Xiaomi Book S should make it harder for Windows convertibles

The Xiaomi Book S was unveiled today and will soon launch in the Netherlands with a suggested retail price of 700 Euros. The optional keyboard costs another 150 euros. A stylus goes for 99 Euros. It is noteworthy that the convertible comes standard without a charger. It is sold separately for 45 Euros, but seems to be standard in the Netherlands. This makes sense, because in our country it is not customary to sell a laptop without a charger. Computer!Totaal briefly debuted with the Xiaomi Book S at a Xiaomi event in Paris.

The first thing that stands out is the mobility of the convertible. The Book S has a large 12.4-inch display, but with 720 grams it’s relatively useful. It remains a two-handed device, but it doesn’t take up much room and weight in your convertible bag. The thickness of the Book S is also within the limits of 9 millimeters. At first glance, the enclosure feels solid and offers space for a high-definition webcam (Full-HD) with facial recognition. There’s also a camera on the back (13 megapixels) whose quality looks good enough to take the occasional photo with a large tablet. The tablet’s speakers could not be properly tested in the busy showroom.

The number of links in Book S is limited. One 3.5mm port for wired audio pass-through and one USB-C port that can charge the tablet and connect to a monitor. In the exhibition hall, the tablet connects to a monitor with a USB-C cable to expand the display. This works flawlessly.

The cover that sits on the back of the tablet gives it a luxurious feel, like faux leather. It has a built-in kickstand for tilting the tablet. It’s tough and once the cover fell off the tablet like that. Someone who has been using Book S for a while says they noticed this shortcoming.

The optional keyboard often makes a good impression. The keys have a surprising amount of mobility and tap nicely. However, they do have a rubbery impression that makes them look a bit tacky. They’re not annoying, but they’re not flat keys. The trackpad is large enough and works well at first glance. You click the keyboard on the Book S via the magnetic link. This works fine and the keyboard stays ‘hanging’ properly when we lift the tablet.

The optional stylus was not available, so we didn’t get an impression.

The LCD screen has a ratio of 16:10, is touch sensitive and refreshes at 60 Hz only. Some high-end Windows convertibles have a smoother 120Hz display. Competitive tablets from Samsung and Apple also have 120Hz displays. The Book S’s display resolution is standard at 2560 x 1600 pixels and is fine. What stands out in the brightly lit showroom is that the screen reflects too much – not useful. A layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protects the screen from scratches and drop damage. Gorilla Glass 3 is an older type of glass, and some modern tablets have a newer, stronger type of glass installed.

Xiaomi Book S does not include a processor from AMD or Intel, it includes a processor from Qualcomm. This brand new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 chip is a 7nm processor using ARM architecture. A Qualcomm CEO spoke to Xiaomi on stage about how good this processor is, but avoided (usually subjective) comparisons with other processors. A thorough review should show just how powerful the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 is and whether Windows 11 works best with an ARM chip. In any case, Book S has enough working and storage memory (8GB and 256GB) to provide a smooth user experience. In a quick test with windows programs and navigation browser tabs, the convertible works like a charm.

Remarkably, the Xiaomi Book S has a card slot for an SD card so that you can increase the storage memory. Nice, but we personally would have preferred a SIM card slot to be able to use the internet anywhere with this tablet. Although strangely, this is not possible at 5G speed, as the Book S supports 4G but not 5G. And while the Qualcomm processor is up to it. The lack of 5G compatibility makes little difference in the Netherlands because the fast 3.5GHz frequency won’t be available until the end of 2023 at the earliest, but in the long run it makes the Xiaomi Book S less complete than its 5G powered rivals.

According to Xiaomi, the Book S’s battery lasts up to thirteen hours with normal use. Of course, this short cannot be tested in practice, so we’ll get back to that in the review. As mentioned, charging happens via the USB-C port and goes with a maximum of 65 watts. This is pretty neat.

Windows 11 S is built on Xiaomi Book S. This is a more limited edition of Windows 11 and is designed for devices with simpler features and/or ARM processor. If you find the S version too limited, you can usually switch to the regular Windows 11 Home software. During the short test period it was not possible to check whether the Xiaomi Book S also supports this, so we’ll come to that.

Xiaomi Book S is a solid tablet with optional keyboard that makes a good impression. The screen looks sharp and colorful, but at the same time reflects a lot, has a standard refresh rate and an older type of protective glass. The hardware makes us curious about a comprehensive test because we want to put the brand new Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 processor to the test. Also to find out if Xiaomi’s claimed thirteen hours of battery life is realistic under normal use. Its suggested retail price of 700 euros (excluding keyboard and stylus) makes the Book S a direct alternative to the Microsoft Surface Go 3 with an Intel Core i3 processor. Reviews call the Surface Go 3’s biggest drawbacks its slower processor and shorter battery life. It is not yet clear how Xiaomi’s convertible performs in these areas and whether the company can offer a better overall package for the same money.