realme pad mini: unboxing and first impressions
Today marks another milestone for realme philippines, as for the first time, they will be releasing the realme pad mini in the Philippine market ahead of the rest of the world.
Following the success of the realme pad which sold out in during its first e-commerce sale last year, the “mini” version promises the same entertainment experience albeit in a smaller package.
This tablet would make for a great choice for those looking for a more compact device but still has a bigger screen for watching movies, gaming and for their school office work–and expectedly a more affordable price tag.
I’ve been using the realme pad mini for a few days, and I’d like to share with you my initial impressions and why you might want to preorder one ASAP.
realme Pad Mini – Unboxing
What’s in the box?
The realme Pad Mini comes in a small white box – with the product render featuring prominently on the front, there’s the realme pad mini text on both sides, realme logo at the top and bottom, and on the back are some of the key specs and device details.
Lifting up the box lid, you’ll see the tablet unit wrapped in plastic, while underneath are several other boxes containing the accessories.
The box on top has the wall adapter and USB-A to USB-C cable, while the sim ejector tool is right beneath it. The box on the lower part contains the user manual. The long vertical compartment is empty.
I was hoping it would come with a plastic case or at least a screen protector, but hopefully official ones will become availble soon after launch. Tablets don’t usually come with earphones so its okay.
Just like its big brother, the realme Pad Mini is built solid and is made of durable materials with a metal frame and chamfered edges. And true to its mini moniker, it looks like smaller version of the realme Pad in design. The mini has a tinier 9.5-inch frame with a thickness that is at 7.6mm and weighs just around 373g. It will be available in two colors, Black and Blue and I love the Blue color I got for this review. It has a shine to it but without being having the fingerprint magnet finish.
Exploring the tablet layout does reveal some key differences–the Mini has all its buttons at the right-hand side (or top-left when in landscape mode) instead of being at the sides. The power button is placed higher than the volume rocker as well. Holding it in landscape mode there’s a headphone jack and loudspeaker on the left, while on the right side are main microphone, USB-C port and another loudspeaker.
The sim tray is located at the bottom and the PH models of the realme Pad mini are 4G LTE capable. The rear camera bump is also slightly larger and sits atop of its own platform. I do like the glasstic module containing the 8MP camera was done quite making it standout from other tablets.
For the display it has an 8.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1340 x 800 and an 84.59 percent screen-to-body ratio to complement this nice screen is a set of its speakers. Its worth noting that the speakers pack a surprising amount of punch given its size. Unless you are very particular with your audio experience, you won’t be needing bluetooth speakers when watching movies on this mini tablet.
The realme Pad Mini has a Unisoc T616 chipset and will come in either a 3GB/32GB LTE and 4GB/64GB LTE variants. You can further expand storage up to 1TB via its dedicated MicroSD slot. This tablet comes with Android 11 with realme UI R Edition– a lightweight equivalent of realme’s UI to improve system stability and performance.
Keeping things powered up is a a 6,400mAh battery which is probably enough to keep you entertained for an entire day. There’s also 18W Fast Charging through its USB Type-C port at the bottom and I’ll be updating you of how long it takes to fully charge this tablet.
I always remind you that you don’t really buy a tablet for its cameras, but as far as imaging goes, the realme pad mini packs a decent 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera. Don’t expect too much but as long as there is enough lighting you could probably use it during those emergency moments. The front camera is likewise okay for video calls. Check out our sample photos in our full review.
Initial thoughts: A new contender?
The original realme Pad was designed to entertain and the realme pad Mini in most ways, stay true to that promise, and covers everything you’d need in a tablet for watching videos, surfing the web and some light gaming.
As for me I usually use my tablet for reading ebooks and comics and the 8.7 inch display is just the right size and its almost just like holding a real comic book.
I do like the build and the design and the matte finish makes it much easier to maintain clean even without a case. But as usual I do advise you to get one. I bought a temp pouch just to make sure it doesn’t get scratched when I put it in my bag.
I don’t mind the bezels as its designed to give users a better grip and prevent accidental touches when using it in landscape mode.
So far, I am really liking this tablet and as realme is offering it for below P10k the next couple of days, they might just have another sold out device quickly after launch.
realme Pad Mini Specs
Dimensions: 211.84 x 124.48 x 7.59 mm
Weight: 372 g
Display: 8.7-inch LCD screen w/ WXGA+ 1340 x 720 resolution
CPU: 12nm 2.0GHz UNISOC T616 octa-core processor
GPU: Mali-G57
RAM/ROM : 3GB+32GB 4GB+64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 1TB
Rear Camera: 8MP f/2.0
Selfie Camera: 5MP f/2.2
Battery: 6,400mAh w/ 18W fast charging
OS: Android 11 w/ realme UI for Pad
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDouSI
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic
Others: Stereo speakers, Dirac certification, USB-C,
Colors: Grey, Blue
Get the realme Pad Mini at up to P2,000 OFF
The realme Pad Mini will be available in 3GB+32GB LTE variant (SRP P9,990) and 4GB+64GB LTE variant (SRP P11,990) starting this midnight, April 5. It will also be coming in a 3GB+32GB WiFi variant later this month.
As an early-bird offer exclusively via the realme Official Store on Lazada, the 3GB+32GB LTE variant will be available at P1,500 OFF (P8,490) while the 4GB+64GB LTE variant will be available at P2,000 OFF (P9,990).
The realme Pad Mini will also be available at all realme official stores and partner dealers nationwide. Those who purchase from April 4-30 will get a FREE realme Mobile Game Finger Sleeves.
To know more about the complete line-up of discounts and other deals, be sure to check out the realme Official Store on both Lazada and Shopee. Don’t forget to follow realme on Facebook at www.facebook.com/realmePhilippines or visit www.realme.com.ph.