For a long time, Apple has reigned supreme in the tablet market. Other manufacturers, such as Xiaomi, are ramping up their game when it comes to affordable devices.
The iPad 10.2 2021 is the most affordable iPad in this year’s lineup, but for the same price, you can get the Xiaomi pad 5, which has some competitive features for the price.
So, which one provides you the most bang for your buck? Let’s compare the two tablets and see which one is the greatest option for you.
Read: iPad 9 Review
| PROS | PROS |
| Powerful performance. Multi-year OS upgrades. Solid front-facing camera. | Xiaomi’s software works great on large display. The screen looks fantastic. Impressive battery life. |
| CONS | CONS |
| Dated design. Tinny speakers. | Selfie camera has an awkward placement. No headphone jack. Comes with no peripherals. |
SPECS COMPARISON: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
| iPad 9th Gen | Xiaomi Pad 5 | |
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 250.6 x 174.1 x 7.5 mm, 487 grams | 254.7 x 166.3 x 6.9 mm, 511 g |
| DISPLAY | 10.2 inches, 1620 x 2160p (Quad HD+), Retina IPS LCD | 11 inches, 1600 x 2560p (Quad HD+), IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Apple A13 Bionic, octa-core 2.65 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 860, octa-core 2.96 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 64 GB – 3 GB RAM, 256 GB | 6 GB RAM, 128 GB – 6 GB RAM, 256 GB |
| SOFTWARE | iPadOS 15 | Android 11, MIUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Single 8 MP f/2.4 12 MP f/2.4 front camera | Single 13 MP f/2.0 8 MP f/2.0 front camera |
| BATTERY | 8557 mAh | 8720 mAh, fast charging 33W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Optional LTE, stylus support, keyboard support | Pen support, keyboard support |
DESIGN: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
The iPad 10.2 2021 brings a familiar look, which borders on being outdated. Now, that all other iPad’s have a different design. In fact, the Xiaomi Pad 5 resembles the current iPad design more than Apple’s cheap tablet. The rear of the Xiaomi feels plastic to the touch, even if it’s aluminum underneath.
DISPLAY: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
The Xiaomi is a little more elegant on the outside than the iPad. It sports a slightly larger LCD (11 inches instead of 10.2) and thinner bezels. The bigger bezels on both iPads provide room for a front-mounted home key with a fingerprint reader. The Xiaomi pad only has a face unlock option for biometric unlocking.
Despite the fact that both tablets’ displays are IPS LCDs with approximately the same pixel density, they are very different.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 is more cutting-edge, with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It adds 10-bit color and Dolby Vision support. It also has a 120hz refresh rate for even more smoothness when swiping and scrolling.
The ipad 10.2 2021 screen, on the other hand, is more retro. It has a 4:3 aspect ratio, a conventional 60hz refresh rate, and no wide color gamut. The pixel reaction time is very slow, thus smearing may occur when swiping about, especially with text.
The iPad 10.2 2021’s display is non-laminated, which is the major difference between it and the Xiaomi’s. This indicates that the display’s three layers, the LCD panel, the touch sensitive digitizer, and the glass panel, are not tightly bonded together. Instead, there is an air gap beneath the glass, which causes light to refract. It gives you a less clear image and more unpleasant reflections, especially if you’re using the tablet outside.
AUDIO: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
The first significant distinction is that the iPad 10.2 includes a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, whilst the Xiaomi has not. The iPad features only two stereo speakers, not four like the Xiaomi Pad, and they’re close together on the bottom.
ACCESSORIES: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
Both the ipad 10.2 and the xiaomi pad 5 have stylus support and support for a magnetic keyboard. In both cases, you need to buy these peripherals separately.
BATTERY: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
The battery capacity of the iPad 10.2 is around 8500 mAh, which is fairly similar to the 8700 mAh of the Xiaomi Pad 5. The battery life of the iPad isn’t bad, but screen on time is a few of hours less than on the Xiaomi pad.
Below we have shared the screen-on-time results between iPad 9 2021 and Xiaomi Pad 5.
The charging times of the two devices are comparable. We were able to charge the iPad from 0 to 24 percent in half an hour with the included adapter, compared to 27 percent on the Xiaomi.
CAMERAS: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
This new 12 MP front-facing camera, the iPad places more emphasis on video calls and selfies but the iPad’s rear camera is just 8 megapixels and hasn’t been changed in a couple of generations. In contrast, the Xiaomi has a higher resolution 13 megapixel rear camera. For Video recording, iPad is limited to 1080p but the xiaomi pad 5 can record 4K video.
PERFORMANCE: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
The iPad 10.2 2021 uses the same Apple A13 bionic processor as the iPhone 11 in 2019. Even though it isn’t quite up to the level of this year’s iPhone lineup, it gives excellent performance. There’s plenty of power here to handle your regular tasks as well as games. Thermals are also handled well.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 likewise delivers flagship-level performance, yet comparing the two tablets in benchmarks would be like comparing apple to an orange. Anyway, Both the interface and heavy games run fast and lag free on the Xiaomi pad 5. It also has a good cooling system for steady sustained performance.
SOFTWARE: iPad 9 Vs Xiaomi Pad 5
User interface is obviously different and could be a major factor in deciding which tablet to go for.
Apple’s iPad OS 15 is installed on the iPad 10.2. It has a relatively similar interface to prior iPads, but with some added features such as widget support on the home screen, improved split screen functionality, and an improved notes app. Because it’s an Apple product, you can expect a lot of software support.
The Xiaomi Pad 5 runs MIUI 12.5 for tablets, which is based on Android 11. It’s quite similar to what you’d get on the current Xiaomi phones, but with a few extra capabilities tailored to the stylus. However, unlike phones like the Xiaomi 11T, Xiaomi has not committed extended software support for the Xiaomi pad.
SHOULD YOU BUY iPad 9 2021 OR Xiaomi Pad 5?
Both are low-cost tablets that cost around the same, however there is a significant difference in quality.
Overall, it appears that Xiaomi is attempting to establish itself here, and it has packed a lot of value into this tablet in order to make it a runaway hit. Apple’s affordable iPad, on the other hand, has some outmoded capabilities and relies on the Apple name and ecosystem to generate sales.
Finally, unless you really require Apple software, I would recommend the Xiaomi Pad 5 above the iPad 10.2 2021.
