Chinese company makes iPad clone, guess its name

A Chinese company has come out with a tablet that looks like a much cheaper version of Apple's popular iPad. Guess what the firm called it. The Mi Pad, of course.

Xiaomi, a popular Chinese smartphone maker, unveiled the new product in Beijing, tech site The Next Web reported Thursday.

"The device includes 2GB RAM, a 16GB ROM, and will support up to 128GB via a memory expansion card. It is equipped with an eight-megapixel camera on the back and a five-megapixel camera on the front," The Next Web said.

“We hope to put pressure on Apple,” Xiaomi's Lei Jun said, adding Xiaomi spent as long as four years planning its first tablet.

Mi Pad measures 7.9 inches and is available in six colors. It has a 2048 x 1536 screen from Sharp and Youda, and sports the 2.2 Ghz Tegra K1 – the first tablet to use the Nvidia processor.

The tablet runs on a highly customizable MIUI firmware, which is based on Google's Android.

Xiaomi will sell the tablet for 1499 yuan ($240) for a Wifi-only 16 GB version. A 64GB version sells for 1699 yuan (around $273).

The Next Web said Xiaomi did not mention a launch date for the device, though the firm may start open testing in June, with further tweaks based on initial customer feedback. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News