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Chuwi Hi9 Plus Tablet Review

A flagship challenger? The Chuwi Hi9 Plus is a well-equipped all-rounder that would serve as a good notebook replacement for some people. The Hi9 Plus is competitively priced at around US$230 on its own and approximately US$340 with its accessories.

The Chuwi Hi9 Plus is a tablet that the Chinese manufacturer has equipped with a MediaTek MT6797X SoC, which is better known as the Helio X27. The powerful SoC integrates an ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU and is complemented by 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. The Hi9 Plus has a bright 10.8-inch IPS display that runs natively at 2560 x 1600 with support for 10-point multi-touch and pen input. The Hi9 Plus also weighs 550 g (~1.2 lb), which is relatively light for such a large tablet.

The device currently retails at US$230, but Chuwi also sells a matching keyboard and pressure sensitive pen that bring the total package up to around US$340. The pricing is undoubtedly impressive, but can the reality match its specifications? Our tests should reveal as much.

We have chosen to compare our test device against the Apple iPad 6 2018, the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S4. We will also consider the Hi9 Plus against the Acer Iconia Tab 10, even though the latter does not support pen input. 

Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Hi Series)
Processor
Graphics adapter
ARM Mali-T880 MP4, Core: 875 MHz
Memory
4 GB 
Display
10.80 inch 16:10, 2560 x 1600 pixel 280 PPI, 10-point multi-touch touchscreen, native pen support, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 56 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Bluetooth, Card Reader: microSD, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Ambient Light sensor, Proximity sensor
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM: 2, 3, 5, 8. WCDMA: 1, 2, 5, 8. LTE: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20. TDD-LTE: 40, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.1 x 266 x 177 ( = 0.32 x 10.47 x 6.97 in)
Battery
7000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 8 MPix
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 1, Keyboard Light: yes, Charger, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, fanless
Weight
550 g ( = 19.4 oz / 1.21 pounds), Power Supply: 70 g ( = 2.47 oz / 0.15 pounds)
Price
200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Hi9 Plus is well designed, and Chuwi has used pleasing materials that make the device feel sturdy. However, we could still twist the frame and get it to creak, but this is an issue for most large and thin tablets such as seen with the third-generation iPad Pro. We would not have expected the Hi9 Plus to match the iPad 6’s build quality either since the former is a fraction of the cost. It is worth noting that the Hi9 Plus feels more stable than the Iconia Tab 10. Overall, the Hi9 Plus is a pleasantly thin and well-built tablet. Gaps between materials are even and tight on our test device too.

Size Comparison

267 mm / 10.5 inch 169.2 mm / 6.66 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 531 g1.171 lbs266 mm / 10.5 inch 177 mm / 6.97 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 550 g1.213 lbs258.7 mm / 10.2 inch 171.8 mm / 6.76 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 498 g1.098 lbs249 mm / 9.8 inch 164 mm / 6.46 inch 7 mm / 0.2756 inch 482 g1.063 lbs240 mm / 9.45 inch 169.5 mm / 6.67 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 469 g1.034 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

The Helio X27 SoC that powers the Hi9 Plus sits firmly in the middle of the SoCs used in our comparison devices. By contrast, the integrated ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU falls behind all but the PowerVR GX6250 of the GPUs in our comparison devices. We shall cover the GPU and SoC in greater detail in the Performance section. The Hi9 Plus has 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage too, the latter of which can be expanded with up to 128 GB microSD cards. ZDNet reported that the tablet unofficially supports 400 GB microSD cards, but we did not have one on hand to verify its claims. Another highlight of the tablet is its well-lit 10.8-inch display, which has a 2560 x 1600 native resolution.

Chuwi has distributed the ports across the top and left-hand side of the device if you hold it in portrait mode. The headphone jack is on the top edge and is flanked by the USB 2.0 Type-C port to its left and the card slot to its right. There are also a set of Pogo pins on the right-hand side to connect the optional keyboard cover and two slots that it uses for added stability. Chuwi has placed the power and volume buttons on the opposite side, below which also sits a microphone. 

Software

The Hi9 Plus ships with Android 8.0 Oreo at the time of writing, while our test device has June 2018 Android Security patches installed, which were around six months old at the time of testing. Chuwi has left the OS unchanged from stock Android except for installing an FM radio app. The only other pre-installed apps are Google apps like Chrome, Duo, Gmail, and Maps, among others. The Hi9 Plus also supports multiple user accounts should you want to create accounts for more than one person or an account for children.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Default app drawer
Default app drawer

Communication & GPS

The Hi9 Plus supports all modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11 ac and can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz networks. There is no MIMO antenna, which limits our test device to around 200 MBit/s in iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests when connected to our Linksys EA8500 reference router. These speeds put the Hi9 Plus at the bottom of our iperf3 Client (receive) comparison table, but a respectable third in the transmission test ahead of the Iconia Tab 10 and the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro. Predictably, the iPad 6 2018 and the Galaxy Tab S4 finished well ahead of the Hi9 Plus in these tests, with the iPad averaging over 500 MBit/s in both.

