Huawei has announced three new MatePad tablets, which include two MatePad Pro models with sizes of 12.6 inches and 10.8 inches, along with an 11-inch MatePad. These are the company's first tablets to operate on the HarmonyOS. Additionally, the devices utilize Snapdragon chips produced by Qualcomm instead of Huawei's own Kirin processors that were previously used in its past devices. The tablets highlight the challenges faced by the Chinese tech giant as it attempts to break free from Android, which is dominated by Google apps and services outside of China that Huawei could not install on its phones before.
The 10.8-inch MatePad Pro is equipped with a Snapdragon 870 processor, while the 11-inch MatePad has a Snapdragon 865 processor. Meanwhile, the 12.6-inch MatePad Pro still operates on Huawei's Kirin 9000E processor, which the company shared most information about.
The Huawei AppGallery provides an increasing array of local applications and solutions; however, it still falls short of offering the complete suite of Google apps and services that were previously available on the device. There have been significant questions surrounding HarmonyOS since an investigation clarified that it is a version of the open-source Android.
The new Huawei tablets feature a new FreeNote capability that allows users to utilize the M-Pencil for writing in dialogue boxes, turning handwritten text into typed text automatically. The tablet's home screen now includes a dock with the most used applications.
The webcam on the 12.6-inch MatePad Pro is integrated into the frame along the long edge of the screen, making it suitable for group calls in landscape mode, unlike the iPad Pro. It also boasts an OLED display with a resolution of 1600×2560 pixels, while Apple's lineup still uses various forms of LCD panels.
The screen mirroring technology has also returned with the new MatePad Pro. While this previously let users mirror their smartphone screen onto the tablet, you can now mirror the tablet's screen and interact with it via compatible Huawei laptops.
The 12.6-inch MatePad Pro is equipped with a 10,050 mAh battery capable of playing video for 14 hours on a single charge. It can be charged quickly at up to 40 watts using a cable, and 27 watts wirelessly, and also supports 10-watt reverse wireless charging.
The tablet features three rear cameras, four microphones, eight speakers, and is compatible with Wi-Fi 6. Alongside the new tablets, Huawei also announced the second generation of its M-Pencil, which offers increased accuracy, a reduced latency of 9 milliseconds, and a tip coated with platinum.
The new 12.6-inch MatePad Pro is priced at 799 euros in Europe, while the MatePad 11 is priced at 399 euros.
