HONOR Pad X8a Review | Geek Lifestyle

After a successful launch, HONOR has been reveling in the hype that was generated by their newest mobile device, the HONOR Pad X8a. Their newest addition to a plethora of mobile gadgets is taking the public by storm as a very affordable option for those who simply wish for the joys of a much bigger screen. While we may be a tad late to the party, we’re definitely still basking in the afterglow of the festivities, and ready to give our thoughts.

This robust 11-incher has quite the pallet of features, in spite of its price range. Packed with a snappy 6-nanometer Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 chipset within a slim design, an HONOR FullView display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and a massive 8300 mAh battery to name a few, we had our work cut out for us.

So, is the HONOR Pad X8a something to look out for? Is the hype train worth hitching a ride onto? Read on to find out.

Geeksthetic

The HONOR Pad X8a, along with its proprietary flip cover make quite the spiffy combo. The 11-inch tablet weighs a decent 495 grams while being 7.3 mm thin. This makes for quite the handy gadget that doesn’t run the risk of falling out of your hands at the slightest fumble.

In terms of texture, the Space Grey colorway is smooth to the touch, but leaves a few fingerprints to be desired. It’s not necessarily a smudge magnet, but oily fingers will leave their marks. We get some sweet dual-firing speakers on both ends, a USB-C port and the usual power button + volume rocker combo to the side, and a SIM tray slot towards the bottom.

The AI camera setup towards the top is nice and nondescript, too. Overall, in terms of looks, the Pad X8a keeps things rather simple, opting for a more stealthy appearance which we can appreciate.

The three-fold flip cover snaps on nicely. No magnets, no clips. The leather-esque material feels nice to the touch, and it’s sturdy enough to keep the pad propped up for viewing.

Speaking of viewing, the 11-inch screen shows that it’s bright enough once you fire up the device. It’s about time we went into more detail on that.

Binge-Watching Factor

This is where the HONOR Pad X8a shines. If we’re keeping things real, this is likely the reason most people actually desire to have tablets. Well, most people are in luck, because the 11-inch display comes with a sweet 84% screen-to-body ratio alongside a smooth 90Hz refresh rate.

While the pad sports an LCD display, it still brings about a good level of vibrancy. The 1920 x 1200 resolution contributes to a pretty good time when it comes to viewing sessions. With a brightness of up to 400 nits, you’ll neither be blinded if you crank it up, not will you be squinting once you decide to relent to the device’s dynamic dimming.

In terms of those lengthy viewing sessions, the display is TÜV Rheinland low blue light certified. That’s some TLC for your peepers. Regardless of what we watched, we didn’t get any eyestrain from all the colors and fanfare. Of course, if your daily doses of media come in the form of K-pop and anime (like us), the color and fanfare are in much abundance.

Before we forget, let’s talk about those stereo speakers. The HONOR Pad X8a comes with a large-amplitude quad-speaker layout that has some surprisingly good audio fidelity. Even when cranked to the max, you get no crackling sound from your music. It also seemingly has a balanced soundstage as the audio doesn’t actually pierce through your surroundings. A very nice audio-visual combo when it comes to binge-watching.

Gaming Prowess

Not exactly the HONOR Pad X8a’s strong suit here, but a capability nonetheless. After all, we have a Snapdragon 680 chipset under the hood, coupled with a total 8GB of RAM (4+4 thanks to expansion) and an Adreno 610. This isn’t the optimum setup for higher-end titles, but you’ll get some decent results if you’re the type to play MOBAs and FPS titles on tablets. We could never. Skill issue.

As we fired up Honkai: Star Rail on its default settings, we got some rather decent gameplay in spite of the less than optimum graphics. If you’re just out to do your daily quests, or accomplish a few in-game tasks, you’ll be totally fine using the HONOR Pad X8a. Just curb your expectations when it comes to the aesthetics.

With up to 128GB of storage, you’ll have just enough space for most titles, for as long as they’re not all from HoYoverse. A dedicated gacha game, a few MOBAs, and maybe an FPS title or two plus all your productivity apps will fit quite nicely.

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

If you’re fine with simple video conferencing, or snapping photos simply for the memories, then you’ll be golden using the HONOR Pad X8a’s cameras. At 5 megapixels a piece for front and back, you’ll definitely need to be a bit more understanding with your output.

: 1X

: 2X

That being said, you will be able to take some decent selfies under decent lighting, and the autofocus isn’t bad either. There’s a bit of trouble in portrait mode, as there’s not enough bokeh to go around. In this case, we’d suggest using the default camera setting.

: Portrait 1X

: Portrait 2X

As for selfies, it’s–a bit tough to tell the difference. The discerning factor here, is that portrait mode, by default, adds more beautification features.

: Selfie 1X

: Selfie Portrait 1X

You can shoot video up to 1080p at 30fps, which is totally fine for casual use or the sudden online meeting. You’ll get enough clarity on both ends.

Everyday Reliability

As a mobile devices, we quite enjoyed having the HONOR Pad X8a in our daily rotation. It’s light, thin, and can really take a beating when it comes to both resilience and longevity. Yes, it got dropped once or twice, and yes, we did accidentally leave it in the bad for a day or two. No damage, no battery discharge either.

The massive 8300 mAh is definitely a highlight, lasting more than a couple of days on our end. It’s worth noting that this is without the usage of mobile data, plus the fact that the device wasn’t used in the same way a smartphone would. Still, being able to last through half the work week deserves some recognition. It may take a while to charge–about an hour or so. But you’re on the field for way longer.

Quality of life is also worth discussing, as you get a variety of productivity features. First off, the entire spread of HONOR Share and HONOR connect capabilities are at your disposal. While we don’t get a fingerprint sensor, the facial recognition is surprisingly precise, for as long as your face isn’t in pitch darkness. For media playback, sound recording, and clock, we even have a magic capsule. These are features that are definitely nice to have.

Lastly, you’re powered by both MagicOS 8.0 and Android 14–a very dynamic duo for both recreation and productivity. You can definitely expect your day-to-day to go swimmingly with this device.

HONOR Pad X8a – Geek Lifestyle Final Verdict

If you’re looking for bombast and overwhelming power, you’re in the wrong place. The HONOR Pad X8a is a capable tablet that plays on its strengths and delivers a great experience for just about anyone who requires a bigger screen to view and to do bigger things.

It’s neither a gaming device, nor a content creation powerhouse. It’s a stealthy, yet stylish piece of tech that’ll get you a sweet video streaming and binge watching experience for a very affordable price–all while you get all your tasks done at work.

So, if you’re in the market for a sub-10,000 PHP tablet that get the job done, and then some. You need to add this to your cart, no questions asked.

As of now, it’s a Shopee exclusive with an SRP of PHP 7,999. If you caught the news before our review, you likely snagged one yourself for an even better price. The triple fold flip cover and stylus are sold separately as well. If you’re willing to do a stake out and possibly snag it at a later time during monthly sales, make sure to check out HONOR’s official Facebook page.

For a complete list of specs, check out the official website.