HONOR Pad X9 Review: An excellent tablet on a budget

Tablets have become incredibly good in recent years, and the latest HONOR Pad X9 is an excellent testament that shows us how these devices have come down in price, and up the performance and features that manufacturers can cram in without sacrificing on the build quality, design and the overall performance.

The HONOR Pad X9 is a new device entering a challenging and competitive field. That said, the tablet has a lot going for it, including the large 120Hz display, sleek and modern design, lots of great features that could very well appeal to all general users, and a chip that excels at everyday tasks, some light gaming, and multitasking.

We’ve taken a close look at the best tablets, and one of the main reasons the HONOR Tablet X9 shines and stands out comes down to the hardware and features you get from an otherwise relatively inexpensive tablet. While it lacks a few premium features, and a chipset, the Pad X9 covers all the essentials that most users require on a daily basis.

HONOR Pad X9: Price & Availability

The HONOR Pad X9 was officially unveiled on July 6. The tablet is widely available in European markets, including the UK. We don’t have any information on whether the tablet would ever be available in North America, and based on HONOR’s history, it’s unlikely to be released outside of Europe.

The HONOR Pad X9 retails for £160 in the UK, and €250 in Germany. The price is on par with other affordable tablets, and it can already be found at a discounted price at many retailers, even on HONOR’s website. In the UK, users can even receive £20 off during the Back to School Deals event, and users can add the HONOR Earbuds X5 or a Flip Cover for only £20 in a special bundle. The Pad X9 is available in a single color, Space Grey, and it comes with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.

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What’s in the box

The HONOR Pad X9 comes in a standard white box, with the device and the name printed on top. Inside the box, we find the tablet itself, a USB-A to USB-C cable, and a 10W power adapter. The only slight nitpick I can mention is that I would’ve preferred a USB-C to USB-C cable and a USB-C power adapter, but given the low price, it’s a surprise the adapter was included at all.

HONOR continues to be one of the few remaining brands to provide a charger inside the box, and this is especially useful for less expensive devices where some people might not have yet upgraded to faster chargers, or don’t yet have a compatible device to pull the plug on a faster-charging accessory.

Design

• Sleek & minimalist design
• Premium feel
• Perfect size for everyday use

The HONOR Pad X9 looks and feels premium. It looks beautiful from all angles and has flat sides for a more modern look. The minimal branding, and simple aesthetics, and single color keep the device fresh and sleek. The tablet weighs 499 grams, and while it’s a little heavy, this never resulted in fatigue or cramps. That said, it could be a little on the heavy side for children, so my advice would be to pick up a case to protect the device from scratches and prop it up on a table or any other flat surface.

Aside from the weight, the Pad X9 feels great, and the size is perfect for everyday use. It’s a good size, and the flat sides make it easy to comfortably use the tablet for long periods without getting any pain in your hands and arms. Despite the aluminium frame, the back of the tablet isn’t slippery, and long gaming sessions were always comfortable.

Regarding the ports and buttons, there is a volume rocker and a power button on top (in landscape mode), two speakers on the left, two speakers on the right alongside the USB Type-C port, and another set of dual speakers on the bottom. Sadly, there’s no fingerprint reader, but at least the tablet can recognize faces using the front-facing camera.

Specifications

The HONOR Pad X9 is powered by the midranger Snapdragon 685 chipset. In terms of everyday performance, the chip can play some more demanding games at low or medium settings. Games like Call of Duty Mobile, Diablo, and Asphalt were easily payable on low and medium settings, and the 120Hz display made things look smooth and responsive.

The tablet has 4GB of RAM, which provides a comfortable experience when browsing and having one or two social media apps open in the background. MagicOS also allows users to add 3GB of memory using the storage, extending the memory up to 7GB. Using this approach, I never experienced slowdowns when scrolling through social media, browsing the internet, or watching videos. The only time I noticed some small hanging and hiccups was when multiple apps were updating at the same time, or when I tried to quickly switch between more demanding games and apps.

The Pad X9 generally performs well, and you’re unlikely to encounter major hiccups while doing basic operations. You shouldn’t expect a premium gaming experience, but that’s to be expected at this price point. I also want to highlight that the Pad X9 lacks cellular connectivity and relies on Wi-Fi or your phone’s hotspot to connect to the internet.

