Xiaomi has quietly shifted focus from smartphones to speakers and Android tablets in recent years.
Redmi launched the Pad Pro 5G in late 2024, followed by the Pad 2 in mid-2025, strengthening its budget tablet line-up.
Kicking off 2026, Redmi has unveiled the Pad 2 Pro 5G, positioned clearly above the Pad 2.
For Xiaomi, it was all about smartphones for the better part of the last decade. Recently, though, there has been a quiet shift for the company. Their standout products have not been smartphones but speakers, and particularly Android-based tablets. Yes, the Xiaomi Pad 7 was one of my absolute favourite products of 2025, mainly because of its nano-texture display.
In late 2024, Xiaomi’s sub-brand Redmi launched the Redmi Pad Pro 5G, and I called it “A Value-for-Money Android Tablet with 5G Connectivity”. Then, in mid-July of 2025, Redmi came out with the Pad 2, and I said this: “The Budget Tablet Category is Shining Bright”. Redmi is back with a bang to start 2026. Yes, the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G has been unleashed, and it's one beast of a tablet. It’s clearly positioned a step above the Redmi Pad 2. The company may have taken its time releasing the successor (to the original Pad Pro 5G), but this one is thoughtful, considerate, and comes with practical rather than flashy upgrades.
1 January 2026
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For the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G, the company has outfitted it with significantly better specifications for an overall superior experience. Yes, this tablet is suitable for both education (thanks to its keyboard accessory) and binge-watching. The Smart Pen, which I actually enjoyed for once, makes it a creativity-focused tablet as well.
What is the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G
The Redmi Pad 2 Pro comes in two variants. The Wi-Fi-only model starts at ₹22,999. Then there is the Wi-Fi & 5G variant, priced slightly higher at ₹25,999. Access to 5G comes via a SIM card. The Redmi Pad 2 Pro comes with a 12.1-inch 2.5K LCD (with a 120Hz AdaptiveSync refresh rate), up to 600 nits of peak brightness, and Dolby Vision support. This is slightly larger than the 11-inch display on the regular Redmi Pad 2. The tablet runs on Xiaomi’s HyperOS 2, based on Android 15, and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 processor.
Then there is a massive 12,000 mAh battery, a 33W fast charger, and reverse charging support. Furthermore, some official accessories were launched alongside the tablet. There’s the Smart Pen stylus and the Redmi Pad 2 Pro Keyboard.
Design
The Redmi Pad 2 Pro features a metal alloy chassis, compared to the aluminium unibody design of the Redmi Pad 2. The metal alloy chassis gives the tablet a much more solid build, as it is sturdier and can better withstand accidental nicks and drops from relatively low heights. The tablet may be larger, but the weight distribution is good, and it isn’t unwieldy, even when you try to use it one-handed.
The in-hand feel is one of my favourite things about this tablet. With curved edges, the grip is much better than ever. Thanks to the keyboard accessory, I don’t have to hold the tablet while using it, but if I did, I wouldn’t be bogged down at all.
With the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G, you get a USB-C port (for charging), quad speaker grilles, power and volume buttons, and the tablet is even IP53 rated.
My only complaint is that the tablet doesn’t look as sleek and premium as the hardware suggests. This is thanks to the thick black bezels around the screens. It seems the company didn’t think twice about the tablet's thick bezels. Unfortunately, customers’ preferences have changed in recent times, and buyers look for something visually appealing when buying a smartphone or a tablet. Yes, the tablet does still catch smudges, but nothing that is a dealbreaker.
Display & Performance: The fastest Redmi Pad out there
Yes, having the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chip under the hood means the Redmi Pad 2 Pro flies through tasks. With floating windows and a horizontal app layout, multitasking has reached a new level.
The 2.5K LCD shines bright. It’s lively, with colours popping and text being as crisp as ever. While I’ve been spoiled by the nano-texture display on the Redmi Pad 7, I’m not unhappy with the LCD here. It’s great for daily use. My only complaint is that the reflections are a bit too much at times.
