Xiaomi has made only minor changes to its base model of the Pad 9 tablet, keeping the same Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip found in the previously released Pad 8. This means that users who already own a Pad 8 will not see any noticeable performance improvements. The only update is a slightly larger battery, increasing from 9,200 mAh to 9,720 mAh. The main upgrade is in the Pad 9 Pro, which features a larger 12.5-inch screen and a significantly larger battery of 11,000 mAh — an increase of 1,800 mAh compared to the Pad 8 Pro. These two tablets were introduced during a Xiaomi smartphone event focused on the new Xiaomi 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. During the same event, Xiaomi also showcased a pocket-sized magnetic guitar that can attach to the back of its phones. The Pad 9 is designed to be a more affordable option compared to the 11-inch iPad Air. It features an 11.2-inch screen with a resolution of 3200 x 2136 pixels, a 3:2 aspect ratio, and a 144 Hz refresh rate, capable of reaching a maximum brightness of 800 nits. However, the screen is still an IPS panel, not an OLED one, which would have made it more competitive. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, while powerful for tasks like office work and casual gaming, is not as strong as the M4 chip in the iPad Air. Other features include a slim 5.75 mm thickness, 485 grams of weight, 45-watt fast charging, Wi-Fi 7 support, and four speakers. The camera setup remains unchanged with a 13-megapixel rear and 8-megapixel front sensor, suitable for basic photography and video calls. The tablet runs on Xiaomi’s HyperOS 4, based on Android 17. The Pad 9 Pro takes a significant step up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chip, manufactured on 3 nm process technology. This places it just below the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 found in Xiaomi’s top-tier devices. The Pad 9 Pro’s 12.5-inch screen offers a 144 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits, an improvement over the 800 nits of the Pad 8 Pro. The battery has also been upgraded to 11,000 mAh, with 67-watt fast charging and the ability to charge a smartphone at 22.5 watts. Xiaomi claims up to 14.5 hours of video playback or 20 hours of video conferencing, though these figures will need to be verified through testing. The device is slightly heavier at 580 grams, with a thickness of 5.8 mm, and features a 50-megapixel rear camera and a 32-megapixel front camera for better photography and video calls. In China, the Pad 9 starts at 2,999 yuan (approximately 390 euros) for the 8 GB + 128 GB configuration, rising to 3,799 yuan (approximately 500 euros) for the 12 GB + 256 GB version. The Pad 9 Pro begins at 3,799 yuan (approximately 500 euros) and goes up to 4,999 yuan (approximately 655 euros) with 16 GB of RAM. A "Soft Light" version, offering a matte screen to reduce glare, adds an extra 200 yuan (approximately 26 euros) to each model. While these prices give a rough idea, the actual European pricing will be confirmed at the time of the European launch. The tablets are already available in China, but Xiaomi has not yet announced a release date for Europe. A global launch is expected alongside the Xiaomi 18 Pro, which is anticipated to arrive before the end of the year in Europe.