Xiaomi Mi Pad 4, a bargain tablet you may never see
It's available in China for the equivalent of $170 with premium features including LTE, face unlocking and an all-metal body.
Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice
I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.
Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories
Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi makes some excellent products, such as the new Mi 8 phone. Now it's released the Mi Pad 4, an 8-inch tablet that starts at 1,100 yuan (about $170, £130 or AU$230).
The Mi Pad 4 comes with a neat list of features that includes:
- 1,920x1,200 display (16:10) at 283 ppi
- Snapdragon 660 processor
- 6,000-mAh battery
- Face unlock
- 13MP back camera, 5MP selfie camera, both f2.0
- Metal back
- 3GB with 32GB or 4GB with 64GB options
- Micro SD card slot
- Dual channel (2.4/5 GHz) 2x2 Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi plus 4G LTE
Adding LTE increases the price to only about 1,500 yuan ($230, £175, AU$310 converted).
Given the current politically charged economic climate, we may unfortunately never see it in the US. But the company has stated its plans to come to the US by the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019, so there could be hope for Xiaomi's fans in the west.
Watch this: iPhone X and Xiaomi Mi 8 Explorer, compared
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