Chuwi has equipped the Hi9 with a 4G LTE module too that one theoretically could use to make phone calls and send texts. However, we would only recommend doing the former over headphones as the tablet is too large to hold up to your ear like a smartphone.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
580 MBit/s +134%
Apple iPad 6 2018
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 32 GB NVMe
500 MBit/s +102%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
Mali-T880 MP4, MT6797X, 64 GB eMMC Flash
248 (114min - 278max) MBit/s
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
240 MBit/s -3%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
238 MBit/s -4%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple iPad 6 2018
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 32 GB NVMe
570 MBit/s +189%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
290 MBit/s +47%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
262 MBit/s +33%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
236 MBit/s +20%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
Mali-T880 MP4, MT6797X, 64 GB eMMC Flash
197 (191min - 201max) MBit/s
0153045607590105120135150165180195210225240255270Tooltip
Chuwi Hi9 Plus; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø197.2 (191-201)
Chuwi Hi9 Plus; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø248 (114-278)
GPS test: Outside
GPS test: Outside
GPS test: Outside
GPS test: Outside
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: Inside

The Chuwi Hi9 Plus uses BeiDou, GLONASS and GPS including A-GPS for location services. The GPS module in our test device left us with a conflicting impression though. We struggled to find a satellite fix indoors using the GPS Test app even when we stood next to a window despite the app showing many satellites to which we should have been able to connect. Conversely, we could find a sat fix with up to 7 meters (~23 ft) accuracy outside, although the signal was weaker than we would have liked. We also took our test device on a bike ride to compare its navigation accuracy against the Garmin Edge 500, a professional navigation device. While we doubt that most people would use such a large tablet for turn-by-turn directions, the Hi9 Plus performed surprisingly well considering its price. The two devices plotted practically identical routes, except that the Hi9 Plus occasionally took slightly wider corners because it retrieved our location more infrequently than the Garmin. The minor inaccuracies resulted in our test device recording a 30-meter (~98 ft) shorter total distance than the Garmin over a 9.26 km (~5.75 m) bike ride, which represents over 99% navigation accuracy.

Overall, the Hi9 Plus is a worthy alternative to a professional navigation device, although its size will probably stop people from using it for even general navigation tasks.

GPS test: Chuwi Hi9 Plus - Overview
GPS test: Chuwi Hi9 Plus - Overview
GPS test: Chuwi Hi9 Plus – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Chuwi Hi9 Plus – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Chuwi Hi9 Plus - Loop
GPS test: Chuwi Hi9 Plus - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 – Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop

Cameras

As expected, the Hi9 Plus has unimpressive cameras. The front and rear-facing cameras are both 8 MP sensors, so do not expect miracles from the photos that they can produce. Photos taken with the rear-facing camera look washed out and blurry, while colors look duller than they should be. Consequently, the camera cannot reproduce the pattern of the T-shirt that our toy rabbit is wearing in scene 1, unlike our comparison devices. Moreover, our test device’s photo of scene 3 is a mess compared to those taken with our comparison devices. The whole scene is underexposed, colors look muddy, and there is significant image noise. Please keep in mind though that the Apple iPhone XR, Canon EOS 70D, and Huawei P20 Pro are considerably more expensive than the Hi9 Plus, so we did not expect our test device to compete with any of these devices on camera quality. Overall, we have seen worse rear-facing cameras on tablets, and the camera is good enough for quick snapshots, although we suspect that most people would first reach for their smartphones before picking up the Hi9 Plus to take a photo. The front-facing camera is hardly better either, although an 8 MP sensor is good for a sub-US$250 tablet.

The front-facing sensor reproduces colors more strongly than its rear-facing counterpart, although there is noticeably more color noise. Additionally, the sensor only has a fixed focus compared to the autofocus that the rear-facing sensor uses, which makes resulting photos look blurrier than those taken with the main camera. In short, both sensors have their pluses and minuses, although both take passable pictures in daily use. We would have like to see a higher quality front-facing camera though, which would have been useful for making video calls.

Photo taken with the rear-facing camera
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

We also subjected our test device to further camera tests under controlled lighting conditions. These additional tests confirmed our subjective impressions, with the rear-facing camera doing a poor job at capturing our test chart. The center of the photo looks sharp, but the chart looks increasingly blurry towards the edges of the photo. Moreover, the edges of the chart look washed out, and color noise dominates the entire picture.

The main camera does a respectable job at reproducing some colors like skin tones though. However, gray and white tones are too dark compared to the reference colors as shown by the screenshot of ColorChecker Passport.

