Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen): Best Tablet Under Rs. 30,000?

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Design

The Apple iPad (9th Gen) uses a metal unibody design which makes it look premium and also offers a great in-hand feel with a curved back panel. The Xiaomi Pad 5 on the other hand also looks premium with a metal frame. However, it has sharper chamfered edges, which might hurt the hand with continuous usage.

From the front, the Xiaomi Pad 5 definitely looks more premium, and it even matches the looks of a more expensive iPad Air or an iPad Pro. Apple iPad (9th Gen) still has thick bezels, and it looks like an iPad that is at least 5 years old. In terms of design, I prefer the Xiaomi Pad 5 over the Apple iPad (9th Gen) any day.

 

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Display

Again, on paper, the Xiaomi Pad 5 is better than the Apple iPad (9th Gen) Both tablets have a display with over 2K resolution, while the iPad has a 60Hz display, the Xiaomi Pad 5 has a 120Hz refresh rate panel. On top of that, the Xiaomi Pad 5 also has Dolby Vision support.

For content consumption, both tablets offer a great experience. Do note that, most of the major OTT platforms only support either FHD or UHD streaming, hence, most of the content will be upscaled to 1440p, which might look less sharp, especially when compared to a device with a native 1080p display.

The Xiaomi Pad 5 has a quad-speaker setup with Dolby Atmos certification, while the Apple iPad (9th Gen) has a stereo speaker setup. In real-world usage, I felt that despite having a quad-speaker setup, the Xiaomi Pad 5's audio performance is just on par with the Apple iPad (9th Gen) and is definitely not better than the iPad.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Performance

The Apple iPad (9th Gen) is powered by the A13 Bionic chipset, while the Xiaomi Pad 5 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC. Both tablets are powered by a slightly dated flagship processor, hence, they do offer a smooth user experience and best-in-class performance.

You can play demanding titles like COD: Mobile or BGMI without any issue on both devices. Again, with Xiaomi Pad 5 having a 120Hz refresh rate, it might have a slight edge over the Apple iPad. The Xiaomi Pad 5 with a 120Hz refresh rate also feels much smoother than the iPad. However, the smoothness is not consistent, as the device seems to stutter while scrolling or opening an app at times.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Software

This is where Apple takes a huge leap over the Xiaomi Pad 5. The Apple iPad (9th Ge) runs on the latest iPadOS 15, while the Xiaomi Pad 5 runs on Android 11 OS, which is a dated OS. Not just the software version, but the iPadOS on the Apple iPad has been better optimized for the tablet form-factor.

In a recent feature, I said that there are a few apps that aren't optimized for the iPad. However, after using the Xiaomi Pad 5 I can say that MIUI for Pad on the Xiaomi Pad 5 has a lot more apps such as Twitter and Facebook, which are just scaled-up versions of mobile/smartphone apps.

There is also a certain consistency with the iPadOS when compared to MIUI for Pad. Lastly, the Apple iPad (9th Gen) will also get extended software support when compared to the Xiaomi Pad 5.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: File Management

Despite having an iPad, the only reason that I bought the Xiaomi Pad 5 is for the amount of freedom in file management offered on the Xiaomi Pad 5. You can just plug the Xiaomi Pad 5 into a laptop to move files, while the same is not possible on the Apple iPad.

The Xiaomi Pad 5, as it runs on Android OS also offers a sense of freedom and allows you to sideload apps, and you can even download torrent files (for accessing open-source software and tools). Hence, when it comes to user freedom, the Android-powered Xiaomi Pad 5 is better than the Apple iPad.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Accessories

As the Xiaomi Pad 5 is a pretty new product, there aren't many third-party accessories available for the same. The iPad has plenty of third-party and first-party accessories such as a keyboard, case, stylus, folio case, and more. Hence, in terms of eco-system, Apple iPad is better than the Xiaomi Pad 5.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Battery Life

Both tablets have a large battery, and can easily last for an entire day of usage without any issue. The Apple iPad uses a lightning port for charging, while the Xiaomi Pad 5 uses a USB Type-C port. Another advantage of the Apple iPad (9th Gen) over the Xiaomi Pad 5 is the 3.5mm headphone jack, where a user can plug in a wired headphone even while charging the device.

Xiaomi Pad 5 Vs Apple iPad (9th Gen) Comparision: Verdict

If you are looking for a tablet for long-term usage, the Apple iPad (9th Gen) seems to be a great pick. If you want a device that gives more freedom with more storage, then the Xiaomi Pad 5 is a great pick. Overall, for under Rs. 30,000 we still believe the Apple iPad (9th Gen) is better than the Xiaomi Pad 5 for most users.