The Huawei MatePad Pro is now available in Malaysia. The high-end tablet was initially launched in China back in November last year, but the Malaysian debut of the device brings a new feature to the table: 5G connectivity.
On top of the support for 5G networks, the MatePad Pro also comes with a number of features that are aimed to take on Apple’s iPad Pro. Not only does it have a stylus in the form of the Huawei M-Pencil – it can detect 4,096 levels of pressure – it even has a keyboard case that works surprisingly well. I can actually type rather comfortably despite the compact layout.
Of course, Huawei also added a number of features to the MatePad Pro that the iPad Pro does not have. One of the most interesting additions is the ability to do two-way wireless charging. That’s right, you can use this tablet to charge any of your device that supports wireless charging. In fact, that’s how the keyboard case and stylus (when it’s attached to the side of the tablet) are charged with the MatePad Pro.
Besides that, this Android tablet sports a 10.8-inch 2560 x 1600 panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio. Thanks to the small bezels surrounding the display, the MatePad Pro has a claimed screen-to-body ratio of 90%. Compared to other tablets in the market now, it does look particularly sleek. Oh, the screen also has a hole-punch cutout for the 8MP f/2.0 front-facing camera.
Powering the MatePad Pro is none other than Huawei’s latest flagship chipset, the Kirin 990. It’s the same processor found in the company’s other devices like the recently announced Mate Xs and Mate 30 smartphones, so needless to say, the MatePad Pro offers more than enough processing power. In my brief time with the tablet, it feels very responsive and zippy.
When it comes to battery life, the MatePad Pro has a rather generous 7,250mAh battery, which supposedly allows the tablet to be used up to 12 hours. It can also do 20W wired fast charging or 15W wirelessly; Huawei says that just 30 minutes of charging gives you three hours of battery life. That’s a reasonably good charging rate.
Other specifications of the MatePad Pro include a 13MP f/1.8 rear camera, up to 8GB of RAM, three storage options (128GB, 256GB, 512GB), and EMUI 10.0.1 based on Android 10 out of the box. Speaking of which, this tablet does not have Google Mobile Services, so it doesn’t come pre-installed with essential Google apps like the Play Store and YouTube; keep that in mind if you plan to purchase this Android device.
The Huawei MatePad Pro is now available in Malaysia. The WiFi only model retails at RM2,399, while the 5G version costs RM3,299. It is offered in Pearl White and Midnight Grey, while the 5G variant is finished in Forest Green.