They are the two most high-profile Android tablets to be released in the Indian market over the past few months. And while there does seem to be a bit of a gulf between their pricing, the similarities between them are so great that consumers have been wondering which one to go for. We are talking about the first tablet from OnePlus — OnePlus Pad — and the latest tablet from Xiaomi — Xiaomi Pad 6. Both tablets come with good hardware and innovative software, and both come with special keyboards and styluses that make them more productive and even let them step into notebook shoes for a while. 


So, which of the two is the better tablet for you? We attempt to answer all the questions you have about OnePlus Pad and Xiaomi Pad 6.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which Is Costlier?


OnePlus Pad is available at Rs 37,999 for the 8GB+256GB model and Rs 39,999 for the 12GB+256GB variant. 


Xiaomi Pad 6 is available at Rs 26,999 for the 6GB+128GB variant and Rs 28,999 for the 8GB+256GB model.


As is evident, there is a considerable difference between the prices of the two tablets. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which is the better-looking tablet? 


The OnePlus Pad is easily the more stand-out of the two tablets. It has a very unusual 7:5 aspect ratio, which makes it look more square-ish, while the Xiaomi Pad 6 has a more rectangular shape to it. 


It also has curved sides and a rather differently placed (it's in the middle of the left part) spherical camera unit on its back and comes in a green shade with subtle semi-circles in a finish that is rather unique at the time of writing. 


The Xiaomi Pad 6, on the other hand, has a more rectangular look to it, and has straight sides and a flat back, with a more conventionally placed camera unit. It also comes in shades of grey and light blue. 


They are both very slim tablets — 6.5mm — but the OnePlus Pad is slightly taller and wider (258.1mm and 189.4mm as compared to 253.9mm and 165.1mm), which is not surprising, given its larger display. It is also slightly heavier — 552 grams as compared to 490 grams. 


We’d say that the OnePlus Pad is the one to go for if you want a tablet that looks very different. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Who Has The Better Display?


The OnePlus Pad has a bigger display than the Xiaomi Pad 6 — 11.61 inches as compared to 11 inches. It also has a slightly higher resolution — 2,800x2,000 pixels as against 2,880x1,800 pixels. 


However, we felt that the Xiaomi Pad 6's display seemed just a little brighter and more vibrant in terms of colour handling. Incidentally, both tablets come with 144Hz refresh rates. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Who Has The Better Hardware?


We have to say that the OnePlus Pad has a clear edge here with a Dimensity 9000 processor, which is considered more powerful than the Snapdragon 870 on the Xiaomi Pad 6. Both tablets use LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, but the OnePlus Pad has 8 GB/ 128 GB and 12 GB/ 256 GB RAM and storage variants as compared to the 6 GB/ 128 GB and 8 GB/ 256 GB RAM and storage variants of the Xiaomi Pad 6. Both tablets have 13-megapixel rear cameras and 8 megapixel cameras for selfies and video calls, and four speakers each. 


The OnePlus Pad also has a 9,510mAh battery that charges at 67W as compared to the 8,840mAh battery that charges at 33W on the Xiaomi Pad 6. The Xiaomi Pad 6 however can be directly connected to a TV, monitor or projector using a USB Type C to HDMI connector, a facility that the OnePlus Pad lacks. Neither tablet has a 3.5 mm audio jack. Neither comes with cellular data connectivity, and none of them has a fingerprint scanner. In terms of pure hardware, we would say that the OnePlus Pad is the better here. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Who Has The Better OS?


Both tablets run on Android 13 out of the box. And come with their own innovations to the interface. OnePlus has what it called OxygenOS 13.1 for the OnePlus Pad, while Xiaomi has a special version of MIUI 14 for the Xiaomi Pad. If we had to compare the two, we feel that MIUI 14 is a little more feature rich and has more apps that let you do more with the tablet right out of the box. That said, the OnePlus Pad has a cleaner interface and thanks to a recent update, lets you connect to OnePlus flagship phones (the Xiaomi Pad 6 only offers this with its Xiaomi 13 Pro). We think the Xiaomi Pad 6 is a better option if you just want to do more from the word go, whereas those who want greater control over their devices might prefer the cleaner OnePlus Pad interface.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Who Has Better Ecosystem Connectivity?


Both tablets get you special connectivity features with flagship phones from their brand. However, the OnePlus Pad has a clear edge in this regard as it connects seamlessly with most OnePlus flagships starting from the OnePlus 8, letting you not only share data connections from the phones but also make and receive calls and messages from the tablet or the phone, switching between them. The Xiaomi Pad 6 at the time of writing, provided something similar only to its Xiaomi 13 Pro flagship. If you already have a OnePlus flagship, we would say that the OnePlus Pad is hands down the better option.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which Is Better At Gaming & Multitasking?


