One is the newest kid on the tab block, the other a weary veteran who has been around and been-there-and-done-that. We are talking of the just-launched Xiaomi Pad 6 and Apple's not-the-latest-but-still-rather-great iPad (9th generation), which is still officially available and going strong. These two rather different tablets today represent perhaps the best options for anyone who wants a tablet for about Rs 30,000. So which of the two should you go for? Let us work that out for you:
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Design & Appearance
These are two tablets from two different schools of design. The iPad (9th generation) was perhaps the last tablet to come with the classic iPad design of curved sides, a slightly curved back and that spherical home button below the display which also acted as a fingerprint scanner.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 on the other hand has a more contemporary design (one followed by new iPads as well) with straight sides and a flat back. The shapes of the two tablets are very different too— the iPad is less tall and wider (250.6mm tall and 174.1mm wide) in comparison to the Xiaomi Pad 6 (253.95mm tall and 165.18mm wide).
The Xiaomi Pad 6 is slimmer at 6.5mm against the 6.8mm of the iPad, but both tablets weigh about the same with the Xiaomi Pad 6 being 490 grams and the iPad being 487 grams.
Both tablets have got metal backs and sides and glass fronts, and both look rather elegant. The Xiaomi Pad 6's rather large, square-shaped camera unit makes it stand out from the crowd a lot more than the iPad, but the iPad has a slightly more elegant feel to it. Which of the two you go for really depends on your preference.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 has a light blue colour option and also comes with splash resistance, but there is something timeless about the minimalistic elegance of an iPad. We are calling this one a tie.
Winner: Tie
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Display
The Xiaomi Pad 6 has a clear edge in the display department over the iPad. It has not only a larger 11-inch display as compared to the 10.2-inch one of the iPad but also boasts a higher resolution (2,800x1,800 pixels against 2,160x1,620 pixels) and also a higher refresh rate (144Hz against 60Hz).
The iPad's display is still great, but the Xiaomi Pad 6 is noticeably better.
Winner: Xiaomi Pad 6
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Processor
This is a battle between two senior processors — the A13 Bionic on the iPad and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 on the Xiaomi Pad 6. And comparing the two is very difficult as the A13 Bionic, in spite of being older, benefits from better integration with Apple's own ecosystem.
That said, the Snapdragon 870 is a relatively newer chip and is likely to be relevant for a bit longer than the A13 Bionic which was released in late 2019.
Winner: Xiaomi Pad 6
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: RAM, Storage, Other Hardware
The Xiaomi Pad 6 comes in two RAM and storage variants — 6GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB. Apple has not officially released the RAM numbers of the iPad, but the tablet comes with 64GB and 256GB storage variants.
In terms of other hardware, the Xiaomi Pad 6 has a 13-megapixel rear camera and an 8-megapixel rear one, while the iPad has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel front-facing one.
Both tablets come with support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but the iPad also has a 4G variant, something the Xiaomi tablet lacks.
Even more tellingly, the iPad has a fingerprint scanner, which is again something the Xiaomi Pad 6 misses out on. The Xiaomi Pad 6 comes with four speakers as compared to the two on the iPad, but the iPad has a 3.5mm audio jack.
We are calling this one a tie — the Xiaomi Pad 6 has more storage in its base variant, but the iPad gets you the option to have 4G connectivity and also has a better front camera and fingerprint scanner.
Winner: Tie
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Software
Not surprisingly, the iPad runs away with this round. Xiaomi has added a number of tweaks to its MIUI 14 interface to make it more tablet friendly, and we would say that along with Samsung's tablet version of One UI, this is perhaps the best interface we have used on an Android tablet.
However, it still trails iPad OS on the iPad which simply seems to do much more and has a much richer ecosystem, which is updated regularly.
Xiaomi has committed to delivering three years of updates and five years of security updates to the Xiaomi Pad 6, but a lot is going to depend on just how tablet-friendly Android itself gets in the coming months.
As of now, the iPad is considerably ahead of the competition in software terms.
Winner: iPad
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Gaming & Multimedia
This is a tough call. On paper, the Xiaomi Pad 6 has much better hardware, with a larger, higher resolution with a higher refresh rate and quad speakers (as opposed to the two on the iPad), so gaming is a more immersive experience on it.
However, thanks to Apple's hardware and software integration, games play very smoothly on the iPad as well, and in many cases even seem to look better and have fewer stutters.
The display and speakers of the Xiaomi Pad 6 however, give it a clear edge in watching shows and videos too, which is what wins it this round, although you can use wired headphones with the iPad.
Winner: Xiaomi Pad 6
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Productivity
If you want to use your tablet for more than just viewing content, and actually even want to use it as a makeshift notebook or notepad, then we would recommend going with the iPad. It simply has more apps and better app handling capacity at the moment. This is not to say that the Xiaomi Pad 6 is bad at productivity tasks.
