Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 rumoured release date, pricing, specs and more

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 rumoured release date, pricing, specs and more


Xiaomi moves from strength to strength in the smartphone space, occupying practically every segment with at least one capable entry and delivering some of the best value on the market, but there are now signs that the company plans to return to the long-neglected tablet space, with a series of new Mi Pads.

We reviewed 2018’s Mi Pad 4 (an affordable 8in Android-based doppelgänger to Apple’s iPad Mini, which saw little appeal outside of China due to a lack of Google services) and found it to be a capable low-cost slate. Following its release, however, Xiaomi took its foot off the gas and instead choose to focus its attention on smartphones in the years that followed.

Based on a series of new discoveries – initially unearthed by the community – it now looks as though Xiaomi might be prepping not one, but up to three new slates, that could arrive in a matter of months.

When will the Mi Pad 5 launch?

While there’s no official event yet scheduled, talk of Xiaomi holding a Chinese launch in June have surfaced – with 25 June being a date of potential note – according to the Telegram group.

With over a year having passed since Xiaomi unveiled MIUI 12 (in April 2020), it’s thought that a June event could play host to the reveal of MIUI 13, the rumoured Mi Mix 4 and this potential trio of new Mi Pad tablets.

How much does the Mi Pad 5 cost?

2018’s Mi Pad 4, was a decidedly mid-range slate, available internationally on the grey market from import retailers at a respectable sub-£250/€290/US$350 starting price.

Based on the expected hardware this new series of Mi Pads looks likely to feature – talk of Snapdragon 870 SoCs and 5G have already emerged – they’re expected to reach closer to premium slate pricing; albeit with Xiaomi’s iconic value intact.

For reference, the 11in Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Apple’s 2019 iPad Mini – potential contenders for the next Mi Pad entries – start at £619/€699/$649 and £399/€449/$399, respectively.

What features does the Mi Pad 5 offer?

While the Mi Pad 5 looks to be the most likely moniker for these new Xiaomi tablets, the name has yet to appear in any official capacity. However, while digging through the decompiled code of various MIUI 12.5 system apps, XDA Developers found what are believed to be codenames for the company’s next slates, in “Nabu”, “Enuma” and “Elish.”

These particular names appear to be in reference to Babylonian myth, with the latter two forming two parts of the name for the Babylonian creation myth – “Enūma Eliš” – which paired with their respective tablets’ partial model numbers (K81 and K81A), suggest two variants of the same slate.

Of the three, only “Enuma” appears to support voice calls, implying support for cellular connectivity (whether that’s 4G LTE or 5G is still unclear), while the other two slates are assumed to be WiFi-only.

The name “Nabu” is likely in reference to the ancient Mesopotamian god of literacy, scribes and wisdom – tenuously suggesting that the tablet (partial model number ‘K82’) may come with stylus support.

During their investigation, those decompiling the various MIUI 12.5 apps found references to “isPad”, thought to trigger unique features when fired off on a tablet, while an alpha build of the MIUI Home app also appears to contain system navigation controls and instructions for a tablet device.



Hidden UI pages for tablets in MIUI Home alpha build 4.22.0.3089 | Source: XDA member kacskrz

According to the various tipsters across the XDA forums and the XiaomiUI Telegram group, all three devices are expected to sport a 16:10 aspect ratio, 2560×1600, 120Hz IPS LCD panel. XDA member kacskrz states that “Nabu” specifically will sport a 10.97in display, measure 236mm x 148mm and will potentially pack in an 8720mAh battery.

The thought that these tablets will opt for a more premium experience and deliver more power than their mid-range predecessor comes from talk of Qualcomm’s SM8250 inside both “Enuma” and “Elish” – either the Snapdragon 865, 865+ or 870 – while “Nabu” will reportedly run on the chipmaker’s SM8150 platform – implying a Snapdragon 855, 855+ or 860.

At least one of these potential Mi Pad 5 entries has since cropped up on , listed as sporting dual 4260mAh batteries (for a total capacity of 8520mAh), along with talk of a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset in place of the aforementioned Snapdragon 860.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 5 concept | Source: Xiaomi Planet

Concept Mi Pad 5 render by Xiaomi Planet

The most capable of the lineup – thought to be called the Mi Pad 5 Pro (most likely “Nabu”) – is also slated to feature a 2K LCD panel, with a 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, and support for 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity by way of , for stylus usage.





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