Chuwi Hi10 Pro Tablet Review

What makes the Chuwi Hi10 Pro stand out is the fact that the operating system is selectable. Even when the tablet is running, it's fairly easy to switch between the two OS choices. The technical specs are pretty promising as well despite the low price: aluminum chassis, 10.1-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and digitizer, Atom Z8300 CPU, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of flash storage. The manufacturer also offers an optional keyboard dock as well as a stylus - but neither accessory unfortunately accompanied our review tablet.
The dual-boot tablet sells for about 170 Euro ($180) and is available from several importers. Because of its processor, we categorize the Chuwi Hi10 Pro as an inexpensive Android device rather than a full-fledged Windows tablet. For this reason, we use the following Android tablets to compare the slate against: Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro, Medion Lifetab P10505,Test Medion Lifetab P10505 Tablet Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A, Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L, Haier Pad 971 and the Xiaomi MiPad 2.
Our review tablet was supplied by Gearbest. The Chinese online shop offers free shipping (10-15 days) without any additional customs fees when shipping to Germany - and the price is great as well.
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Case
Despite of the low price, the Hi10 Pro surprises with a visually very appealing case design that feels good to the touch as well. Fingerprints are not an issue thanks to the matte finish. For its size, the tablet is easy to hold thanks to the weight of 563 grams and the thickness of 8.5 mm.
The physical buttons for the volume control as well as the on/off switch on the upper edge are made out of metal, easy to reach, have good feedback, but wobble slightly. The USB and HDMI ports as well as the slot for the MicroSD card are housed on the left side. The latter doesn't have a protective cover, so it's easy to access, but it accumulates dirt more easily for the same reason.
Considering the size, the stability and the torsional rigidity are more than satisfying. The back yields slightly when very high amounts of pressure are applied - the display itself remains unaffected, however.
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Connectivity
The integrated eMMC flash storage drive has a capacity of 64 GB; as shipped, 12.7 GB are available to the user. 40 GB of space are available when Windows 10 is running. Depending on personal preference, either OS can be uninstalled from system. In addition to the generous storage space, the tablet actually features quite a few physical ports as well. In addition to the combo power-plus-USB port (Type C), the Chuwi Hi10 Pro features a headphone jack, microHDMI and microUSB ports as well as a microSD card slot. The latter is supposed to handle SDCX cards, but it didn't recognize our Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 (64 GB) test card. A 32 GB card posed no problems, however. The tablet also supports the relocation of apps to the microSD card (A2SD).
Wireless transfer of the display content to external monitors via Miracast worked without a hitch. The user can also connect a monitor to the microHDMI port or peripherals like external keyboards or USB thumb drives via USB-OTG.
Software
The tablet ships with Android 5.1 "Lollipop". It's questionable if Chuwi will make an update to 6.0 Marshmallow or 7.0 Nougat available - so far, there haven't been any announcements. Bloatware is essentially completely absent and only a very few apps come preinstalled.
The user interface Remix OS 2.0 hasn't much in common with the stock Android OS. Some elements - like the task bar, the file manager or the multi-windows indicator seem to be transplants from the Windows world. As an alternative, a "real" Windows 10 can be installed as well. Chuwi doesn't offer any additional software features for the OS. Although the country as well as the language can be changed in the settings menu, the system language remains primarily English.
Communication
In addition to the two microUSB ports, the Hi10 Pro can also exchange data using Bluetooth 4.0. A WLAN module (802.11 b/g/n) allows connectivity to the outside world; LTE is not offered. GPS and NFC (Near Field Communication) are also not available.
The wireless performance is acceptable for daily use and the signal remains stable at all times. The attenuation next to the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V) is just average at -44 dBm. The average transfer rates 1 meter from our router (Linksys EA8500) are below average at 42 Mbit/s (send) und 41 Mbit/s (receive).
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 |
Cameras
The Hi10 Pro comes equipped with two camera modules: a webcam with 2 MP in the middle of the upper bezel and a 2 MP main camera without autofocus on the rear. Both support video at 720p. An LED flash is not on board.
There isn't much we can say about the picture quality: details are lacking and both the contrast and the color accuracy leave to be desired. In our opinion, Chuwi could've just done away with the rear-facing camera altogether. The front-facing unit is acceptable for low quality video conferencing, however.
Accessories and Warranty
The box contains the tablet itself, a quickstart guide, the modular network adapter, and a USB charging cable. Optional equipment consists of an active stylus called "HiPen" for 15 Euro (~$16) as well as a magnetic keyboard dock for 30 Euro (~32). The latter offers a trackpad and comes with two full-sized USB ports (Type-A).
Chuwi warrants their tablet for a period of 12 months against defects.
Input Devices and Operation
The 10-finger touchscreen accurately responds to inputs and the glass surface allows the fingers to glide easily. The virtual keyboard is easy to use thanks to the large keys; the layout corresponds to the stock Android design.
Navigation is possible with the standard Android (offscreen) buttons back, home and overview. The touch-sensitive Windows logo functions as a home button when Android is running.
