After announcing a price hike, Honor apparently puts the kibosh on its compact tablets

Honor MagicPad 2 for reference. | Image by PhoneArena

It's happening, folks – both Xiaomi and Honor have apparently raised their tablet prices because of the RAM hysteria (memory chips cost has skyrocketed in the past few months).

And now, there are reports that Honor has put on hold development of its compact tablets.

Different plans

Honor has allegedly put its compact tablet plans on hold, signaling a shift away from smaller devices in its X series.

The company recently teased its next tablet, the Pad X10 Pro, on Weibo (a super popular Chinese social media), but when asked about a new compact model, an official bluntly replied that it is "on hold", without offering further explanation.

The Pad X10 Pro, set to launch in China on January 5, features a larger display of roughly 11 inches with stylus support. Early visuals show the tablet in blue and silver, with noticeable bezels and a single rear camera, while the front camera sits on the right bezel.

The launch will probably happen alongside the Honor Power 2's unveiling, notable for its rumored massive 10,080mAh battery packed into an 8 mm-thin body.

Prices are up!

As you've heard already, memory and storage costs, particularly for DRAM and NAND flash, have surged in recent months, driven in large part by growing demand from AI data centers.

This has created a supply shortage for chips used in consumer electronics, and the effects are now hitting store shelves.

Xiaomi has already raised prices on several products in mainland China, including the Pad 8 series and all configurations of the Redmi Pad 2, with increases ranging from 100 to 200 yuan (~$15–$30 when directly converted). The base Xiaomi Pad 8 now starts at 2,299 yuan (~$330).

Honor is following suit, confirming that its tablet lineup will also see price increases as the company can no longer absorb rising memory and storage costs. Analysts warn that this trend is likely to continue across the tech industry, with more brands expected to raise prices or adjust specifications to manage supply constraints.

Is now the time for a tablet?

As we've noted, the tablet market in 2025 is thriving with variety, giving buyers a mix of premium and budget choices across Apple, Samsung, and other brands. Apple remains the leading force, offering everything from the 11th Gen iPad to the ultra-premium iPad Pro M5 with its powerful M5 chip and stunning Tandem OLED display.

Samsung continues to push the Android side forward with the Galaxy Tab S11 lineup, including the well-rounded Tab S11 for most users and the massive Tab S11 Ultra for those who want a laptop-sized screen.

If you want something more exotic, maybe now's the time to get an Honor or a Xiaomi tablet… before price hikes reach western markets, too.

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