Hotwav Pad 11 Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Tablets at the border of the low and mid-price segment are extremely popular today among fans of mobile electronics. Chinese brands such as TECLAST, Blackview, Oukitel have been especially successful in gaining a foothold in this value category. However, a young smart electronics manufacturer called HOTWAV is not averse to joining the previously mentioned list of successful companies. And with devices like the hero of today’s review, he has every chance of finding hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers. Meet HOTWAV Pad 11.

Brief characteristics of HOTWAV Pad 11:

• case materials: front panel - glass, back panel - polycarbonate;
• screen: IPS technology, 11-inch diagonal, resolution 1920x1200 pixels;
• processor: UNISOC Tiger T606, video chip: Mali-G57 MP1;
• RAM/ROM: 6GB (+6GB due to ROM) / 256GB with support for MicroSD cards;
• operating system: Android 13;
• battery: 8000mAh, 20W charger;
• main camera: 16MP + 0.3MP;
• front camera: 8MP;
• sound: stereo speakers, 4 pcs;
• support for two SIM cards;
• navigation: GPS/GLONASS/Beidou/Galileo;
• dimensions and weight: 257 x 167 x 7.6 mm, 516 g.

Unpacking the tablet will definitely cause positive emotions, because inside the white box made of thick cardboard we will find not only the device itself, but also impressive equipment:

• silicone protective case;
• protective film already applied to the display;
• additional protective glass for the screen and napkins for its successful installation;
• 20W charger;
• USB cable;
• SIM card tray clip;
• user guide.

The list can only be supplemented with wired headphones, for which the gadget has a 3.5mm jack. However, even without them the kit is really pleasing.

HOTWAV Pad 11 itself is not bad from a design point of view. The convenient, ergonomic shape of the tablet, interesting colors, depending on the lighting, changing from silver to dark purple, a modern camera unit and reasonable display frames make the new product more interesting than many opponents. Perhaps, complaints can only arise regarding the material used to make the case. Polycarbonate is still inferior to metal in terms of strength and tactile sensations, but fingerprints practically do not remain on the matte texture of the rear panel, and it does not collect scratches too quickly. On the top edge of the device there are power and volume buttons, a hole for a microphone, on the left there are cutouts for the first pair of speakers, on the right there are cutouts for the second pair of speakers, and a USB Type-C connector. headphone output, SIM card slot. The bottom edge is completely free of any functional elements. No backlash, creaks or other unpleasant things were found; the overall impressions of the exterior of the inexpensive tablet are good.

HOTWAV Pad 11 is equipped with an 11-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2000x1200 pixels without an air gap between the glass and the sensor. The clarity of the picture is not bad for a diagonal, individual pixels are invisible to the eye. The maximum brightness level is still too low for working with the gadget in direct sunlight, but opponents of the device in the price category suffer from the same problem. It is more than comfortable to interact with the IPS panel indoors. The manufacturer decided to save on auto brightness; there is also no oleophobic coating on the protective film. But the color contrast is quite high, the black color does not disappear completely into gray shades. At different tilt angles, only the brightness level decreases; color distortion is not observed. The touch panel is responsive; no phantom touches or other types of errors were detected while using the tablet. There is no increased image refresh rate, but it could negatively affect the cost of the device. Thus, its absence is quite understandable. As a result, we have a good, although not excellent, display, devoid of obvious shortcomings.

The selection of technical characteristics is also quite successful. The eight-core UNISOC Tiger T606 processor replaces the long-used MediaTek Helio A22 and P22 chipsets in devices in the low-mid price segment. Together with 6GB of RAM and the Mali G57MC1 video accelerator, the CPU demonstrates the following results in synthetic tests:

• 268914 points in the AnTuTu 10 benchmark;
• 380 points in Geekbench 6 single-core test, 1387 points in multi-core test.

The performance is more than enough for the smooth operation of the Android 13 interface; the device is suitable for not the most sophisticated gamers.

The first object for testing the gaming power of the gadget was the famously resource-intensive Genshin Impact. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to get smooth gameplay; the project is more or less playable only with minimal graphic presets and a frames per second limit of 24 FPS. At the same time, drawdowns in frame rate are still visible when there are a large number of enemies, special effects or objects. You can have fun if you want, but only with a really strong desire.

Tank Company has become slightly less demanding. This project is an almost exact copy of the World Of Tanks game for personal computers, adapted for mobile devices. Accordingly, the resources to handle 15 vs 15 tank battles on fairly large maps must be considerable. The UNISOC Tiger T606 processor is capable of providing a more or less stable frame rate of around 25-30 FPS with minimal graphics settings. In this case, the picture loses most of its beauty, but does not disintegrate into pixels.

And PUBG Mobile shows the best results. Compared to previously reviewed projects, the game offers slightly less technologically advanced graphics, but the confident work of the artists helps make up for the lack of millions of polygons or detailed textures. In addition, the huge range of drawing locations still causes delight today. The game automatically sets balanced graphics settings and an average framerate, the gameplay is quite smooth, FPS drops are observed either during hot firefights or loading large parts of the location. However, these drawdowns can hardly be called critical.

Also, some users are definitely interested in the situation with RAM and permanent memory. The CPDT application has defined the following read and write speeds for ROM and RAM (last parameter):

256GB of permanent memory are allocated; read and write speeds are not record-breaking, but acceptable for an inexpensive tablet.

