When you’ve spent over a decade with the iPad—possibly trying every model ever launched—you develop a deep trust in the product line, making it difficult (or perhaps unimaginable) to consider using anything else. Maybe that was the dilemma I faced when I received the Xiaomi Pad 7 a few days ago. For years, I had practically been saying no to reviewing Android tablets. This time, I decided to change my mind and agreed to check out the Xiaomi Pad 7.
Over the past year or so, the tablet market—particularly the mid-range segment heavily dominated by Android—has seen a renaissance. However, as I review the Xiaomi Pad 7 in 2025, my expectations from a tablet are very different. I no longer want to settle for a consumption-only device but instead need something I can…