Xiaomi officially unveiled the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 back in November. At first, a 16 GB variant of the tablet running on Android was offered at 999 yuan (roughly $156). This time around, the highly anticipated 64 GB model running on either Android or Windows 10 rolled out in China, where it came with a 1,299 yuan (roughly $203) price tag.
Fans were ecstatic about the news, and the slabs flew off the shelves in less than one minute. Yes, no exaggeration there: the device literally went out of stock under 60 seconds.
Regardless of whether there simply were not enough units to go around or it was just greatly in demand, not every customer was able to get their hands on it. In case the reason is sheer popularity, it's probably because of the build, cost-effectiveness and, of course, respectable hardware specifications. But how does it fare against the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and the iPad Mini 4?
Xiaomi Mi Pad 2
Just like its predecessor, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 keeps a 7.9-inch display, packing a 1,536 x 2,048 resolution with 326 ppi. Out of the box, it runs on either Android or Windows 10 – to be clear, only the 64 GB variant will have a Windows OS version. Under the hood is an Intel Atom X5-Z8500 and a quad-core CPU clocked at 2.24 GHz along with 2 GB worth of RAM. The device will be powered by a 6,190 mAh battery pack. As far as GPU goes, it features Intel HD Graphics.
As mentioned earlier, the Xiaomi tablet comes with an internal storage of either 16 GB or 64 GB. For the cameras, it's fitted with an 8 MP rear-facing camera and a 5 MP front snapper.
It's available in dark gray or champagne gold color.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 has an 8-inch model and a 9.7-inch one, sporting a 4,000 mAh battery pack and a 5,870 mAh one respectively. The tablet also has a 1,536 x 2,048 resolution with 320 ppi for the smaller model and 264 for the larger one. It runs on Android 5.0.2 Lollipop and houses two sets of quad-core CPUs at 1.9 GHz and 1.3 GHz with 3 GB RAM.
The internal storage is measured at 32 GB or 64 GB, which is expandable up to 128 GB via a microSD card. Regarding the cameras, the tablet is equipped with an 8 MP primary shooter and a 5 MP secondary one.
The Galaxy Tab S2 comes in white, black or gold.
Apple iPad Mini 4
The small trend going on here continues, as the Apple iPad Mini 4 also has a 1,536 x 2,048 resolution. It also has a 7.9-inch form factor, pushing out 324 ppi overall. It runs on iOS 9 and is upgradable to iOS 9.2, and the device is powered by the Apple A8 chipset with a dual-core Typhoon clocked at 1.5 GHz along with 2 GB RAM and a 5,124 mAh battery pack. It has a PowerVR GX6450 GPU as well.
As for the native storage, it comes in 16 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB variants. While it has a 8 MP rear shooter, it has a pretty decent 1.2 MP front camera.
When it comes to colors, the iPad Mini 4 is available in space gray, silver or gold.
Comparison
To start things off, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 tops the competition battery life-wise, capable of lasting longer than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 and the Apple iPad Mini 4.
Meanwhile, in terms of the displays, it's pretty much a personal preference, but the option to go with a larger one does earn the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 some well-deserved points.
In the case of the operating systems, the Apple iPad Mini 4 is a different matter, but with the remaining two that are running Android, the Xiaomi tablet goes slightly above with the choice to go for Windows 10 – not really sure why anyone would prefer that, but it's there.
Although all of them have 8 MP primary cameras, the Apple device falls behind with a 1.2 MP front snapper, but it makes up for it with a couple of nifty features such as improved face detection.
As for overall storage, Samsung's slab wins in this department, as it can go up to 64 GB and further with a 128 GB microSD card.
On that note, the Galaxy Tab S2 also comes out on top when it comes to RAM, as it's the only one that sports 3 GB. What's more, it has an octa-core offering, and it's reportedly in queue for an Android 6.0 Marshmallow update.
Lastly, the Mi Pad 2 ranges from $156 to $203, the Galaxy Tab S2 from $398 to $527 for the 8-inch model and $540 to $616 for the 9.7-inch one, and the iPad Mini 4 goes from $399 to $729.
Verdict
The Mi Pad 2 has plenty to offer, but it falls just a bit short compared with the Galaxy Tab S2 despite having a USB Type-C port. On the other hand, it does have a few advantages over the iPad Mini 4, where the two are arguably neck and neck.
Simply put, the Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 is a decent tablet with an affordable price tag, whereas the Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 triumphs in the specs competition but comes with a heftier cost. At any rate, a $200 tablet that has comparable specs with the other two here is a good buy.
Photo: Martin Voltri | Flickr
