Comparison: Huawei MediaPad M6 vs. M5: These Are The Differences

Huawei recently announced the 2019 iteration of its popular MediaPad M series of tablets that are majorly based on the 2018 models but include a bunch of improvements on the inside. The MediaPad M6, with its 8.4-inch and 10.8-inch display size options, is currently available officially only in China with no announcement for its global rollout. But you can definitely get your hands on the device by importing one from the Asian country.

In our review of the last year’s MediaPad M5 devices, we found them to be excellent options for anyone looking for a tablet in the Android space. We haven’t reviewed the newer models yet but based on our experience, and given the fact Huawei didn’t change a whole lot this year, we can safely say that your experience won’t be lacking in any way.

This comparison should concisely show you all the points on which the two iterations differ and help you make an informed purchase decision.

Read: The Best Huawei Tablets You Can Get In 2019

Differences

The main difference between the two generations lies in the processor Huawei went for. The MediaPad M5 series uses a two-generation-old HiSilicon Kirin 960/960s chipset based on 16nm fabrication process against the newer 7nm Kirin 980 deployed inside the MediaPad M6. The change in process may not feel that big of a difference in daily use, given both are high-end processors, but it does have an impact on power consumption.

On the software front, the newer tablet series naturally comes with the latest EMUI 9.1.1 update that is based on Android 9 Pie. The M5-branded tablets were released with Android 8.0 Oreo preinstalled with EMUI running on top. Huawei has done away with the base 32GB storage model and the options now start from 64GB. On a more granular level, the company has replaced Bluetooth 4.2 with a more recent version—Bluetooth 5.0—on both the M6 models.

Huawei MediaPad M6 8 vs. MediaPad M5 8

What you’ll find missing on the 8.4-inch MediaPad M6 is a fingerprint scanner which was apparently present on the last year’s model bearing the same screen size. With the front-facing fingerprint scanner now gone, the bezels on the M6 8 have visibly shrunken. On the other hand, the newer device has gained a higher battery capacity of 6100mAh, vs. M5’s 5100mAh, while getting just a tad heavier by 10 grams.

Huawei MediaPad M6 10 vs. MediaPad M5 10

Apart from the aforementioned changes brought across the board, not much has changed in the 10.8-inch models. The only major thing you will notice is the addition of a headphone jack on the MediaPad M6 10 which the M5 10 lacked.

Similarities

The MediaPad M6 series is more of an incremental update from the previous generation and the two series have a lot more similarities than differences. For starters, there isn’t much to differentiate between them with just a glance. Both the M5 and the M6 tablets come with a near-identical design while featuring a premium metal build and they also use a more modern USB Type-C port. You can get an optional 4G LTE variant for all the tablet models with Wi-Fi 802.11ac supported on both 2018 and 2019 lineup.

4GB of RAM remains standard across all variants of both the tablet series from 2018 and 2019. You get 64GB or 128GB of internal memory that can be further expanded using a microSD card. In addition to this, Huawei has also retained the camera configurations, again across all the models launched in both the years. Software is another department where you will feel right at home if you’re accustomed to the brand’s heavily customized EMUI.

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Huawei MediaPad M6 8 vs. MediaPad M5 8

Being high-end models from Huawei, the 8.4-inch tablets sport a high-res QHD display with 2560 x 1600 pixels. It proved to be a good IPS panel in our review of the MediaPad M5 8. A similar display is now included on the MediaPad M6 8 and you can expect similar results. Both the tablets come sans a headphone jack while offering a two-speaker setup for stereo audio. Their overall design language hasn’t changed much either, particularly when their backs is compared.

Huawei MediaPad M6 10 vs. MediaPad M5 10

The larger 10.8-inch model also comes with the same QHD resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and uses that large display area for offering several productivity features. Huawei has its own desktop mode similar to Samsung DeX. Both the M5 and the M6 come supporting external keyboards using pogo-pin connectors along with Huawei’s own M-Pen lite stylus.

A couple of more things the MediaPad M5 10 and the M6 10 share are their battery capacities and speaker setups. Both the top-tier tablets from Huawei come with a 7500mAh battery and have near-identical dimensions including their 498g of weight. Talking about speakers, both the M6 and the M5 offer remarkable speaker performance with their four speakers arranged in a stereo setup. The two devices also have a fingerprint sensor on one of their front bezels.

Read: Top 10 Best Tablets With Keyboards In 2019

Specifications: A Comparison

Huawei MediaPad M6 8 vs. MediaPad M5 8

Huawei MediaPad M6 10 vs. MediaPad M5 10

Read: The Best Android Tablets of 2019

Which One Is A Better Offering?

As previously said, we are yet to review the brand-new MediaPad M6 tablets to give a final verdict but if the M5 series is anything to go by, its successor should at least be equally good, if not better. The M6 lineup of tablets uses the Kirin 980 chipset which is a significant jump from the already-good Kirin 960s of the MediaPad M5.

If you are a power user and will benefit from that performance bump, then you should definitely go for the MediaPad M6. Rest (rather, most) of the users, who plan on using these tablets for entertainment, light productivity, or some casual browsing, are better off with the older MediaPad M5 series that is still good enough for all such tasks. Plus, it will also save you a few bucks if you could grab one under a deal.

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Huawei MediaPad M5 10

Read now: Our Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Review

The Huawei MediaPad M5 10 is an almost perfect Android tablet. It features a great build quality, an outstanding performance, good speakers, and features like a fingerprint scanner. In addition to that, the battery life is good and we get recent Android 8.0 Oreo. However, the MediaPad M5 10 is lacking a standard headphone jack and the software customization's are too heavy for my taste.

Positive

• Great build quality
• Good display
• Outstanding performance
• Four good speakers
• Good fingerprint scanner
• Decent battery life
• Recent Android 8.0 Oreo

Negative

• No 3.5-millimeter audio jack
• Heavy software customization’s

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