Review: Hotwav R10 Pro rugged tablet

Review unit provided by Hotwav

The Hotwav R10 Pro is a 10-inch rugged Android 14 tablet released in May 2025. This tablet comes with the Unisoc Tiger T606 processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and a battery that can last for 20 hours. Price at the time of review is USD 250.

Specifications

• Brand & Model: Hotwav R10 Pro
• Operating System: Android 14
• Body Material: Plastic, Metal, TPU
• Certifications: IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H (Waterproof, Dustproof, Drop-Resistant)
• Colors Available: Black, Orange
• Display:
  • Size: 10.1 inches
  • Type: IPS LCD
  • Resolution: 1280 x 800 pixels, 16:10 aspect ratio
  • Pixel Density: 149 PPI
  • Brightness: 450 nits (typical), 400 nits (minimum)
• Performance:
  • Processor: Unisoc Tiger T606 (Octa-Core)
  • GPU: Mali-G57 MP1 @ 650 MHz
  • RAM: 8GB (Expandable up to 20GB with virtual RAM)
  • Storage: 256GB (Expandable via microSD)
• Battery:
  • Capacity: 10,800 mAh
  • Charging: 10W charger
• Cameras:
  • Rear Camera: 13MP OmniVision OV13853 (with LED flash)
  • Front Camera: 5MP Samsung S5K5E2
• Connectivity:
  • SIM Card: Dual Nano-SIM / microSD hybrid slot
  • Wi-Fi: Dual-band (2.4GHz & 5GHz), Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Display
  • Bluetooth: 5.1
  • USB: Type-C (OTG support)
  • GPS & Navigation: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
  • FM Radio: Yes
• Dimensions & Weight:
  • Width: 252.5 mm
  • Height: 168.5 mm
  • Thickness: 15.5 mm
  • Weight: 880 g

Things included

• Tablet
• Hand strap and screws, screw driver
• 10W charger
• USB-A to USB-C charging cable
• SIM ejector
• Glass screen protector, wet and dry wipes
• User manual

Design

The design certainly looks and feels rugged with the extra thick plastic sides and protruded bumpers at the corners. The only way you can break this tablet is to drop it with the display facing a rock.

A glossy thin screen protector is already applied, and the company has also provided a glass screen protector.

The front 5MP camera is located in landscape.

Power and volume buttons are located on the right in landscape mode. There's no biometric unlock, so no face and no fingerprint unlock.

On the other side you can find the SIM tray that support a microSD card and 4G nano SIM, a USB-C port with USB 2 transfer speed and supports reverse charging. There are stereo speakers and the audio sounds hollow.

The covers for the USB-C and SIM tray may break off in the future due to usage, wear and tear. I wish the company had replacement covers included in case you lose the original ones.

The weight of 880g is heavy. That's the compromise for having so many protection features for the body.

That's why the company has included hand straps that you can install onto the back to make it easier to hold the tablet with one hand.

Design on the back looks good. There are grippy rough areas on the left and right sides for more grip. This design is obviously meant for outdoor use under challenging and rough environment.

The tablet has IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H (Waterproof, Dustproof, Drop-Resistant) certification. It be submerged under water up to 2m for 30 minutes, dropped from 1.2m and dust proof. This is a tablet you can wash under a tap to rinse the sand off.

Colour on the 10.1-inch LCD look alright, but you can tell that it's not the highest quality colour display, not unexpected. Refresh rate is 60Hz. 400 to 450 nits brightness is high but not high enough for use under direct sunlight, but certainly bright enough for indoor use. The display is also too reflective so you should avoid having strong light source on the display to avoid glare.

Pixelation is noticeable on this display as the resolution is just 1280 x 800. This is another reason to go with the Hotwav R9 Pro for the 1080P resolution which is visibly sharper.

OS and software

The tablet comes with Android 14 and the UI is pretty much stock Android without many features. That's to say that the OS does not come with many features. You'll have to install your own launcher to get more features. I do not see any bloatware, thankfully.

There's Google Play Store.

The app switch does not have the grid or tile layout so it may actually be faster to just go to the home screen to find the app you want instead of using the app switcher.

Performance

Unisoc T606 is a 12mm processor with 2 x A75@1.6GHz + 6 x A55@1.6GHz. It's a budget processor so it's not that powerful, but works fine with this tablet.

Overall responsiveness is alright but certainly not as responsive compared to more expensive tablets with better processors. Overall performance is smooth until you have way too many apps opened. Multi-tasking seems fine with 8GB RAM. Webpages are able to load fast enough.

For gaming, don't expect to play graphics intensive games at high visual settings. The 1280 x 800 resolution actually works in favour to make the tablet feel responsive given the limitations of the processing power.

Battery life

Battery life with auto-brightness is around 20 hours.

Conclusion

This is a tablet designed to be durable for outdoor use, and can withstand harsh conditions. People who are in the market for a rugged tablet will know exactly the features they are looking for. There are certainly limitations due to the rugged design and budget price point.

The weight of 880g is not surprising for a 10.1-inch rugged tablet. The LCD display unfortunately only has 1280 x 800 resolution. Colours look alright and display is bright. Audio sounds hollow but that's not surprising too.

Overall performance is fine, smooth enough for general purpose use. Battery life is long with the 10,800 mAh battery capacity.

The Hotwav R10 Pro is a decent rugged tablet, but it's in a strange position in the Hotwav rugged tablet lineup. If I have the intention of buying a rugged tablet, I am more likely to get the USD 279 Hotwav R9 Pro instead which has an even bigger battery, huge flash light and higher resolution display. Downside is it's 1066g vs 880g. But if I really have limited budget, then the R10 Pro is an option.

Availability

This tablet can be purchased on Amazon US: Black | Orange

Customers from other regions can purchased from the Hotwav online store