Look and feel
In terms of its overall size and dimensions, the Mi Pad has a lot in common with Apple’s iPad mini. There is no mistaking one for the other though, as the Mi Pad is all glossy plastic. Xiaomi says it has used magnesium alloy in the construction of the Mi Pad, but you wouldn’t know by looking at it. The shell isn’t removable and so the battery is sealed in. There’s a microSD card tray on the left side and the power and volume buttons are on the right. The 3.5mm headset socket is on top and the Micro-USB port is on the bottom.
There’s an almost distractingly reflective Mi logo in the upper left corner, above the screen. You can see a camera cutout in the centre, but apart from those the front face looks blank. Capacitive touch buttons below the screen light up when you use them. You’ll find a camera and microphone in the upper left corner of the rear, and two speaker grilles towards the bottom. Another Mi logo and some regulatory text are the only other things to be seen.