In the long conversation between aspiration and imitation, Xiaomi's Pad 7 Pro enters as an honest participant — a device that openly borrows Apple's design language and accessory philosophy, then asks whether the gap in price justifies the gap in polish. Released in early 2025 and priced around £449, it offers capable performance and a coherent ecosystem to markets outside the United States, where the tension between affordability and refinement is felt most acutely. It is a tablet that does not pretend to be something new, but asks instead whether being good enough, at the right price, is a v
Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro proves iPad-inspired design and accessories make for a winning Android tablet
If you're going to copy a product, the Magic Keyboard is a good one to borrow from.
Mark
Why does Xiaomi feel comfortable just copying Apple's design so directly? Doesn't that feel risky?
Mimi
It's not really risky if you're honest about it and you execute well. Apple's design language works—flat edges, minimalist aesthetic, premium materials. Xiaomi isn't hiding what it's doing. It's saying, "We like this approach, and we can do it cheaper." That's a legitimate value proposition.
Mark
But the software seems like the real problem here. You mentioned HyperOS is buggy. How much does that undermine the whole package?
Mimi
It's the weak link, honestly. You can have beautiful hardware and solid performance, but if multitasking is inconsistent and your own apps don't support split-screen, it feels unfinished. It's not broken—it works—but it doesn't feel polished. That's where iPad still wins decisively.
Mark
The accessories seem like they're doing a lot of heavy lifting in making this feel like a complete product.
Mimi
Absolutely. The Pro Focus Keyboard and stylus transform it from just a tablet into something you could actually work on. They're copies, sure, but they're good copies. The keyboard's trackpad is solid, the stylus is responsive. If Xiaomi had skipped the accessories, this would feel like a hollow imitation.
Mark
Who is this actually for? Who should buy it?
Mimi
Someone outside the U.S. who wants iPad-like design and functionality but doesn't want to pay iPad prices. Someone who values a cohesive accessory ecosystem. Not someone who needs the absolute best performance or the most polished software. It's a pragmatic choice, not an aspirational one.
Mark
The LCD display instead of OLED—how much does that actually matter in real use?
Mimi
You notice it if you're looking for it. Blacks aren't as deep, contrast isn't as rich. But for most content—browsing, video, productivity—it's fine. It's a cost-cutting measure that makes sense at this price point, but it's still a compromise.
Il Polso
- Xiaomi is making no apologies: the Pad 7 Pro is a deliberate, point-by-point answer to the iPad, from its flat aluminum edges to its Magic Keyboard clone and Apple Pencil-style stylus.
- The LCD display is the device's most visible compromise — sacrificing the deep contrast of OLED to keep costs down, a trade-off that will matter more to some buyers than others.
- HyperOS software introduces real friction, with inconsistent floating window behavior and split-screen limitations that even affect Xiaomi's own apps, undermining an otherwise snappy experience.
- A Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, 144Hz refresh rate, and 12-hour battery life give the tablet genuine staying power for productivity and media consumption across a full day.
- The tablet's absence from U.S. shelves narrows its audience considerably, leaving it to compete most directly against the OnePlus Pad 2, Honor MagicPad 2, and iPad Air in the markets where it does land.
In the long conversation between aspiration and imitation, Xiaomi's Pad 7 Pro enters as an honest participant — a device that openly borrows Apple's design language and accessory philosophy, then asks whether the gap in price justifies the gap in polish. Released in early 2025 and priced around £449, it offers capable performance and a coherent ecosystem to markets outside the United States, where the tension between affordability and refinement is felt most acutely. It is a tablet that does not pretend to be something new, but asks instead whether being good enough, at the right price, is a virtue of its own.
Xiaomi's strategy with the Pad 7 Pro is transparent and deliberate: build an Android tablet that mirrors the iPad's design, match its accessory ecosystem, and undercut its price. After time spent with the device, that strategy mostly holds.
At 11.2 inches with a 6.2mm frame and flat edges, the tablet will feel immediately familiar to anyone who has held an iPad. The landscape-oriented design — front camera on the top edge, logo running horizontal, power button doubling as a fingerprint sensor — signals that Xiaomi has thought carefully about how people actually use tablets. The borrowing from Apple is obvious, but the execution doesn't feel cheap.
The display is where trade-offs begin. Xiaomi chose LCD over OLED to manage costs, which means sacrificing deep blacks and contrast. What remains is still capable: 345 pixels per inch, a 144Hz refresh rate, 800 nits of peak brightness, and support for Dolby Vision and HDR10. It's a screen that serves its price point honestly.
Performance from the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 — paired with up to 12GB of RAM — is strong enough that most users won't feel the distance between it and flagship chips. Battery life stretches to around 12 hours of screen-on time, and 67W wired charging refills it in roughly an hour, though no charger ships in the box.
Software is the device's clearest weakness. HyperOS on Android 15 is functional but inconsistent — floating windows behave unpredictably, split-screen is restricted, and even Xiaomi's own Settings app doesn't support multitasking. A Mac wireless display feature exists but carries noticeable latency. The interface borrows familiar gestures from Apple without fully delivering Apple's reliability.