Display
The IPS LC display is a 25.7 cm (10.1-inch) panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels (WUXGA) and a corresponding pixel density of 224 ppi. Although the Chuwi H10 Pro can't match Apple's Retina-threshold of 300 ppi here, text is nonetheless quite sharp even at reduced font sizes. The pixel structure is still visible from normal viewing distances, however.
The LED backlight is sufficiently bright for daily use, although the maximum brightness only reaches 388 cd/m² in the middle. Combined with the just average black value of 0.42 cd/m², the tablet features a still acceptable contrast ratio of 902:1. When we conducted our more realistic test of the display brightness with evenly distributed dark and bright areas (APL50-Test), we measured 384 cd/m², which is very close to the previous measurement. The black value remains at 0.42 cd/m², so the contrast ratio isn't really affected.
|
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 379 cd/m²
Contrast: 902:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.8 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 6.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.23
Chuwi Hi10 Pro IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10 | Xiaomi MiPad 2 IPS, 2048x1536, 7.90 | Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10 | Medion Lifetab P10505 IPS, 1920x1080, 10.10 | Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A IPS, 1280x800, 10.10 | Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10 | Haier Pad 971 IPS, 2048x1536, 9.70 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | 14% | 22% | -23% | 4% | 2% | 12% | |
Brightness middle | 379 | 425 12% | 435 15% | 320 -16% | 370 -2% | 392 3% | 294 -22% |
Brightness | 356 | 402 13% | 425 19% | 308 -13% | 351 -1% | 385 8% | 294 -17% |
Brightness Distribution | 87 | 91 5% | 92 6% | 84 -3% | 89 2% | 91 5% | 90 3% |
Black Level * | 0.42 | 0.4 5% | 0.34 19% | 0.36 14% | 0.4 5% | 0.59 -40% | 0.37 12% |
Contrast | 902 | 1063 18% | 1279 42% | 889 -1% | 925 3% | 664 -26% | 795 -12% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.8 | 4.98 -4% | 4.1 15% | 7.5 -56% | 4.6 4% | 4.5 6% | 3.2 33% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 11.2 | 6.61 41% | 8.5 24% | 16.1 -44% | 9.5 15% | 7.8 30% | 6.5 42% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.7 | 5.2 22% | 4.4 34% | 10.8 -61% | 6.5 3% | 4.8 28% | 3 55% |
Gamma | 2.23 99% | 2.65 83% | 2.11 104% | 2.3 96% | 2.17 101% | 2.47 89% | 2.3 96% |
CCT | 6988 93% | 7249 90% | 7414 88% | 9907 66% | 6354 102% | 7426 88% | 6882 94% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 54 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18982 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
Our analysis with the spectrophotometer X-Rite i1Pro 2 and the CalMAN software shows clear deviations from the ideal for both color (DeltaE 4.8) and grayscale (DeltaE 6.7). For a tablet in this price range, this performance is certainly acceptable. Fortunately, the IPS display is free from any color casts.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 11 ms rise | |
↘ 19 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 76 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.9 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
83 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 39 ms rise | |
↘ 44 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 99 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (34.5 ms). |
The Hi10 Pro doesn't handle bright environments very well. Although the screen content remains readable even in the shade, direct sunlight causes reflections which the display brightness can't overcome. Thanks to the IPS technology, the viewing angle stability is very good. Even at very shallow angles, the colors remain stable.
Performance
The Intel Atom x5-Z8300 is a - for the price bracket - quite powerful quadcore SoC. Compared to competing ARM SoCs, the Chery Trail processor performs similar to a a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805. In addition, the tablet features a pretty powerful graphics processor (Cherry Trail HD Graphics) and 4 GB of RAM.
When running Android, the performance is satisfactory, even though lags and stutters occasionally happen. Compared to the competitors, the Chuwi tablet does pretty well when running the synthetic benchmarks. The Medion Lifetab P10505 - which is equipped with the same processor, but less RAM - outperforms the review tablet. The Xiaomi MiPad 2 with the Intel Atom x5-Z8500 is the undisputed leader in our comparison.
Performance under Windows 10 is generally pretty good, but one shouldn't expect miracles. The Cinebench R15 and 3DMark 11 benchmarks attest the Hi10 Pro comparatively low performance. The tablet performs much like it does under Android 5.1 during the browser tests (Octane V2: 5926 points; Jetstream: 35442 points; Kraken V1: 4979.6 ms).
The read and writes speeds of the internal eMMC flash drive are not exactly stellar at 136 MB/s and 40 MB/s, respectively. The drive performance is reflected in the time it takes to open as well close apps.
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Haier Pad 971 | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro |
Geekbench 3 | |
64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A |
Geekbench 4.0 | |
64 Bit Multi-Core Score | |
Dell XPS 13 9360 QHD+ i7 | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
64 Bit Single-Core Score | |
Dell XPS 13 9360 QHD+ i7 | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L |
GFXBench 3.0 | |
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Haier Pad 971 | |
Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Haier Pad 971 | |
Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L |
GFXBench 3.1 | |
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Haier Pad 971 | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Haier Pad 971 | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L |
PCMark for Android - Work performance score | |
Xiaomi MiPad 2 | |
Medion Lifetab P10505 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro | |
Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A | |
Haier Pad 971 | |
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L | |
Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro |
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance | |
Dell XPS 13 9360 QHD+ i7 | |
Toshiba Satellite Click 10 LX0W-C-104 | |
Acer Aspire Switch 10V SW5-014-1742 | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro |
* ... smaller is better
Gaming
The HD Graphics (Cherry Trail) runs at up to 500 MHz and offers support for DirectX 12. Current Android games like Asphalt Xtreme and Dead Trigger 2 are no problem for the Chuwi Hi10 Pro. Thanks to the precise position sensor, gaming actually can be a log of fun. When running Windows, the tablet struggles even at the lowest resolution setting and when the game in question is not very demanding on the hardware.
