This June, Chuwi launched 3 tablets of the same line: Hi9, Hi9 Pro and Hi9 Air. Despite the identical names, the devices are similar only in the filling, the heart of which is Mediatek Helio. And a screen with 2K resolution.
Otherwise, these are completely different gadgets. The standard Hi9, which we wrote about earlier, is an entry-level budget tablet. Hi9 Air, which you can also read about on our blog, is equipped with a 10.1-inch screen and offers to be an excellent work partner.
In this review, we will introduce the reader to the Chuwi Hi9 Pro “gaming” Android tablet, which offers increased performance in a compact body. And the price is only 140 dollars.
Characteristics
| CPU | MediaTek Helio X20 |
| Core Configuration | 4 x 1.4 GHz + 4 x 1.85 GHz, |
| Video processor | ARM Mali T880, 780 MHz |
| operating system | Android 8.0 |
| RAM, GB | 4 |
| Internal memory, GB | 32 GB SSD |
| Screen | 8.4″ IPS, 2K (2560 × 1600), 10 touch touch |
| Main camera, Mpix | 8 |
| Front camera, MPix | 5 |
| Net | 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz 3G: WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 4G: B1 2100MHz, B2 1900MHz, B20 800MHz, B3 1800MHz, B5 850MHz, B7 2600MHz, B8 900MHz, TDD B40 2300MHz |
| Number of SIM cards, pcs. | 2 nanoSIM |
| microSD support | Up to 128 GB |
| Interfaces | USB-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack |
| Moisture/dust protection | No |
| Data transfer | Bluetooth 4.1/Wi-Fi |
| Navigation | GPS |
| Battery, mAh | 5000 |
| Dimensions, mm | 217,4 × 128,9 × 7,9 |
| Weight, g | 550 |
Equipment
Despite its positioning as the flagship of the line, the Chuwi Hi9 Pro package cannot be called rich. Everything is very familiar and corresponds to the standard of budget devices:
- Chinese power adapter,
- USB-C to USB-C charging cable,
- documentation,
- tablet.
Please note that the standard kit offers a Chinese plug, so an adapter will be required.
Appearance
The main position of the tablet is portrait orientation, so the symmetry is appropriate.
On the rear metal panel you can find 2 plastic inserts for antennas - on the top and bottom. The top one also carries a small lens of the main camera, and above the bottom there is a single speaker.
The main elements are located on the edges. The top one carries a USB-C charging connector and a mini-jack for connecting headphones, so the bottom one is completely empty.
The right side is equipped with a volume rocker and a power button in contrasting red color. The 2 SIM tray is located in the same place as in most smartphones, on the left side.
Unlike its brother in the line, Hi9 Air, the compact new product offers fairly familiar frames around the display. At least on the right and left, since, as the Huawei M5 showed, the top bezels can be reduced to the maximum.
Display
The main killer feature of the new product is its excellent screen. Its diagonal reaches 8.4 inches. Not much for the current aspect ratio, but nevertheless, this is the most logical size for a compact tablet that is always with you.
The matrix is an IPS panel manufactured by JDI with a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels, that is, it is full 2K. In addition, the screen does not contain an air gap between the Gorilla Glass protective glass and its own surface.
This display is very pleasant to play, watch movies and work on. Brightness is excellent. The contrast is beyond praise. The color scheme also corresponds to the best representatives of the class, and can be configured in the system settings using several preset profiles.
Ease of use
Chuwi Hi9 Pro is a standard representative of the class of 8.4-inch tablets, so there is something special to say in favor of this particular model.
However, competitors often offer plastic or a combination instead of a metal case without plastic inserts. Hi9 Pro has an all-metal back panel, which can be used as an example.
The frames are small, there are no backlashes or creaks. All controls are in place. And most importantly, the tablet fits perfectly in the pocket of a classic jacket or denim jacket.
Hardware capabilities
The heart of the Hi9 Pro is the MediaTek Helio X20 processor, familiar from many smartphones and other tablets in the Chuwi Hi9 line, with 10 computing cores and a clock frequency of 1.8 to 2.3 gigahertz. The platform is characterized by excellent energy efficiency, performance and a decent ARM Mali T880 video accelerator.
