Honor Pad 9 review: A terrific budget Android tablet with a big caveat

Android tablets have come a good distance within the final two years, and there are many first rate selections in order for you a price range choice that excels on the fundamentals. I used Xiaomi’s Pad 6 for the higher a part of a yr, and its giant 11-inch display screen served as the best dashboard for monitoring sensible residence units in my home.So when Honor stated it was launching a price range pill with a fair bigger 12.1-inch display screen, I used to be . The Pad 9 does not appear to be a price range 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 lots vibrant.The {hardware} is not the very best you will discover on this phase, however I did not see any points in each day use, and the Pad 9 is especially well-suited as an leisure gadget. So in case you want a superb price range Android pill, this is why the Pad 9 may be the best choice.Honor Pad 9: Pricing and launch date(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Honor launched the Pad 9 globally on December 21, 2023, and the pill is accessible in choose areas. It is promoting for £249 ($311) within the U.Ok. for the 8GB/256GB model, which is £50 lower than its common retail value.The Pad 9 is accessible for ₹24,999 ($300) on Amazon India, and also you get the 8GB/256GB variant as normal. What makes the Pad 9 a very sensible choice in India is that it comes with the Bluetooth keyboard bundled with the bundle, which is an non-compulsory additional that prices £100 ($124) within the U.Ok.Honor Pad 9: What I like(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)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 price range pill.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The metallic gray shade choice appears good, and whereas the pill is on the heavier facet at 555g — largely right down to the metallic chassis — it has good weight distribution, and it does not really feel heavy. By distinction, my iPad Pro 12.9 is noticeably heavier at 682g. The again does not get smudged, and there is sufficient room to carry the pill with ease.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)On that notice, the Pad 9 has uniform bezels across the display screen, with the digicam positioned on the longer edge, ideally positioned when it’s good 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 superb for watching films and TV reveals, and I did not discover any points with brightness ranges.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Pad 9 has a decision of 2560 x 1600, and once more, that is first rate sufficient in each day use. What I like essentially the most in regards to the panel is that it has 120Hz refresh fee; this provides the Pad 9 a definite edge over the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab A9+. Colors and distinction ranges are good on the whole, and there aren’t any points with the panel whereas streaming content material or taking part in video games.Image 1 of 4(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Onboard sound is fairly good too, and that is right down to the eight drivers positioned across the pill. It is greater than sufficient in case you’re simply streaming the occasional video on YouTube, however I’d recommend utilizing earbuds in case you’re watching a film.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)With Honor providing 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as normal, there’s greater than sufficient reminiscence for multitasking, and you are not more likely to run out of storage. Honor did a superb 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 explicit space.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There’s quite a bit 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 shopping. Honor bundles a 35W charger within the field, and it takes the Pad 9 just below two hours to completely cost the battery. That’s on par with the very best Android tablets, and contemplating the battery life on provide, you will not have to plug it in earlier than the tip of the day.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)While the Pad 9 is geared towards leisure, it has a number of productiveness options that turn out to be useful. Launching multi-window mode is about as straightforward because it will get, and also you get the choice to have three home windows lively on the display screen directly. MagicOS wants a polish, however on the entire, there are personalized software program extras that make a distinction in each day use.Image 1 of 3(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Oh, and speaking about productiveness, Honor’s bundled keyboard is terrific; it connects through Bluetooth, and the keys have good journey. It’s inferior to the Magic Keyboard, however then once more, it does not price wherever as a lot. The case that features the keyboard has first rate safety as nicely.Honor Pad 9: What I do not like(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The {hardware} is the clearest indicator that the Pad 9 is aimed on the price range phase. The pill is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, and it does not have the requisite energy to run demanding video games. Sure, it’s sufficient for mundane duties that embrace shopping the net and taking part in informal video games, however it has its limitations relating to heavy workloads.The pill misses out on Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, a 3.5mm jack, and MicroSD slot. Of course, most telephones haven’t got a 3.5mm jack or MicroSD slot both, however 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.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)But the most important situation is the software program; as of April 2024, the Pad 9 nonetheless runs Magic OS 7.2 primarily based on Android 13, and that simply is not ok. Most manufacturers do a superb job delivering well timed updates to their telephones, however tablets are nonetheless a definite afterthought, and that should change.On the topic of change, Honor says it can ship only one platform replace to the Pad 9 together with three years of safety updates; which means the one replace rolling out to the Pad 9 is Android 14, which it ought to have launched with.Honor Pad 9: The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)I like Xiaomi’s Pad 6, and it additionally has a big display screen and a metallic chassis that is constructed to final. It is considerably sooner in each 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 price 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: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You can purchase this if:You want an Android pill to stream content materialYou need a big display screen that will get vibrantYou desire a pill with nice battery lifeYou want good onboard soundYou should not purchase this if:You want a pill for gamingYou need biometric authenticationYou need nice onboard soundYou want long-term updatesOn the entire, the Pad 9 brings quite a bit to the desk. You get a bigger display screen than most price range tablets, and the panel itself has good colours and sufficient brightness ranges. I perceive why price range tablets use LCD panels in lieu of AMOLED, and to Honor’s credit score, the model did a superb job with the display screen. The pixel density is not the very best you will discover, however it holds up extremely nicely for streaming content material.The battery life can also be among the many better of any price range 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 can solely get one platform replace shall be a deal-breaker to many.The {hardware} is not designed for gaming both; the Pad 9 does a superb job in informal titles, however it struggles in demanding video games. That stated, there aren’t any points with leisure, and the pill is likely one of the finest round in case you’re curious about a price range choice that allows you to stream your Netflix library.Ultimately, that is the most important 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 — despite the replace scenario — notably contemplating it prices £249.