realme debuted its Android tablet segment last year with the realme pad. This year, the brand has launched another affordable android mini-tablet, the realme Pad Mini.
The realme pad mini comes with a smaller 8.7-inch display powered by a Unisoc T616 processor. It packs a 6400mah battery, dual stereo speakers, and supports 18W fast charging.
The tablet is meant for those who want a big screen for work and multimedia usage.
UNBOXING
The Realme Pad mini comes in a white box; inside the box are the manuals, SIM ejector pin, USB Type C cable, 18W power brick, and the pad mini.
DESIGN AND BUILD
Realme pad mini is noticeably heavy. You can feel the weight as it is built on a premium metal body, but it is really thin at 7.6mm. It has matte chases in a flat edges design.
Using the tablet in a portrait format, at the back, there is a single 8mp camera sited on the left top, and in the lower right bottom is the logo. The gorgeous 8.7-inch display screen with a 5mp selfie camera is on the front.
On the right side of the tablet are the power button and volume rocker which also have a metallic construction that gives a decent tactile feel when pressed while on the left side is the sim card with a MicroSD tray so storage can be expandable up to 1TB and yes it does support sim card for data connectivity.
On the bottom, you will find the USB type c port for charging, the microphone hole, and the speaker grille, and at the top, there are the 3.5mm audio jack and speaker grille.
The Realme pad mini is built really nice since the size is mini. Operating the device is easy and great for jotting, taking notes, and watching movies.
SCREEN AND AUDIO
The tablet has an 8.7 inch HD+ IPS screen with a 1340 x 800-pixel resolution. Sharpness is considerably good but not crisp, colors are not the best, and it is slightly dim but balanced. The contrast ratio is good, and the brightness is high.
The screen is enough for multitasking and gaming experience as it makes an immersive viewing experience.
Dual speakers are impressive, they can get loud, and there is decent bass. It is enough to provide a full sound with decent volume.
SOFTWARE
The tablet runs on Realme UI R edition for pad based on Android 11. The interface looks like a regular stock version. The user interface is clean, simple, and straightforward.
Realme could still do better on software updates taking full advantage of the size and elements.
It is basically the lite version of Realme UI for smartphones. Missing the features, I love the most, like icon customization, dynamic ram expansion, and sidebar shortcuts. Fortunately, dark mode and split-screen are available.
Overall, it’s not the most feature-packed, but it looks simple. Hoping for a feature pack software update.
HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE
A UNISOC T616 octa-core processor powers the Realme pad mini. It is paired with Mali G57 GPU. It may not be the best chipset for a tablet. In real-world usage, the mini was able to handle most of the tasks such as browsing, navigating, video conferencing, and more. The 4GB ram can hold pretty well, even running apps side by side.
Gaming performance is amazing as it runs at a balanced graphics setting by default for most games. You will be able to play some games such as Call of duty mobile and mobile legends; still, other games are playable playing over time; there are some minor frame drops, and it does get hot.
CAMERA
The Realme pad mini has an 8MP on the rear and 5MP on the front for selfies. The image quality produced is not great.
The colors look a bit washed out; the dynamic range is not detailed.
Contrast and exposure are slightly disappointing. Both cameras are enough to take casual stills and video.
BATTERY
The tablet is equipped with a 6400mah battery capacity. Battery life is decent enough. For casual users who only use it for work and school, you may get two days of it. Average usage can last up to more than a day, like browsing or watching movies. For gamers, you’ll need to recharge after several hours of playing.
The 18W adapter is not the standard for the fast charging era nowadays plus it has a big 6400mah battery capacity. It may take you two or three hours to fully charge the device.
CONCLUSION
If you want something bigger than a smartphone but smaller than average for most tablets.
Here is the Realme pad mini; it is more pocketable and easy to operate and carry. It is compact with a premium build, good for multitasking and entertainment, and has a good set of speakers. You will get decent battery life and a 4G LTE sim card-enabled tablet.
I wish to have a sharper screen, a more capable processor, and feature-packed software for their next series of tablets.
Overall, the Realme Pad Mini is a solid mini entertainment tablet for the masses and definitely to consider if you are looking for an affordable small tablet in the market.
The Realme Pad Mini is now available in the Philippines for PhP 9,990 for its 3GB/32GB LTE variant and PHP 11,990 for its 4GB/64GB LTE version through Lazada. Customers will get it via all Realme official stores and partner dealers nationwide until April 30, 2022 and will also get free Mobile Gaming Finger Sleeves.
