The realme Pad Mini is the brand’s follow up to last year’s realme Pad. As its name suggests, it is a smaller version packing an 8.7-inch 1340 x 800 IPS screen, a Unisoc T616 chipset, a 6,400mAh battery with 18W Fast Charging, and dual stereo speakers. It is being built as a mini entertainment machine but can it deliver the same experience as other realme devices?
realme Pad Mini Review – Specifications
| Chipset | Unisoc T616 |
| Screen | 8.7-inch IPS, 1340 x 800 |
| RAM | 3GB, 4GB |
| OS | Android 11, realme UI R Edition |
| Rear Camera | 8MP f/2.0 |
| Front Camera | 5MP f/2.2 |
| Video | Up to 1080p30fps |
| Storage | 32GB, 64GB, MicroSD |
| Network | 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, 3.5mm Audio Jack |
| Battery | 6,400mAh, 18W Fast Charging, Reverse Charging |
| Others | Face Unlock, Dual Stereo Speakers |
| Dimensions | 211.8 x 124,48 x 7.6mm |
| Weight | 372g |
| Colors | Gray, Blue |
realme Pad Mini Review – Unboxing
The realme Pad Mini comes in a small white box – a far cry from their traditional yellow branding. Despite the non-customary packaging, the device comes with the traditional realme accessory package: documentation, SIM ejector pin, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, and an 18W wall adapter.
Design and Aesthetics
The realme Pad Mini closely resembles its larger sibling in terms of design. It has a matte aluminum chassis with rounded edges. Its solid enough for its purpose but there is some flex at the back when pressed harshly. It does have mini in its name so the frame has been reduced to around 9.5-inches to bring down its weight to only 373g.
The tablet’s sides are flat and measure at around 7.6mm. The power button and volume rocker are clustered at the right-hand side when in portrait mode and offer decent tactility with slight mushiness. Its SIM card tray pops out the other side and can has slots for a SIM card and a MicroSD card of up to 1TB.
There are two stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the device (or at the sides when in landscape). The 3.5mm audio jack is located at the top while its USB Type-C port is placed at the bottom. Nothing out of the ordinary here.
Screen and Audio
Its 8.7-inch display is one of the key features of the realme Pad Mini. The display is significantly smaller than its older brother but this allows for additional portability. Resolution is slightly lower as well at 1340 x 800 compared to the original Pad’s 2000 x 1200.
Details are good but not as crisp compared to higher resolution devices. Color produced by the tablet are slightly dim but surprisingly balanced. Color coverage is rather low, however, with sRGB topping out at only 71.10% and DCI-P3 at 51.60%. Fortunately, contrast ratio is good and brightness is relatively high.
- sRGB – 71.10%
- AdobeRGB – 51.60%
- DCI-P3 – 51.30%
- Luminance (Minimum) – 1.10 cd/m2
- Luminance (Maximum) – 374.41 cd/m2
- Gamma – 2.23
- Contrast Ratio – 1488:1
Its dual stereo speakers are impressive for a device in its class. The volume can get rightfully loud and there is some amount of bass in tracks that need it. Highs don’t get too tinny at maximum volume while vocals have the right amount of clarity. It does get overbearing at times especially at maximum volume.
Software
Instead of running with realme UI for Pad like its bigger sibling, the realme Pad Mini runs on Android 11 with realme UI R Edition. Think of it as realme UI Lite that tries to stick to a stock Android experience to save resources and make the device feel faster.
The UI still looks like the traditional realme UI but everything feels simpler. Some of the options have been removed like Icon Customization, Dynamic RAM extension, and Sidebar Shortcuts. Fortunately, all of the necessities are still here like Dark Mode, Split Screen, and a few more others.
The removal of some of the customization options might deter some users but those who like a simpler and straightforward experience without much fluff will like the vanilla look.
realme Pad Mini Review – Benchmarks
The realme Pad Mini comes with a Unisoc T616 chip equipped with two Cortex-A75 cores, six Cortex-A55 cores, and a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU. Overall performance is pretty smooth with the whole device being responsive throughout usage.
Benchmarks aren’t particularly impressive but they will have to do for an entry-level tablet. In AnTuTu, the realme Pad Mini scores at around 222,000 while it was able to score 8,275 in PCMark Work 3.0 test.
You will be able to play some games with the tablet but don’t expect flagship-class framerates. It can run mainstream titles like Apex Legends Mobile, Call of Duty: Mobile, League of Legends: Wild Rift and others. Some settings in heavier titles like Genshin Impact will need lowering in order to run steadily.
realme Pad Mini Review – Battery Life
Inside the device’s 7.6mm thick chassis is a 6,400mAh battery that supports 18W Fast Charging through its USB Type-C Port. It can last up to more than a day with medium use with browsing, work, and watching movies. Charging is pretty quick with the tablet filling up from 0% to 100% in around 2 hours with the included 18W adapter.
realme Pad Mini Review – Conclusion
With a price of PhP 9,990 for its 3GB/32GB variant and PhP 11,990 for the 4GB/64GB version, the realme Pad Mini strays too close to the price of its bigger sibling but this doesn’t mean it doesn’t have its advantages.
Its smaller stature means that its more pocketable and easier to use. The lighter UI might also be a big plus for those who want a simpler user experience. Its 8.7-inch 1340 x 800 display paired with its dual stereo speakers make the tablet into a formidable budget-oriented entertainment center.
The display itself isn’t particularly color accurate nor does it have wide color gamut. The lower resolution might turn off those who want a higher resolution display. The simpler UI also omitted some of the customization and features that made realme UI.
Overall, the realme Pad Mini is a solid mini entertainment tablet for the masses. Those who are looking for an affordable small tablet in a market full of large midrange and flagship tablets will definitely enjoy using the device.
realme Pad Mini Price and Availability
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. A 3GB/32GB WiFi variant is also expected to launch soon.
Those who will get it early through the official realme Lazada store will get PhP 1,500 off for the 3GB/32GB variant and PhP 2,000 off on the 4GB/64GB version. Things brings down their prices to PhP 8,490 and Php 9,990, respectively.
Customers who will get it via all realme official stores and partner dealers nationwide until April 30, 2022. will also get a free Mobile Gaming Finger Sleeves
