Redmi Pad 2 quick review: Big specs, small price tag

India Today

7 days ago

It's been a while since Redmi launched a proper budget tablet. I remember trying out the original Redmi Pad back in 2022 — it was decent for its time, but of course, there was room for improvement. So, when I heard about the Redmi Pad 2, I was curious. Three years is a long time, and you'd hope the company would use that gap to polish things up and bring something that feels a bit more complete and blows you away with its value proposition.advertisementI've been using the new Redmi Pad 2 for a few days now — not enough to call it a full review, but just enough to get a feel of what it's like to live with. And so far, honestly, it's been pretty refreshing. Here are my first impressions.Multimedia enthusiasts are going to love itRight out of the box, it's clear this tablet means business. It's got a clean, minimal design — the kind that doesn't scream 'budget' the second you hold it. Sure, it's a bit thicker and heavier than the first-gen model, but that is okay. It still feels light enough to hold comfortably with one hand and prop up on your lap while watching something.
I've been using the Sky Blue variant, which looks quite nice and refreshing. There's also a Graphite Grey finish, for folks who prefer a more subdued look. Also, just the way it feels in the hand — the flat edges, the metal-like back — it gives off the premium tablet vibes without costing like one.advertisementAnother thing I wasn't expecting to say, but the display is probably my favourite part so far. It's an 11-inch LCD panel with 2.5K resolution, and it supports a 90Hz refresh rate — and that combination really shows in day-to-day use. Everything looks crisp, the animations are smooth, and just scrolling through stuff feels satisfying.Most of my use has been casual — YouTube, Netflix, a bit of Chrome, nothing too heavy — and the display's held up beautifully. The colours are punchy, and the brightness is good enough for indoor use. Outdoors, it struggles a bit, but I guess that's fair at this price.Redmi has gone with four speakers again, and they've partnered with Dolby Atmos for tuning. It's not crazy loud, but the clarity is good. Vocals are sharp, background scores don't get lost, and there's even a bit of bass — just enough to enjoy a movie or a podcast without needing headphones all the time. For a tablet that costs under Rs 15,000, I'd say the audio is definitely above average. Of course, you won't get home-theatre-level sound, but it doesn't sound tinny or hollow either.HyperOS makes it feel more fluidThis is also one of the first budget tablets I've tried that runs HyperOS 2.0 atop Android 15. And honestly, I quite liked it. It actually feels smoother than MIUI ever did on a tablet. Transitions are quick, the 90Hz helps, and general apps — YouTube, Chrome, Notes, WhatsApp — all feel fairly well optimised for a bigger screen.advertisementThere are some pre-installed apps, which is typical Redmi, but nothing that annoyed me enough to uninstall right away. If anything, the whole UI feels a bit more thought-out.Reliable performance throughoutThis one's powered by the MediaTek Helio G100 — and while it's not the kind of chipset that'll blow benchmarks out of the water, it's held up okay so far. I've mostly used it for media, casual browsing, and a bit of video calling — and in all of that, the tablet didn't stutter or hang.Of course, I'm not gaming on this thing (and I don't think it's meant for that), but for basic stuff, it seems to handle things fine. I'll obviously push it more in the coming weeks, but as far as first impressions go, it feels steady, not sluggish.And coming to one of the biggest highlights — this tablet comes with a 9,000mAh silicon-carbon battery, and that's quite a bit — especially paired with a low-power chip and a clean UI. I've been using it for a couple of hours each day, and I still haven't had to charge it after four days. So far, it looks like this thing could easily go five days between charges for casual users.advertisementCharging isn't blazing fast, though, so if you run it dry, expect to wait a bit. But the trade-off for long battery life feels fair here.It also supports Redmi's own stylus (sold separately), and while I've only tested it briefly, it works well enough for casual note-taking or sketching. It's nowhere near as precise as Samsung's S Pen or the Apple Pencil, but again — this is a budget tablet. Just the fact that it has stylus support at all feels like a win at this price.As for the cameras, well, they are basic. The 8-megapixel rear one is fine for scanning documents or clicking something quickly, and the 5-megapixel front camera — placed in landscape — is way better for video calls. It doesn't make you look awkwardly off-centre, and the quality is usable.Lastly, the Redmi Pad 2 has LTE support if you get the right variant, and that's good for people who want to stay connected on the go.advertisementSumming upThe Redmi Pad 2 starts at Rs 13,999 for the Wi-Fi-only version with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage. LTE models go higher — Rs 15,999 and Rs 17,999, for the 6GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB variants, respectively.From what I've seen so far, it feels like Redmi's taken a measured, sensible approach with this one. They didn't try to do too much, and instead focused on getting the important stuff right — the display, battery life, and a cleaner software experience.I'll be testing it more over the next week or so — pushing it with heavier tasks, trying out the stylus more, and seeing how it holds up over time. But as of now, it's been a pretty pleasant surprise.Stay tuned to India Today Tech for our full review of the Redmi Pad 2.