Just like that, the HONOR X8a has arrived. It’s been six months since the release of the HONOR Pad 9, and now we have a budget-friendly 11-inch Android tablet. We have been having a blast with this device so we’ll go over its features and performance to help you decide if this is the right one for you.
HONOR Pad X8a key specs
- Display: 11.0 inches, 1200×1920 pixels, TFT LCD, 90Hz, 400 nits
- OS: Android 14, MagicOS 8
- Chipset (SoC): Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm)
- Memory (RAM) + storage: 4GB RAM + 128GB internal storage
- Expansion: MicroSD card
- Camera: 5 MP f/2.2 (main); 5 MP, f/2.2 (selfie)
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Audio: Quad stereo speakers (4 speakers)
Design, build quality
The HONOR Pad X8a comes in this sleek Space Gray finish with a unibody metal build. It’s super slim at just 7.25mm, and feels quite premium despite the affordable price. It’s also lightweight, weighing just under 500 grams, making it easy to carry around.
There’s a single 5MP rear camera here, and although there’s a secondary ring, it seems to serve no function other than aesthetics. The overall design is clean, and while this version doesn’t support mobile data, you do get a microSD slot to expand storage.
Display, audio
Now, moving on to the display. You get an 11-inch Full HD+ screen with a 90Hz refresh rate. The colors are okay, though it could be a bit brighter for outdoor use. The surface is quite reflective, so it’s best viewed directly from the front.
The tablet features quad speakers enhanced by HONOR’s Histen technology. We found it to be quite punchy, though lacking in bass. We tried our best to figure out how HONOR Histen affects audio quality, but we couldn’t hear the difference when playing from the built-in speakers.
We do hear the enhancement using Bluetooth speakers and by the way, the HONOR Pad X8a does not include an audio jack.
It also supports Widevine L1, which means you can stream content from services such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime in Full HD.
Performance
Under the hood, the HONOR Pad X8a runs on the Snapdragon 680 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. It’s okay for everyday tasks like browsing, streaming, and light multitasking, but the 680 is really showing its age. EMMC storage is another aging technology that impacts performance.
In our experience, the device can feel sluggish at times, especially when multitasking and loading games. While this won’t be a dealbreaker for most users — especially for casual use.
We appreciate that it runs Android 14 out of the box with MagicOS 8, which provides numerous quality of life features that enhance multitasking and productivity. You also have the option to specify a child user when setting the tablet up for first use.
Gaming
On the topic of gaming, we were surprised to find that it supports Ultra graphics and Ultra frame rates in Mobile Legends. It ran surprisingly well, though it took a while to load – that would be the storage bottleneck we talked about earlier.
You may also notice occasional stutters in more graphics-heavy titles, so while it does have the potential to push, it really is best to stay with casual games on this one.
Camera
The HONOR Pad X8a packs a 5MP rear and 5MP front camera. They’re alright for video calls and virtual meetings, but you need really good lighting or the image can be grainy.
Photos look a lot better than expected thanks to image stacking and computational photography. The main camera supports AI mode for even better photos.
The camera app can be sluggish at times, so you’ll want to kill all running applications before using it.
Battery
One of the standout features is the 8300mAh battery, which HONOR promises up to 14 hours of video playback. In our battery life benchmark, we averaged 10 hours with display brightness set to our standard 200 cd/m. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi were both enabled during our tests.
The only downside is the charging speed—at 10 watts, it’s a bit slow, taking half a day to fully charge.
Takeaway
So, is the HONOR Pad X8a worth it? With everything that we’ve seen so far, it is worth considering for light to moderate users. We’re talking families: students and kids for studying, browsing, social networking, and entertainment. Maybe some light productivity stuff like Canva.
For its price tag of 7,999 PHP, you’re getting decent everyday performance from a reliable brand that won’t break the bank.
If you’re lucky, you can grab it at a discounted price of only 6,999 PHP on Shopee! Can you think of a better deal? Let us know in the comments, or hit us up on social media. Lookup TechKuya on YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram – see you there!
The Wi-Fi only edition retails for P7,999 but you can grab it at a discounted price of only P6,999 from Shopee: https://s.shopee.ph/AKID1xT28a
Hit the play button to watch our HONOR Pad X8a review video or visit TechKuya on YouTube for more tech reviews!
READ: HONOR Pad X8a specs
