New tablets from Huawei – MatePad 11 and MatePad Pro 12.6

Huawei will launch two new tablets in the second half of the year. The MatePad 11 and MatePad Pro 12.6 are designed for broad usability and will be equipped with a magnetically attachable keyboard for the market launch, and they can also be operated via the included stylus. Apart from that, both come with the in-house software HarmonyOS 2.0.

Huawei MatePad 11

The MatePad 11 comes with a Snapdragon 865 and a 10.95-inch display. The IPS panel resolves in 2,560 x 1,600 pixels in 16:10 format and is operated at 120 Hz. The camera is located in the tablet’s frame and not in the display as before. The tablet is unlocked via Face Unlock. A fingerprint sensor is not installed. The Snapdragon 865 is supported by 4 GB of RAM and a 7,250 mAh battery that promises a runtime of 12 hours. The MatePad 11 can be fully recharged within two and a half hours with a 22.5 watt power adapter. Four speakers have been installed so that the acoustics are right for a sound-strong reproduction of movies and music.

Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6

Slightly larger than the MatePad 11 is the new MatePad Pro 12.6 with, as the name suggests, a 12.6-inch OLED panel. However, it is not suitable for every user because it only works with 60 Hz. The resolution is 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. However, it is ahead in contrast and probably also in color reproduction. The processor of the MatePad Pro 12.6 comes from HiSilicon. The Kirin 9000E is installed here, which has 22 execution units. In addition, the tablet has 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Besides the main camera, the Pro 12.6 also has a second camera at the back that enables ultra-wide-angle shots. A total of four speakers have also been installed here for decent audio playback. The battery is supposed to provide up to 14 hours of video playback with a size of 10,050 mAh. Charging here is done with a 40-watt power adapter, which only takes two hours to charge to 100 percent.

New software for both

On the software side, a switch to the proprietary HarmonyOS 2.0 system was made here to enable productive use. Thereby, the AppGallery has the similar content, which is also offered under Android in Google’s Play Store. Most likely, many Android-compatible components will be used here. The app bar is located at the bottom of the panel and features an app preview when the cursor is moved over the application. Furthermore, a coupling with Windows 10 and the use of projection functions is planned. This should allow partial aspects of a Windows app to be brought to the tablet. For example, the detailed view of images to edit them, the mirroring of content or for use as a second screen.

Availability and Pricing

The MatePad 11 goes on pre-sale June 14 at 399 euros for the 64 GB version and 499 euros for the 128 GB version. The regular sales launch is planned for July 13, 2021. The same launch dates also apply to the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6, which is sold at a price of 799 Euros with a storage variant of 256 GB. Those who pre-order between June 14 and July 12 will get a keyboard and stylus for free at a value of 248 Euros.