The accessory story is where Xiaomi's ambitions are most visible. The Pro Focus Keyboard is a Magic Keyboard in spirit and form — solid trackpad, decent key travel, though slightly softer underfoot. The Focus Pen snaps magnetically to the top edge for charging, responds well to input, and includes programmable buttons. The lineup is unoriginal by design, and it works.
At around £449, the Pad 7 Pro undercuts iPad pricing meaningfully. Its absence from U.S. markets limits its audience, but for buyers elsewhere weighing it against the OnePlus Pad 2, the 2025 iPad Air, or the OLED-equipped Honor MagicPad 2, it earns serious consideration — not as an innovator, but as a capable, honest alternative that knows exactly what it is.
Xiaomi has made no secret of its ambitions: build an Android tablet that feels like an iPad, costs less, and comes with the accessories to prove it works. The Pad 7 Pro is that tablet, and after spending time with it, the strategy mostly pays off.
The device sits at 11.2 inches with a slim 6.2mm frame, flat edges, and a minimalist aesthetic that will feel immediately familiar to anyone who's held an iPad. The back features a large, square camera module—visually prominent but housing only a single lens—and pogo pins for connecting accessories. You can choose from Gray, Blue, or Green, though the brighter colors feel more distinctive than the neutral Gray of the review unit. The design is clearly optimized for horizontal use: the logo runs landscape, the front camera sits on the top edge when held that way, and the power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor. It works. It feels sturdy. It's comfortable to hold. The industrial design borrows liberally from Apple, and there's no point pretending otherwise, but the execution is competent enough that it doesn't feel cheap.
The 11.2-inch display is where things get complicated. Xiaomi chose an LCD panel to keep costs down, which means you lose the deep blacks and superior contrast of OLED. That said, the 2136 x 3200 resolution delivers crisp text and detailed images at 345 pixels per inch. The 144Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and gaming feel smooth, and peak brightness reaches 800 nits—bright enough for outdoor use, though a bit more would have been welcome. The screen supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, so streaming content still looks solid. It's a capable display that makes compromises in service of price.
Performance comes from Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 paired with 8GB or 12GB of RAM depending on configuration. The review unit carried 12GB and 512GB of storage. In daily use, the tablet handles multitasking and demanding apps without hesitation. The software feels snappy. There's enough headroom here to keep the device performing well for several years, even for heavy users. It doesn't quite match the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but it's close enough that most people won't notice the gap.
Battery life is solid. The 8,850mAh cell delivers roughly 12 hours of screen-on time under typical use, which means a full day of work or several days of lighter browsing and video streaming. The tablet supports 67W wired charging and can reach full capacity in about an hour, though Xiaomi doesn't include a charger in the box. Software, however, remains the weak point. HyperOS runs on top of Android 15 and is functional but buggy. Floating window support is inconsistent—you can open one Chrome window as a floating app, but a second one requires switching to Workstation Mode, and even then you're limited in how you can size and position windows. Split-screen multitasking is restricted, and surprisingly, even Xiaomi's own Settings app doesn't support it. The interface borrows familiar touches from Apple, like a Control Center-style pull-down menu, and there's a neat feature allowing the Pad 7 Pro to act as a wireless display for a Mac, though with noticeable latency compared to Apple's Sidecar. It's serviceable software, but it can frustrate users expecting polish.
The accessory ecosystem is where Xiaomi's iPad strategy becomes most apparent. The Pro Focus Keyboard is essentially a Magic Keyboard clone—full-sized, with a solid trackpad and decent key travel, though the keys feel slightly softer and mushier than Apple's version. The magnets holding the tablet are stronger than Apple's, which means removing the device requires more effort. The Focus Pen is responsive and includes programmable buttons, snapping to the tablet's top edge for charging and storage just like an Apple Pencil. Xiaomi also offers a folio-style Pro Keyboard and basic cover. The accessory lineup is unoriginal, but if you're going to copy something, the Magic Keyboard is a smart choice.
The Pad 7 Pro costs around £449, which undercuts iPad pricing significantly. The catch is availability: the tablet isn't officially sold in the U.S., which limits its reach. For those in markets where it's available, it's worth serious consideration. Compared to the OnePlus Pad 2, it offers a more cohesive iPad-inspired ecosystem, though OnePlus edges ahead slightly in raw performance. Against the 2025 iPad Air, the Xiaomi feels less polished overall, and Apple's M2 chip delivers clear performance gains—but you'll pay more for that advantage. The Honor MagicPad 2 offers an OLED display that the Xiaomi can't match, but the Pad 7 Pro counters with stronger accessories. For anyone outside the U.S. looking for a capable Android tablet that doesn't pretend to be original but executes the formula well, the Pad 7 Pro deserves a look.
Citazioni salienti
It's a solid tablet that borrows the right things from Apple.— BGR review conclusion
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