A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference colour

Accessories & Warranty

The Hi9 Plus comes with USB Type-A to Type-C cable and a charger. Oddly, we could only charge our test device using USB Type-A to Type-C cables; the device would not recognize USB Type-C to Type-C cables or USB Type-C chargers. Chuwi does not currently sell any other Hi9 Plus specific chargers either.

The company does sell a matching keyboard cover and an active pen. The folio cover does not have an integrated TrackPad, so you must use the TouchPad or an external mouse as input methods instead. The lack of a TrackPad is no bad thing in our opinion though as small TrackPads like the one on the Surface 3 are frustrating to use. Unfortunately, the origami technique that the folio cover uses to create a quasi-kickstand is not that stable, which caused the tablet to slip regularly during our tests.

The keyboard cover currently costs around US$30 online, while third-party companies sell the Chuwi HiPen for US$25. Unfortunately, Chuwi did not supply us with the latter, so we are unable to test how well it works with the tablet.

The Hi9 Plus comes with a one-year manufacturer warranty, but the Warranty section on Chuwi’s website is blank, so we have no idea what warranty terms apply to the tablet or what the returns process is. We would, therefore, suggest buying a reputable third-party warranty applicable in your region. Alternatively, you could buy the tablet on the Chuwi Amazon shop, which would add Amazon warranty coverage. 

Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The Hi9 Plus has a 10-point multitouch touchscreen, which accurately reproduced our inputs even at the edges of the display. We did notice a slight delay in the Real Piano app between us touching the display and the piano reacting accordingly, but we doubt that most people would see this latency in daily use. The display also has a slightly resistive finish that is not as glossy as many modern smartphones. The accelerometer worked perfectly throughout testing though.

Chuwi has pre-installed Google Gboard as the default keyboard, which functions just as well as it does on other devices. It is also possible to switch the keyboard for another, like those downloadable from the Google Play Store.

The physical keyboard is more comfortable and faster to type on than using an onscreen keyboard, despite the keys being smaller than those on a traditional external keyboard or a laptop keyboard. The keys have a clear pressure point though, while the spacebar works well even if it is pressed off-center. The Hi9 Plus does not support any form of biometric authentication, so it is only possible to unlock the device using a password, pattern, or PIN. Alternatively, you could set no password at all, but we would recommend against doing so.

The Chuwi HiPen
The Chuwi HiPen
The Hi9 Plus keyboard cover
The Hi9 Plus keyboard cover
The Hi9 Plus keyboard cover
The Hi9 Plus keyboard cover
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The Hi9 Plus has a 10.8-inch display with a 2560 x 1600 native resolution. This puts the tablet in good company with the most expensive of our comparison devices like the Galaxy Tab S4 and the iPad 6 2018. Our test device achieves an average maximum brightness of 297 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which puts it at the bottom of our comparison table. By contrast, the iPad 6 2018 and the Galaxy Tab S4 average 513 cd/m² and 477 cd/m², respectively. While we would have preferred Chuwi to have equipped the Hi9 Plus with a brighter display, we cannot fault its brightness uniformity. Our test device has a 92% evenly lit display, which is on par with the best of our comparison devices.

Our test device has a 0.29 cd/m² black value too, which helps it achieve a respectable 1,062:1 contrast ratio, although the Iconia Tab 10 has a better ratio than the Hi9 Plus. However, the latter is more contrast-rich than the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro and the iPad 6 2018, which are both several hundred US dollars more expensive than the Chuwi.

295
cd/m²
298
cd/m²
293
cd/m²
302
cd/m²
308
cd/m²
306
cd/m²
303
cd/m²
288
cd/m²
283
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 308 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 297.3 cd/m² Minimum: 13.04 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 308 cd/m²
Contrast: 1062:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.2 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.19
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
Super AMOLED, 2560x1600, 10.50
Apple iPad 6 2018
IPS, 2048x1536, 9.70
Screen
-14%
-30%
48%
32%
Brightness middle
308
340
10%
384
25%
474
54%
530
72%
Brightness
297
320
8%
360
21%
477
61%
513
73%
Brightness Distribution
92
84
-9%
84
-9%
91
-1%
92
0%
Black Level *
0.29
0.19
34%
0.8
-176%
0.61
-110%
Contrast
1062
1789
68%
480
-55%
869
-18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.2
15
-142%
6.83
-10%
2.5
60%
1.2
81%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.5
22.8
-117%
12.7
-21%
5.8
45%
3.2
70%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.6
4
39%
7.5
-14%
2.1
68%
1
85%
Gamma
2.19 100%
2.09 105%
2.199 100%
2.08 106%
2.28 96%
CCT
8216 79%
6940 94%
8544 76%
6281 103%
6588 99%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Unfortunately, our test device’s display is comparatively color inaccurate. The display reproduces gray tones with a slight blue tint to them and has higher DeltaE deviations than most of our comparison devices. Worse still, there are no display options that could improve the display’s color accuracy or mitigate the blue tint. Overall, the Hi9 Plus has a fantastic display for a sub-US$250 tablet.

CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: ColorChecker
CalMAN: Colour Space
CalMAN: Colour Space
CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Greyscale
CalMAN: Colour Saturation
CalMAN: Colour Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
30.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.8 ms rise
↘ 15.6 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. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
49.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26.8 ms rise
↘ 22.8 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 83 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Hi9 Plus is surprisingly easy to read given its underwhelming maximum luminosity. We suspect that reflections will overpower the display on a sunny summer’s day, so we would recommend finding a spot in the shade if you plan to use the tablet outside during the summer.

Using the Chuwi Hi9 Plus in direct sunlight
Using the Chuwi Hi9 Plus in direct sunlight
Using the Chuwi Hi9 Plus outside in the shade
Using the Chuwi Hi9 Plus outside in the shade

Our test device has strong viewing angles thanks to its IPS display. There are no color distortions even at acute viewing angles, but brightness and contrast visibly reduce when the tablet is tilted away backwards. 

Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles

Performance

The Hi9 Plus is powered by a MediaTek Helio X27 SoC, a deca-core processor that integrates an ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU. The SoC has two Cortex A72 performance cores that can clock up to 2.6 GHz, four Cortex A53 cores that can reach 2 GHz and four power-saving Cortex A53 cores that can boost up to 1.6 GHz. The Helio X27 SoC is more powerful than the MediaTek MT8176 SoC in the Iconia Tab 10, but it often falls well short of the other processors in our comparison tables. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 powering the Galaxy Tab S4, for instance, scores almost double in AnTuTu v7 than the Helio X27 SoC. The iPad 6 2018 is better value for money here though, as its Apple A10 Fusion SoC achieved over 50% higher scores in the same benchmark despite the tablet costing just over a hundred US dollars more than the Hi9 Plus.

