The tablet market is heating up with compelling options at accessible price points. The Xiaomi Poco Pad and Honor Pad 8 both aim to deliver a solid Android tablet experience, but they take different approaches. The Poco Pad prioritizes processing power with a newer Snapdragon chipset, while the Honor Pad 8 focuses on a refined display experience. This comparison dives deep into the specifics to determine which tablet best suits your needs.
🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Xiaomi Poco Pad emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset provides a significant performance advantage over the Honor Pad 8’s Snapdragon 680, making it better suited for demanding tasks and future-proofing. While the Honor Pad 8 boasts a slightly higher contrast ratio, the Poco Pad’s brighter display and superior processing power offer a more well-rounded experience.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | N/A | N/A |
| 3G bands | N/A | N/A |
| 4G bands | - | N/A |
| EDGE | N/A | No |
| GPRS | N/A | No |
| Technology | No cellular connectivity | No cellular connectivity |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2024, May 23 | 2022, July 22 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, May 23 | Available. Released 2022, July 29 |
| Body |
|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 3), aluminum frame, aluminum back | Glass front, aluminum frame, aluminum back |
| Dimensions | 280 x 181.9 x 7.5 mm (11.02 x 7.16 x 0.30 in) | 278.5 x 174.1 x 6.9 mm (10.96 x 6.85 x 0.27 in) |
| SIM | No | No |
| Weight | 571 g (1.26 lb) | 520 g (1.15 lb) |
| | - | Stylus support |
| Display |
|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | - |
| Resolution | 1600 x 2560 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~249 ppi density) | 1200 x 2000 pixels, 5:3 ratio (~194 ppi density) |
| Size | 12.1 inches, 424.5 cm2 (~83.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 12.0 inches, 409.9 cm2 (~84.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | IPS LCD, 68B colors, 120Hz, Dolby Vision, 600 nits (HBM) | IPS LCD, 1B colors, 350 nits (typ) |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (4x2.40 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) | Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4 nm) | Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 710 | Adreno 610 |
| OS | Android 14, HyperOS | Android 12, Magic UI 6.1 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | microSDXC (dedicated slot) | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM | 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Features | LED flash | LED flash |
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 5 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/5.0", 1.12µm, AF |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Single | 8 MP, f/2.3, (wide), 1/4.0", 1.12µm | 5 MP, f/2.2, 27mm (wide), 1/5.0", 1.12µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 3.5mm jack | - | No |
| 35mm jack | Yes | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers (4 speakers) | Yes, with stereo speakers (8 speakers) |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive | 5.1, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | No |
| Positioning | No | No |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0 | USB Type-C, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity (accessories only), compass | Accelerometer |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | 33W wired, PD3.0, QC3+ | 22.5W wired |
| Type | 10000 mAh | Li-Po 7250 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Dark Gray, Blue | Dark Blue, Gold, Mint |
| Models | 2405CPCFBG | HEY-W09 |
| Price | About 280 EUR | About 330 EUR |
| SAR | 1.09 W/kg (body) | - |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (body) | - |
| Tests |
|---|
| Display | - |
Contrast ratio: 1468:1 (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | - |
-22.7 LUFS (Excellent)
|
| Performance | - |
AnTuTu: 279242 (v9)
GeekBench: 1545 (v5.1)
GFXBench: 7.3fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
Xiaomi Poco Pad
- Superior processing power with Snapdragon 7s Gen 2
- Brighter display for better outdoor visibility
- Faster 33W charging with PD3.0/QC3+ support
- Slightly lower contrast ratio compared to Honor Pad 8
- May run slightly warmer under heavy load
Honor Pad 8
- Higher contrast ratio for potentially deeper blacks
- Slightly more power-efficient chipset
- Refined design aesthetic (based on brand reputation)
- Significantly slower Snapdragon 680 chipset
- Lower display brightness
- Slower 22.5W charging
Display Comparison
The Honor Pad 8 presents a nominally higher 1468:1 contrast ratio compared to the Poco Pad’s 1356:1, suggesting deeper blacks and more vibrant colors. However, the Poco Pad significantly outshines the Honor Pad 8 in brightness, achieving a measured 564 nits versus 392 nits. This difference is crucial for outdoor visibility and HDR content viewing. Both tablets lack high refresh rate panels, but the Poco Pad’s higher brightness makes it the better choice for users who frequently use their tablets in bright environments. The Honor Pad 8’s contrast ratio advantage is less noticeable in real-world use given the brightness disparity.
Camera Comparison
Neither tablet is positioned as a photography powerhouse, and the context data doesn’t provide detailed camera specs beyond the chipsets. Given the market segment, camera quality is likely similar. Focusing on the processing capabilities of the chipsets, the Poco Pad’s Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 will likely offer slightly better image processing capabilities, potentially resulting in more detailed and less noisy photos, but this difference will be minimal. The absence of OIS or high-resolution sensors on either device suggests they are best suited for casual snapshots and video calls.
Performance
The core difference between these tablets lies in their chipsets. The Poco Pad’s Qualcomm SM7435-AB Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 (4nm) is a substantial upgrade over the Honor Pad 8’s Snapdragon 680 (6nm). The 4nm process node of the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 translates to improved power efficiency and reduced thermal throttling during sustained workloads. While both CPUs feature octa-core configurations, the Poco Pad’s Cortex-A78 cores (2.40 GHz) offer a performance edge over the Honor Pad 8’s Kryo 265 Gold cores (2.4 GHz). This translates to faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and a more responsive user experience on the Poco Pad.
Battery Life
The Poco Pad achieves an impressive 9:15h of active use, indicating strong battery life despite its focus on performance. The Honor Pad 8’s battery life isn’t specified, but given its less power-hungry chipset, it likely offers comparable endurance. However, the Poco Pad’s 33W wired charging (PD3.0, QC3+) is significantly faster than the Honor Pad 8’s 22.5W charging. This means the Poco Pad can be topped up more quickly, minimizing downtime and maximizing usability.
Buying Guide
Buy the Xiaomi Poco Pad if you need a tablet capable of handling multitasking, gaming, and demanding applications without slowdown. It’s ideal for students, creative professionals, or anyone who values performance. Buy the Honor Pad 8 if you prioritize a slightly more visually refined display and are primarily focused on media consumption and light productivity tasks, and are less concerned with raw processing speed.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Will the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 in the Poco Pad handle demanding games like Genshin Impact?
Yes, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 is capable of running Genshin Impact at medium settings with playable frame rates. While it won't deliver the highest graphical fidelity, it provides a significantly better gaming experience than the Snapdragon 680 in the Honor Pad 8.
❓ Is the 33W charging on the Poco Pad enough to quickly top up the battery during a short break?
Absolutely. 33W charging is a substantial improvement over the Honor Pad 8’s 22.5W charging. You can expect to gain a significant percentage of battery life in just 30 minutes, making it convenient for quick top-ups throughout the day.
❓ Does the Honor Pad 8 support stylus input or keyboard attachments?
While Honor does offer accessories like the Honor Magic-Pen 2 and a keyboard folio, compatibility with the Pad 8 needs to be verified. The Poco Pad does not officially support stylus input or keyboard attachments as of the current information.
❓ How does the 6nm process of the Snapdragon 680 impact the Honor Pad 8's battery life?
The 6nm process generally leads to improved power efficiency compared to older nodes. However, the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2's 4nm process and optimized architecture in the Poco Pad still provide a performance-per-watt advantage, resulting in comparable battery life despite the more powerful chipset.
