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HONOR Pad X9a Review—AI Tablet for Smarter Learning and Living

As the back-to-school season begins, HONOR Philippines introduces the HONOR Pad X9a, a new device designed to meet the evolving needs of students, teachers, and families alike. Described as an AI tablet, the HONOR Pad X9a focuses on affordability, performance, and intelligent features, which are discussed in this review.

Out of the box, the HONOR Pad X9a features an 11.5-inch Fullview Display (TFT LCD) with 2508 × 1504p resolution, delivering a satisfying view of documents, spreadsheets, webpages, images, content, or applications running on the screen. The display’s 120Hz refresh rate ensures smoother motion and faster response times when navigating through the displayed elements. Watching streaming movies, listening to music, or attending video calls with the HONOR Pad X9a is satisfying, thanks to its four speakers with four smart amplifiers for louder and more immersive audio quality.

Prolonged use because of studying or playing with the tablet should not be a concern as its display incorporates TÜV Rheinland-certified Low Blue Light and flicker-free technology, as well as Dynamic Dimming and Circadian Night Display, to reduce eye strain. Measuring 6.77mm thin, the HONOR Pad X9a is clad in a full metal (aluminum alloy) unibody, which looks and feels premium. Weighing 475g, the tablet is comfortable to carry around.       

Adding to the premium look of the HONOR Pad X9a is the elevated 8MP rear autofocus camera (f/2.0 aperture), which shines because of its glittery finish layered with glass on top. The tablet also carries a 5MP front fixed-focus camera with f/2.2 aperture. The images captured using the HONOR Pad X9a are vibrant and colorful, with colors appearing distinct and well-saturated. The resolution of the cameras is adequate to capture fine elements. The lighting looks natural and well-balanced with no significant overexposure or underexposure. Highlights and shadows are not distracting. Signs of digital noise or compression artifacts are minimal or unnoticeable. The features of subjects in the photos appear sharp and in focus even in low-light settings.  

Built with AI in mind, the HONOR Pad X9a carries Qualcomm Snapdragon 685 4G Mobile Platform, which contains an octa-core Kryo CPU (four Cortex-A73 at 2.8GHz and four Cortex-A53 at 1.9GHz) and Adreno 610 GPU. The platform is supported by 6GB RAM and 128GB onboard storage. With Qualcomm AI Engine, the Snapdragon 685 is designed to enable faster AI processing and support various AI applications while reducing power consumption to extend battery life. With Qualcomm Hexagon Processor, the platform utilizes Qualcomm AI Engine to harness AI-powered low-light capabilities, resulting in clear, vivid images even in dark environments. With Snapdragon 685, the HONOR Pad X9a runs MagicOS 9.0, which is based on Android 15. The tablet scored 373295 in AnTuTu Benchmark.

AI Features for Work and Study

Maximizing the AI hardware platform, the HONOR Pad X9a comes with AI features for studying and working. These features include AI Transcription, Realtime Translation, AI Formula Recognition, and AI Handwriting Beautification.

To use AI Transcription, for example, in a meeting, open the Notes app and then tap the Record button. Doing so records audio during the meeting and transcribes or puts the speaker’s words into written form.

To use Realtime Translation, open the Notes app, then tap the Translate button. Enable Translate, then select the speaker’s language and your preferred language.

To use AI Formula Recognition, open HONOR Docs and then choose New doc to launch a blank document. Tap the Insert new equation icon (pencil with pi symbol) on the upper left side of the document. A pop-up window appears where you can handwrite the equation and let the system convert it into typed text. The Insert new equation feature is also accessible through the Insert toolbar.

To use AI Handwriting Beautification, open Notes, then choose Handwritten notes to launch a blank notepad. Handwrite a word (better with a stylus), then select the fourth icon from the left (it looks like a balloon after the eraser icon) in the toolbar. Encircle the handwritten word, then choose Adjust handwriting. You can also select the Transcribe to text option.

Users can further maximize the AI capabilities of the HONOR Pad X9a by installing third-party AI applications.

The HONOR Pad X9a tablet has an 8300mAh lithium-ion battery, offering up to 11.37 hours of online video streaming, 14.86 hours of e-book reading, 10.85 hours of music streaming, 51 hours of calls, or 70 days of standby time. Rechargeable through the USB Type-C connector, the tablet supports 35W Fast Charging. Other connectivity options available in the HONOR Pad X9a include Wi-Fi 5 (IEEE 802.11ac) and Bluetooth 5.1.   

Overall, the HONOR Pad X9a is more than just a tablet—it is a productivity and leisure companion powered by AI, not only for students but also for educators and families with learners at home. The HONOR Pad X9a is available in Gray color and comes in two price options: ₱10,999 (tablet only) and ₱11,999 (with Smart Bluetooth Keyboard).