Our test device does not perform much better in system performance benchmarks like PCMark for Android either. The Hi9 Plus scored 6% less in the Work 2.0 benchmark than the average of Helio X27 powered devices that we have currently tested and a significant 35% less than the Galaxy Tab S4. The Hi9 Plus even scored 16% short of the Iconia Tab 10 in both PCMark benchmarks, which is disappointing.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
3499 Points +113%
Average of class Tablet (745 - 5713, n=15, last 2 years)
2711 Points +65%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
1893 Points +15%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1892 Points +15%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1641 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1352 - 1797, n=4)
1632 Points -1%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1541 Points -6%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Tablet (1418 - 15310, n=15, last 2 years)
7880 Points +70%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
6477 Points +40%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6173 Points +33%
Apple iPad 6 2018
5952 Points +28%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4636 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (3590 - 5064, n=4)
4554 Points -2%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
2489 Points -46%
Compute RenderScript Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
7930 Points +115%
Average of class Tablet (2128 - 9945, n=10, last 2 years)
6573 Points +78%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
3685 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (2843 - 3685, n=4)
3444 Points -7%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3081 Points -16%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
6954 Points +41%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6830 Points +39%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
5843 Points +19%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (4922 - 5984, n=4)
5353 Points +9%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4922 Points
Work 2.0 performance score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
6315 Points +55%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6039 Points +48%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
4827 Points +18%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (4077 - 4695, n=4)
4427 Points +9%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4077 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
39260 Points +173%
Apple iPad 6 2018
37372 Points +159%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
26634 Points +85%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
14402 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (12895 - 15061, n=4)
14319 Points -1%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
11209 Points -22%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
62626 Points +299%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
56368 Points +259%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
35076 Points +124%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (14192 - 17173, n=4)
15766 Points +1%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
15682 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
11719 Points -25%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
19037 Points +70%
Apple iPad 6 2018
15499 Points +38%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
14456 Points +29%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
11203 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (9771 - 12462, n=4)
10915 Points -3%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
9729 Points -13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0
Apple iPad 6 2018
3672 Points +269%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3490 Points +250%
Average of class Tablet (507 - 8472, n=19, last 2 years)
2878 Points +189%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2386 Points +140%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (996 - 1186, n=3)
1071 Points +8%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
996 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
929 Points -7%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
6095 Points +585%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3682 Points +314%
Average of class Tablet (454 - 10759, n=19, last 2 years)
3021 Points +239%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2392 Points +169%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (890 - 1103, n=3)
971 Points +9%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
890 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
884 Points -1%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
2952 Points +72%
Average of class Tablet (863 - 4858, n=19, last 2 years)
2901 Points +69%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2366 Points +38%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1714 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1610 - 1785, n=3)
1703 Points -1%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1535 Points -10%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1128 Points -34%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited
Average of class Tablet (539 - 17675, n=28, last 2 years)
5681 Points +357%
Apple iPad 6 2018
4190 Points +237%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3753 Points +202%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2404 Points +94%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1242 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1150 - 1242, n=2)
1196 Points -4%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
796 Points -36%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics
Average of class Tablet (485 - 35165, n=28, last 2 years)
8154 Points +620%
Apple iPad 6 2018
7253 Points +540%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3682 Points +225%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2466 Points +118%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1133 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1071 - 1133, n=2)
1102 Points -3%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
812 Points -28%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics
Average of class Tablet (463 - 6449, n=28, last 2 years)
3683 Points +97%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
2952 Points +58%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2210 Points +18%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1871 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1547 - 1871, n=2)
1709 Points -9%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1690 Points -10%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
744 Points -60%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1)
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3490 Points +381%
Apple iPad 6 2018
2735 Points +277%
Average of class Tablet (361 - 14235, n=49, last 2 years)
2029 Points +179%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1771 Points +144%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (726 - 1092, n=4)
888 Points +22%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
726 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
602 Points -17%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
3682 Points +488%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3682 Points +488%
Average of class Tablet (290 - 24605, n=49, last 2 years)
2147 Points +243%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1646 Points +163%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (626 - 995, n=4)
786 Points +26%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
626 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
557 Points -11%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
2952 Points +78%
Average of class Tablet (858 - 5751, n=49, last 2 years)
2781 Points +68%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2416 Points +46%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1654 - 1803, n=4)
1695 Points +2%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1654 Points
Apple iPad 6 2018
1439 Points -13%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
843 Points -49%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3753 Points +247%
Average of class Tablet (267 - 14235, n=57, last 2 years)
3157 Points +192%
Apple iPad 6 2018
2955 Points +173%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1980 Points +83%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1034 - 1157, n=3)
1091 Points +1%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1083 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
532 Points -51%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
4086 Points +320%
Apple iPad 6 2018
3852 Points +296%
Average of class Tablet (240 - 24605, n=57, last 2 years)
3746 Points +285%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1885 Points +94%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (930 - 1108, n=3)
1003 Points +3%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
972 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
506 Points -48%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics
Average of class Tablet (441 - 5751, n=57, last 2 years)
3209 Points +78%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
2919 Points +62%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2405 Points +33%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1804 Points
Apple iPad 6 2018
1627 Points -10%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1372 - 1804, n=3)
1626 Points -10%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
650 Points -64%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen
Apple iPad 6 2018
59.7 fps +139%
Apple iPad 6 2018
59 fps +136%
Average of class Tablet (14 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
58.3 fps +133%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
58 fps +132%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
57 fps +128%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (25 - 35, n=4)
31.8 fps +27%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
25 fps
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
17 fps -32%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (15 - 873, n=57, last 2 years)
144.2 fps +270%
Apple iPad 6 2018
125 fps +221%
Apple iPad 6 2018
118 fps +203%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
93 fps +138%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
69 fps +77%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
39 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (32 - 39, n=4)
37.3 fps -4%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
18 fps -54%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Average of class Tablet (8.1 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
45 fps +309%
Apple iPad 6 2018
40.9 fps +272%
Apple iPad 6 2018
40.3 fps +266%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
36 fps +227%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
27 fps +145%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (11 - 19, n=4)
17 fps +55%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
11 fps
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
8.3 fps -25%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (7.3 - 494, n=57, last 2 years)
87.3 fps +359%
Apple iPad 6 2018
62.6 fps +229%
Apple iPad 6 2018
58.9 fps +210%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
60 fps +216%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
41 fps +116%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
19 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (16 - 19, n=4)
18.3 fps -4%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
8.5 fps -55%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (4.8 - 118.3, n=57, last 2 years)
33.5 fps +440%
Apple iPad 6 2018
27.3 fps +340%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
22 fps +255%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
16 fps +158%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (6.2 - 13, n=4)
10.8 fps +74%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
6.2 fps
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
5.7 fps -8%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (5 - 340, n=57, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +361%
Apple iPad 6 2018
42.7 fps +228%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
41 fps +215%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
28 fps +115%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
13 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (12 - 13, n=4)
12.8 fps -2%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6 fps -54%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (3.1 - 94.5, n=57, last 2 years)
21.2 fps +430%
Apple iPad 6 2018
17.9 fps +348%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
13 fps +225%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
9.3 fps +133%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (4 - 7.4, n=4)
6.5 fps +63%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
4 fps
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3.1 fps -22%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (2.2 - 214, n=57, last 2 years)
35.8 fps +397%
Apple iPad 6 2018
26.8 fps +272%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
25 fps +247%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
16 fps +122%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7.2 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (6.8 - 7.3, n=4)
7.15 fps -1%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3 fps -58%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (1.9 - 97.3, n=68, last 2 years)
14.8 fps +517%
Apple iPad 6 2018
12.3 fps +413%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
8.9 fps +271%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
2.4 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
2.4 fps 0%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (0.9 - 90, n=68, last 2 years)
14 fps +460%
Apple iPad 6 2018
10.8 fps +332%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
9.3 fps +272%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
2.5 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
2.5 fps 0%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (3 - 111, n=68, last 2 years)
21.3 fps +461%
Apple iPad 6 2018
20 fps +426%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
14 fps +268%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
3.8 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
3.8 fps 0%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (2.5 - 279, n=68, last 2 years)
37.3 fps +418%
Apple iPad 6 2018
30.8 fps +328%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
25 fps +247%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7.2 fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
7.2 fps 0%
Basemark GPU 1.1
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
22.71 (13.73min - 55.41max) fps
Vulkan Medium Native
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
14.78 (9.16min - 37.68max) fps
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
21.79 (12.48min - 36max) fps
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
3.59 fps
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
176131 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
157445 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
78980 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
75939 Points
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
201881 Points +82%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
175581 Points +58%
Apple iPad 6 2018
170921 Points +54%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
110854 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (105872 - 110854, n=4)
107962 Points -3%
VRMark - Amber Room
Average of class Tablet (1183 - 8816, n=4, last 2 years)
3565 Score
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3130 Score
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
1032 Score
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Average of class Tablet (444 - 8886, n=51, last 2 years)
3569 Points +147%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
3302 Points +128%
Apple iPad 6 2018
3163 Points +119%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2204 Points +52%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1446 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1352 - 1446, n=2)
1399 Points -3%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1016 Points -30%
System
Apple iPad 6 2018
6820 Points +106%
Average of class Tablet (1103 - 14097, n=51, last 2 years)
6449 Points +94%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
5537 Points +67%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
3639 Points +10%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
3318 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (2889 - 3318, n=2)
3104 Points -6%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1957 Points -41%
Memory
Average of class Tablet (916 - 8890, n=51, last 2 years)
4229 Points +398%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
3108 Points +266%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
2900 Points +242%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1334 Points +57%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (849 - 1230, n=2)
1040 Points +22%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
968 Points +14%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
849 Points
Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
6760 Points +244%
Average of class Tablet (580 - 31738, n=51, last 2 years)
6458 Points +228%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
6080 Points +209%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2284 Points +16%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
1967 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (1222 - 1967, n=2)
1595 Points -19%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
701 Points -64%
Web
Apple iPad 6 2018
1628 Points +106%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
1218 Points +54%
Average of class Tablet (10 - 1907, n=51, last 2 years)
1196 Points +52%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
913 Points +16%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
803 Points +2%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
789 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (769 - 789, n=2)
779 Points -1%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score
Average of class Tablet (309 - 9739, n=13, last 2 years)
2564 Points
Apple iPad 6 2018
1693 Points

