Planning to get a tablet but something solid and budget-friendly? Meet the Redmi Pad SE that offers combined aces in display, audio, storage, and battery.
Redmi is back with a new tablet offer in Redmi Pad SE. It’s designed to provide sustained performance for students, office workers, and casual users without hurting their wallet. But will it be worth the price? Let’s find out.
Unboxing
The box itself shows the full size of Redmi Pad SE. We received the 4GB/128GB variant and it’s accompanied by a warranty card, quick start guide, USB-C cable, charging brick, and two ejector pins.
Build
The Redmi Pad SE has a robust build, giving that premium vibe. The front is obviously glass while the frame and back are composed of aluminum. Holding it for a while will definitely hint you of its weight, which is 478 grams.
At the top of the body is the power key while the volume rockers are found at the right side, not far from the power button. The microSD card slot is below it, just in the middle.
At the bottom are the USB-C and the 3.5mm headphone jack. If you tilt it to landscape mode, these two will be facing the side.
The tablet is offered in three colors – Lavender Purple, Graphite Gray, and Mint Green.
Display
The Redmi Pad SE has an 11 inches of IPS LCD screen with 1200p display resolution. Although not designed for outdoor use, the tablet can push up to 400 nits of brightness. Visuals are visible as long as the contrast and white balance are good. But movie viewing under the sun is challenging.
Despite the full HD+ resolution on this tablet, you may notice minor blurring or pixelation on videos. Thus, watching content at 720p or lower isn’t advisable on Redmi Pad SE.
However, there’s no issue observed when loading high-definition content on this device. The loading speed and responsiveness are on point, thanks to the 90Hz refresh rate. You can turn this down to 60Hz to save battery.
Performance
Redmi Pad SE is powered by the six-nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 and Adreno 610, paired with 4GB of RAM. We tested the 4GB/128GB variant and it seems the software is well-optimized. Transitions, animations, and scrolling are all smooth and unbothered.
It can also run games but the tablet isn’t a gaming pad by any means. But if you’re really into gaming, select the “balanced” graphics settings to get smooth frame rates on Redmi Pad SE.
Nevertheless, many gaming titles will likely be playable on this device. Check out our quick gaming test below.
In the camera department, Redmi Pad SE offers a single 8MP rear camera sensor and a single 5MP selfie camera. The tablet isn’t camera-centric but having cameras at the front and back are handy for video calls and simple snapshots.
Software
Our Redmi Pad SE is updated to MIUI 14 and currently runs Android 13. As mentioned, the software is well-optimized for an 11-inch tablet. Usually, entry-level or mid-range tablets with the same display size struggle on multitasking and screen rotation.
But that’s not the case for Redmi Pad SE. You can switch on different apps quickly even if the RAM is only 4GB. Also, there’s a memory expansion feature on this device to support that stable multitasking performance.
There’s a downside we’ve noticed on this tablet, though. It’s the lack of gesture for direct switching between apps. You have to go to the task manager to make the switch, which is a bummer. Hopefully, it will become available in future patches.
Audio
Redmi Pad SE sports four speakers (Dolby Atmos), two at each side whichever orientation you choose. The sounds are loud enough for you to hear and can certainly deliver immersion. Though, the clarity of the audio drops if you max the volume.
If you prefer using headphones, you can enjoy a more personal experience via the 3.5mm headphone jack. Not many devices today even have this, so it’s cool to see it installed on Redmi Pad SE.
Battery
The tablet is equipped with an 8000mAh battery pack for all-day browsing, gaming, and more. It doesn’t get depleted easily throughout the day. It also supports fast charging to quickly energize the battery for the next run.
What We Liked
The Redmi Pad SE is definitely solid in terms of the following:
- Software responsiveness
- 11 inches display with full HD+ resolution
- 90Hz refresh rate
- 3.5mm headphone jack and four speakers
- 8000mAh battery
- microSD card slot
What We Disliked
- Only supports 10w fast charging
- No 2K display resolution
- Lack of pen support
- Lack of a fingerprint scanner
Other than these, the tablet is a great choice for casual use, browsing, streaming, and light gaming throughout the whole day.