Display

• 11.5-inch TFT LCD with 120Hz
• 1200 x 2000 resolution, 5:3 aspect ratio with 203 PPI
• Great colors and enjoyable for consuming content and playing games

Watching content on a tablet or a TV will always be more enjoyable than on a small mobile screen, and the HONOR Pad X9 sports a large 11.5-inch TFT LCD display with 120Hz refresh rate. It’s a 1200 x 2000 panel with 203 PPI (Pixel-per-inch). It’s not the sharpest screen at this size, but it provides adequate value for the low price, and it’s excellent for reading, browsing the web, and even playing games – since it’s powered by a midrange chipset, the lower resolution panel requires less energy to power those pixels.

Videos and images look great, and I’m quite impressed by the colors too. What’s not so impressive is the brightness and the viewing angles. The brightness will be enough while inside, in a closed environment, but it’ll fall short outside in direct sunlight. The screen has 400 nits of peak brightness, which is simply not enough during summer, or in very bright spaces, although it’s worth mentioning that this is on par with other devices in the same price ballpark.

The viewing angles aren’t particularly bad, and I only noticed some slight color shifting when I looked at the display off angle. It’s not too bad, but the TFT LCD display is starting to show its age, and I would’ve preferred an IPS panel instead, even if that meant the tablet would’ve cost slightly more.

Overall, the display of the HONOR Pad X9 is competitive at this price point, and while it’s not perfect, it’ll be decent for most users. It’s clearly not intended for those of us who like to pixel peep, but it’ll generally do well for completing daily tasks and entertainment. It would be great to see the industry switch to IPS panels as they offer better performance, even if they consume more power and come at a slightly higher price tag.

Cameras

• 5MP rear camera
• 5MP front-facing camera
• Ideal for video calls

Before we take a look at the samples, let’s set the scene. Tablets aren’t made for photography, and as such, the HONOR Pad X9 isn’t intended to be used to capture important moments. That said, the tablet houses a single 5MP f/2.2 camera on the back and another 5MP f/2.2 sensor on the front, and it’s good enough for snapping images quickly.

The rear camera captures decent images in good lighting but struggles in bright environments. It’s usually good enough to snap a few quick photos and videos, but chances are, a midranger smartphone will do an even better job. The camera on the Pad X9 is great for taking pictures of everyday objects in good lighting conditions, but it’s best avoided when the sun goes down.

Generally speaking, it’ll be perfect for any parent or child wanting to use it at home or in the garden, and it’s also great for those who need to scan documents on a larger device.

The front-facing camera is placed in a landscape orientation on the screen, and it’s ideal for making video calls, and taking quick selfies. The image and videos are usually sharp enough to make calls, but you shouldn’t expect professional-grade results here. The microphone will also do a great job at picking up voices, and it’s adequate to be used inside or outside, for as long as there isn’t too much wind or background noise.

Software

• Responsive
• Great multitasking features
• MagicOS 7.1 based on Android 13

One of the highlights of the HONOR Pad X9 is the 11.5-inch display with 120Hz refresh rate. The panel makes the tablet feel smooth and fluid whether you’re browsing away, or playing your favorite game. Navigating the device always felt smooth and responsive, and it made the tablet feel more premium than it was. HONOR did a great job optimizing MagicOS 7.1, which based on Android 13. We don’t yet know how many OS and security updates the tablet will receive, or when it’ll be updated to Android 14.

The Pad X9 lacks premium features, yet HONOR managed to cram in all the essentials. The tablet allows users to use two applications side-by-side. A third application can also be opened and used in a pop-up view. This can offer a more versatile experience, making great use of the large screen estate. The software features enable users to watch movies on the side, chat with friends, and shop for their favorite items, all without having to close anything.

The rest of the software follows the same design and theme that we’ve seen in other HONOR devices, such as the HONOR Magic5 Lite, Magic5 Pro, and even the HONOR 90. The tablet supports the same MagicOS Themes, Magazine Unlock, wallpaper, and icons as the phones, and users can also enable the Circadian Night Display to automatically adjust the screen color temperature based on body rhythm to provide better sleep.

