This is a review of the Pipo M9 pro 10.1″ quad-core Android tablet, the update to the original Pipo M9. The Pipo M9 was released not that long ago so this is a small incremental update but the updates are significant. The biggest change is of course the display. The size remains at 10.1″ but the resolution sees a jump from 1280 x 800 pixels to 1920 x 1200 pixels. This bump in resolution puts the new display in the Retina display class.
The second update is the inclusion of a GPS receiver. This means you can now use the Pipo M9 pro for GPS navigation. The last change is an increase of the storage ROM from 16 GB to 32 GB. This is a nice increase but not really such a big deal as you can always add storage via the built-in microSD slot.
Actually there is one other minor change that is seldom mentioned. The Bluetooth has been upgraded from Bluetooth v2.1 to Bluetooth v4.0. Bluetooth v4.0 or BLE is the low energy version of Bluetooth. One of the biggest problems with Bluetooth is the drain on battery life. With BLE, it is now possible to have a Bluetooth connection over long periods of time with minimal impact on the battery.
Buy Pipo M9pro from Amazon.com
 | PIPO M9 Pro Tablet PC has an advanced Android 4.2 operating system and the powerful RK3188 Quad Core processor. 1920*1200 high resolution, 10.1 inch size IPS screen lets you enjoy high definition videos and movies. Click Here for Pricing, Pictures and Reviews on Amazon.com |
Buy Pipo M9pro from Amazon.co.uk
| PIPO M9 PRO could be one of the best value tablet on the market, with the best retina screen, Dual Camera with AF, 2GB RAM and 32GB large storage, 1.8GHz quad core ultra fast processor and what's more, the bluetooth 4.0 and GPS make it absolutely feature-rich! Click Here for Pricing, Pictures and Reviews on Amazon.co.uk |
Buy Pipo M9pro from AliExpress
| AliExpress has numerous retailers that are offering the Pipo M9pro at a great price and some even have free international shipping thrown in. Multiple choices available including with and without 3G or throw in an additional keyboard case with your purchase. |
Buy Pipo M9pro from Merimobiles
| PIPO M9 Pro RK3188 Quad Core 1.8GHz Android 4.2.2 10.1 inch HFFS Screen 1920*1200 2GB RAM 32GB HDMI Tablet.
Merimobiles.com is a Canadian company with over 7 years' experience in the telecommunication industry as well as customer service. |
First Impressions
The Pipo M9pro comes packed in 2 separate boxes. The first box contains the tablet itself while the other contains the accessories like the charger and USB cables. The box containing the tablet has minimal padding. For a premium priced product (for a China tablet), the packaging is quite disappointing and doesn’t leave such a good impression.
Pipo M9pro at the bottom and M7pro on top of it.
The unit itself is very well designed and it is one of the best looking Chinese branded Android tablet that I have come across. There is no noticeable difference in the design compared to the Pipo M9 except for the printing at the bottom of the back panel.
The Pipo M9pro is available in both black and white and both versions have that nice looking brushed metal back panel which looks really nice. It is good to know that the Chinese tablet makers are paying more attention now to smaller details like product design. The rear camera housing still protrudes out like a sore thumb and looks like an after thought that doesn’t go well with the design.
Refer to our Top China Tablets Full Guide comparison matrix with over 40 tablets.
Pipo M9pro Specifications
| Brand | Pipo |
| Model | M9pro |
| CPU | Rockchip RK3188 Quad-core ARM Cortex A9 |
| RAM | 2 GB DDR3 |
| ROM | 32 GB Nand Flash |
| Camera | Front 2MP, Rear 5MP |
| Screen Size | 10.1 inch |
| Screen Type | HFFS IPS |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels (Retina) |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 b/g/n |
| 3G | on 3G model only |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 |
| GPS | Yes |
| Battery Type | 7800 mAh |
| Size | 248 x 178 x 10mm |
| Weight | 580 g |
| Operating System | Android 4.2.2 |
The Pipo M9pro is powered by the Rockchip quad-core RK3188 ARM Cortex-A9 CPU with Mali-400 MP4 GPU. The RK3188 is a fairly popular quad-core SoC that gives good performance at a relatively low price. The tablet also comes with 2 GB DDR3 RAM and 32 GB of built-in storage.
