With the Realme Pad Mini, an Android tablet is offered in Germany, which primarily focuses on a high-quality case, the compact design and the low price. But can the small LTE tablet really convince in everyday use? That’s exactly what I tried. Below I have summarized some points that have struck me over the past few days.
Realme Pad Mini: 8.7-inch tablet for 180 euros
The Realme Pad Mini is a small Android tablet that wants to compete against devices like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. The selection of such devices was very small recently, but since Apple has brought the iPad mini back into focus, more Android tablets in this size range are coming onto the market again. This is one of them Realme Pad Mini sold in three configurations:
I was given the top model with LTE, so I don’t have to worry too much about the internal storage. 32 GB is already very little for the entry-level model these days, so I would advise you to go for the larger model. The surcharge is minimal. Optionally you can You can upgrade the memory with a microSD card. Two Nano SIM cards can also be inserted in the LTE version.
First impression is surprisingly good
As soon as I unpacked the Realme Pad Mini, the first impression was very good. The small Tablet looks good, feels premium and is not heavy. At first glance, the look is reminiscent of a huge iPhone or a very small iPad Pro. The back of the tablet is made of metal. There are only plastic covers on the sides, which can be recognized by the color deviations.
The processing quality is also right. The gaps are even and not too big. the The proportions of the tablet are correct. Only the USB-C connection and the jack socket are not in the middle. They are more oriented towards the back. I’m quick to notice such details as I prefer symmetry, but that’s just a minor thing.
The camera on the back protrudes a bit. The photos with both the main camera and the front camera are okay. Typical for a tablet, I would say. Don’t expect too much here. The cameras are sufficient for snapshots and video calls.
Display could be better
If you buy a cheap Android tablet, you will of course have to make certain compromises. You can see that on the display of the Realme Pad Mini. An LC display with a low resolution of 1,340 x 800 pixels is used. And you can see that too. At 8.7 inches you can see the pixelsso the edges of app icons don’t look completely clean either.
The viewing angles of the Realme Pad Mini’s display are relatively stable However, the brightness varies greatly. If you look at the screen from the side, the brightness is much lower, although it is still set to full level. It looks like a gray haze covering the screen. You only see the maximum brightness when you look at the Android tablet from the front.
That looks weird and also a bit annoying. Especially if, for example, you don’t find exactly the right angle when cooking in the kitchen, the tablet is lying next to the keyboard and you want to read something there or watch a video in bed without always wanting to hold the tablet in your hand.
In the garden I noticed that the Wi-Fi reception weakened a bit. Where my Pixel 6 Pro still has full reception, the connection with the tablet broke every minute. I don’t have any problems with other tablets at this point. In the apartment, on the other hand, I had no disconnections.
Performance is good despite unknown processor
A UNISOC T616 works in the Realme Pad Mini. It is an eight-core processor that is used in this Android tablet performed solidly. Good, but with the low resolution it doesn’t have a big challenge either, so you can achieve good performance. I’m actually positively surprised. I know the annoying stuttering of cheaper Samsung tablets, which I own one of. On the whole, everything runs smoothly here. Apps load quickly, you can switch between apps quickly, and games also run well.
Even that Multitasking with two apps at the same time is not a problem. I often have Chrome and YouTube running at the same time. Here, too, there are no problems with playback and surfing the net at the same time. Sure, you’ll see a little lag here and there, but that’s also true on more expensive tablets from time to time.
I think the Realme tablet would feel faster if the display was better. You can tell that the content doesn’t keep up. But not because the performance doesn’t match, but because the display is simply very sluggish. Too bad actually. A better display would have suited the device so much better.
Software is clean but not up to date
Realme pre-installs its own “Realme UI for Pad”, but not many adjustments have been made that differentiate the operating system from pure Android. Multitasking is included and works well. Realme also preinstalled Google’s Kids Space. You could also make the Android tablet childproof. It isn’t bloatware pre-installed, which surprised me a lot. I couldn’t even find an unnecessary app. There are also no duplicate apps that Google otherwise offers. Only Facebook is additionally on it.
It’s just a shame that that operating system is outdated. Android 13 is coming soon and Android 12 is the current standard. The Realme Pad Mini runs with Android 11 and the security level is from January 2022. In times when Samsung gives every current device monthly updates, that just doesn’t work anymore. Here Realme has to make a lot more effort to become more up-to-date.
Battery life is impressive
A 6,400 mAh battery is installed in the Realme Pad Mini. The battery life is absolutely fine. I used the tablet from time to time, watched YouTube or Twitch while cooking, listened to music or watched a series on Sky. I came up with a running time of loose two to three days of normal use of 2-3 hours daily. The low idle consumption is positive. So if you leave the tablet unused for a while, the battery is not directly empty. I often have this problem with Samsung devices.
Conclusion on the Realme Pad Mini
The Realme Pad Mini impressed with the high-quality case, beautiful design, good performance and battery life. The weak display drags the tablet down, although it is one of the most important components in a tablet. Of course, the outdated software isn’t pretty either, and we’ll have to see what the update policy looks like. The unknown processor could cause delays. Basically but I’m pleasantly surprised and if you are looking for a small tablet, you will definitely get a lot for your money here.