Legend

 
Chuwi Hi9 Plus MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 Mediatek MT8176, PowerVR GX6250, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Apple iPad 6 2018 Apple A10 Fusion, Apple A10 Fusion GPU / PowerVR, 32 GB NVMe

The Hi9 Plus is well beaten in our browser benchmarks by all our comparison devices too. The iPad 6 2018 scored significantly higher in the benchmarks that we ran on all our comparison devices, but our test device finished at least 32% behind the Iconia Tab 10 in JetStream 1.1, Octane V2 and Mozilla Kraken 1.1.

Subjectively, web browsing on our test device feels snappy. Pages load quickly, and scrolling remained smooth throughout testing. 

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
167.2 Points +459%
Average of class Tablet (57.3 - 436, n=6, last 2 years)
143.8 Points +380%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (Samsung Browser 8.0)
65.1 Points +118%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
57 Points +90%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
47.34 Points +58%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (29.9 - 48.9, n=4)
35 Points +17%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Google Chrome 70)
29.93 Points
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
27967 Points +365%
Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=70, last 2 years)
23400 Points +289%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (Samsung Browser 8.0)
12897 Points +114%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
11854 Points +97%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
8897 Points +48%
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (5909 - 9798, n=4)
6943 Points +15%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Chrome 70)
6017 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X (4261 - 9851, n=4)
7150 ms * -1%
Chuwi Hi9 Plus (Chrome 70)
7059 ms *
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
3756 ms * +47%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
3575 ms * +49%
Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years)
3204 ms * +55%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (Samsung Browser 8.0)
2645 ms * +63%
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
1026 ms * +85%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Tablet (34 - 342, n=41, last 2 years)
121.7 Points
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 10)
79 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (Samsung Browser 8.0)
77 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
68 Points
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
200 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 (Samsung Browser 8.0)
187 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
178 Points
Average MediaTek Helio X27 MT6797X
156 Points

* ... smaller is better

Chuwi has equipped the Hi9 Plus with 64 GB of eMMC flash storage. We expected devices with faster UFS 2.1 memory like the Galaxy Tab S4 to have higher transfer speeds in AndroBench 3-5, but the storage in our test device is consistently slower than the average for devices with 64 GB of eMMC storage that we have currently tested.

