The Realme Pad Mini is to the Realme Pad what the iPad mini is to the Apple iPad… which is to say, a smaller version of the big slate. However, while Realme’s debut tablet (review) did come across as a decent option, the Realme Pad Mini is a bit of a mixed bag. Let’s see where it shines and where it falters.
What’s good
Design and build quality
Clad in a slim metal body, the Realme Pad Mini is well built and defies its budget pricing to offer a somewhat premium look at feel. It’s light (372 grams) and comfortable to hold in one hand for long periods too, something that bodes well for a slate. The screen is raised slightly above the body, which is something we’ve seen on budget phones, and the bezels around the display are noticeable. This however, does little to break the deal, at least in terms of overall design. Holding it in vertical orientation, you’d see the front camera placed above the screen, with the power key and volume rocker on the right, and a SIM tray on the left.
On the top is a 3.5mm headphone jack, next to a speaker, while another speaker is placed at the bottom along with the Type-C port. Both the 3.5mm headset socket and the Type-C port are placed quite close to the edge for some reason though, instead of being in the centre of the spine. At the rear, the most prominent design element is the large camera lens, placed inside a rectangular module. Realme branding can be seen closer to the bottom.
Software
Realme has labelled the Android build running on the Pad Mini as Realme UI for Pad. However, it doesn’t look like any special features have been added over and above stock Android 11. The good news is that the UI is quite clean, and doesn’t have any bloatware either. Furthermore, the highly useful Kids Space app from Google comes preloaded, allowing you to create separate profiles for kids and offering them curated, age-appropriate content. You can run two apps together in split-screen mode too.