The combination of these elements with 3 GB of RAM offers, although not a flagship, but a serious and productive solution, sufficient for several years of aggressive use. At least for the next couple of years, Hi9 Pro will be able to handle any task available on an Android tablet.
The buyer will also not be left without 3D games: we tested the device using the popular World Of Tanks, Asphalt and PUBG. All of them feel good at maximum, although on rich maps of the latter you have to lower the settings a little.
This is enough for modern games, but you won’t have a large supply. The built-in memory is a 32 gigabyte drive.
Net
The device supports Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.1 wireless networks. In addition, there is a 4G modem for connecting to LTE networks, with each of the 2 possible SIM cards.
They can be used both to access the network (for which dual-band Wi-Fi will be very useful) and to make standard voice calls. The tablet supports all bands existing in the CIS countries, so there will be no problems.
Of course, using such a large gadget on your face will not be very convenient - but it is possible. And modern Bluetooth will allow you to connect headsets with a range of up to 10 meters (tested).
The navigation module can only work with GPS satellites, but it does it very quickly: a cold start takes no more than 40 seconds. The accuracy is sufficient for a car navigator.
Battery life
The battery capacity of Chuwi Hi9 Pro meets modern standards: 5000 mAh has long been used in all the best models of compact tablets. Thanks to the platform (and despite the high-resolution screen), the overall autonomy of the device can reach up to a day.
In specific scenarios, Hi9 Pro behaves like this:
- web surfing via Wi-Fi – 10 hours,
- via LTE – 8 hours,
- watching movies in “airplane mode” – 8-9 hours,
- 3D games – 5 hours,
- mixed use - up to 18 hours.
Multimedia: cameras
The main camera of Chuwi Hi9 Pro does not have a flash, but boasts a good sensor. Therefore, with high-quality lighting, the pictures are appropriate - bright, contrasting, clear.
As soon as the lighting level decreases, the camera begins to produce corresponding artifacts: noise in the photo, blurry shadows, erroneous focusing on the lighting. But for standard tablet tasks like taking a photo of a document, making a quick note, or documenting what is happening will be enough.
The front module also does not offer any special features and is only suitable for video chats with good lighting. However, if this condition is met, the sensor produces an excellent image.
Multimedia: sound
Since Chuwi Hi9 Pro received support for 2 SIM cards, it has both an external speaker - the only one located on the back cover - and an earpiece located above the screen.
The main, external sound is not rich in bass or treble. Standard, pleasant and loud enough to pass the time while watching a movie or your favorite Android game.
Conversational, in general, leaves a more pleasant impression: the interlocutor can be heard very well. The same can be said about the microphone, which is located under the screen, like in smartphones (you can talk like on a very large smartphone!): the interlocutor recognizes the voice and does not complain about the quality.
The sound in the headphones is average - you can listen to music and watch a movie.
Impression
The build quality of Chuwi Hi9 Pro is close to ideal, despite the plastic inserts. Convenience has already been mentioned above - but, repeating, it’s worth mentioning that this is a really convenient gadget that fits perfectly in your hands.
And this despite the decent thickness and fairly wide frames around the screen. But at $140, the Chuwi Hi9 Pro is a unique offering on the market, combining an excellent screen, powerful energy-efficient platform, sufficient performance, a full range of interfaces for voice and Internet connections.
conclusions
In the camp of Chinese tablets, Chuwi Hi9 Pro occupies a rather interesting niche: on the one hand, it noticeably cheaper than competitors, on the other hand, it offers absolutely everything that a device of this type can offer class. No compromises.
The closest competitors in the $100-150 range are not equipped with communication modules, and/or offer rather modest performance. More expensive devices boast thinner all-metal casings, but only offer an LTE modem for network access—and only in the over $200 range.
Thus, we can say that Chuwi Hi9 Pro is created for those who need the widest possible functionality for little money. At only $140, this price forces you to put up with some of the shortcomings of a tablet that will be relevant for many years to come, unlike other budget gadgets.
