for a prolonged time, and here’s what you need to know:
Realme Pad Mini
Rs 14,999
What Is Good?
- Metal Body and Premium Design
- Good Battery Life
- Stereo Speakers are Loud
- Stock Android Experience
What Is Bad?
- Low-resolution display
- Performance Could Have Been Better
Realme Pad Mini Review: Stylish Design, Sturdy Build
The Realme Pad Mini looks just like the original Realme Pad, except that it is smaller in size. The tablet still retains the aluminium alloy body that is also present in the Realme Pad. Realme says that the body comes with a shiny finish from CNC diamond cutting, precision sandblasting, and more. The tablet comes in a grey colour option, which looks classy, to be honest. I liked the fact that the tablet is lightweight (372 grams) and very sleek (7.6mm), making it easier to hold in one hand for a prolonged period. Even my 2-year-old toddler had no trouble holding the tablet in her hand while she was glued to YouTube (kids these days!).
The tablet also offers a sturdy build, which is a rare thing in the sub-Rs 10,000 price segment. My toddler dropped the tablet from a bed height once, and the tablet was totally safe. When you hold the tablet in a vertical orientation, you will find a front camera on top and some noticeable bezels around the corner. The right side of the tablet offers a power on/off button and volume controls, while the left side features a SIM tray that allows you to add a SIM card. The top of the tablet packs a 3.5mm audio jack and a speaker grille, while the base offers a USB Type-C port placed between a microphone and the second speaker.
The rear panel has a large camera lens on the top-left corner, while the bottom right corner has Realme branding. During the prolonged usage, I found out that the tablet is quite easy-to-carry and looks premium from all angles. The only thing missing here is a fingerprint sensor, which could have been an added bonus, but you cannot demand more from a tablet that costs Rs 10,999. Right?
Realme Pad Mini Review: Display is a let-down, Stereo Speakers Lift up the Spirit
The Realme Pad Mini comes loaded with an 8.7-inch WXGA+ display with a resolution of 1340 x 800 pixels. The display comes with 179ppi pixel density and packs an 84.59 per cent screen-to-body ratio. Unfortunately, this is where things go downhill. The WXGA+ resolution is okay when you want to use it for regular usage, like checking emails or watching some videos on the go. But it is not too pleasing to the eyes. Although viewing angles are good, the visuals do not appear that sharp while playing games or streaming some movie on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Moreover, the tablet comes with 360 nits of brightness, which is good enough for indoor conditions but not outdoors. Plus, the display is a bit reflective in nature, which makes it difficult to read the text in direct sunlight. That said, keep in mind that this is an entry-level tablet, so you should not expect some high-quality stuff from it. The good thing is that the display comes with a Reading mode that turns black and white, transforming it into an eReader.
On the upside, the Realme Pad Mini offers dual speakers placed on the tablet’s top and bottom. The grilles are positioned in a way they don’t get obscured when you hold them horizontally. The speaker offers a good sound output, and the loudness is on point. Moreover, the clarity is acceptable, though the speakers lack bass, which is missed in some scenarios, like when you are listening to music or watching some action-packed scene.
Realme Pad Mini Review: Performance is Good for Regular Usage
The Realme Pad Mini is powered by an octa-core Unisoc T616 processor. The tablet offers up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. First of all, you should understand that Unisoc T616 is a budget-centric chipset. The 4GB RAM and this chipset combination are not meant for heavy gaming or multitasking. And this is also reflected in some of the benchmark scores. The Realme Pad Mini scored 370 points in Geekbench 5’s single-core test and 1326 points in the multi-core test. In real-life usage, the tablet floats effortlessly with everyday tasks like checking emails, surfing the internet, playing casual games, and watching movies on different OTT platforms. However, you will notice unavoidable delays in the app load time.
When it comes to gaming, the tablet can go through some light gaming sessions. I played Stick Cricket, Candy Crush Saga, and Ludo King on it without facing many hiccups. However, graphics-intensive games like BGMI or Call of Duty Mobile were lagging, and I noticed a lot of frame drops during the gameplay session. Moreover, the tablet was warm during the gaming session but not too hot. This is also reflected in the CPU Throttling Test app, in which the tablet throttled to 95 per cent of its max performance.
Realme Pad Mini Review: Software is clean
In the software department, the tablet comes loaded with a Realme UI for Pad user interface based on Android 11 out of the box. Naturally, you would expect the UI to feature the standard Realme UI skin in line with the company’s range of smartphones. However, to my surprise, it is entirely different. The UI instead comes with a stock Android finish with no bloatware. You only get a handful of Google apps like Google Kids Space, Google TV, GPay, Chrome, etc., and that’s it, no other bloatware that is quite prominent in Realme UI for smartphones.
The user interface is quick, and you get a smooth sailing experience throughout the day. This also means you can customise your Realme Pad Mini as you like with themes and icons. On the downside, the Realme UI for Pad is just a barebone version of Realme UI, which does not have any tablet-specific features to capitalise on the additional screen estate. Although you get a split-screen multitasking feature, there is no sign of a smart sidebar or floating windows app, which is one of the main highlights of Realme UI. So, if you are one of those who love the stock Android experience, then you can definitely try this tablet.
Realme Pad Mini Review: Good battery life
One of the major highlights of the Realme Pad Mini is its battery life. The tablet offers a 6,400mAh battery, which can easily deliver around 9 hours of screen-on time. This is primarily because of the lower resolution and energy-efficient processor. Moreover, the tablet also comes with 18W fast charging support, and the company has given the charge in-box, which is good. The tablet took around 3 hours to replenish fully during the testing. So, to put it in general perspective, you will get about 2 to 3 days of battery life on a single charge if you use the tablet lightly with a mix of small gaming sessions, streaming videos, listening to music and checking emails. With heavy usage, the tablet will still have enough juice left by the end of the day.
Realme Pad Mini Review: Verdict
The Realme Pad Mini is available in both Wi-Fi and LTE options. The base variant starts at Rs 10,999 for the Wi-Fi version with 3GB RAM and 32GB of internal storage. The top-end variant comes with LTE support and offers a 4GB + 64GB option for Rs 14,999. The Realme Pad Mini is a decent option for this price tag with a metal body, lightweight design, and good battery life. The performance is okay for this price, and the user interface is one of the highlights (though there could have been some tablet-centric features). The competition is also loaded with some interesting options like the Samsung Galaxy A7 Lite LTE, Lenovo M10, and more. So, if you are looking for a lightweight tablet that is easy to carry around and can fulfil your basic multimedia needs, then you can indeed consider the Realme Pad Mini.
