Honor Pad 8 vs Realme Pad: The Ultimate Budget Tablet Battle

The tablet market is booming, and budget options are increasingly appealing. Today, we're pitting two contenders against each other: the Honor Pad 8 and the Realme Pad. Both offer compelling features at accessible prices, but which one comes out on top?

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Realme Pad edges out the Honor Pad 8 thanks to its slightly brighter display and reverse charging capability. However, the Honor Pad 8 boasts a more efficient chipset and faster charging. Ultimately, the choice depends on your priorities – media consumption or overall performance.

PHONES
Phone Names	Honor Pad 8	Realme Pad

Network
2G bands	N/A	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	N/A	HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100
4G bands	N/A	1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41
EDGE	No	-
GPRS	No	-
Speed	-	HSPA, LTE - cellular model only
Technology	No cellular connectivity	GSM / HSPA / LTE

Launch
Announced	2022, July 22	2021, September 09
Status	Available. Released 2022, July 29	Available. Released 2021, September 16

Body
Build	Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back	Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back
Dimensions	278.5 x 174.1 x 6.9 mm (10.96 x 6.85 x 0.27 in)	246.1 x 155.9 x 6.9 mm (9.69 x 6.14 x 0.27 in)
SIM	No	Nano-SIM (cellular model only)
Weight	520 g (1.15 lb)	440 g (15.52 oz)
	Stylus support	-

Display
Resolution	1200 x 2000 pixels, 5:3 ratio (~194 ppi density)	1200 x 2000 pixels, 5:3 ratio (~224 ppi density)
Size	12.0 inches, 409.9 cm2 (~84.5% screen-to-body ratio)	10.4 inches, 307.9 cm2 (~80.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	IPS LCD, 1B colors, 350 nits (typ)	IPS LCD, 360 nits (typ)

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver)	Octa-core (2x2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6x1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
Chipset	Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm)	Mediatek MT6769V/CU Helio G80 (12 nm)
GPU	Adreno 610	Mali-G52 MC2
OS	Android 12, Magic UI 6.1	Android 11

Memory
Card slot	No	microSDXC (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal	128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM	32GB 3GB RAM, 64GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM

Main Camera
Features	LED flash	-
Single	5 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/5.0", 1.12µm, AF	8 MP
Video	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps

Selfie camera
Single	5 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/5.0", 1.12µm	8 MP, 105˚ (ultrawide)
Video	1080p@30fps	1080p@30fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	No	Yes
35mm jack	No	Yes
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers (8 speakers)	Yes, with stereo speakers (4 speakers)
	-	24-bit/192kHz audio

Comms
Bluetooth	5.1, A2DP, LE	5.0, A2DP, LE
NFC	No	No
Positioning	No	GPS, GLONASS, BDS - cellular model only
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C, OTG	USB Type-C 2.0, OTG
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Accelerometer	Accelerometer, gyro, proximity

Battery
Charging	22.5W wired	18W wired 5W reverse wired
Type	Li-Po 7250 mAh	7100 mAh

Misc
Colors	Dark Blue, Gold, Mint	Gray, Gold
Models	HEY-W09	RMP2102, RMP2103
Price	About 330 EUR	About 160 EUR

Tests
Display	Contrast ratio: 1468:1 (nominal)	Contrast ratio: 1554:1 (nominal)
Loudspeaker	-22.7 LUFS (Excellent)	-22.4 LUFS (Excellent)
Performance	AnTuTu: 279242 (v9) GeekBench: 1545 (v5.1) GFXBench: 7.3fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)	AnTuTu: 187913 (v8), 226474 (v9) GeekBench: 1236 (v5.1) GFXBench: 8.5fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)

Honor Pad 8

More efficient chipset
Faster 22.5W charging
Good value for money
Solid build quality

Lower peak brightness
No reverse charging

Realme Pad

Brighter display
Reverse charging capability
Good audio quality
Sleek design

Slower 18W charging
Less efficient chipset

Display Comparison

Both tablets feature impressive displays for their price range. The Realme Pad takes a slight lead with a measured peak brightness of 455 nits compared to the Honor Pad 8's 392 nits, resulting in better visibility in bright environments. Both offer excellent contrast ratios (1468:1 and 1554:1 respectively), ensuring deep blacks and vibrant colors. The Realme Pad's slightly higher brightness gives it a marginal advantage.

Camera Comparison

Neither tablet excels in the camera department, as is typical for budget devices. Both feature rear cameras suitable for casual snapshots, but don't expect flagship-level image quality. The Honor Pad 8 likely has a slightly better camera due to the Snapdragon 680's image signal processor (ISP), but the difference is minimal. Front-facing cameras are adequate for video calls.

Performance

The Honor Pad 8's Snapdragon 680 chipset, built on a 6nm process, generally offers better performance and efficiency than the Realme Pad's Helio G80 (12nm). While both are octa-core processors, the Snapdragon 680's architecture and newer manufacturing process contribute to smoother multitasking and potentially better gaming performance. The Realme Pad's CPU configuration (2x Cortex-A75 & 6x Cortex-A55) is a good balance, but the Snapdragon 680's overall efficiency is noticeable.

Battery Life

Battery life is comparable on both devices. Both offer all-day battery life with moderate usage. The Realme Pad's 18W charging is slower than the Honor Pad 8's 22.5W charging, but the Realme Pad includes 5W reverse wired charging, allowing it to act as a power bank for other devices – a useful feature.

Buying Guide

The Honor Pad 8 is ideal for users prioritizing smooth performance for everyday tasks and light gaming. The Realme Pad is a better choice for those who value a vibrant display for watching videos and appreciate the added convenience of reverse charging.