Android tablets have come a great distance within the final two years, and there are many respectable selections if you would like a finances possibility that excels on the fundamentals. I used Xiaomi’s Pad 6 for the higher a part of a 12 months, and its massive 11-inch display screen served as the best dashboard for monitoring sensible house gadgets in my home.
So when Honor stated it was launching a finances pill with a good bigger 12.1-inch display screen, I used to be . The Pad 9 would not appear to be a finances pill at a primary look; it has a metallic chassis and a skinny profile that belies its price ticket, and the IPS panel will get a lot vibrant.
The {hardware} is not one of the best you may discover on this section, however I did not see any points in day by day use, and the Pad 9 is especially well-suited as an leisure gadget. So when you want an excellent finances Android pill, here is why the Pad 9 could be the best possibility.
Honor Pad 9: Pricing and launch date
Honor launched the Pad 9 globally on December 21, 2023, and the pill is out there in choose areas. It’s promoting for £249 ($311) within the U.Ok. for the 8GB/256GB model, which is £50 lower than its standard retail value.
The Pad 9 is accessible for ₹24,999 ($300) on Amazon India, and also you get the 8GB/256GB variant as customary. What makes the Pad 9 a very sensible choice in India is that it comes with the Bluetooth keyboard bundled with the package deal, which is an elective additional that prices £100 ($124) within the U.Ok.
Honor Pad 9: What I like
Honor knew what it was doing with the design of the Pad 9, and the pill’s aluminum chassis provides it a premium look. The skinny 7mm profile additionally makes a distinction on this regard, and you do not get the sensation that you simply’re utilizing a finances pill.
The metallic gray shade possibility appears to be like good, and whereas the pill is on the heavier aspect at 555g — principally right down to the metallic chassis — it has good weight distribution, and it would not really feel heavy. Against this, my iPad Professional 12.9 is noticeably heavier at 682g. The again would not get smudged, and there is sufficient room to carry the pill with ease.
On that notice, the Pad 9 has uniform bezels across the display screen, with the digital camera situated on the longer edge, ideally positioned when it’s worthwhile to make video calls. The display screen is the star of the present right here, and the 12.1-inch IPS LCD show has good shade vibrancy. The panel has an anti-glare coating that makes it ultimate for watching films and TV exhibits, and I did not discover any points with brightness ranges.
The Pad 9 has a decision of 2560 x 1600, and once more, that is respectable sufficient in day by day use. What I like essentially the most concerning the panel is that it has 120Hz refresh price; this provides the Pad 9 a definite edge over the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A9+. Colours and distinction ranges are good typically, and there aren’t any points with the panel whereas streaming content material or taking part in video games.
Onboard sound is fairly good too, and that is right down to the eight drivers situated across the pill. It’s greater than enough when you’re simply streaming the occasional video on YouTube, however I would counsel utilizing earbuds when you’re watching a film.
With Honor providing 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as customary, there’s greater than sufficient reminiscence for multitasking, and you are not prone to run out of storage. Honor did an excellent job optimizing the {hardware}, and the pill has loads of fluidity whereas navigating the interface and scrolling in Chrome — I did not see any issues on this specific space.
There’s rather a lot to love on the battery entrance as nicely, with the Pad 9 that includes a 8300mAh battery that lasts as much as eight hours of use consisting of video playback and net looking. Honor bundles a 35W charger within the field, and it takes the Pad 9 slightly below two hours to totally cost the battery. That is on par with one of the best Android tablets, and contemplating the battery life on provide, you will not must plug it in earlier than the top of the day.
Whereas the Pad 9 is geared towards leisure, it has a number of productiveness options that come in useful. Launching multi-window mode is about as simple because it will get, and also you get the choice to have three home windows energetic on the display screen directly. MagicOS wants a polish, however on the entire, there are custom-made software program extras that make a distinction in day by day use.
Oh, and speaking about productiveness, Honor’s bundled keyboard is terrific; it connects by way of Bluetooth, and the keys have good journey. It is inferior to the Magic Keyboard, however then once more, it would not value anyplace as a lot. The case that features the keyboard has respectable safety as nicely.
Honor Pad 9: What I do not like
The {hardware} is the clearest indicator that the Pad 9 is aimed on the finances section. The pill is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, and it would not have the requisite energy to run demanding video games. Certain, it’s enough for mundane duties that embrace looking the net and taking part in informal video games, nevertheless it has its limitations in the case of heavy workloads.
The pill misses out on Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, a 3.5mm jack, and MicroSD slot. After all, most telephones do not have a 3.5mm jack or MicroSD slot both, nevertheless it’s simply simpler so as to add these options right into a pill, the place there’s significantly extra actual property. On that notice, you do not get a fingerprint sensor both.
However the largest problem is the software program; as of April 2024, the Pad 9 nonetheless runs Magic OS 7.2 based mostly on Android 13, and that simply is not ok. Most manufacturers do an excellent job delivering well timed updates to their telephones, however tablets are nonetheless a definite afterthought, and that should change.
As regards to change, Honor says it should ship only one platform replace to the Pad 9 together with three years of safety updates; meaning the one replace rolling out to the Pad 9 is Android 14, which it ought to have launched with.
Honor Pad 9: The competitors
I like Xiaomi’s Pad 6, and it additionally has a big display screen and a metallic chassis that is constructed to final. It’s considerably quicker in day by day use, has a bigger battery, and has higher onboard audio. That stated, coming in at £399, the Pad 6 is noticeably costlier than the Pad 9. The fee differential is not as excessive in India — the place the Pad 6 prices ₹26,999 — however you do not get a keyboard within the field.
Honor Pad 9: Do you have to purchase it?
You should purchase this if:
- You want an Android pill to stream content material
- You need a big display screen that will get vibrant
- You need a pill with nice battery life
- You want good onboard sound
You should not purchase this if:
- You want a pill for gaming
- You need biometric authentication
- You need nice onboard sound
- You want long-term updates
On the entire, the Pad 9 brings rather a lot to the desk. You get a bigger display screen than most finances tablets, and the panel itself has good colours and enough brightness ranges. I perceive why finances tablets use LCD panels in lieu of AMOLED, and to Honor’s credit score, the model did an excellent job with the display screen. The pixel density is not one of the best you may discover, nevertheless it holds up extremely nicely for streaming content material.
The battery life can be among the many better of any finances pill, and also you get a charger within the field. I just like the productiveness options in MagicOS, however the UI is in want of a contemporary coat of paint, and Honor must do higher with updates — the Pad 9 remains to be on Android 13 in Q2 2024. And the truth that it should solely get one platform replace will likely be a deal-breaker to many.
The {hardware} is not designed for gaming both; the Pad 9 does an excellent job in informal titles, nevertheless it struggles in demanding video games. That stated, there aren’t any points with leisure, and the pill is likely one of the greatest round when you’re occupied with a finances possibility that permits you to stream your Netflix library.
Finally, that is the largest differentiator for the Pad 9. The pill manages to ship a greater design, battery life, and bigger display screen than its rivals, and that makes it an honest alternative on this class — regardless of the replace scenario — notably contemplating it prices £249.