Huawei MatePad 2022 tablet: It’s almost a computer
Do you get the feeling that gadgets appear somehow very infrequently and not on a regular basis, although in fact updates are released quite often? I have such a feeling about the new Huawei MatePad. Probably, it appeared due to some very high activity of the company recently. The release of HarmonyOS last summer, the arrival of Nova 9 in the fall, the Huawei P50 Pro and P50 Pocket a few days ago… All this created the vibe that we are used to with other brands. Against the backdrop of all this, the release of the new MatePad could have gone unnoticed, but there it was. We noticed and want to talk about it, because such activity of the company says something.
Review Huawei MatePad 2022
The new tablet seems small, but when you pick it up, you realize how weighty it is. With dimensions of 154.96 x 245.2 x 7.35 mm and a display diagonal of 10.4 inches, its weight is 450 grams. This weight is achieved due to the large battery, to which I will return a little later. At the same time, if you want to use a tablet with a keyboard case, then feel free to count on twice the weight of this design. Such indicators are already comparable to a laptop, but hardly compare with it in terms of cost and variability of use. I mean the ability to use the gadget as a separate tablet or in conjunction with a keyboard.
Appearance Huawei MatePad 10.4
Outwardly , this is an ordinary tablet , which is difficult to say that it is somehow different from others. Strict appearance, it lies perfectly in the hand and does not creak. What else do you need from a quality tablet? A good grip is largely ensured by spraying the back wall, which makes it less slippery .
All buttons are in the upper left corner when holding the tablet in portrait orientation. This option is much more convenient than the location of the buttons on one side and allows you to clearly determine where which buttons are located.
Is it possible to play on a Huawei tablet
The processor is responsible for performance, from which we have already begun to wean in the latest generations of Huawei devices – Kirin . Namely the model 710A. It is paired with 4 GB of RAM, and two options are available for permanent choice – 64 and 128 GB. There is also support for memory cards up to 512 GBif this amount is not enough for you.
This is not the most powerful bundle, but for normal work and even for many games it will be more than enough . Although the presence of a large number of games will be in question due to the fact that the device, like other Huawei gadgets, does not support Google Play . You will have to download applications and games from the AppGallery brand store and third-party sources. Fortunately, the AppGallery store has recently been greatly upgraded and it has a sufficient number of interesting applications.
Tablet on HarmonyOS 2.0
The new Huawei MatePad itself is running HarmonyOS 2.0 , which bypassed even the global version of Huawei P50 Pro, which I will talk about just the other day. At the same time, the operating system, although it will be a little unusual, it still resembles Android, which lies somewhere in the depths.
Interestingly, the interface is adapted for use on a tablet. HarmonyOS was generally created as a universal operating system that can adapt to any gadget, and here it manifests itself in all its glory. For example, the apps you use most often will be at the bottom to make them easier to launch. Something similar has been in Apple computers and tablets for several years, but is it really so bad if the idea is really very convenient.
Huawei places particular emphasis on ensuring that users can fully exploit the full potential of the big screen, and not just use stretched versions of applications for work. For example, the App Multiplier feature can make it so that two parts of the same application are displayed on the screen at the same time. So far, not all software supports this, but as an idea it can be very useful.
The ability to work with mini-applications can also be useful. In this case, it will run in window mode without blocking the rest of the interface. This can be useful if you are working in two applications at the same time and need to keep a lot of information in front of your eyes. Even just sharing files in this version will be more convenient.
Large screen tablet
All this will be displayed on a fairly large display with a diagonal of 10.4 inches and a resolution of 2000 by 1200 pixels . In this case, the aspect ratio is about 16:9, and this is the gold standard that the industry can’t get away from yet.
The display is equipped with an IPS-matrix and bright backlight. With it, even in the bright sun, you can work with a tablet without worrying that you won’t see something. True, during testing, it was not possible to achieve truly sunny weather, and I tried to simulate it using studio soft boxes. The result was good.
At the beginning, I already said that the tablet received a large battery. Indeed, its capacity is 7,250 mAh . This is enough for 12 hours of watching video stored in the built-in memory. It is difficult to talk about some kind of breakthrough in autonomy, this is just an indicator from the “above average” category. But charging could be more powerful. It’s good that the adapter is included, but its maximum power is only 22.5 watts.
Is it possible to shoot on a tablet
The camera in the tablet, as I say in such cases, “to be”. It is hardly worth talking about its high quality, but it is impossible to produce a modern gadget without it . The main camera has a resolution of 13 megapixels and f / 1.8 aperture. This is enough to take a photo, but no more. Don’t expect too much from her. The front one has a resolution of 8 megapixels. In tablets, it is needed only as a “webcam”, so you should not worry too much. Hardly anyone will often take a selfie on a tablet. That being said, don’t think that the cameras are generally bad. They are just not the best and it is better to shoot with a phone, even if it is not very expensive.
The same applies to video. But the new Huawei MatePad has multiple microphones and records high quality sound. There’s even noise cancellation for better call quality during video calls. Playback is also excellent. To do this, there are four stereo speakers, tuned in partnership with Harman Kardon. This is not the first experience of joint work of brands and each time it turned out to be successful.
Case-keyboard, stylus and mouse Huawei
They say that gadgets are only as good as the accessories for them. Huawei understands this, and is one of the few companies that offers the possibility of extensive customization of their devices. In particular, covers with a keyboard and styluses are produced for tablets. And if you want, you can also connect a wireless mouse. It works via Bluetooth and is powered by one AA battery, which is included in the package.
All this must be bought separately , but if there is a need to make the gadget more versatile, then these accessories will come in handy and you won’t have to buy awkward universal options.
The advantages of original accessories are not only in greater physical compatibility or ease of use, but also in functionality. In particular, the proprietary keyboard offers various keyboard shortcuts that we are used to when working with a computer. So you can quickly copy and paste text, select it and navigate through it. And at the same time it will be possible to quickly switch the language, which is very important when working with text. When closed, the case has a texture similar to that used on previous Porsche Design products. And if the keyboard is not needed, you can unfasten it and use a regular tablet.
The new Huawei MatePad supports the second generation M-Pencil . But unlike the older versions, it is not attached to the case, but will be charged from a separate charger. It is not included with the stylus, which is a bit frustrating.
Is it worth buying a Huawei tablet
Huawei somehow very thoroughly approaches the creation of its tablets. I have loved her phones for a long time, but for the rest of the technology I had other preferences. Not because there is something wrong with it, but because it just happened so historically. Now Huawei is more and more trying to make a full-fledged infrastructure – something that made Apple succeed. But the Chinese company went even further. For example, by making it possible to display the phone interface on a laptop or tablet screen for full use. Such things are very endearing.
If you are worried about the lack of Google Play, then this is not as critical for a tablet as it is for a phone. The possibilities of the constantly developing AppGallery are more than enough, and the low price and a large number of gifts draw even more attention to Huawei tablets.