The market for tablet computers in a relatively short time has reached unprecedented volumes. 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 computer is even more important.
Amid such a demand, there is nothing surprising in the supply volume of these devices. Many companies that produce telephones also manufacture computers, successfully combining these products into entire model lines for more effective market promotion.
"Chinese Apple"
We all heard about Xiaomi. This, as the name implies, is a Chinese concern engaged in the production of electronics: smartphones, tablets, various accessories and other gadgets. In the field of view of world media and technology fans, this manufacturer has 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 developers of attractive (externally and due to their parameters) devices were dubbed the “new Apple”. 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 tablet market review, we will focus on the product from this company. This is, you guessed it, the Xiaomi MiPad. This is a device that has taken a serious position in the Android tablet market. It is to him that we will devote our today's article.
Concept
Everyone would like to have an optimal mobile device, which would be affordable at an affordable cost and at the same time have the highest possible technical characteristics. This is the main goal of each customer: to get the most functional device as cheap as possible. Xiaomi is focusing on this requirement.
Do not confuse this developer with a string of Chinese companies that produce copies of famous products.
The concept of devices released by Xiaomi is unique. The company tries to adhere to the highest possible quality standards, use the most suitable components, pay attention to the assembly of all elements and optimize all processes. All this is done in such a way that there remains the opportunity to offer the buyer the most favorable price for their product. And, of course, Xiaomi's MiPad device proves to us that such an approach may turn out to be advantageous. Its developers comply with all versions of their tablet (and two of them went on sale).
Kit
The characteristic of the gadget (traditionally) will begin with the idea of ​​its set. After all, what we see by opening the box with the goods plays a big role. In this case, we will talk about simple packaging made of rough cardboard, which Xiaomi uses for all 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 be seen in the issue of product configuration.
A charger and a set of instructions are all that we found under the cover of the Xiaomi MiPad box.
Of course, between these elements there is also the tablet itself , protected on all sides by a dense layer of cardboard. To tell you the truth, against the background of rough material, he looks even more eloquent and spectacular. Perhaps this is precisely what the developers are seeking.
Design
In terms of appearance, Xiaomi can not be called so individual. Obviously, all the exterior elements used on smartphones and tablets of this brand are borrowed from Apple itself. For example, in its device, the Xiaomi MiPad (16Gb) tablet resembles an iPad mini. Due to the rubberized glossy finish of the entire case, 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 the Android OS.
On the one hand, this is still a very successful move, since shiny plastic looks no less spectacular than on its “apple” original. On the other hand, borrowing a successful design, Xiaomi adopted the less positive qualities of another device, including the “easily soiled” case.
It is expressed in this way: in practice, on the Xiaomi MiPad (16Gb), all of the user's fingerprints 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 - wiping the surface of a computer is easy enough.
Screen
Chinese engineers paid a lot of attention to the display device. It was equipped with an LCD screen, which surpasses in its capabilities many of the compact tablets on the market with HD and FullHD-graphics. The resolution of Xiaomi MiPad (w3bsit3-dns.com contains more detailed information about 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 indicator is 324 ppi, and it can definitely be called very high compared to similar devices.
Shell
Xiaomi also selected a graphical interface to match its “apple” competitors in the electronics market. At least the MiUI shell, which is installed on the smartphones and tablets of this developer, clearly testifies to this.
To notice the similarities is quite simple: gradients, rounded icons, colors - all this very much reminds everyone of their favorite iOS. And of course, this developer also plays on such a love for “apple” gadgets, attracting customers to Xiaomi MiPad.
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).
CPU
In the operation of any device, an important evaluation criterion is performance. How optimized the processes on the tablet are, 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 frequency of 2.2 GHz, adapted to play colorful games and to work without hitches. It is very simple to work with it due to the high reaction speed of the device. Plus, given the high computing ability of the device, you can work with “heavy” graphics on the tablet.
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 increase the technical characteristics and increase the capabilities of the gadget.
Camera
Of course, in order to create pictures, no one buys a tablet. This is clearly a secondary, additional option that developers include in the set of requirements.
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 can show very good results. Pictures are processed at the program level, which makes them somewhat sharper and more saturated.
Battery
Another important point is the power source of the gadget. Since this is a tablet, it is obvious that it consumes energy quite quickly due to the large display and many supported functions. Take at least activated 3G / LTE connection or play a high-quality video.
Therefore, the developer installed a battery with a capacity of 6700 mAh on the first version, and 6100 mAh on a newer one. The power consumption on the Xiaomi MiPad 2 will probably be more optimized. Perhaps the fact that the manufacturer wants to change the dimensions of the device by reducing them on the new model played a role. Be that as it may, but a battery with a capacity of 6 thousand mAh is also a good indicator.
Versions
The differences in the first generation MiPad concerned only the color combinations of devices. The user was given a choice of body colors for his Xiaomi MiPad. W3bsit3-dns.com indicates that in the new generation, the buyer will be able to choose even the operating system on which his computer will operate. In particular, as previously reported, a version with Windows 10 will be available for sale. They will probably develop a new graphical shell that will repeat the aforementioned MiUI.
There are also rumors about the imminent release of a new version of the tablet - the third generation. True, what will be available to its owners is not yet clear.
Cost
Xiaomi device prices have always been famous for their affordability. The manufacturer really often relies on the budget of his gadgets. And, as sales statistics show, this is a completely justified move.
So, the first tablet cost between $ 240-280 (depending on the amount of internal memory on the device); and the second - from 156 to 203 dollars (referring to the generation of released devices). Thus, we can conclude that the final price of these devices is reduced.
Moreover, the figures are presented at the time of release of the tablet. Obviously, after a certain period after their debut, the cost of the devices will fall, which will make them even more affordable.
Reviews
During the writing of the article, we found numerous reviews describing the Xiaomi MiPad. All of them are compiled by the owners of the devices, by the way, most of them are positive. Many even appreciated the maximum quality of their tablet.
People writing 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 in general. This already makes it possible to talk about high performance and speed. Further, from a positive point of view, the design (albeit copied) is noted. Gadget owners write that the rubberized plastic lies well in the hands, does not slip out, but looks great. They also note the quality materials from which the Xiaomi MiPad is assembled.
The review practically did not affect the battery life of the tablet - we just gave a description of its battery. Users emphasize that the device can operate for a sufficiently long period without recharging, which makes it ideal for use on the road or in the absence of a power source.
There are, however, negative reviews - they contain information about the shortcomings of the gadget. For example, someone is not happy with the firmware installed on the 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 communication) and the breakdown of the accelerometer, due to which it is not possible to rotate the display as needed.
Some people still have mechanical problems when the device starts to discharge too quickly or completely refuses to see the charger.
A number of users complain about the easily soiled body and fingerprints that remain wherever possible. There are still complaints about the presence of Chinese applications that are not so actively used by us, because of which 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, the camera “makes noise” and “distorts” the color balance. Perhaps this is so, but you should not compare the quality of shooting with a tablet with what even a simple “camera phone” can offer, not to mention the camera.
In addition to the above, there are reports of processor heating (located in the area of ​​the camera), which makes working with the phone not so comfortable. With a heavy load, the temperature in this place of the case rises quite noticeably.
conclusions
The many problems that we 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 brightness of the screen or 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 do.
As for the software and the “crash” of applications, the developers of the company always work 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, the result of our review can be summed up by 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 demand from a budget Android gadget for this money?