Moreover, our test device has a horrifically slow microSD card reader that is up to four times slower at reading files and at least three times slower at writing files than the readers in our comparison devices. The Hi9 Plus can only read microSD cards that have been formatted in exFAT, which can only handle up to 4 GB files. We doubt that this will become an issue for most people in daily use, but some long 4K videos will exceed that 4 GB ceiling, so it is worth keeping that in mind if you have many large videos stored on a microSD card. 

Chuwi Hi9 PlusAcer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 ProSamsung Galaxy Tab S4Apple iPad 6 2018Average 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Tablet
AndroBench 3-5
58%
101%
209%
126%
533%
Sequential Read 256KB
145
173.7
20%
278.6
92%
741
411%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
88%
848 ?(163 - 3414, n=65, last 2 years)
485%
Sequential Write 256KB
132.5
92.4
-30%
94.1
-29%
195.8
48%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
33%
537 ?(78.2 - 2528, n=65, last 2 years)
305%
Random Read 4KB
42.2
13.7
-68%
27.41
-35%
142
236%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
40%
166.7 ?(18.4 - 451, n=65, last 2 years)
295%
Random Write 4KB
13.01
8.77
-33%
15.35
18%
24.43
88%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
144%
149.4 ?(8.23 - 503, n=65, last 2 years)
1048%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
21.16
80.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
280%
84.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
301%
80.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
279%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
266%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
20.44
56.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
178%
73.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
258%
59.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
189%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
185%

Games

Graphics are handled by the ARM Mali-T880 MP4 GPU, which is not in the bargain basement of GPUs, but it is also not at the forefront like the Apple A12X Bionic GPU or the Adreno 640. The T880 MP4 is fine for a  sub-US$250 tablet in our opinion though. Both Asphalt 9: Legends and Shadow Fight 3 played smoothly at high graphics, so the tablet should cope well with most moderately complex 3D games. We expect that the Hi9 Plus will have enough graphical power to play many games that are released over the next few years, although most of our comparison devices have more powerful and newer GPUs than the Hi9 Plus has.

The accelerometer also worked flawlessly during our gaming tests. Steering in Asphalt 9: Legends with the accelerometer felt accurate and precise.

Shadow Fight 3
Shadow Fight 3
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends

Emissions

Temperature

Our test device feels cool to the touch when it is idling. The back of the device even stays cool when it is operating under full load, so the Hi9 Plus should never feel hot if you are holding it. The front of the device reaches a maximum of 35.5 °C (95.9 °F), but this is far from what we would consider dangerous or critical surface temperatures.

Heatmap of the front of the device under load
Heatmap of the front of the device under load
Heatmap of the back of the device under load
Heatmap of the back of the device under load
Max. Load
 35.8 °C
96 F
33 °C
91 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
 35.5 °C
96 F
32.9 °C
91 F
32.7 °C
91 F
 
 32.7 °C
91 F
30.4 °C
87 F
32.8 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 35.8 °C = 96 F
Average: 33.1 °C = 92 F
27.1 °C
81 F
29.1 °C
84 F
31.5 °C
89 F
29.6 °C
85 F
28 °C
82 F
31.2 °C
88 F
26.6 °C
80 F
27.9 °C
82 F
29.7 °C
85 F
Maximum: 31.5 °C = 89 F
Average: 29 °C = 84 F
Power Supply (max.)  41.7 °C = 107 F | Room Temperature 21.1 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.8 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 31.5 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.4 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Pink noise speaker test
Pink noise speaker test

The Hi9 Plus has underwhelming speakers. Its stereo speakers are found on the top of the back case if you are holding the tablet in landscape mode. While the positioning works well for when the keyboard is connected, the speakers are muffled if the tablet lies flat on a table.

Few smartphone or tablet speakers are noteworthy, but the speakers in our test device are worse than 80% of the devices that we have already tested, according to our database. Overall, the speakers sound quiet at maximum volume, while the sound spectrum is dominated by high tones and bass tones are all but missing.

The headphone jack reproduces audio cleanly, but music sounds too dull for our liking. Audio quality is subjective though, so take our impression with a pinch of salt.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.6352528.925.33125.223.44026.123.85030.225.66326.926.58028.724.210029.121.912518.421.4160211920024.320.325017.428.731516.838.640015.345.350015.657.163014.163.580015.269.1100014.171.4125014.670.9160014.666.3200014.263250013.86031501459.6400014.657.7500014.458.9630014.660.6800014.460.51000014.864.51250014.659.31600014.747.5SPL2777.2N0.935.9median 14.6median 59.3Delta1.612.532.73430.830.331.132.53435.832.432.129.23033.931.128.338.326.351.826.148.624.351.922.955.1225522.363.320.962.42060.519.363.218.959.918.562.317.962.217.862.817.669.317.864.717.761.717.659.317.666.217.861.317.856.717.759.217.862.130.875.71.537.2median 18.5median 61.32.33.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseChuwi Hi9 PlusApple iPad 6 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Chuwi Hi9 Plus audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 34.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPad 6 2018 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 87% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management

