Low-cost Mi Pad tablet packs big gaming power

Say hello to the Mi Pad, which we will go out on a limb and call China’s version of the iPad Mini – indeed the company has positioned it to take on Apple and Samsung devices in both price and performance.

The 7.9-inch tablet is the product of a Chinese company called Xiaomi, and it is an impressive piece of hardware, packing some serious gaming power (for a mobile device).

Powering the tablet device is Nvidia’s Tegra K1 system on chip (making it the first Tegra K1 device), which includes a 2.2GHz 4+1 core CPU, a 192-core PC-class Kepler GPU, and 2GB of RAM.

The standard version of the tablet gives you 16GB of storage, but there is a 64GB option available, as well as a microSD expansion slot (128GB maximum).

Xiaomi Mi Pad

The 7.9-inch screen, which is made by LG or AUO, features a 2,048 x 1,536 resolution over a 4:3 aspect ratio. The Mi Pad boasts front and rear cameras of 5- and 8-megapixels respectively.

The tablet is 8.5mm thick and weighs 360 grams. It comes fitted with a 6,700mAh battery, stereo speakers, and will be available in multiple colours.

The Mi Pad will have the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access, although no 3G or 4G versions of the tablet have been announced as yet.

How much does all of this cost, you ask? Although an official launch date and price has not been announced, the recommended retail price will be $240 (±R2,500) for the 16GB version, and $270 (±R2,810) for the 64GB version.

Xiaomi Mi Pad
CPU	2,2GHz 4+1 core
GPU	192-core Kepler
RAM	2GB
Storage	16/64GB
Battery	6,700mAh
Screen	7.9-inch 2,048 x 1,536
Weight	360 grams
Price	R2,500 (16GB); R2810 (64GB)