I won’t go into the software much, but HyperOS has a multitasking-focused UI. Floating windows quickly became one of my favourite things about the tablet. Split-screen was seamless. Again, with HypoerOS 3 already released and much more refined, I just wish the company had launched the Pad 2 Pro with that software out of the box.
Battery life: Yes, it’s hard to kill the Redmi Pad 2 Pro
With a massive 12,000mAh capacity battery, it’s hard to kill the tablet. I don’t even know how many days this lasted. Forget days, this one lasts well over a week with moderate usage. Yes, I managed to eke out over 16 hours of screen-on-time (SoT). Massive, mammoth, monumental. Use whatever adjectives you’d like.
With the 33W charger (included in the box), the tablet can be juiced from 0 to 100 percent in just under 3 hours. Yes, it’s slow, but with a 12,000mAh battery, you’d need to charge it very infrequently.
The kicker here is that the tablet supports 27W reverse wired charging. This means that you can use the tablet as a power bank and juice up all your latest smartphones with relative ease, and pretty fast too.
Standout accessories
A treat for multitaskers and creative souls. This is why the Redmi Pad 2 Pro 5G stands out in this segment. Yes, the Redmi Pad 2 Pro Keyboard connects seamlessly, without any hurdles. There are plenty of keyboard shortcuts, and apps and browsers support them. The keyboard accessory is one of my favourite things about this tablet. Despite having a smaller key travel and a slightly cramped keypad, I was able to get my typing speed up to normal in no time. The keyboard turns the tablet into a laptop-like device, making it ideal for students. Thanks to this keyboard accessory, the tablet is better suited to productivity than to entertainment. It’s got productivity at its core, and I’m here for it.
I’m not a big doodler, but my friends really liked the Smart Pen. It felt more natural to them thanks to the lower latency than previous iterations. It’s great for note-taking, sketching, and much more.
A varied target audience
Tablets, priced at the lower end, don’t usually stand out. They all make the same mistakes, the same compromises, and you end up feeling a little shortchanged. That hasn’t been the case with past Redmi tablets, except for the Redmi Pad SE, which I didn’t really get the point of. With the Redmi Pad 2 Pro, I can finally say that Xiaomi has nailed it. The tablet is targeted at a variety of consumers and has succeeded across all areas.
With decent audio coming from the quad speakers, the tablet can be used for online classes, conference calls, and even some live sports on the side. With the keyboard accessory, journalists like me can take the tablet on a short work trip while leaving my heavier laptop at home. For creatives out there, the Smart Pen comes in handy for doodling, taking quick notes while listening to a lecture, or so that you don’t forget something.
Verdict: Best mid-range (or budget tablet, depending on how you look at the market) out there?
Yes, the Redmi Pad 2 Pro is a cut above other Android tablets available in the market. Mid-range tablets have gotten a bump in recent times, both in specs and software, and Xiaomi is at the forefront with the Redmi Pad 2 Pro. It’s got excellent performance (a good boost compared to its predecessor), a great LCD (maybe next time we’ll get an AMOLED display), polished software that's good for multitasking, and a tablet you can get work done on, just like I have with this review.
Yes, you can’t use the tablet, even with the keyboard accessory attached, while you’re lying in bed, but on any flat surface, this one will be raring to go. Yes, the bezels are thicker than one would hope, and charging times are hopelessly slow, but the latter isn’t at all a dealbreaker thanks to the massive battery inside. 5G and 27W reversed wired charging are significant upgrades and bonuses compared to the competition.
Do yourself a favour and get the Redmi Pad 2 Pro Keyboard and Smart Pen, and this is one tablet you’ll keep coming back to for more.
Personally, I’m really excited for the upcoming Xiaomi Pad 8 & Pad 8 Pro, but those would undoubtedly be priced higher, so that’s something to consider.
