Huawei MatePad unboxing and initial hands-on review

Today we unbox the new Huawei MatePad

No, not the MatePad Pro nor the MatePad T8 - just Huawei MatePad. This Android 10-powered tablet has just been officially launched by Huawei together with the Sound X wireless speaker in the Philippines since a couple of days ago. Those who will purchase this tablet between July 31 and August 2, 2020 are in for a treat as they will receive freebies worth up to Php8,171 which includes the separately-sold Huawei M Pencil and Huawei MatePad Folio Flip Cover.

The Huawei MatePad is officially priced at Php20,990.

The Huawei MatePad specs

As the name suggests, the MatePad is the little brother of the MatePad Pro variant which is priced at Php32,990 and the little big brother of the MatePad T8 offered for just Php5,990. The MatePad is a perfect option for you if you think the T8's specs and performance is too basic for your needs or if the Pro version is beyond your budget. In terms if specs, performance, and features, the Huawei MatePad is closer to the Pro version than the T8 model. And yes, it does also support the Huawei M Pencil and keyboard cover accessories.

This slate is powered by Huawei's very own Kirin 810 octa-core processor paired with Mali G52 GPU and comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB internal storage. Thankfully this one supports microSD card for storage expansion up to 512GB and not the NMcard, Huawei's propriety storage card. On the software side, it is running on the latest EMUI 10.1 interface based on the current Android 10 mobile OS. And just like other Huawei-made smartphones and tablets, the MatePad does not support Google core services including the Google Play. However, for app needs there is the company's AppGallery and the recently-launched Petal Search that will help users how and where to get their top apps for this tablet whether it's for gaming, entertainment or productivity needs.

Keeping the device running is a 7250mAh battery that according to Huawei can last up to 750 hours on standby mode, 65 hours of music playback, 12 hours of video playback, and 12 hours of web browsing. And then for charging, the brand says we can expect about 3.8 hours of charging time when the tablet is turned on, of course that is something that we will personally check and discuss in my full review of this device.

What's in the box

The Huawei MatePad comes in a minimalist white box with a little bit of details on it like the Huawei MatePad branding right at the center, AppGallery at the lower right, Huawei at the upper right and 10.4 inch (screen size) at the lower left corners. On one of the sides, there we can find the IMEI and serial numbers together with the device color, RAM, and storage sizes.

Together with the Huawei MatePad tablet itself are the USB Type-C cable and the standard non-fast charger. There is also the usual warranty card and user guide documentation. Now if you can notice in the image above, there is another accessory that sits between the cable and charger, that's a USB Type-C to 3.5mm audiojack dongle.

Sadly, well it depends actually on how you see it, the MatePad tablet does not come with a 3.5mm audiojack port. But thankfully, Huawei still thought of people who still prefer to use this type of connection over wireless or Bluetooth when it comes to audio experience by including a separate dongle which you can see above. Of course the only downside to this is it can't be used while the tablet is being charged.

Huawei MatePad unboxed

Let's now focus on the star of the article, the Huawei MatePad itself.

The Huawei MatePad sports a 10.4 2K IPS display. That translates to 1200 x 2000 display resolution and completing the stunning display quality are the 470 nits and 224 ppi or pixels per inch. My initial impressions of the display quality? It actually looks good, vibrant, and vivid. I will definitely enjoy consuming tons of digital content such as video streaming, binge-watching on Netflix and a little bit of gaming on this one. The bezels are a bit thick to my liking though but I only get to notice it when I pay attention to it, most of the time I am just going to enjoy what's on the screen and its 10.4-inch display size is just okay, not too big not too small.

Now for the ports and holes, this tablet has more than the usual number and I think that's a good news. One of the most exciting parts here are the quad-speaker quad-channel sound system. Yes, there are four stereo speakers on the Huawei MatePad, two on the left side and another two on the right side together with the USB Type-C port. The audio is tuned by Harman Kardon and sporting a Histen 6.0 3D stereo, the Huawei MatePad is sure to offer rich and powerful sound system.

When the Huawei MatePad is on landscape mode, you can find the power/lock key on the upper left side of the device while the volume rocker is at the top left corner and with it are a total of four standard mic and noise cancelling microphones. These buttons are not too big and they are clickable and tactile. Another good thing about this tablet is that it also supports 4G LTE connectivity, and down at the bottom is where you can find the single-SIM and the microSD card slots.

On the back of the Huawei MatePad is nothing but the 8MP rear camera (front cam is also at 8MP) alongside the LED flash. And then right at the center is the Huawei branding. There is no fingerprint sensor to be found on this device. For security and privacy, there's the traditional 6-digit passcode.

In the Philippines, only one color variant of the Huawei MatePad that's going to be released and that's called Midnight Gray. I like this color and the finish of the back panel, it's matte and almost black. The matte finish is obviously less prints and smudge hungry which is always a good thing and it adds better grip to it whether it's for a one-hand or two-hand use. And oh, it's made of aluminum material so it is sturdy and solidly built.

The unit that I got here was sent to me with a Huawei Flip Cover and as you can see in the following images, I immediately put it on as soon as was done unboxing it. As mentioned, this flip cover is sold separately like the Huawei M Pencil, but will come free as part of the initial sale between July 31 and August 2. The Huawei MatePad is definitely best enjoyed with these two accessories.

Initial thoughts

I think the Huawei MatePad is a solid Android tablet from Huawei both inside and out. It's got sturdy build and beautiful design on the outside. At 450 grams I think the heft is just okay. The display is gorgeous, too. I mean it sports 2K resolution and the display panel is very responsive and the animation is just superb. The audio is very good as well, thanks to Harman Kardon and Histen 6.0 system, plus it supports LTE connectivity which is a bonus actually. That being said, I would say that the Huawei MatePad's retail price of Php20,990 is a good deal.

Huawei MatePad specs:

10.4-inch FullView 2K IPS display
1200 x 2000 resolution
470 nits, 224 pixels-per-inch
Kirin 810 octa-core processor
Mali G52 GPU
4GB RAM
64GB internal storage
Supports microSD card up to 512GB
8MP rear camera with LED flash
8MP front camera with ultrawide lens
EMUI 10.1 based on Android 10
AppGallery
No Google Play support
WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
Single SIM
4G LTE
USB Type-C
Type-C to 3.5mm audiojack dongle
Huawei Histen 6.0 Sound Effect
Four speakers
245.2mm x 154.96mm x 7.35mm
450 grams
Midnight Gray
7250mAh battery
Php20,990

The Huawei MatePad is officially priced at Php20,990. If you are going to purchase this between July 31 and August 2, 2020, you can take home the following freebies worth up to 8,171.