The Honor Pad 10 arrives as a compelling alternative to Apple's iPad in the competitive £300 tablet space. Building upon the solid foundation of its predecessor, this 12.1-inch Android tablet promises exceptional battery life, reliable performance, and an attractive price point that includes a free keyboard and stylus bundle. But does it deliver enough to justify choosing Android over the iPad ecosystem?
Design and Build Quality
The Honor Pad 10 immediately impresses with its sleek aluminium construction and thoughtful design refinements. At just 6.29mm thick and weighing 525g, it feels noticeably lighter than many competitors whilst maintaining a premium feel that belies its affordable price point. The Corundum Aluminium frame, which Honor claims is 30% stronger than traditional alloys, provides excellent rigidity without unnecessary bulk.
I found the rounded corners particularly comfortable during extended use, and the overall proportions make it easy to hold in both landscape and portrait orientations. The rear camera module has been repositioned from the centre to the top-right corner, which provides better versatility for photography whilst maintaining the tablet's clean aesthetic lines.
Build quality feels solid throughout, with no flex or creaking under normal use. The button placement is logical, with the power and volume controls positioned where your fingers naturally rest when holding the device in landscape mode.
Display Performance
The 12.1-inch IPS LCD display delivers solid performance across most usage scenarios. With a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution (2.5K), content appears sharp and detailed, whilst the 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and responsive touch interactions. The 16:10 aspect ratio works particularly well for media consumption and productivity tasks.
Brightness levels reach approximately 507cd/m², which proves adequate for indoor use and reasonable outdoor visibility, though it's slightly lower than its predecessor. Colour reproduction is vibrant in the default Vivid mode, whilst the Natural profile delivers more accurate colours for professional work. I measured decent colour accuracy with Delta E values around 1.33, making it suitable for photo editing and design work.
The display includes several eye comfort features, including Circadian Night Display and Defocus Eye Care, which prove beneficial during extended reading sessions. However, the contrast ratio of 1,212:1 feels somewhat limited compared to OLED alternatives, and blacks don't appear as deep as premium displays.
Performance and Hardware
Under the hood, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor paired with 8GB of RAM handles daily tasks with reasonable competence. Web browsing, document editing, and media streaming all perform smoothly, though the Honor Pad 10 doesn't match the raw performance of competitors like the Xiaomi Pad 7 or Apple's iPad offerings.
During my testing, multitasking between applications proved generally smooth, with the 8GB of RAM providing adequate headroom for most users. Gaming performance is acceptable for casual titles, though demanding games like Genshin Impact require medium settings for optimal frame rates. The 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage provides quick app launches and file transfers, with the option to expand via microSD card.
Thermal management remains controlled during moderate use, though extended gaming sessions can cause slight warming around the camera area. Overall, performance meets expectations for this price bracket, even if it doesn't excel.
Audio Experience
One of the Honor Pad 10's standout features is its six-speaker audio system, which delivers surprisingly immersive sound for a tablet in this price range. The stereo separation is notable, with clear dialogue in films and reasonable bass response for music playback. The speakers handle maximum volume without significant distortion, making it suitable for room-filling audio when watching content with others.
Support for Snapdragon Sound with aptX HD and Bluetooth LE Audio ensures high-quality wireless audio when paired with compatible headphones. The inclusion of Honor Spatial Audio technology adds a sense of dimensionality to supported content, though the effect varies depending on the source material.
Battery Life and Charging
The Honor Pad 10's 10,100mAh battery delivers exceptional longevity that genuinely sets it apart from competitors. During my testing, I consistently achieved over 18 hours of video playback, which represents some of the best battery performance I've experienced on an Android tablet. Real-world usage patterns, including web browsing, document editing, and media consumption, easily provided two full days of use.
Charging speeds of 35W aren't the fastest available, taking approximately 1 hour 50 minutes for a complete charge from empty. However, the exceptional battery life means you'll rarely need to charge more than once every few days with moderate usage patterns.
Software and Features
Running Android 15 with Honor's MagicOS 9.0 overlay, the software experience feels polished and responsive. The interface includes several productivity-focused features like split-screen multitasking, Magic Portal for contextual shortcuts, and Magic Ring for cross-device collaboration. I found the AI-powered writing assistance and note transcription features genuinely useful for productivity tasks.
Perhaps most impressive is Honor's commitment to software support, offering six years of OS updates and seven years of security patches. This level of support is virtually unheard of in the Android tablet space at this price point and significantly enhances the device's long-term value proposition.
The software does include some pre-installed applications that feel unnecessary, and the absence of a traditional app drawer might frustrate some users. However, these are minor complaints in an otherwise well-executed software package.
Camera Performance
The Honor Pad 10 features 8MP cameras on both front and rear, which serve their purpose for video calls and document scanning rather than serious photography. Image quality is adequate in good lighting conditions, with reasonable detail for sharing on social media or capturing notes and whiteboards.
The front-facing camera, positioned in the long bezel for landscape video calls, delivers clear images for video conferencing and online meetings. Low-light performance is predictably limited, but both cameras handle their intended tasks competently.
Value and Accessories
At £300, the Honor Pad 10 represents solid value, particularly when considering the current promotional bundle that includes both the keyboard case and stylus at no additional cost. This package would cost significantly more with competing tablets - Apple's equivalent bundle approaches £733 for the 256GB iPad with accessories.
The included keyboard case provides a decent typing experience for light productivity work, whilst the stylus offers pressure sensitivity for note-taking and sketching. Compared to our previous review of the Honor Pad 8, the overall package has improved significantly.
Competition Comparison
The Honor Pad 10 faces stiff competition from the Xiaomi Pad 7, which offers superior performance but with a smaller 11-inch display and weaker battery life. Apple's iPad (2025) remains the performance leader but costs significantly more when configured with comparable storage and accessories.
For users prioritising battery life, software longevity, and value, the Honor Pad 10 presents a compelling alternative to more expensive options. Those requiring maximum performance might prefer the Xiaomi Pad 7, whilst iPad ecosystem integration remains unmatched for Apple users.
Final Verdict
The Honor Pad 10 succeeds in delivering a well-rounded tablet experience that emphasises longevity and value over raw performance. Its exceptional battery life, solid build quality, and comprehensive software support make it an attractive choice for users seeking a reliable Android tablet that will remain useful for years to come.
Whilst performance doesn't match premium alternatives, the Honor Pad 10 handles typical tablet tasks with confidence. The inclusion of keyboard and stylus accessories at this price point represents genuine value, making it particularly appealing for students and casual users.
For those prioritising battery life, software support, and overall value in the £300 price segment, the Honor Pad 10 emerges as a strong contender that's difficult to fault.