Xiaomi has just launched new flagship smartphones in China, but don’t forget about the tablets!
As good as the Xiaomi 17 series handsets look, it was the Pad 8 series that caught my attention. Specifically, the more premium Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, which is shaping up to be one of the best cheap slates of 2026.
No, that’s not a typo. By the time the Pad 8 Pro gets a global launch, we’ll almost certainly be into 2026. And if past years are anything to go by, Mobile World Congress in Barcelona at the start of March is the most likely launch pad.
If true, it means a painfully long wait for a tablet that looks highly compelling. Here are five reasons why it absolutely needs to go global, and preferably not five months from now.
Flagship-esque design
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro will probably cost under £500 when it arrives in the UK, but you wouldn’t know it from its build quality.
Xiaomi has stuck with the same blend of aluminium and glass that we enjoyed so much on the Pad 7. And if the official photos are anything to go by, the grey, blue and green finishes will all look the part.
Despite reducing the weight to 485g, I wouldn’t expect the Pad 8 Pro to feel flimsy at all. However, it’s worth noting that there’s still no official IP rating for water and dust resistance.
No OLED, no problem (probably)
It’s tempting to look at what you’re missing out on with the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro compared to flagship tablets, and OLED is probably the first thing you’ll notice.
Just like its predecessors, the Pad 8 Pro opts for an LCD display instead, presumably to cut costs. However, I’d be shocked if any buyers end up complaining about a sub-par screen.
Xiaomi
Indeed, the Pad 7’s LCD panel was a real hit with Tech Advisor’s reviewer, and there are plenty of premium specs elsewhere. These include an 11.2-inch display with a crisp 2136 x 3200 resolution and silky-smooth 144Hz refresh rate. What’s not to like?
Top-class performance
I don’t need to test the Pad 8 Pro to tell you that its performance will be excellent. Unless Xiaomi absolutely botches its integration into the device, which is highly unlikely, there’ll be more than enough power for basically any task.
That’s because the device uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset. It’s just been replaced as Qualcomm’s flagship by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, but that shouldn’t be a cause for concern at all.
Luke Baker
I’ve tested several devices that use the 8 Elite, and performance has been a highlight every single time. Whether you just want to browse the web and scroll social media or want a device for serious editing or gaming, the Pad 8 Pro will serve you well.
An even bigger battery
While we haven’t reviewed the Xiaomi Pad 7 Pro at Tech Advisor, its regular sibling has an identical 11.2-inch display and 8850mAh battery.
And our reviewer had absolutely no problems with its battery life, so I’m expecting the larger 9200mAh cell to yield even better stamina. The extra power efficiency gains from the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset could make this more significant than the modest jump in capacity suggests.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
With 67W charging also available (albeit with no charger in the box), it shouldn’t be long before you’re back up and running again.
An affordable price tag (hopefully)
Of course, the key selling point of Xiaomi tablets has typically been their affordability.
We don’t know how much the Pad 8 Pro will cost in the UK and Europe yet, but the Chinese launch makes for encouraging reading.
Its CNY 2,799 starting price is the same as the Pad 7 Pro, which ended up being £449. There’s also a more affordable regular Pad 8, though its CNY 2,199 price suggests an increase compared to the Pad 7’s UK price of £369, and the chipset, cameras and charging speeds are downgraded.
Assuming that’s the case this time around, it’d make the Pad 8 Pro superb value on paper. When the 11-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 starts at £799/$799 and only offers minor upgrades, Xiaomi’s tablet becomes even more appealing.
Of course, there are plenty of things we don’t know until testing, but if you’re willing to wait, the Pad 8 Pro could be a brilliant cheap tablet in 2026. Hopefully it launches sooner rather than later, though!
Need a new slate right now? Check out our guide to the best tablets you can buy.
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