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At MWC 2026, Xiaomi announced a bunch of new devices, including a follow-up to my favorite Android tablet of 2025. The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass version continues to make nanotexture screens more accessible and adds a more powerful processor and upgraded accessories, among other things for a more complete experience.
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I've been using the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass version as my primary entertainment and productivity device since early February, and this is the first 11-inch tablet that I want to carry with my MacBook Air.
No, I didn't try to replace my laptop with Xiaomi's claimed "PC-level productivity" experience - because my use case (our content management system) needs desktop Chrome to function seamlessly. However, I used the new Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro to multitask, research, write stories, browse online, watch Netflix on long-haul flights, and more.
After a month of use, here's why I think the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass model is the Android tablet to beat this year.
How does it get almost everything right?
Xiaomi's new Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass variant features a metal body with a one-piece design. At 494 grams, it is slightly heavier than the M3 iPad Air. It feels dense in the hand and is comfortable to hold. I've read articles and books and browsed websites without feeling any wrist strain. You'll need to adjust your grip once in a while, but its 5.8mm thickness feels fine for the most part.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro has an 11.2-inch LCD with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a 3,200 x 2,136-pixel resolution, and a 144Hz refresh rate. I have the Matte Glass variant, which has a "next-gen nano texture display" that's claimed to deliver 44% less reflection than the previous generation.
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It is a sharp and vibrant display. I changed the display setting to Vivid for a more saturated look. You can further tune it to your liking thanks to customization options in the settings that let you fine-tune the color temperature.
During the winter months, I get work done from my balcony. After all, you need to get all the sun that's available. And my M3 iPad Air's display is full of smudges and reflections, which decreases its legibility in sunlight. I had no such issues with the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass version. It was easy to view both indoors and outdoors.
This screen is prone to smudges too, but they aren't as bad as my iPad Air. However, I'd recommend carrying a cleaning cloth with you at all times, as smudges are not as easy to clean off as on the non-nanotexture model.
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Whether you're working on it all day or consuming content, it is hard to drain the 9,200 mAh battery in a day. I took two long-haul flights, during which I watched movies and TV shows on Netflix for 6 hours each, and I had 21% battery left at the end of both flights. I love this because it kept my battery anxiety away.
And when you're running late and the battery's low, you can fast-charge the tablet at 67 watts -- I wish my iPad Air had this feature.
It easily fits the in-flight trays.
I love the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass version for its portable size, anti-reflective screen, and excellent battery life, but the experience would be incomplete without its upgraded accessories. It truly shines with the Focus Keyboard, which is my ideal keyboard case for an Android tablet.
The Xiaomi Focus Keyboard draws heavily on Apple. To compare, it is more affordable and has backlit keys, unlike my M3 iPad Air's Magic Keyboard. It is comfortable to type on for long durations with good tactile feedback and key travel, as well as a big enough trackpad.
It is meant to be kept on a solid surface; it topples if you use it on a lap because it becomes top-heavy. I wish it were lighter for easier portability, but that might make it more prone to tipping.
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Another accessory that might be appreciated by note-takers and digital artists is the new Focus Pen Pro. It has a new unibody, button-free design for a more uninterrupted writing experience. You get upgraded pressure-sensitive shortcut keys and support for intuitive pinch and double-tap gestures for faster tool switching.
It also supports Apple-like hover preview and side-rotating brush support for lines, textures, and shading. I am no artist, but my casual sketching and Lightroom editing experience was decent.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro is powered by the same chipset as last year's flagship Android phones. 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 on Android 16. It brings a better multitasking experience with smoother animations and subtle improvements.
I used split window most of the time to research on Chrome and write in Google Docs. Editing photos, swapping between apps, opening floating windows for quick tasks, and working in Workstation Mode (a more desktop-style layout) was fast and responsive.
I didn't encounter any UI stutters or slowdown. The only roadblock for my work was Android itself. Xiaomi has done an impressive job with Workstation Mode, giving you a desktop-like experience. While most apps work fine, scaling in Windows is still inconsistent. Some websites don't load properly, and you need to resize the window to find the best layout.
If your work involves Google or Microsoft's suite of apps, video calls, etc., you might be able to replace your laptop with the more compact Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro. For the rest of us, we wait for Android to solve its scaling issues and run a desktop-like browser for another year. However, I don't mind carrying it in my travel backpack.
I love Xiaomi's Active Visual Perception feature that automatically locks the screen when I step away from my tablet and automatically activates it when I'm back. You have to unlock the device with the screen lock of your choice (fingerprint, face unlock, PIN, password, etc.). I haven't seen any similar features on Windows laptops work as well as this one does on the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro. It works nine out of 10 times and is impressively accurate.
ZDNET's buying advice
The new Xiaomi tablet is compact, powerful, and very well optimized for both creativity and performance. Its nanotexture screen helps reduce fingerprints and reflectivity while still delivering accurate colors.
The Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro Matte Glass model is easy to recommend to anyone who wants a tablet for both work and content consumption. It starts at £529 for the 8GB/256GB version and £770 for the Matte Glass version with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. You can add the Focus Pen Pro for £89 and the Pro Focus Keyboard for £179.
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Many might argue that this is laptop money territory, but if you're looking for a tablet, you're approaching laptop money. It is hard to find a better Android alternative. In fact, it brings the competition to the iPad Air, and I'd recommend this over the Apple rival for its anti-reflective screen. However, it won't be available to purchase in the US.
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