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At MWC 2026, Xiaomi introduced a bunch of recent gadgets, together with a follow-up to my favourite Android pill of 2025. The Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass model continues to make nanotexture screens extra accessible and provides a extra highly effective processor and upgraded equipment, amongst different issues for a extra full expertise.
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I have been utilizing the Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass model as my major leisure and productiveness machine since early February, and that is the primary 11-inch pill that I wish to carry with my MacBook Air.
No, I did not attempt to exchange my laptop computer with Xiaomi’s claimed “PC-level productivity” expertise – as a result of my use case (our content material administration system) wants desktop Chrome to perform seamlessly. Nevertheless, I used the brand new Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional to multitask, analysis, write tales, browse on-line, watch Netflix on long-haul flights, and extra.
After a month of use, here is why I believe the Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass mannequin is the Android pill to beat this 12 months.
How does it get nearly every thing proper?
Xiaomi’s new Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass variant encompasses a metallic physique with a one-piece design. At 494 grams, it’s barely heavier than the M3 iPad Air. It feels dense within the hand and is comfy to carry. I’ve learn articles and books and browsed web sites with out feeling any wrist pressure. You may want to regulate your grip every so often, however its 5.8mm thickness feels high-quality for probably the most half.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional has an 11.2-inch LCD with a 3:2 facet ratio, a 3,200 x 2,136-pixel decision, and a 144Hz refresh charge. I’ve the Matte Glass variant, which has a “next-gen nano texture display” that is claimed to ship 44% much less reflection than the earlier technology.
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It’s a sharp and vibrant show. I modified the show setting to Vivid for a extra saturated look. You may additional tune it to your liking because of customization choices within the settings that allow you to fine-tune the colour temperature.
Through the winter months, I get work performed from my balcony. In spite of everything, it is advisable get all of the solar that is accessible. And my M3 iPad Air’s show is filled with smudges and reflections, which decreases its legibility in daylight. I had no such points with the Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass model. It was simple to view each indoors and outdoor.
This display screen is vulnerable to smudges too, however they are not as unhealthy as my iPad Air. Nevertheless, I would advocate carrying a cleansing fabric with you always, as smudges will not be as simple to scrub off as on the non-nanotexture mannequin.
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Whether or not you are engaged on all of it day or consuming content material, it’s arduous to empty the 9,200 mAh battery in a day. I took two long-haul flights, throughout which I watched motion pictures and TV exhibits on Netflix for six hours every, and I had 21% battery left on the finish of each flights. I really like this as a result of it saved my battery anxiousness away.
And whenever you’re working late and the battery’s low, you’ll be able to fast-charge the pill at 67 watts — I want my iPad Air had this function.
It simply matches the in-flight trays.
Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
I really like the Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass model for its moveable dimension, anti-reflective display screen, and glorious battery life, however the expertise could be incomplete with out its upgraded equipment. It really shines with the Focus Keyboard, which is my excellent keyboard case for an Android pill.
The Xiaomi Focus Keyboard attracts closely on Apple. To match, it’s extra inexpensive and has backlit keys, in contrast to my M3 iPad Air’s Magic Keyboard. It’s comfy to sort on for lengthy durations with good tactile suggestions and key journey, in addition to a large enough trackpad.
It’s meant to be saved on a stable floor; it topples should you apply it to a lap as a result of it turns into top-heavy. I want it had been lighter for simpler portability, however which may make it extra vulnerable to tipping.
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One other accent that may be appreciated by note-takers and digital artists is the brand new Focus Pen Professional. It has a brand new unibody, button-free design for a extra uninterrupted writing expertise. You get upgraded pressure-sensitive shortcut keys and assist for intuitive pinch and double-tap gestures for sooner instrument switching.
It additionally helps Apple-like hover preview and side-rotating brush assist for traces, textures, and shading. I’m no artist, however my informal sketching and Lightroom enhancing expertise was respectable.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional is powered by the identical chipset as final 12 months’s flagship Android telephones. You get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage on the Matte Glass variant. It runs HyperOS, based mostly on Android 16. It brings a greater multitasking expertise with smoother animations and refined enhancements.
I used break up window more often than not to analysis on Chrome and write in Google Docs. Modifying photographs, swapping between apps, opening floating home windows for fast duties, and dealing in Workstation Mode (a extra desktop-style format) was quick and responsive.
I did not encounter any UI stutters or slowdown. The one roadblock for my work was Android itself. Xiaomi has performed a powerful job with Workstation Mode, providing you with a desktop-like expertise. Whereas most apps work high-quality, scaling in Home windows remains to be inconsistent. Some web sites do not load correctly, and it is advisable resize the window to seek out one of the best format.
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In case your work includes Google or Microsoft’s suite of apps, video calls, and so on., you may be capable to exchange your laptop computer with the extra compact Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional. For the remainder of us, we anticipate Android to unravel its scaling points and run a desktop-like browser for one more 12 months. Nevertheless, I do not thoughts carrying it in my journey backpack.
I really like Xiaomi’s Lively Visible Notion function that mechanically locks the display screen once I step away from my pill and mechanically prompts it once I’m again. You must unlock the machine with the display screen lock of your selection (fingerprint, face unlock, PIN, password, and so on.). I have never seen any comparable options on Home windows laptops work in addition to this one does on the Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional. It really works 9 out of 10 instances and is impressively correct.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The brand new Xiaomi pill is compact, highly effective, and really effectively optimized for each creativity and efficiency. Its nanotexture display screen helps cut back fingerprints and reflectivity whereas nonetheless delivering correct colours.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Professional Matte Glass mannequin is straightforward to advocate to anybody who desires a pill for each work and content material consumption. It begins at £529 for the 8GB/256GB model and £770 for the Matte Glass model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. You may add the Focus Pen Professional for £89 and the Professional Focus Keyboard for £179.
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Many may argue that that is laptop computer cash territory, however should you’re in search of a pill, you are approaching laptop computer cash. It’s arduous to discover a higher Android various. Actually, it brings the competitors to the iPad Air, and I would advocate this over the Apple rival for its anti-reflective display screen. Nevertheless, it will not be accessible to buy within the US.