The OnePlus Pad comes with a faster processor and 8GB RAM even in its base model. These give it a clear edge in gaming, as well as multitasking. 


The Xiaomi Pad 6 is a decent performer in these departments, but the OnePlus Pad is able to run the likes of Call of Duty and Genshin Impact at high settings more easily. 


If you are a gamer, the OnePlus Pad has more going for it.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which Is Better For Watching Videos?


Both tablets have high-resolution displays with quad speakers. If you want a bigger display, the OnePlus Pad is the one to go for, but the Xiaomi Pad 6 is significantly easier to carry and its quad speakers deliver better sound, and as we mentioned earlier, also has the option to be connected directly to a TV or a monitor, letting you view content on a really bigger screen or make presentations. 


It really boils down to what you consider to be important.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Who Has A Better Battery?


Both tablets give about 10-12 hours of battery life on a single charge depending on your usage patterns — a single charge should get you through a day of heavy usage. We generally felt the OnePlus doing slightly better but the difference was not a great one. 


In terms of charging, the OnePus Pad charges significantly faster — its 67W charger gets it from zero to 100 per cent in less than an hour and a half, while the 33W charger takes about an hour and forty-five minutes to fully charge the Xiaomi Pad 6.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: What Are The Accessories Priced Like?


The OnePlus Pad comes with a Magnetic Keyboard priced at Rs 7,999 and a Stylo stylus priced at Rs 4,999. 


The Xiaomi Pad 6 on the other hand comes with a Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard priced at Rs 4,999 and a Smart Pen (2nd Generation) stylus priced at Rs 4,999.


Both tablets do not come with the accessories in the box. You have to purchase the stylus and keyboard independently unless you are buying a special product bundle.


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Are There Special Bundles?


Xiaomi has three official bundles, where you can get the tablet with different accessories:


Productivity bundle: 
Xiaomi Pad 6 (6GB +128GB) + Keyboard + Smart Pen:  Rs 34,997
Xiaomi Pad 6 (8GB +256 GB) + Keyboard + Smart Pen:  Rs 36,997


Creativity bundle:
Xiaomi Pad 6 (6GB +128GB) + Smart Pen + Cover: Rs 31,497
Xiaomi Pad 6 (8GB +256 GB) + Smart Pen + Cover: Rs 33,497


Entertainment bundle:
Xiaomi Pad 6 (6GB +128GB) + Cover: Rs 25,498
Xiaomi Pad 6 (8GB +256 GB) + Cover: Rs 27,498
 
There is no such official bundle available with the OnePlus Pad at the time of writing, although you might get some offers from offline retailers. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which Stylus Works Better?


Our vote would go for the Xiaomi Smart Pen as it comes with two buttons that allow you to do things like scroll content, take screenshots and switch between different writing tools. It also has a staggering battery life of 150 hours, which is way ahead of what the Stylo offers. 


In terms of sensitivity and performance, however, there is not much to choose between the two. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which Tablet Has The Better Keyboard Accessory?


The Xiaomi Pad 6 has a lower-priced keyboard, but the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard also has a trackpad, which the Xiaomi Pad 6 keyboard lacks. That said, the Xiaomi Pad 6 Keyboard can be customised to a greater extent with shortcuts, so might appeal to those who want to tweak keyboard settings. 


However, in terms of pure usage, the OnePlus Magnetic Keyboard's trackpad gives it an edge, although it does have a tendency to get triggered accidentally, even when our sleeves brush it. 


OnePlus Pad Vs Xiaomi Pad 6: Which Should You Go For?


It really depends on your requirements and needs. At the time of writing, the Xiaomi Pad 6 enjoys a very clear price advantage — you can get the Xiaomi Pad 6 with a stylus and keyboard for less than the price of a OnePlus Pad alone. The Xiaomi Pad 6 also seems to have better software out of the box, although the OnePlus Pad has already shown signs of getting better in that department. 


If you already have a OnePlus flagship phone that is the OnePlus 8 or above, the OnePlus Pad is a much better choice thanks to the better integration between tablet and phone (the Xiaomi Pad 6 has it only with the Xiaomi 13 Pro). The OnePlus Pad also has more powerful hardware and a keyboard with a touchpad, although the option to connect the Xiaomi Pad 6 to a monitor or TV is a powerful one. 


Choosing between the two is going to be a matter of budget and requirements. The Xiaomi Pad 6 is a great option for those who want lots of tab magic without going beyond the Rs 30,000 mark, but the OnePlus Pad has a clear hardware advantage and ever-improving software, provided you are willing to pay for it.