Emissions
Temperature
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.5 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 34.1 °C / 93 F, ranging from 21.2 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.5 °C / 92 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.5 °C / 91 F, compared to the device average of 30.2 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
The stereo speakers on the left and right edge reach a maximum loudness of 84 dB. The Hi10 Pro is certainly loud enough to be heard easily, but the sound quality is not very satisfying. The majority of the sound output occupies the range from 1 to 7 kHz; lower frequencies below 900 Hz as well as upper highs at and above 9 kHz are lacking. The sound is comparatively tinny and also somewhat distorted.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (33.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 90% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 90% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi MiPad 2 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (95.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 38% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 30% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 32.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 72% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 26%, worst was 134%
Frequenzdiagramm im Vergleich (Checkboxen oben an-/abwählbar!)
Energy Management
Power Consumption
For a 10-inch tablet, the Hi10 Pro isn't exactly frugal: under load, we measured a power consumption of up to 12.5 watts, which is quite a bit more than the Asus ZenPad 10.0, to give one example. Only during idle and at the lowest display brightness, the tablet is fairly efficient.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro 6500 mAh | Xiaomi MiPad 2 6190 mAh | Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L 7000 mAh | Medion Lifetab P10505 7000 mAh | Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A 4680 mAh | Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro 6600 mAh | Haier Pad 971 7800 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | -17% | 11% | 3% | 41% | 20% | 48% | |
Idle Minimum * | 1.4 | 3.33 -138% | 1.7 -21% | 2.01 -44% | 1.22 13% | 1.58 -13% | 1.38 1% |
Idle Average * | 4.82 | 5.01 -4% | 4.4 9% | 4.82 -0% | 3.15 35% | 4.12 15% | 1.46 70% |
Idle Maximum * | 5.43 | 5.19 4% | 4.7 13% | 4.89 10% | 3.39 38% | 4.15 24% | 1.6 71% |
Load Average * | 11.61 | 8.32 28% | 8.4 28% | 8.35 28% | 3.95 66% | 6.2 47% | 5.06 56% |
Load Maximum * | 12.48 | 9.33 25% | 9.2 26% | 9.91 21% | 5.64 55% | 9.27 26% | 6.95 44% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
Given the power consumption, we can't expect outstanding run times. When running our practically relevant WLAN test with the display set to a brightness of 150 cd/m², the Chuwi Hi10 has the shortest battery life and needed to be plugged back in again after 6 hours and 4 minutes. The competitors last at least an hour longer. We didn't feel like we had to charge the tablet all the time either, though.
When running Windows 10, the Chuwi Hi10 offers a nearly identical WLAN performance of 6 hours and 15 minutes.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro 6500 mAh | Xiaomi MiPad 2 6190 mAh | Lenovo Tab 3 10 Business TB3-X70L 7000 mAh | Medion Lifetab P10505 7000 mAh | Asus ZenPad 10.0 Z300M-6A039A 4680 mAh | Huawei MediaPad T2 10.0 Pro 6600 mAh | Haier Pad 971 7800 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | |||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 364 | 421 16% | 601 65% | 564 55% | 435 20% | 416 14% | 423 16% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The affordable tabled from the Chuwi impresses with its good-looking design and high-end aluminum chassis. In addition, the Hi10 Pro features a LC IPS display with good viewing angle stability, contrast and colors and features a decent compliment of physical ports. We shouldn't forget the interesting and affordable accessories (stylus and keyboard dock), although we were unfortunately not able to test either one.
The Chuwi Hi10 Pro is an interesting alternative in the 10-inch tablet segment for those users who can't make up their mind as to which OS they prefer and would like the ability to switch between them.
The dual-boot option with Android and Windows OS worked flawlessly during our test and is certainly one of the reasons - if not the main one - to consider this tablet. Unfortunately, the Chinese manufacturer supplies Android 5.1 Lollipop, which isn't an up-to-date version of the OS.
The performance of the Intel Atom x5-Z8300 combined with the 4 GB of RAM is sufficient for both operating systems, although the user shouldn't expect performance equivalent to a full-fledged Windows PC. For web surfing and word processing under Windows 10, the performance is decent enough. Considering what the Intel SoC should theoretically be capable of, we'd expect better system performance - especially when the table is running Android. We weren't impressed by the slow eMMC flash storage and the subpar wireless transfer rates, either. For a 10-inch tablet, the power consumption is also too high and the battery life is just average.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro
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11/28/2016 v5.1(old)
Marcus Herbrich