Honor had a distinct history of providing affordable yet capable gadgets back when it was part of Huawei. Fast forward to 2023, Honor is now owned by a Shenzhen-based state-controlled enterprise. But the value proposition of Honor as a utility-focused, cost-effective brand remains. Last year the company launched the Honor Pad 8 on 22nd July. It’s a mid-range tab aimed to be a budget-friendly alternative to higher-end Android tabs. So how does it fare compared to other Android tabs? And does it compare in any way with the iPad? Let’s find out.
Key Specifications of Honor Pad 8
Design and Build Quality
The designs of pads in general are more or less the same across the spectrum. Just like the Honor Pad 7, the Pad 8 also has a rectangular design with thin bezels and a camera on the side. The front is made from glass whereas the frame and the back are made from plastic.
Dimension-wise the Honor Pad is 278.54 mm by 174.06 mm by 6.9 mm with 520 gm of effective weight with the battery. The pad is on the lighter side considering its dimensions. The even weight distribution adds a layer of comfort to the user experience of the device.
Read more: Apple iPhone 15 Plus Review: What are the major upgrades?
There is no SIM support on the Honor Pad 8. Meaning users would have to depend on Wi-Fi only for connectivity. Another drawback of the Pad 8 is the lack of a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Even in 2023, a headphone jack in tabs is a pretty common sight. However, the Pad 8 is missing out on one. The lack of a headphone jack is complemented by 8 speakers all around the device. Users will get a surround sound stereo experience with the pad.
The power and volume buttons are situated on the right of the device. There aren’t any external ports on the device other than the Type C port as the device doesn’t support micro SDXC as well.
The Display
The display on the Honor Pad 8 is a 12-inch LCD panel. Two distinct things stand out the most the moment you look at the panel. And that’s the thin bezels and their symmetric distribution. The bezels are 7.2 mm thick on the left and right end giving it a reminiscent look of the new iPads and the Tab S from Samsung.
Read more: Xiaomi Mi Pad 5: An Ideal Tablet to Replace iPad
The 12-inch display has 1.07 B color support with 1200 by 2000 pixels of resolution and an impressive 84.5% screen-to-body ratio. The 5:9 aspect ratio makes for 194 ppi density. Even though the pixel density is on the lower end, the aspect ratio makes it a clear and crisp display. Users would have to squint to spot individual pixels on the Pad 8. The typical brightness of the Pad 8 reaches up to 350 nits. There’s no dedicated HBM mode on the pad so it might be a bit difficult to navigate the display under bright and direct sunlight.
The pad also supports Widevine L1 for HD streaming OTT content. The sharp resolution and large panel make it an impressive media consumption device. Unfortunately, the Pad 8 doesn’t come with a high refresh rate panel. Users are stuck with a 60 Hz refresh rate on the display.
The Camera
There’s not much going on with the camera on the Honor Pad 8. This isn’t just a case with the Pad 8. Rather tabs in general do not focus on the camera end as smartphones are leading the charge in the photography department.
Read more: Apple iPad, iPad Pro 2022 Review: World’s most advanced tablets
The Honor Pad 8 has two cameras – one on the front and one on the back. Both the shooters are 5 MP with the exact same spec at f/2.2 aperture, 27mm (wide), 1/5", and 1.12µm sensor size.
The back camera can shoot video up to 1080P at 30 fps. As a bonus, the back camera has autofocus. That’s about it when it comes to the camera spec on the Pad 8.
In terms of performance, the Pad 8 can take some generic shots. These are, by no means, even comparable to entry-level smartphones. It’s more suited for a quick scan of documents or video calls.
Read more: Symphony SYMTAB 80 Review: Budget Tablet for Regular Use
Processor and Performance
The Honor Pad 8 is powered by Snapdragon 680 based on the 4 Nm chipset. The octa-core processor has a 4 A73 2.4GHz and 4 A53 1.9GHz chip design. The processor is coupled with Adreno 610 GPU.
On paper, the 680 is a lower mid-range processor from Snapdragon. So it would be a bit extreme to expect gaming-level performance from the Pad 8. Even then, the device was able to run all the leading 3D game titles like PUBG, Asphalt 9, and COD with moderate graphics settings. However, there were slight stutters and frame drops here and there. The Pad did a good job at heat management. The device didn’t excessively heat up even after an hour of continued gaming.
The Pad 8 comes with Android 12 onboard with Magic UI 6.1. The OS has been customized to suit Pad usability with iPad OS-like design. There’s a dock on the home screen with the recently used app list. The device also supports a split screen with two apps and an additional floating app. So in effect, users will be able to use up to three apps at the same time. It’s an impressive feature given the limited processing power of the Pad 8.
Read more: Xiaomi Redmi Pad Review: Budget Tablet Worth Consideration
Overall, the performance of the Pad 8 is more than satisfactory. The tab is geared to be a utility device for day-to-day tasks like reading, split screen use, casual browsing and media consumption.
Battery and Charge Time
The Honor Pad 8 comes with a 7250 mAh battery on board. The battery is coupled with 22.5W fast charging. With a full charge, the device can last around 10 to 100 hours of continued use. The higher battery performance is partly due to the Wi-Fi-only connectivity on the device.
Pros and Cons of Honor Pad 8 Tab
Pros:
· Large bright display
· Lightweight design
· Utility-focused OS customization
· Long battery life
· Decent front camera for video calls.
Read more: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Is It Worth the Price?
Cons:
· Only Wi-Fi connectivity
· No expandable storage
Price of Honor Pad 8 Tab
The 4/128 GB variant of the Honor Pad 8 is officially available in India. The price of the Pad 8 is 17,999 INR which roughly amounts to 23,684 BDT (1 INR = 1.32 BDT). However, the official price differs in Bangladesh due to several regulations like import duty and local tax.
Final Words
The Honor's latest tablet Pad 8 is the perfect mid-range tab that brings a good balance of performance and price. It brings a great display, processor, and battery on board. The plastic build of the device might be a letdown but it’s an understandable trade-off considering the price and overall performance. On the whole, Honor Pad 8 can not compete with the high-end tabs from Honor or other brands. But this Tablet makes a niche of its own as an efficient and affordable option.