Honor Pad X9 Review: Is it worth buying?

October 03, 2023, 10:50 AM
by Md. Mehedi Hasan

UNB News
Publish- October 03, 2023, 10:50 AM
Md. Mehedi Hasan
Update- October 03, 2023, 11:22 AM

Honor Pad X9 Review: Is it worth buying?

Honor Pad X9 (Image: Honor Website)

Pad X9 is a recently rolled-out tablet by the Honor brand that aims to make smart and feature-oriented smartphones, tablets and wearables. The devices under Honor X series are slim and lightweight with a lot of features. And, Pad X9 is no exception. Let’s take a look into the key specs, price, pros and cons of the Honor Pad X9.

Key Features of Honor Pad X9

Design

The HONOR Pad X9 boasts a premium look and feel. It has a sleek design with flat sides for a modern touch. The minimal branding and single-color finish keep it stylish. This tablet has a 267.3 x 167.4 x 6.9 mm dimension and weighs 495 grams, which might be a tad heavy for children. However, it's advisable to get a protective case to prevent scratches and make it easier to prop up on a flat surface.

The size of the HONOR Pad X9 is just right for everyday use. It's compact enough for school or work and spacious enough for entertainment and multitasking. The tablet's flat sides ensure comfortable use for extended periods without hand or arm discomfort. Despite the aluminum frame, it offers a non-slip grip, making it suitable for long gaming sessions.

In terms of ports and buttons, you'll find a volume rocker and power button on top (in landscape mode). There are two speakers on each side along with a USB Type-C port. Additionally, there's a set of dual speakers on the bottom. However, it lacks a fingerprint reader, though it can recognize faces using the front-facing camera.

Display

The HONOR Pad X9 features a spacious 11.5-inch TFT LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. It has a resolution of 1200 x 2000 pixels, providing 203 pixels per inch (PPI). While it's not the sharpest display in its size category, it offers good value for its affordable price. The lower resolution is beneficial for tasks like reading, web browsing, and gaming, especially considering its midrange chipset, which consumes less power with the lower pixel count.

The display delivers impressive visuals for videos and images, with vibrant colors. However, it falls short in terms of brightness, reaching a peak of 400 nits. This brightness is adequate for indoor use but may struggle in direct sunlight or very bright environments. Nevertheless, this brightness level is in line with other devices in a similar price range.

Honor Pad X9's Display (Image: Honor Website)

Viewing angles are decent, with only slight color shifting when viewed from off angles. The TFT LCD display, while not ideal, holds up reasonably well. Some users might have preferred an IPS panel for better performance, even if it came at a slightly higher cost.

Cameras

The Honor Pad X9 features two cameras: one on the front for video calls and one on the rear for photos. Both cameras come with basic 5MP sensors and f/2.2 apertures, lacking advanced features like optical image stabilization or autofocus.

Without the opportunity to capture test shots, it's apparent from a quick on-screen assessment that the still image quality is expected to be average at best. This is a common characteristic in budget-friendly tablets. For instance, the Amazon Fire HD 10 Plus also sports a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front webcam. Lenovo's competing Tab P11 offers a 13MP rear snapper and an 8MP selfie camera, but pixel count isn't the sole determinant of camera performance.

Honor Pad X9's Camera (Image: Honor Website)

Honor has a track record in the smartphone industry for its image processing algorithms, so a direct comparison with its competitors is necessary to determine a winner. Nevertheless, the front camera should perform well for Zoom calls, although for quality photo capture, using a smartphone is recommended.

Performance and Software

The Honor Pad X9 packs a Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 685 CPU and 4GB of RAM, making it an upgrade from the previous Pad X8 model. While it may not be the most powerful tablet, it shines in terms of screen size. It offers 128GB of internal storage.

In testing, the Pad X9 showed decent responsiveness, handling app launches and website scrolling smoothly. Although it may struggle with demanding apps compared to pricier options, it avoids the sluggishness often associated with Android devices.

Honor Pad X9's Chipset (Image: Honor Website)

This tablet excels in multitasking with Honor's MagicOS 7.1 interface. A swipe from the right brings out a toolbar for side-by-side app usage, which works seamlessly. While it's efficient, some users might prefer the slicker smart taskbar seen on Google Pixel Tablet and recent Samsung slates. The Pad X9's Snapdragon 685 along with the Adreno 610 GPU can handle 2D games well, but 3D titles may require reduced detail settings.

Battery and Charger

The tablet is equipped with a 7,250mAh battery, and Honor claims it can last up to 14 hours on a single charge. In real-life usage tests, the tablet was observed to endure for approximately 9-10 hours. This usage included activities such as web browsing, gaming, and video playback.

Although it fell short of the 14-hour claim, it still offered a full day's worth of usage. For charging, the Pad X9 includes a 10W USB-C power adapter. Testing revealed it took roughly four hours to go from 0% to 100% charge.

Honor Pad X9's battery (Image: Honor Website)

Pros and Cons of Honor Pad X9

Pros

- Large High Refresh Rate Display
- Decent Performance
- Impressive Battery Life
- Affordable Price

Cons

- Average Camera Quality
- Low Display Brightness
- Limited Gaming Capability
- No Fingerprint Reader
- Slightly Heavy.

Price of Honor Pad X9

The Honor Pad X9 is currently available in India at Rs. 14,499 or BDT 19,296. The conversion rate here is INR 1 = BDT 1.33. This particular variant boasts 4GB of RAM and offers a generous 128GB of internal storage capacity. However, the price of Honor Pad X9 in Bangladesh may vary depending upon sellers.

Verdict

The Honor Pad X9 presents itself as a compelling tab. Its sleek and modern design, coupled with a comfortable form factor, makes it suitable for various tasks.

Its large display with a high refresh rate offers good visual quality for everyday use, though it could be brighter for outdoor settings. The camera setup is basic but functional, and the tablet's standard processor and RAM provide decent performance. The highlight is the impressive battery life, offering a full day's usage.

At its affordable price point, the Honor Pad X9 delivers value for those seeking a standard tablet. The Honor Pad X9 emerges as a well-rounded tablet designed to meet everyday needs while remaining budget-friendly. It may not revolutionize the tablet market, but it competently holds its own in its price category.