HONOR PAD X8a Review; Performance Meets Practicality
INTRODUCTION
While they're not as in demand as smartphones, tablets have a niche dynamic market that's also on the lookout for a value-for-money device. As a brand that has proved how well enough it knows what its patrons want, HONOR mirrors its strategy for its mobile devices segment to its tablets department – coming up with tech options that promise capabilities and affordability in one package.
HONOR PAD X8a Review; Performance Meets Practicality |
The recent device that falls under this category is the HONOR Pad X8a. Let's get to know more about this device.
DISPLAY
With an 11-inch screen, the HONOR Pad X8a could easily be a substitute for a laptop. Its generous display is ample for productivity and entertainment. Perhaps a tell-tale that it's a budget device upon first look is its noticeable bezels. But other than that, despite its price tag, the HONOR Pad X8a provides a decent display quality, especially with a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. Detail sharpness and color vividness are there and it can definitely give you that smooth scrolling experience.
Display |
Plus, the device comes with a TÃœV Rheinland low blue light certification which makes it an ideal tablet for students who usually have longer screen times for reading and multimedia consumption.
Speaking of which, another feature that supports the HONOR Pad X8a as a multimedia device is its audio system. HONOR decided to equip this budget tablet with Hi-Res Audio with the HONOR Histen algorithm. On paper, this enhances human voice apt for online learning videos and automatically filters out surrounding noises during video calls. In actual usage, the tablet's audio system is a binge-watching delight as it provides impressive sound quality even when the volume is tweaked to max.
HONOR brings a practical tablet option with the HONOR Pad X8a for only Php6,999
DESIGN
Aesthetically, the HONOR Pad X8a leans more on the minimalist side. It comes in a solid-looking gray full-metal unibody, which is considerably a feat given that it's a budget device. With its price tag, one would expect a device that somehow feels plasticky. Luckily, the HONOR Pad X8a maintains a premium feel with its slim form that also gives a good grip. Take note, though, that the rear part of the tablet is a smudge-magnet.
Retail Package |
For ports and buttons, the tablet offers a USB-C port, power button, and volume rockers on the side, a SIM tray near the bottom, and dual-firing speakers on both sides.
X8a Back |
At 495 grams with a 7.25 mm thickness, the HONOR Pad X8a is portable enough to not be too tiring to carry around.
PERFORMANCE
Powering up the HONOR Pad X8a under the hood is a 6nm Snapdragon 680 processor combined with an Adreno 610 GPU clocked at 1.11GHz and an octa-core CPU. Again, this is another steal for a budget tablet.
HONOR Docs |
With these internals at play, the HONOR Pad X8a had no issues whatsoever in handling multiple apps in the background and switching from one app to another. Productivity-wise, the experience is as fluid as it can get.
The MagicOS 8.0 on the tablet also allows a number of convenience features that aid productivity, including an easily accessible split-screen function that's ideal for multitaskers.
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CAMERA
Rear Camera |
Cameras are often not a strong suit for tablets because let's be honest, who would use a large chunk of device to capture photos? While the 5-megapixel cameras on the front and the back of the HONOR Pad X8a are obviously not for social media-ready photos, they do a decent job in video conferencing.
BATTERY
We didn't have to worry about getting a drained battery while we're out with the HONOR Pad X8a, thanks to its 8,300mAh battery which lasted us up to two days on a single charge. Sadly, though, there's no fast-charging support so it took us a while – 3 hours and 37 minutes, specifically – to get the tablet back to 100% battery.
CONCLUSION
HONOR PAD X8a |
Is the HONOR Pad X8a worth the buy? The answer is a hard yes. For P7,999, this HONOR offering gives a number of strong suits that outweigh the limitations due to its price tag.