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Huawei MatePad Pro Specifications, Pricing, and Alternatives

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Huawei already has an established tablet lineup under the MediaPad branding, which usually caters to the mid-tier audience. While the company did experiment with a couple of Pro models, they didn’t prove to be as strong a competitor to the likes of iPad Pro. With the MatePad Pro, Huawei wants to go all in on the high-end category, as its new tablet packs a lot of good stuff sourced almost as it is from the rivals.

Here is everything that you need to know about the Huawei MatePad Pro, including its detailed specifications, pricing, availability details, and a few worthy alternatives.

Read: The Best Huawei Tablets You Can Buy In 2019

Highlights

  • 10.8-inch QHD IPS LCD display
  • Octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 990
  • Up to 8GB RAM, 512GB storage
  • Android 10-based EMUI 10
  • Four stereo speakers
  • Hole-punch front camera
  • USB Type-C
  • Optional LTE
  • Wireless & reverse wireless charging
  • M-Pencil stylus
  • Smart Magnetic Keyboard cover

Huawei MatePad Pro: The Basics

The Chinese company has used a large 10.8-inch LCD display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels in the 16:10 aspect ratio. Announced in shades of grey, green, white, and orange, the MatePad Pro has a capsule-shaped camera bump that houses a single 13MP camera and an LED flash. Its 8MP front camera sits inside a hole punched into the display’s left corner. The tablet lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack, but the brand compensated for it by providing four speakers arranged in a stereo setup. There is a USB 3.1 Type-C port that supports faster transfer speeds.

What powers this tablet is Huawei’s newest, in-house Kirin 990 processor based on 7nm+ fabrication process. The octa-core chip is paired with a Mali G76 GPU along with up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of onboard storage. You can choose to expand the memory further by up to 256GB using Huawei’s proprietary Nano Memory card. It comes preinstalled with Google’s latest Android 10 mobile OS with EMUI 10 running on top. The OS has a dedicated computer mode for added productivity features that we’ll discuss in the next section. There is no mention of a secure unlocking mechanism — fingerprint-based or facial.

Aside from that, the MatePad Pro supports the latest wireless connectivity standards, including dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac and Bluetooth 5.1. Certain models of the tablet can also take in a SIM card for having LTE connectivity while on the move. This entire package is fueled by a 7250mAh battery that supports various charging techniques. It can charge through a 40W wired charger, even though only a 20W is included, while also supporting 15W wireless charging. It is not only one of the first tablets to support wireless charging, but it can also do reverse wireless charging at 7.5W.

Read: Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 vs. Huawei MediaPad M6 10 Comparison

The iPad Pro Connection

The MatePad Pro is clearly Huawei’s take on the Apple iPad Pro, starting from aping the name and design. The ‘Pad’ and ‘Pro’ in its name say a lot about Huawei’s approach, plus the slate’s design is also heavily inspired by Apple’s premium tablet, at least from the front. Similar is the case with its accompanying M-Pencil, which has been named after the Apple Pencil, doing away with the M-Pen branding used previously.

While the M-Pencil supports a low latency of 20ms and 4096 pressure levels, it charges wirelessly by sticking magnetically to the tablet’s top, again just like its Apple counterpart. Even the optional Smart Magnetic Keyboard has taken cues from the one Apple makes for the iPad Pro, which covers the slate’s entire back and offers two viewing angles. However, Huawei has a dedicated computer mode that switches to a more traditional desktop-like look on the tablet, which the iPad Pro doesn’t.

Full Specifications

Tablet Huawei MatePad Pro
Operating system EMUI 10 (based on Android 10)
Display 10.8-inch 16:10 IPS LCD (2560 x 1600)
Processor Octa-core 2.86GHz HiSilicon Kirin 990
Graphics 600MHz Mali G76
Storage 128GB/256GB/512GB
Expandable Up to 256GB (non-standard nano Memory Card)
RAM 6GB/8GB
Main camera 13 Megapixels, f/1.8, LED flash, 4K video
Front camera 8 Megapixels, f/2.0, 1080p video
Connectivity Dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5.1, optional LTE
 Ports USB Type-C Gen 3.1
Battery 7250mAh battery, 40W wired, 15W wireless charging
Security N/A
Dimensions 246 x 159 x 7.2 mm
Weight 460g

Read: Top 8: Best Premium Tablets In 2019 (Windows, iOS and Android)

Availability & Pricing

The Huawei MatePad Pro is already up for pre-order across stores in China with its sale date set for December 12. It will be available only in the Asian country, at least for now, while the company refrained from sharing any plans concerning its international availability. There is a 5G variant of the tablet in works, which shall go official sometime in Q1 2020. The prices of the current models and the supported accessories are as follows:

Huawei MatePad Pro (White and Grey only)

  • 6GB + 128GB (Wi-Fi only) — 3299 yuan ($470)
  • 8GB + 256GB (Wi-Fi only) — 3999 yuan ($570)
  • 6GB + 128GB (Wi-Fi + LTE) — 3799 yuan ($540)
  • 8GB + 256GB (Wi-Fi + LTE) — 4499 yuan ($640)

Huawei MatePad Pro + M-Pencil + Smart Magnetic Keyboard Bundle (Green and Orange only)

  • 8GB + 256GB (Wi-Fi only) — 4999 yuan ($710)
  • 8GB + 512GB (Wi-Fi + LTE) — 5999 yuan ($850)

Huawei M-Pencil — 499 yuan ($70)

Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard — 699 yuan ($100)

Huawei MatePad Pro Alternatives

The natural alternative to the Huawei MatePad Pro is the 11-inch iPad Pro (review) that we absolutely loved in our review. The premium tablet came out with flying colors in our standard battery test and got a perfect overall score from Andrzej. You’ve also got the excellent Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 (review) that offers a package complete with a stylus, keyboard case (sold separately), and the DeX software from Samsung. If you can live without a high-end processor and a stylus, then the Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e (review) should be a great alternative for you.

While all these Android and iOS tablets create a mock desktop mode, for real computing, you can go for the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 (review). It’s been our top recommendation for anyone looking for a work tablet. Besides this, Microsoft also recently launched the Surface Pro X with a brand-new form factor and stylus, which you can consider getting, although make sure to wrap your head around some of its limitations. Alternatively, you can go for the iPad Air 2019 (review), if you’re okay using a tablet with a dated design. The Air not only shares its software with the iPad Pro, but it also offers great performance for nearly all tasks.

Read: The Best iPads In 2019: Which Apple Tablet Should You Get?

Huawei MatePad Pro

Huawei has finally made a tablet that is capable of taking on all the Pros of the tablet world. It packs a lot for its price, like a new stylus that charges wirelessly and a screen that extends to the edges for a more immersive feel. Its quad-speakers should be perfect for watching movies or listening to music, while the tablet is light enough for working on the move. On top of that, you're getting support for a keyboard and LTE connectivity.
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