Power Consumption

The Hi9 Plus is a comparatively energy efficient tablet. Our test device consumes a minimum of 2.18 W at idle and a maximum of 12.86 W under load, which helps it finish second in our comparison table to the Galaxy Tab S4. By contrast, the iPad 6 2018 finished 28% behind our test device across all our power consumption tests.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.86 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.18 / 5.29 / 5.37 Watt
Load midlight 8.56 / 12.86 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7000 mAh
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6100 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
7500 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
7300 mAh
Apple iPad 6 2018
 mAh
Power Consumption
-13%
-18%
30%
-28%
Idle Minimum *
2.18
3.21
-47%
3.3
-51%
1.76
19%
2.2
-1%
Idle Average *
5.29
5.97
-13%
4.2
21%
4.22
20%
7.8
-47%
Idle Maximum *
5.37
6.19
-15%
7
-30%
4.25
21%
7.9
-47%
Load Average *
8.56
9.72
-14%
10.4
-21%
4.52
47%
12.6
-47%
Load Maximum *
12.86
9.97
22%
13.8
-7%
7.35
43%
12.8
-0%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Hi9 Plus has a 7,000-mAh battery, which is the average of the battery capacities in our comparison devices. Our comparison table makes for grim reading at first, with the Hi9 Plus finishing at the bottom, overall. However, the main reason for the massive gap to the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro, the Tab S4 and iPad 6 2018 is because of the Hi9 Plus’ terrible battery life under load. Our test device lasted just 93 minutes under full load, which is several hours short of comparison devices.

By contrast, our test device finished second in our battery life at idle test with a runtime of 20:41 hours, while its 10:34 hours runtime in our Wi-Fi battery life test puts it third behind the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro and the iPad 6 2018. In short, the Hi9 Plus should last a full day of internet browsing and light tasks, but it will need recharging just 90 minutes into a gaming session. Disappointingly, the 7,000-mAh battery takes almost 5 hours to recharge fully with the included charger.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 41min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 34min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 33min
Chuwi Hi9 Plus
7000 mAh
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6100 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
7500 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4
7300 mAh
Apple iPad 6 2018
 mAh
Battery Runtime
3%
48%
47%
56%
Reader / Idle
1241
735
-41%
1254
1%
1227
-1%
WiFi v1.3
634
387
-39%
670
6%
495
-22%
714
13%
Load
93
175
88%
220
137%
245
163%
185
99%
H.264
629
735

Pros

+ pen input
+ keyboard Cover
+ decent display
+ LTE
+ excellent value for money
+ cool surface temperatures even under load
+ good battery life
+ thin and light
+ accurate GPS

Cons

- the device will only charge using USB Type-A to Type-C cables
- only USB 2.0 speeds
- slow charging
- weak cameras
- lackluster speakers

Verdict

The Chuwi Hi9 Plus Tablet Review. Test device courtesy of Chuwi.
The Chuwi Hi9 Plus Tablet Review. Test device courtesy of Chuwi.

Bravo, Chuwi. The Hi9 Plus is a competitively priced and well-built Android tablet that performed well in our tests. It has a fast CPU, a moderate GPU, a decent high-resolution display, and affordably priced accessories. Furthermore, the battery life is on par with the competition for the most part and its Wi-Fi will be fast enough for most home broadband connections. The included LTE module could be convenient in daily use too.

The only downside that we have noticed is the cameras, which are only just passable for video calls and for taking the occasional photo. The lack of manufacturer warranty could eventually become an issue too if you were to drop it, so we could recommend buying the device from a reputable third-party supplier instead.

The Chuwi Hi9 Plus is a fantastic tablet for the money that compromises on little and trades blows with the best current Android and iOS tablets that money can buy.

Overall, the Hi9 Plus is better value for money than our Android-based comparison devices, but the 32 GB iPad 6 offers a more rounded and premium experience for around US$100 more. The Hi9 Plus is the better device if you need or want pen input, but the iPad is more powerful, has a more color accurate and brighter display and is made from more premium materials. In short, the Chuwi Hi9 Plus gets a definite recommendation to buy from us, but we would suggest considering the iPad 6 if you are open to owning a tablet running iOS.

Chuwi Hi9 Plus - 12/12/2018 v6(old)
Florian Schaar

Chassis
76%
Keyboard
74 / 80 → 93%
Pointing Device
82%
Connectivity
36 / 65 → 56%
Weight
82 / 40-88 → 88%
Battery
93%
Display
82%
Games Performance
45 / 68 → 66%
Application Performance
48 / 76 → 63%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
60 / 91 → 66%
Camera
48 / 85 → 56%
Average
71%
82%
Tablet - Weighted Average

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Florian Schaar, 2018-12-14 (Update: 2019-03-21)