Users with a compatible device can also connect their smartphones or computers and switch calls seamlessly. The HONOR ecosystem also allows users to receive and process notifications from synced smartphones. The HONOR Pad X9 could be the ultimate budget companion for existing HONOR users.

Speakers

The HONOR Pad X9 has large tweeters on not one, not two, but three sides of the tablet. There are a total of six speakers that provide an overall excellent listening experience.

The speakers are enjoyable when watching movies, videos, and playing games. Calls also sound great. Music, and audio, in general, can distort at higher volumes, but it’s not a dealbreaker as it’s comfortably loud even at 80%. Generally speaking, the speakers can easily fill a large room with sound. Considering the quality of the speakers at this price point, they provide a solid audio experience.

Battery

• 7,250 mAh
• 10W charging using provided adapter, or 20W using HONOR’s 66W charger
• All-day battery life

The battery department is often an area in which budget tablets don’t excel and are not particularly impressive. However, that doesn’t appear to apply to the HONOR Pad X9. The device has a 7,250 mAh battery with support for 10W charging via USB-C.

Browsing the web and using social media apps got me a comfortable full day’s worth of use out of the tablet. Watching videos consumed a bit more battery, and multitasking – while using two apps, or watching a video and browsing the web – resulted in a higher battery drainage. Having said that, the HONOR tablet consistently provided 8 hours of screen-on time, and I was able to get even more when I consumed less video, or played fewer games. Mixed usage between playing and using apps and watching videos will generally provide roughly a day’s worth of power, perfect for home use and some light work on the side.

HONOR included the power adapter inside the box that can charge the tablet at up to 10W speeds. Using the provided charger, I was able to get the advertised 10W charging speed. However, I also tested to see if the Pad X9 could support even faster speeds, and long story short, the answer is yes. Using the HONOR Magic5 Pro’s 66W power adapter, I was able to reach 20W charging speeds, and the device automatically enabled Super Charging. While it’s not the fastest charging tablet on the market, HONOR users will be glad to hear that existing 66W power adapters will result in much faster charging speeds.

Overall, the HONOR Pad X9 can comfortably last all day on a single charge with general usage, using social media apps, shopping, and browsing the web. Gaming will take a toll on the battery, but a quick half-hour top-up will likely give you enough to continue playing a little longer. If you’re after a tablet that can last all day, and multiple days on standby, requiring very little maintenance and care, the HONOR Pad X9 will provide just that at an affordable price tag.

HONOR Pad X9: Should you buy it?

Buy it if…

• You’re looking for a budget tablet that you want to use at home, for studying, or doing some light work on a larger screen.
• You want to browse the web, keep up with friends on social media, consume media, or play less demanding games on a large, responsive display.
• You’re after a tablet that can comfortably last a full day on a single charge.

Don’t buy it if…

• You want to play more graphics-intensive games in high settings, or if you’re a power user who demands more power.
• You often spend time outside in bright environments.

The HONOR Pad X9 is an excellent budget tablet, and at £180, it’s a great deal with few compromises. The tablet provides a decent performance to complete everyday tasks, and while it doesn’t have the highest resolution display, it’s competitive and enjoyable enough for watching your favorite shows and playing games without any hiccups.

The multitasking features enable the HONOR Pad to be our new go-to recommendation for anyone who desires a cheap tablet that can be used at home, whether that’s for entertainment, in the kitchen, or in the living room. Users can easily pull up spreadsheets and edit documents on the fly, and the battery will allow users to take advantage of the large display for a full day without having to worry about carrying a charger from room-to-room.

Not many devices come close to the features and hardware of the HONOR Pad X9, and Samsung hasn’t updated it’s Tab A8 series since the end of 2021. The current Galaxy Tab A8 is a little outdated, and the HONOR Pad X9 offers a better value for the money when the two devices are looked at side-by-side. This makes the HONOR Pad X9 an easy recommendation for anyone on a budget, and those who just want an affordable tablet experience for watching movies, keeping up with friends and family, and doing some light work and gaming on the side.