The Honor Pad V9, unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2025 alongside Honor’s Alpha Plan, promises impressive battery life in a sleek, lightweight design. More affordable than the base iPad 11, this new Android tablet boasts a large battery and impressive specs for its price point. Here’s a closer look at my hands-on experience with the Honor Pad V9 at MWC.
Honor Pad V9 at MWC 2025
Design and Display: Thin, Light, and Responsive
The Honor Pad V9’s remarkably thin 6.1mm profile is particularly impressive given its large battery. For comparison, the new iPad 11 is 7mm thick, while Apple’s slimmest iPad Pro measures 5.1mm. The Pad V9’s flat sides and button placement give it a familiar feel reminiscent of an iPad. Its lightweight design, weighing in at 475 grams (compared to the iPad 11’s 477 grams), makes it comfortable for extended use.
The 11.5-inch LCD strikes a good balance for productivity, offering a spacious canvas for work and entertainment. The 2,800 x 1,840-pixel resolution, combined with a 144Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, promises a crisp and vibrant viewing experience. During my brief hands-on, the display was responsive and bright, even in indoor lighting. Coupled with eight speakers, the Pad V9 is poised to deliver an immersive media experience.
Software: MagicOS 9.0 for Productivity
Based on my previous experience with Honor tablets, MagicOS 9.0 offers solid productivity features. The home screen’s customizable folder view, which allows horizontal or vertical grid expansion and direct app access without opening the folder, is a small but efficient time-saver. This feature makes organizing similar apps and streamlining workflows a breeze.
Honor Pad V9 with case on.
Performance and Battery: MediaTek Power and Long-Lasting Battery
The Honor Pad V9 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Elite chipset, essentially the same processor found in higher-priced devices like the Oppo Reno 13 Pro and Oppo Pad 3. Paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the Pad V9 should handle multitasking and demanding applications with ease. The keyboard case, while adding noticeable weight to the tablet, offers comfortable key travel.
The standout feature is the massive 10,100mAh battery housed within the slim chassis. This battery capacity surpasses the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 and rivals the Galaxy Tab S10 Plus’s 10,090mAh cell. Combined with the energy-efficient Dimensity 8350 processor, the Pad V9 should provide exceptional battery life. The included 35-watt charger ensures quick recharging.
Additional Features: Camera, AI, and Connectivity
The Honor Pad V9 includes a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera for video calls. While image quality in indoor lighting seemed average during my hands-on, it should suffice for video conferencing. Other notable features include Magic Portal, similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island, and Honor Connect for seamless wireless data transfer from Honor phones.
Honor Pad V9 screen.
The Honor Notes app incorporates AI features like formula recognition and voice-to-text. While I haven’t fully tested these features on the Pad V9, my previous experience with AI features on the Magic 7 Pro left me wanting more in terms of reliability. Hopefully, Honor has refined these features in this latest release.
Pricing and Availability
The Honor Pad V9 starts at 250 euros (approximately $265) for the base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in Europe. This competitive price point makes the Pad V9 a compelling option packed with features compared to other similarly priced tablets.
