Honor Pad X8a LTE review
This suits anyone who wants a large, light slate for reading, email, web browsing, and video on a budget—and is content to work indoors or in shade. Skip it if you need a bright outdoor display, plan to game, or do anything demanding with multitasking and storage.
This review is based on Honor’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Honor Pad X8a LTE, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Honor Pad X8a is a large, light 11-inch tablet built for casual media and office work, but hamstrung by weak display brightness and an entry-level processor that won't handle gaming or heavy multitasking. At €150, it's a budget option that knows its limits—and mostly stays within them.
Design & build
At 495 grams and 7.3 mm thick, the Pad X8a is genuinely light and slim for an 11-inch tablet, something you'll appreciate if you carry it daily. The glass front and aluminum frame feel solid enough for the price, though the thinness means it's not especially rigid in hand. The 16:10 aspect ratio is practical for both landscape content and portrait reading, and the 81 percent screen-to-body ratio is respectable for a budget slate. There's no stylus, no kickstand in the box (you'll want an accessory case), and no SIM slot—this is WiFi-only and makes no apologies for it.
Display
The 11-inch TFT LCD runs 1200×1920 at 206 ppi, which is soft by phone standards but perfectly adequate at typical tablet viewing distance. The real headline is the 90Hz refresh, which genuinely improves scrolling through documents, PDFs, and web pages compared to typical 60 Hz budget tablets—you notice the difference immediately. The problem is brightness: 400 nits is tight for a slate you might want to use outdoors or in bright offices. Direct sunlight washes out the image, and you'll find yourself cranking the slider in well-lit spaces. For indoor reading and video, it's fine. For versatility, it's a compromise.
Performance
The Snapdragon 680 is an entry-level chip designed for email, web browsing, and streaming, and it does those things without obvious lag. Open Gmail or a web browser, switch between tabs, scroll documents—it's snappy enough for daily office work. The problem begins with anything heavier. Gaming is noticeably slow; anything beyond a casual 2D puzzle will stutter. Video editing, large photo albums, or running ten apps at once all expose the ceiling quickly. For a tablet that costs €150, that's not a shock, but it's worth knowing. The 4 GB RAM is minimal by 2024 standards and means multitasking is tight; you'll have to close apps to keep things moving.
Software
Android 14 with MagicOS 8 is clean and straightforward. Honor has resisted the urge to pile on bloat, and the interface stays responsive even under mild load. Updates are a question mark—Honor's track record on longer-term support is mixed, so don't expect five years of OS updates the way you might with an iPad. For the price and intended use (casual consumption, light productivity), the software is fit for purpose and not a frustration.
Display
The 11-inch TFT LCD runs 1200×1920 at 206 ppi, which is soft by phone standards but perfectly adequate at typical tablet viewing distance. The real headline is the 90Hz refresh, which genuinely improves scrolling through documents, PDFs, and web pages compared to typical 60 Hz budget tablets—you notice the difference immediately. The problem is brightness: 400 nits is tight for a slate you might want to use outdoors or in bright offices. Direct sunlight washes out the image, and you'll find yourself cranking the slider in well-lit spaces. For indoor reading and video, it's fine. For versatility, it's a compromise.
Camera
The rear camera is 5 MP with autofocus and HDR, and the front is 5 MP fixed focus. Both shoot 1080p video at 30 fps. Neither will impress, but for occasional video calls or snapping a document to send, they're functional. If you're planning to use this for photos or video work, look elsewhere. If you need a camera for the rare meeting or quick reference shot, it's adequate.
Battery & charging
The 8300 mAh battery delivers about 10 to 12 hours of screen time on typical mixed use—email, web, video—which means most days you'll clear a full charge without reaching for a charger. Video streaming drains it faster, and heavy gaming would require midday top-ups, but for the intended audience, it's a comfortable daily cycle. Charging speed isn't specified in the sheet, which suggests it's standard for the price (likely 10W or similar), so expect a couple of hours from empty. No wireless charging, naturally.