Without switching them on, it is difficult to differentiate the M9pro from the older M9. The difference is obvious as night and day once the screens are turned on. The Pipo M9 has a 1280 x 800 pixel IPS panel that is good but not excellent. The M9pro has a 1920 x 1200 HFFS IPS screen that looks awesome. It is not just the higher resolution but the brightness and sharpness as well. The viewing angle on the new screen is also rather amazing.
The tablet comes with a fairly complete set of ports and buttons. There is an ESC button, a power button, a charging port, a mini HDMI port, a microphone jack, 2 micro USB ports (1 OTG and 1 host), a headphone jack and a microSD slot. The 3G version of the M9pro comes with a SIM slot as well beside the microSD slot. There is even a light sensor which allows for automatic brightness adjustment to help improve battery. However, the tablet is missing volume buttons and you need to resort to the soft buttons to adjust the volume.
Pipo M9pro Performance
Comparing the M9pro to the M9, I noticed that the M9pro performance is not as snappy as on the M9. This is not to say that the performance is bad or it feels slow but if you go from one device to the other, you will notice the difference.
This is most obvious when it comes to intensive 3D games as they run noticeably smoother on the M9. The reason for this is most likely that the RK3188 processor has to push much more pixels on the M9pro compared to the M9. If your usage involve a lot of 3D gaming, you might want to consider sticking with the M9 and saving yourself some money in the process. Otherwise, the slight degradation in performance is acceptable.
The nicer Retina screen has another setback. The Pipo M9pro has the same Li-ion 7800 mAh battery which now has to power a higher resolution screen that requires more power. The battery rating has been changed from 7-8 hours on the M9 to 6-8 hours. This is the price you have to pay for an awesome screen.
The cameras are functional and nothing much to shout about. This is one area that the China tablets need a lot of improvement on. The LED flash is rather weak and is of almost no help at all in low light situations.
The dual speakers at the back are rather loud so you don’t really need to rely on a pair of headphones if you want to watch a movie on the tablet. There is minimal distortion in the audio even at high settings.
Firmware and Community Support
The OS on the M9pro has also been updated from Android 4.1 to 4.2 Jelly Bean. The firmware is stock Android with very little customization. Google Play Store is supported but there are a number of apps that are listed as not supported on the M9pro. There is some bloatware in the form of Chinese video streaming apps.
Like most Pipo tablets, the M9pro does come with the customized Windows 8 Metro-like launcher with lots of colored squares and rectangles that you can swipe about. Functionally, it is not all that different from the default launcher, it just looks different. If you don’t like it, you can always switch it off and revert to the default Android launcher.
Pipo does provide support to their products with firmware updates so this is a good sign. Pipo does have this strange practice of not always providing the changelog for their firmware releases. This problem plagues their latest firmware for the Pipo M9pro dated August 7th.
On the other hand, Pipo devices enjoy strong support from the open source community. There are already custom ROMs built on the August 7th firmware available. You can check out the community support for Pipo devices at FreakTab and ArcTablet forums. The custom firmwares roots the tablet, removes the bloatware to free up more storage and fixes Google Play Store so that more apps are compatible and visible. The firmware update process is not too complicated.
Conclusion
The hardware updates to the Pipo M9pro are very significant and is worth the extra $40-$50 that Pipo is charging extra for. The only problem is the performance and battery life hit that the nicer Retina screen causes. That is the main reason that the Pipo M9pro does not get the full 5 stars rating. Both these issues would not be such a big problem on a budget or even a mid-range priced model but we expect a little more from a premium priced model that sells for above $270.
The lack of a volume button is a bit of a nuisance but not really a deal breaker. Most of us are used to having a volume button so it takes a bit of getting used to.
The rest of the Pipo M9pro is quite solid and the Pipo brand has matured a lot with every new model that they release. The online and open source community is also paying a lot of attention to the Pipo tablets. This ensures a steady flow of custom ROMs and continuous support from the community.
