iQOO has launched the Pad Pro 8.8 in China, adding a more affordable option to its compact gaming tablet lineup. The new tablet debuts alongside the iQOO Neo12 and retains several features of the iQOO Pad Ultra. This includes an active cooling fan, a high-refresh rate AMOLED display, and a dedicated gaming chip. However, the Pad Pro 8.8 uses a less powerful chipset to keep its price lower than the Ultra model.
The iQOO Pad Pro 8.8 has an 8.8 inch AMOLED display with a 2304 x 1440 resolution. It supports a 165Hz refresh rate in compatible games, with 1,600 nits of full-screen brightness and 4,500 nits of peak local brightness. The tablet runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, paired with iQOO’s Q3 gaming chip. It offers up to 16GB of LPDDR5X Ultra RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.1 storage.
For photography, the device includes a 13MP rear camera capable of recording 4K video. An 8MP front camera handles selfies and video calls. The tablet also packs a 9,020mAh battery with support for 66W wireless charging. The Pad Pro 8.8 runs OriginOS 7 HD, based on Android 17. It measures 5.74mm thick and weighs 298g. Furthermore, its metal unibody design gives the compact tablet a premium finish.
Active cooling and gaming functions
The Ice Dome cooling system of the tablet combines a 30 x 30 x 3.5 mm fan with dual vapor chambers and copper pipes. Together, these components provide a total heat dissipation surface of 23,253 mm². Users can also choose between three fan speed modes.
Meanwhile, the dedicated Q3 chip supports ray tracing, upscaling, and frame interpolation in compatible games. Other hardware features include symmetrical dual speakers, two X-axis linear vibration motors, and rear RGB lighting.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 7 and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. On the software side, iQOO offers a PC game emulator, game live streaming, and a camera feature for recording 4K in-game screenshots. However, some functions are limited to models with at least 12GB of RAM.
Users can also purchase a magnetic grip kit and the iQOO Stretch Handle G1 controller separately. These accessories are designed to improve comfort and control during gaming sessions.
iQOO Pad Pro 8.8 vs Pad Ultra
The iQOO Pad Pro 8.8 shares its display, battery capacity, cameras, thickness and weight with the iQOO Pad Ultra. The main differences are the processors, game chips, memory configurations and prices.
The Pad Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 and the new Q4 gaming chip. In comparison, the Pro model has the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and Q3 gaming chip.
The Pro starts with 8 GB of RAM and offers up to 512 GB of storage. The Ultra, meanwhile, starts with 12GB of RAM and offers up to 1TB of storage.
Price is another big difference between the two tablets. The iQOO Pad Pro 8.8 with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage costs CNY 4,699 (about $703). The same configuration of the Pad Ultra now costs CNY 6,499 ($973).
iQOO Pad Pro 8.8 price and availability
The iQOO Pad Pro 8.8 is available in blue and gray in China. Its base model, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, costs CNY 4,299 ($643).
The 16GB/256GB version is priced at CNY 5,099 ($763). Buyers can also get the 12GB/512GB configuration for CNY 5,399 ($808). The top-end model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage costs CNY 5,799 ($868).
For now, iQOO has not confirmed whether the Pad Pro 8.8 will launch outside of China. Like the Pad Ultra, its international availability remains uncertain.