The sound of HOTWAV Pad 11 leaves a pleasant impression. Four speakers are installed in the device for a reason. Even if the maximum volume does not break records, it is approximately 85-86 dB, and the reproduced sound quality is noticeably better than that of analogues from Teclast. Yes, as the volume increases, there is a change in the balance of the frequency response towards high frequencies, but the same cymbals in rock compositions sound airy and detailed. The wired headphone jack was tested on Simgot EN700 MK2 headphones. The sound is quite simple compared to modern players, but balanced and pleasant. Sometimes the only thing missing is the speed of low frequencies. As for wireless headphones, Mifo O5 II Gen 2 and Anker Liberty 4 NC were tested only with SBC/AAC codecs. There is no support for AptX and LDAC, this fact does not significantly affect the sound. Thus, high frequencies lack the detail and airiness that can be achieved with a higher bitrate. However, somewhere on the street or on the road such simplifications will not be much audible.

The main 16 and 0.3 megapixel cameras are equipped with autofocus and LED flash, which is not bad for an inexpensive tablet. However, in the evening they should only be used to shoot close-up objects, and even then you won’t have to count on frames without noise or blur. The chances of getting a successful daytime photo are significantly higher. Yes, it’s hard not to notice that the detail is not particularly high, and sometimes the exposure has to be set manually, but simple daytime landscapes are still possible with photo modules. You can see examples of such photos below. Keep in mind that they were made in cloudy weather.

The 8-megapixel selfie camera does not impress with photo quality and is more necessary for video communication. However, it is still possible to get a more or less good selfie with a couple of takes.

Support for SIM cards is an additional competitive advantage that makes the device more attractive than some of the alternatives existing on the market. A complete replacement of the phone will still not be possible due to the dimensions of the device and the presence of only main speakers. So, even at minimum volume, your conversation with your interlocutor will be heard by everyone around you. On the other hand, there were no problems with the speech reproduction of the interlocutor; the voice of the reviewer on the other side of the line was also distinguishable, although according to the comments it was somewhat worse than on the Realme GT2 smartphone. Perhaps the reason for this is the presence of only one microphone.

There were no problems with the Internet connection. The 4G connection of the HOTWAV Pad 11 was approximately at the level of a smartphone from Realme; there was no sudden loss of signal or change from 4G to 2G connection indoors or outdoors. The Wi-Fi connection is decent, through 2 walls and 5-6 meters from the router the data was still downloading without noticeable problems. It is also possible to use the tablet as a GPS navigator, but the results of the GPS Tester program are slightly below average for the UNISOC Tiger series of chipsets. When using the Yandex Navigator application, no visible problems were observed, but when walking. It is possible that navigation errors will sometimes occur at high speeds.

The 8000mAh battery provides a good level of autonomy. In the PCMarkWork 3.0 application, the Battery Life test gives a result of 10 hours 26 minutes at 50% brightness and the same volume level. In other scenarios, it is possible to obtain the following battery life of the tablet:

• approximately 4.5 hours of gameplay in Genshin Impact (battery lost 23% per hour);
• approximately 6 hours of gameplay in Tank Company (battery lost 16% per hour);
• approximately 7.5 hours of gameplay in PUBG Mobile (battery lost 13% per hour);
• approximately 7-8 hours of screen time per day with active use (50% of the time - games, 50% of the time - web surfing).

The HOTWAV Official Store also included a branded flip case and a wireless Bluetooth keyboard with its new product. The case is made of silicone and leatherette, the tablet sits securely in it, and the likelihood of protection from falling from a height of up to one and a half meters is quite high. The quality of materials and workmanship is not satisfactory. The case closes with magnets, the inside has a pleasant velvet texture.

The BlueTooth keyboard is simple but functional. There were no problems connecting the accessory to the HOTWAV Pad 11. The key travel is small, but typing is quite comfortable, the pressing sound is not loud, and you can work with the keyboard without causing discomfort to others. The accessory is charged via the USB Type-C port, there are indicators for Caps lock, connecting to a device, charging and turning on. In the upper right corner there are buttons for turning on and connecting to the device.

Let's summarize the review and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the device.

Pros:

• good design of the case made of high-quality polycarbonate;
• decent equipment for the price segment;
• good 11-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2000x1200 pixels;
• balanced UNISOC Tiger T606 processor and 6GB of RAM;
• loud and high-quality stereo sound (4 speakers, maximum volume 86dB, no strong distortion);
• 256GB of ROM with expandability;
• support for two SIM cards;
• no problems with communication reception;
• no problems with GPS navigation;
• The main cameras are suitable for daytime shooting;
• an 8000mAh battery guarantees about one and a half days of operation with the device;
• separate jack for wired headphones;
• reasonable price.

Minuses:

• no support for new codecs for wireless headphones;
• The brightness of the display is too low for working with the device in direct sunlight;
• no auto brightness;
• the body could also be made of metal;
• games that are really resource-demanding run at minimal graphics settings, with framerate drawdowns.

Thus, HOTWAV Pad 11 is a high-quality inexpensive tablet that can please users with a limited budget with its functionality. An excellent IPS screen, a modern processor, support for SIM cards and good battery life make it an excellent choice in the price segment.

We would like to thank the HOTWAV Official Store for the provided tablet and accessories.