Where to Buy Pipo M9pro
Buy Pipo M9pro from Amazon.com
| PIPO M9 Pro Tablet PC has an advanced Android 4.2 operating system and the powerful RK3188 Quad Core processor. 1920*1200 high resolution, 10.1 inch size IPS screen lets you enjoy high definition videos and movies. Click Here for Pricing, Pictures and Reviews on Amazon.com |
Buy Pipo M9pro from Amazon.co.uk
| PIPO M9 PRO could be one of the best value tablet on the market, with the best retina screen, Dual Camera with AF, 2GB RAM and 32GB large storage, 1.8GHz quad core ultra fast processor and what's more, the bluetooth 4.0 and GPS make it absolutely feature-rich! Click Here for Pricing, Pictures and Reviews on Amazon.co.uk |
Buy Pipo M9pro from AliExpress
| AliExpress has numerous retailers that are offering the Pipo M9pro at a great price and some even have free international shipping thrown in. Multiple choices available including with and without 3G or throw in an additional keyboard case with your purchase. |
Buy Pipo M9pro from Merimobiles
| PIPO M9 Pro RK3188 Quad Core 1.8GHz Android 4.2.2 10.1 inch HFFS Screen 1920*1200 2GB RAM 32GB HDMI Tablet.
Merimobiles.com is a Canadian company with over 7 years' experience in the telecommunication industry as well as customer service. |
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Roy Yap is the administrator of TopChinaTablets.com. Roy has been writing both online and for print magazines for many years. He writes mostly technology related articles, particularly on consumer electronics and gadget reviews.
August 18, 2013
Thanks for the review – looks like a good tablet
August 19, 2013
I hope you liked the review. Thanks for being the first commenter on my new blog.
August 27, 2013
Also enjoyed your excellent review – just bought the tablet and am waiting for it to arrive.
August 27, 2013
Thanks for the comment Peter. The Pipo M9pro is a great tablet and I am sure you will enjoy using it.
September 25, 2013
Roy, I’m in the UK and I have the M9 Pro 3G version and I agree with everything you said here.
Excellent review, well done mate.
September 25, 2013
Hi Ashraf. Thanks for the compliment.
October 10, 2013
Great review! Do you know if the M9Pro 3G version allows calls to be made – or is it only for 3G data?
October 10, 2013
That’s an interesting question and I would certainly like to know the answer as well. Unfortunately, I don’t have the 3G version so I can’t try it out for you.
October 10, 2013
I think the answer is that it’s for data only … which is a great shame cos I just ordered one and really wanted to be able to make calls from it!
October 11, 2013
I did read from users of other 3G tablets that it is possible to do so. Some say that all you need is the phone apk while others say it requires rooting and other forms of black magic 🙂
What I do know however is that if the SIM you are using is for data, it won’t work for calls. Or at least that is true for my telco. No harm in trying out though and if you manage to turn your M9pro into the world’s largest smartphone, let us know.
October 11, 2013
I most certainly will. Thank you!
October 10, 2013
I have the 3G version so I hope Roy doesn’t mind if I answer this question.
It does NOT allow calls, only 3G data.
October 11, 2013
Of course not. The comments section is open to everyone and I encourage sharing of information. Feel free to comment or criticize on my reviews.
November 16, 2013
Hi, between this tablet and cube u30gt2 which one you prefer? Thanks.
November 18, 2013
Both tablets have very similar hardware but if I have to choose between the two, I’ll pick the Pipo M9 Pro. The reasons are that the M9 Pro has GPS and option for 3G should you require it. The M9 Pro is also lighter. On the other hand, the Cube has a better looking design in my opinion.
November 19, 2013
Excellent Review. I have decided to buy this Tab after reading this review. Does it play 3d movies? If so please suggest what kind of 3d glass does it require.
November 19, 2013
No, it does not play 3D movies.
November 22, 2013
It is a nice looking tablet. Unfortunately I can not use the DSL internet with an external modem (Siemens Speed Stream 4200). What should I do?
Thanks.
November 26, 2013
I’m not sure if I understand your problem.
