Hands on: Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is the closest you can get to an iPad Pro on Android
Source: Mashable Tech
Overview
By Stan Schroeder – Senior Editor
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He’s got more battery‑powered gadgets and band t‑shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing – typically a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
Published on February 28, 2026
Share:
Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is one of the sleekest Android tablets you can get.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Xiaomi’s strategy when it comes to phones, tablets, and accompanying accessories appears to be pretty simple: make it as Apple‑like as possible while still using the best that the Android ecosystem has to offer.
The company’s new Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro, launched during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, is no different. It’s a powerful, 11.2‑inch tablet with slim black bezels, a metallic unibody frame, and a set of accessories that can turn it into a compact, portable computer—including a pen and two different keyboards.
The Xiaomi Magic Keyboard Pro Focus. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it?
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Inside, you’ll find a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a 9,200 mAh battery, 8 / 12 GB of RAM, 128 / 256 / 512 GB of storage, and quad speakers with Hi‑Res audio and Dolby Atmos support. The 50‑megapixel main camera on the back coupled with a 32‑megapixel selfie camera sounds like overkill for a tablet, but then again—why not?
You May Also Like
(related content placeholder)
All tablets look similar, but having spent some time with the device I can tell you that the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro really wears its influence on the sleeve. Its dimensions are nearly identical to the 11‑inch iPad Pro, down to the thinness and weight (Xiaomi: 5.75 mm and 485 g; iPad Pro: 5.3 mm and 444 g). Xiaomi’s Magic Keyboard Pro Focus is a dead ringer for Apple’s Magic Keyboard (Xiaomi also offers a more portable version called the Xiaomi Magic Keyboard Pro). Even the Xiaomi Focus Pen Pro looks pretty much exactly like the Apple Pencil.
There’s an optional pen, and another, lighter keyboard on offer as well.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
The good news is that Xiaomi’s tablet and accessories are all quality‑made, so if you don’t mind the similarities with Apple, you don’t have to worry about them not being good. In other words: it’s not just a cheap knock‑off.
In fact, Xiaomi’s tablet beats its competitors in several regards:
- Both cameras are impressive for a tablet.
- Fast 67 W charging.
- A crisp 3.2K display.
- The 9,200 mAh battery seems to last forever for browsing, reading, or even using the tablet as a secondary display (yes, you can do that even if you have a Mac).
Sure, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro isn’t an absolute powerhouse like the iPad Pro—it uses a smartphone‑class chip—but the vast majority of users don’t need a tablet to be more powerful. For what it’s worth, I’ve found the Pad 8 Pro to be very snappy in everyday tasks.
Xiaomi’s HyperOS software could use some work, though. It is extraordinarily similar to Apple’s iPadOS, down to the icon design. Sometimes you can tell it’s an adaptation of a smartphone OS. For example, I was frustratedly unable to set up even the simplest widgets the way I wanted; the widgets take up tons of empty space for no good reason. AI is baked in, of course, in the form of Google Gemini; you can invoke the assistant with a long press of the power button.
You can get the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro in Blue, Gray, and (pictured) Pine Green.
Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable
Depending on which keyboard you choose, you’ll either get a slightly bulkier tablet that feels more like a tiny laptop, or a truly portable tablet that also happens to have a decent keyboard. I’d probably opt for the bulkier Magic Keyboard Pro Focus, simply because it has a touchpad.
Despite the fancy keyboards, this thing is not a great replacement for a laptop, but neither is the iPad. Instead, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is a pro‑looking Android tablet that will excel at things tablets are for: browsing, reading, gaming, and some light work.
Author
Stan Schroeder – Senior Editor
Stan is a Senior Editor at Mashable, where he has worked since 2007. He’s got more battery‑powered gadgets and band t‑shirts than you. He writes about the next groundbreaking thing—typically a phone, a coin, or a car. His ultimate goal is to know something about everything.
Images
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16 + and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.