Redmi Pad SE 4G Review – Affordable, Small, and Reliable

The Redmi Pad SE 4G is a budget tablet from Redmi that offers 4G support, as its name suggests. You might think it’s just a 4G version of the Redmi Pad SE, but these two are quite different. The Pad SE 4G is more compact, with an 8.7-inch screen and a smaller 6,650mAh battery. After using the tablet for a while, here’s a breakdown of its strengths and weaknesses.

Design and Display

The Redmi Pad SE 4G has a slim design, being only 8.8mm thick and weighing about 375g. It’s rated IP53, making it resistant to some water and dust, which is a nice bonus. The smaller size makes it easy to handle, and the weight is well balanced, so it feels comfortable in hand. The back is made of polycarbonate with a matte finish that can attract fingerprints, but a quick wipe can fix that. It comes with dual stereo speakers, an IR blaster, a USB Type-C charging port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The tablet has an 8.7-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1,340 x 800 pixels, 600 nits of brightness, and a 90Hz refresh rate. The screen offers decent visuals for an HD display, although the brightness feels a bit weak when used outdoors. Indoors, it’s fine for watching videos or reading. While the display is okay for casual use, those who are used to AMOLED or higher-resolution displays might find it a bit underwhelming. The tablet can play YouTube videos in up to 1440p, and the viewing experience is pleasant overall. The stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos are loud, although they can distort at maximum volume. The sound quality really enhances the experience of watching videos or reading. It also features a special reading mode, making it feel like you’re reading on paper, which I found enjoyable.

Performance and Software

Powered by the MediaTek Helio G85 chip, the Redmi Pad SE 4G comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. You can also expand the storage with a microSD card up to 2TB. The tablet is best for basic tasks like browsing the web, using social media, and streaming videos. It’s not designed for heavy-duty tasks or gaming, but it performs smoothly most of the time. Games like BGMI or Call of Duty: Mobile will work, but only at the lowest settings to keep the frame rates playable.

There were occasional moments of lag, but overall, the performance is acceptable for a budget device. The tablet runs on HyperOS based on Android 14, and the interface is well optimized. The 90Hz refresh rate makes the device feel smooth, and there’s little bloatware, so the system feels clean. It’s also nice that it’s set to receive 2 major OS upgrades and 3 years of security updates, which adds value.

Cameras and 4G Connectivity

As expected from budget tablets, the cameras are not a standout feature. The Redmi Pad SE 4G has an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Both are adequate for video calls or scanning documents but won’t deliver high-quality photos. The cameras can shoot Full HD videos at 30FPS, but the image quality can feel washed out with poor color balance.

Being a 4G tablet, it allows you to make calls and stay connected online. Call quality is good, although in noisy areas, hearing the other person can be difficult due to the speaker volume. When using 4G for internet, the tablet performs well and is comparable to a smartphone in speed.

Battery and Charging

The 6,650mAh battery in the Pad SE 4G is slightly larger than those found in many budget smartphones, but the large display drains it faster. It lasted 11 hours and 12 minutes in the PCMark battery test, which is decent for a device of this size. In gaming tests, the battery drained by 27% after 1.5 hours of gameplay. You can expect around 5-6 hours of gaming on a full charge, or two days of light use.

The tablet comes with a 10W charger, which takes about 2 hours and 50 minutes to fully charge the device from 20%. The slow charging speed is one of the downsides, but it’s not uncommon for budget tablets.

Our Thoughts for Redmi Pad SE 4G

The Redmi Pad SE 4G is available in two versions: 4GB+64GB for Rs 10,999 and 4GB+128GB for Rs 11,999. For the price, it offers a good balance of features, including a nice 8.7-inch display with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, solid speakers, a durable battery, and a clean software experience. The addition of 4G support makes it versatile, allowing you to stay connected without Wi-Fi.

However, the tablet does have some drawbacks, such as limited outdoor brightness and slow charging times. If you’re looking for alternatives, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9 offers a slightly better chipset, though its 4G version is more expensive, while the Lenovo Tab M10 provides a better display but has a smaller battery.