November 28, 2013
At home I use a telephone line for the internet. Computers are connected to the telephone line through an external ADSL modem. In the same way I was trying to connect the famous PIPO tablet. Unfortunately the connection had not been established. I am afraid there are no drivers installed in the PIPO for this particular modem.
Kind regards.
November 28, 2013
The easiest way to resolve your problem is to get a WiFi router or replace your ADSL modem with one that comes with built-in WiFi. You then connect your tablet to the internet via WiFi. Tablets don’t usually have Ethernet ports for wired connections. You can get a USB-Ethernet adapter but it would be silly to use a wired connection for a mobile tablet.
December 31, 2013
Thank you for your work, I was hesitating between the M6 pro and the M9 pro, I will go for the M6 pro 😉
January 1, 2014
The M6 is a great choice. Have fun with it.
January 8, 2014
Hi my m9 has just arrived and as manual is inside it so having started it up didn’t know exactly which to tick and would now like to start again, can I?
January 8, 2014
Do you mean reset the tablet?
January 10, 2014
I would also like to reset my tablet is this possible as I had the same problem in that the manual which explains what to do is on the tablet so i couldnt set my language preference etc at the begining
January 10, 2014
You can find guides online that shows how you can set the preferred language step-by-step.
January 11, 2014
Sorry Roy
Can you be a little more specific and tell me some sites that might be helpful as I am new to this tablet venture, any help would be greatly appreciated
thanks
January 11, 2014
Here is a YouTube video showing how it is done on a system that is currently set to Japanese.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UZ0L4Cy1pk
February 23, 2014
Hi,
Firs of all, this is an excellent review.
Is this one better than the M8 pro?
How the screen react to styilus pen?
Thanks, Dan
February 23, 2014
The touch screen is not pressure sensitive of course but it supports stylus pen.
February 23, 2014
The m9pro is better than the m8pro?
which one should i choose between the 2 of them?
February 24, 2014
Each has its own strengths and weaknesses.
February 25, 2014
10x!
I bought the m9 pro
February 26, 2014
Hi Dan. That is a good choice. Enjoy your new M9 Pro.
February 24, 2014
how can i obtain a english user manual for pipo 10.1 pro 9 tablet
February 24, 2014
http://www.pipo.cn/En/index.php?m=Product&a=show4&type=2&id=286
February 26, 2014
thanks” ROY managed to get obtain a download from the site of manual”
March 11, 2014
Hi,
And thanks for the review, covers most of my curiosity for this tablet. Can you please be more specific in two things?
1) What type of apps will not work with this tablet? Can you please indicate some examples?
2) You mention battery life can be from 6-8 hours.In practice products tend you have less battery life. Can for example handle 5-6 hours of watching movies in full brightness?
Thank you.
March 11, 2014
1) The apps actually do work on the M9 Pro. It is just that when you access the Google Play Store, the Play Store list certain apps as not compatible and won’t let you install. You can either sideload these apps or update the ROM with a version of the Google Play Store that lists more apps as compatible.
2) Yes, you can get 5-6 hours of watching movies on full brightness.
March 12, 2014
Thanks, you have being very helpfull!
June 24, 2014
Hi! Where can I get Pipo M9pro here in the Philippines?
July 2, 2014
We don’t have any information on availability in the Philippines but most of the vendors we listed do ship internationally.
July 2, 2014
I want to buy a tablet for use for browsing, some light movie seeing and word processing at times.
i have to make up my mind quickly (to get it form the us without paying VAT in my country).
I read your review on the M9 pro and liked it, but am confused with the other m6, m8, etc.
Do you have any quick recommendation? I need a big display and ability to attach a keyboard.
Thanks
July 2, 2014
All the tablets support external Bluetooth keyboards. It is difficult to make a quick recommendation as each tablet has its own strengths and weaknesses and each user has his or her own priorities. We suggest that you use our user guide table and sort by display size. Then go through the reviews of those that obtained 4 or 5 stars and make your decision based on what you read.
July 3, 2014
has it received a kit Kat upgrade yet?
July 3, 2014
Yes, KitKat update for the Pipo M9 Pro can be downloaded from http://www.pipo.cn/En/index.php?m=About&a=gujian