HONOR Pad X8b Unboxing and First Impressions - Durable tablet for clumsy kids?

HONOR is set to reveal the Pad X8b next week. But before that, let's take a quick look at what would be the toughest entry-level tablet yet in PH.

HONOR Pad X8b

To recap, the HONOR Pad X8b is marketed as a tablet with a drop and crush resistance rating and a 30 percent increase in water resistance. It also features an 11-inch display, a 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 680 8-core chip with Adreno 610 GPU, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, and a 10,100mAh battery + 15W fast charger.

Let's unbox it.

Unboxing/Accessories

The box

HONOR Pad X8b arrived with the usual minimalist packaging. You'll find the tablet model printed at the front as well as the naming and certifications.

Inside the box

Once you open the box, you'll meet the unit wrapped in plastic. Underneath, you'll find another box housing the 15W adaptor, USB-C cable, SIM injector tool, paperworks for the quick guide, and warranty.

Unfortunately, there's no FREE case this time, indicating that HONOR is confident about their claims regarding the tablet's durability.

Build quality/Design

The HONOR Pad X8b immediately impresses with its metal frame and body, making it a nice touch rarely seen in the entry-level segment. HONOR claims a 90% improvement in the chassis strength, while it is backed by a 5-star SGS drop and crush resistance certification.

In practice, this means the tablet can withstand accidental drops — a reassuring feature for parents with clumsy kids. 

Durable tablet

Moreover, it also handles the occasional splashes, with the brand citing 30% better water resistance, even without an official IP rating.

Design-wise, the HONOR Pad X8b carries a clean, professional aesthetic in its Space Gray colorway, making it a solid pick not just for students, but also for budget-conscious young professionals.

The speakers

Up top, youll see two speakers, while below, you'll see two more speaker grills completing the quad setup alongside the USB-C port.

The left side shows metal frames

The left side is just blank space, while on the right side, you'll find the volume rockers, power button, and a microphone hole. The latter is strategically placed right above the front camera for clearer voice pick-ups.

The right side

Unfortunately, HONOR did not include a fingerprint scanner. Still, you can unlock the device via Face Unlock.

The display

For the display, it has an 11-inch TFT LCD (IPS) panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, 1920 x 1200 resolution at 206 ppi. It's also certified with TUV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Flicker Free to ensure safer eyes even after prolonged usage. 

Safer viewing

Another highlight is the Multiple Vision Health protection for kids. This gives notifications to users for distance, posture, brightness, bump road alerts, and access for eBook mode.

The camera

At the back, you'll find the 5MP rear camera with f/2.0 aperture and LED flash.

Initial performance

First AnTuTu benchmark

Inside the device is the 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 680 chip with Adreno 610 GPU. It is paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage out of the box. The RAM is expanded virtually by another 4GB to provide further memory in terms of handling tasks.

For now, our AnTuTu benchmark recorded 373,557 points overall.  These numbers are on the entry-level side enough for basic tasks and light gaming.

We will test this further in our full review with other benchmarks and give you real-life usage feedback.

The device includes a dedicated Kids Mode with parental controls, giving parents full oversight of their children's apps and activities through intuitive dashboards, creating a safe, clean digital environment for learning and play.

HONOR Pad X8b Specs

Display: 11-inch TFT LCD (IPS) screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, FHD+ 1920 x 1200 resolution at 206 ppi

CPU: 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 680 octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno 610

RAM: 4GB

ROM: 128GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 2TB

Back Camera: 5MP f/2.0

Selfie Camera: 5MP f/2.0

Battery: 10,100mAh w/ 15W fast charging

OS: Android 16 w/ MagicOS 10.0

Connectivity: WiFi (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0 BLE (SBC, AAC, LDAC)

Others: 4x speakers, 1x microphone, USB-C, Colors: Space Gray

Dimensions: 256.91 x 168.46 x 7.25 mm

Weight: 499 g

Price: TBC

As of the moment

This time, HONOR has brought its iconic toughness identity to the affordable tablet segment. This should mean a lot to parents who want to preserve what they bought for their children for quite a long time.

Above its durability, the tablet also offers basic multimedia needs and performance that can be considered by young professionals on a budget. 

With that being said, the tablet looks interesting for now, but we cannot give our full judgment until the official price unveiling on Tuesday.

What do you guys think?