It has some super affordable accessories (covered in another point) and has plenty of processing power up its sleeves too as well. What's more, we love the fact that you can simply plug the Xiaomi Pad 6 into a TV, monitor or projector using a USB Type-C to HDMI connector. However, whether it is editing video or tweaking audio or even designing a presentation, things seem to flow more smoothly on the iPad.
And those who use the iPad for serious work would really appreciate that fingerprint scanner.
Winner: iPad
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: General Usage
When it comes to daily usage and handling routine tasks like web browsing, social networking, mail and messages, the iPad is the better tablet of the two. Apps work more smoothly and the presence of the fingerprint scanner just makes the device a whole lot more secure. It being slightly less tall also makes the iPad a bit easier to handle.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 does everything well too, but things just seem to work way more smoothly on the iPad - a result of the iPadOS, we suspect.
Winner: iPad
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Battery Life & Charging
Both tablets are superb in terms of battery life, delivering 10-11 hours on a single charge. The Xiaomi Pad 6 however, deserves a bit more credit because it delivers that battery life on a larger, higher-resolution display with a higher refresh rate.
The Xiaomi Pad 6 also comes with a 33W charger that gets it charged from 0 to 100 per cent in about an hour and 45 minutes. On the other hand, the iPad comes with a 20W charger that takes about two hours and 45 minutes to charge. The iPad is a good performer, but it does not match up to the Xiaomi Pad 6 here.
Winner: Xiaomi Pad 6
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Accessories
The accessories are really a battle between finance and function. In terms of price, the Xiaomi Pad 6's accessories are way more affordable than those for the iPad. The Xiaomi Smart Pencil (2nd Generation) is priced at Rs 5,999 and the keyboard for the tablet comes at Rs 4,999.
In comparison, the Apple Pencil (1st generation) comes at Rs 9,500 and the Smart Keyboard for the 9th Generation iPad is priced at Rs 15,900.
If budget is an issue, well, this is a no-contest with the Xiaomi Pad winning very comfortably. Get into functionality, however, and the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard win the battle very comfortably as they work much more smoothly with the iPad.
Xiaomi's Smart Pencil does have two buttons for adding more functions but the Apple Pencil has extremely good handwriting recognition through the Scribble feature. One area where the Xiaomi Smart Pencil totally outclasses the Apple Pencil is in terms of ease of charging (it charges from the side of the Xiaomi Pad and does not have to be inserted into the charging port like the Apple Pencil!) and battery life, where its 150-hour battery life is unmatched. It really boils down to your needs.
The Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard work better and have more productive apps built around them. The Xiaomi Smart Pencil and Keyboard are, however, way more affordable and get a lot done themselves. It is that massive price difference that wins the Xiaomi Pad accessories this round. The fact that they are available bundled with the Xiaomi Pad 6 at special prices only strengthens their case.
Winner: Xiaomi Pad 6
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Price
The Xiaomi Pad 6 is available at Rs 26,999 for its 6GB+128GB variant and Rs 28,999 for its 8GB+256GB variant.
The iPad (9th Generation) officially starts at Rs 33,999 for its 64GB Wi-Fi variant but is often available for as low as Rs 28,000.
It also has a 256GB variant at Rs 48,900 (often available at around Rs 44,000), a 64 GB Wi-Fi and Cellular version at Rs 46,900 (often available for around Rs 42,000), and a 256 GB Wi-Fi and Cellular version at Rs 61,900 (often available at Rs 56,000).
Yes, we do understand that the iPad gives you a cellular option, but if you are on a tight budget, the Xiaomi Pad 6 gets you four times the storage as the base iPad for about the same price. In fact, the top-end Xiaomi Pad 6 costs about the same as a base iPad. Only one winner here.
Winner: Xiaomi Pad 6
Xiaomi Pad 6 Vs iPad: Which One Should You Go For?
If budget is an issue, then which tablet to go for is a no-brainer. As we pointed out, the top-end variant of the Xiaomi Pad 6 will put you back by about the same amount as the base iPad.
However, money is not always everything and when you open the door to let functionality and ease of use enter the room, the iPad suddenly becomes a formidable competitor.
In fact, if budget was not a restriction, the iPad would perhaps still be the device we would recommend, simply because of the smooth integration between the hardware and software and the better app ecosystem.
That said, the Xiaomi Pad 6 is a terrific option for anyone seeking a close-to flagship tablet without spending too much.
The productivity bundle for the Xiaomi Pad gets you the Xiaomi Pad 6 with a Smart Pen and a keyboard for Rs 34,997, which is only a little more than the 64GB iPad. And that really tells the story — the Xiaomi Pad 6 has pretty much given the Android tablet world a flagship killer, but if you have the money, the iPad (even a slightly older one) remains in a tab zone of its own.