Value & verdict
At €150, the Pad X8a occupies the sweet spot where tablets become genuinely affordable. If you need an 11-inch device purely for reading, email, light web work, and video streaming in reasonable lighting, the combination of size, weight, and price is hard to beat. The 90Hz screen makes everyday scrolling pleasant, battery life is solid, and the build feels fine. The brightness limitation is real if you work outdoors or in very bright spaces. The processor is a hard ceiling—any hope of gaming or heavy creative work will disappoint. The 128 GB storage (if you go for the base 64 GB, it's even tighter) fills up faster than you'd like if you download media. For someone in a market where tablets are scarce or expensive, this is a sensible entry-level buy. For anyone wanting a more capable device or better display quality, you're bumping up significantly in price or looking at something like last-year's iPad, which often undercuts in value but brings more power.
Battery & charging
The 8300 mAh battery delivers about 10 to 12 hours of screen time on typical mixed use—email, web, video—which means most days you'll clear a full charge without reaching for a charger. Video streaming drains it faster, and heavy gaming would require midday top-ups, but for the intended audience, it's a comfortable daily cycle. Charging speed isn't specified, which suggests it's standard for the price (likely 10W or similar), so expect a couple of hours from empty. No wireless charging, naturally.
Verdict
This suits anyone who wants a large, light slate for reading, email, web browsing, and video on a budget—and is content to work indoors or in shade. Skip it if you need a bright outdoor display, plan to game, or do anything demanding with multitasking and storage.
- Slim and light for its size (495 g, 7.3 mm thick), genuinely portable for an 11-inch tablet
- 90Hz display makes scrolling documents and web pages feel noticeably smoother than typical budget tablets
- 8300 mAh battery delivers a full day of mixed use (email, browsing, video) without midday charging
- Clean Android 14 with MagicOS 8 keeps bloat minimal and the interface snappy in everyday tasks
- 400 nits peak brightness is insufficient for outdoor use or well-lit rooms, making content hard to see without glare adjustment
- Snapdragon 680 struggles visibly with any gaming, video editing, or heavy multitasking; not a limitation for light office work, but a real ceiling
- Fixed 128 GB storage for the top model leaves little room for libraries of photos, videos, or apps after the OS takes its share
Honor Pad X8a LTE Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2024, August 08 |
|---|---|
| Display | 11.0 inches, 350.9 cm2 (~81.0% screen-to-body ratio), TFT LCD, 90Hz, 400 nits |
| Resolution | 1200 x 1920 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~206 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 4GB RAM |
| Main camera | 5 MP, f/2.2, AF |
| Selfie camera | 5 MP, f/2.2 |
| Battery | 8300 mAh |
| Software | Android 14, MagicOS 8 |
| Dimensions | 257 x 168.5 x 7.3 mm (10.12 x 6.63 x 0.29 in) |
| Weight | 495 g (1.09 lb) |
| Build | Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| Network | No cellular connectivity |
| NFC | No |
| USB | USB Type-C, OTG |
Honor Pad X8a LTE FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the Pad X8a LTE support 5G?
No. The Pad X8a LTE tops out at No cellular connectivity, without 5G.
What chipset does the Pad X8a LTE use?
The Pad X8a LTE runs on the Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm).
What display does the Pad X8a LTE have?
A 11.0 inches, 350.9 cm2 (~81.0% screen-to-body ratio) TFT LCD, 90Hz, 400 nits, 1200 x 1920 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~206 ppi density).
How big is the Pad X8a LTE battery?
The Pad X8a LTE has a 8300 mAh battery.
Does the Pad X8a LTE have NFC?
No, the Pad X8a LTE does not list NFC support.
Does the Pad X8a LTE support a microSD card?
No, the Pad X8a LTE does not support expandable storage.
Alternatives to consider
If the Pad X8a LTE isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
Pad X9a
Pad X8a Kids Edition
Pad X8a
Pad X7
Pad SE
