Introduction
What’s a tablet? It’s been a while since I last used this term, even for many people as the iPad is really dominating the tablet market. People used the term “iPad” more than “tablet” because there aren’t many tablets out there right now. Windows tablets aren’t really a tablet, and Android tablets are kinda dead. So, it was really a surprise when HUAWEI announced a new tablet in February. I’ve been using it during this MCO period and this is the HUAWEI MatePad Pro review!
Design
Unlike smartphones, most tablets have quite similar design elements. That is also the case for the MatePad Pro, but HUAWEI managed to make it with a smaller form factor thanks to the thin bezels all around. The front of the tablet is all about the screen and it has a hole-punch camera at the top left or top right corner depending on the tablet orientation.
The tablet has an excellent speaker system, a total of four speakers — two on each side. These speakers are tuned by Harman Kardon and they sound better than many laptops in the market. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack, that’s why there’s a dongle in the box, not something we would expect on a tablet.
Display
The MatePad Pro sports a 10.8-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600) IPS FullView display with a 90% screen-to-body ratio. It’s a 16:10 screen, which is good, but I do hope it has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The hole punch camera is at the corner, which doesn’t affect too much for the overall viewing experience. The colors and contrast look good, nothing much to complain.
By the way, if you want to watch Netflix on this Google-less tablet, remember to update to EMUI 10.1 as the latest software brings Widevine DRM support.
Performance
In terms of performance, it’s quite similar to the P40 Pro, which we also reviewed here. The MatePad Pro packs the same Kirin 990 processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB expandable storage. Everything runs smoothly without any hiccups.
HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard
To have a near-laptop experience, HUAWEI Malaysia also sent us the Smart Magnetic Keyboard together with the tablet. The keyboard case is quite nice, it snaps onto the tablet via magnets. Unlike the iPad Pro, HUAWEI didn’t use pogo pins to connect the keyboard, but Bluetooth instead. The keyboard will get power through wireless charging at those two little channels to hold the tablet in place. That also means the keyboard can be propped up in two angles only, I do wish it offers the third angle. When the keyboard is powered on, you’ll see the caps lock LED lights up once.
The keyboard is nice to type, surprisingly quite responsible and tactile to type on. Typing in the dark might be a problem since it’s not backlit, though you are not supposed to use your tablet in the dark.
HUAWEI M-Pencil
As for the M-Pencil, HUAWEI actually included an extra tip in case your original tip wears out. The M-Pencil supports 4,096 levels of pressure, similar to many active styli nowadays. Writing or drawing on the MatePad Pro’s hard glass surface doesn’t feel like on paper at all. When you hover the pencil on the screen it will actually show some previews or information, something like what you do when your mouse hovers on the interface.
HUAWEI claims that the M-Pencil has 10 hours of battery life. Charging it is pretty easy, you just need to snap the pencil on top of the MatePad Pro and it’ll wireless charge. Yup, it snaps onto the tablet via magnets, just like the keyboard.
Software
In terms of software, my review unit came with EMUI 10.0.1 out of the box, which isn’t compatible to watch Netflix. Thankfully, HUAWEI has released EMUI 10.1 update not long ago and that issue has been solved. Yup, the overall HMS experience is pretty similar as before, you can check out the article here and here.
HUAWEI claims that you can leave your laptop behind with this tablet. Hence, there’s no surprise the company includes a few PC features. For starter, it comes with a list of keyboard shortcuts for quicker navigations. Keyboard shortcuts that you use on your laptop browser won’t work, but media control shortcuts when watching Netflix or listening to Spotify will still work.
The tablet also comes with Desktop Mode, which changes the entire interface to look and feel more like your laptop. Apps that are not optimized with Desktop Mode will just show a portrait window.
Just like HUAWEI laptops, the tablet also has the “Multi-screen Collaboration” feature, letting you control your HUAWEI/HONOR phone using the tablet. With this feature, you can control two devices at once and transfer files seamlessly, which is really convenient.
Battery Life
The MatePad Pro has a 7,250mAh battery, which also supports fast charging. It took around 2 hours to charge from 15% to 100% with the included 20W fast charger. I also tried charging the tablet with the 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge charger, and the tablet actually also supports HUAWEI SuperCharge with significantly faster-charging time at around 1.5 hours, not sure why the company only includes a 20W charger. Additionally, the tablet also supports wireless charging and reverse wireless charging, meaning the back of it isn’t metal.
In terms of battery life, I was able to use the tablet for more than 2 days, mainly with Spotify, browser, and Netflix, with around 10 hours of screen-on-time before charging it again.
Final Words
Retailing at RM2,399, the tablet now also comes in a bundled package retailing at RM2,898, which includes the Smart Magnetic Keyboard (RM499) and M-Pencil (RM299). The MatePad Pro is actually a good alternative to a basic laptop if you are using your laptop just for web browsing, typing docs, and Netflix. If you are planning to get it, I recommend you to get the Smart Magnetic Keyboard and M-Pencil for a better experience. Meanwhile, the HUAWEI MatePad Pro 5G is also coming soon.
Yay
- Impressive speakers
- Nice keyboard
- A good alternative to a basic laptop
Nay
- Performance nowhere near to iPad Pro
- No Google Mobile Services
- Only comes with 20W charger in-box