The Huawei MatePad 5G offers a 10.4″ display, 5G connectivity, and powerful Kirin 820 5G chipset. Read the full review of this tablet’s design, performance, and features.
Introduction
The Huawei MatePad 5G was launched in October 2020, bringing an impressive set of features aimed at users who need a performance-driven tablet with 5G connectivity. The tablet comes with a 10.4-inch display, a Kirin 820 5G chipset, and a 7250mAh battery, making it a strong contender for users who seek speed, productivity, and entertainment.
In this review, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the MatePad 5G, including its design, display, performance, battery life, and software experience. Let’s dive into what makes this tablet a solid choice for anyone in the market for a feature-packed device.
Design and Build Quality
The Huawei MatePad 5G offers a sleek, modern design with a 7.5mm thickness and weighs 460g, making it portable enough for daily use. Its aluminum back and frame provide a premium feel, while the glass front gives it a durable, polished finish. Available in White and Dark Blue, the device is elegant and minimalist in design.
It also features stylus support, which is great for users who want to enhance productivity or get creative with apps like drawing or note-taking. However, the stylus is not included with the tablet and must be purchased separately.
While it’s a durable device with good build quality, it lacks any sort of waterproofing or dust resistance, so users need to handle it with care in tough environments.
Display
The MatePad 5G is equipped with a 10.4-inch IPS LCD display, offering a resolution of 1200 x 2000 pixels and a pixel density of 224 ppi. The screen is sharp enough for reading, streaming videos, and browsing the web. While the IPS LCD panel doesn’t offer the rich blacks or vibrant colors of OLED displays, it delivers solid color accuracy and brightness, even under direct sunlight, thanks to its 470 nits of typical brightness.
The screen’s 81% screen-to-body ratio ensures slim bezels, maximizing screen real estate and giving users a more immersive experience when watching movies or playing games.
Performance
Powered by the Kirin 820 5G chipset and built on the 7nm process, the MatePad 5G delivers great performance across a wide range of tasks. The octa-core CPU consists of 1x 2.36 GHz Cortex-A76, 3x 2.22 GHz Cortex-A76, and 4x 1.84 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, paired with a Mali-G57 6-core GPU for graphics processing. This setup ensures the device can handle everything from multitasking to running graphics-intensive games and applications smoothly.
The 6GB of RAM also plays a crucial role in ensuring smooth performance across different tasks, whether you’re working on productivity apps or enjoying entertainment. The tablet’s 5G connectivity ensures super-fast download speeds, making it future-proof for users who rely heavily on network speed.
Software and User Experience
The MatePad 5G runs Android 10 with EMUI 10.1 on top, Huawei’s custom skin for Android devices. However, due to the ongoing restrictions, the tablet lacks Google Play Services, meaning users will need to rely on Huawei’s AppGallery for downloading apps. Huawei has made significant improvements to the AppGallery, and many popular apps are available, but you may need to find alternatives for some Google-dependent services.
The EMUI 10.1 skin offers a host of productivity features such as Multi-Screen Collaboration, Multi-Window Mode, and Desktop Mode, which helps transform the tablet into a productivity powerhouse. For students or professionals who are always on the go, this tablet can easily double as a portable workstation with the right accessories, such as a keyboard and stylus.
Camera Capabilities
The camera setup on the MatePad 5G is modest but functional for a tablet. It comes with a single 8MP main camera on the rear and an 8MP front-facing camera.
- 8 MP rear camera (AF): The primary camera delivers decent photos for quick snapshots and document scanning. While it’s not intended to replace a smartphone camera, it performs adequately in well-lit conditions.
- 8 MP front camera: The front camera is perfect for video calls and selfies. It supports HDR and captures 1080p video at 30fps.
Although the cameras aren’t the tablet’s strongest selling point, they work well for everyday use, such as video conferencing and casual photography.
Battery Life
One of the MatePad 5G’s standout features is its 7250mAh battery, which offers excellent battery life. On a single charge, the tablet can easily last through a full day of mixed-use, including browsing, streaming, and video calls. With lighter use, you can expect it to last even longer.
The tablet supports 22.5W fast charging, allowing you to charge it up to 46% in just 30 minutes, which is convenient for users on the go. Unfortunately, the tablet doesn’t support wireless charging, but the fast wired charging makes up for it.
Connectivity and Additional Features
The MatePad 5G offers full 5G connectivity, making it a future-proof option for users who require high-speed internet for remote work, streaming, and cloud-based applications. Other connectivity features include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and GPS for positioning.
The stereo speakers, tuned by Harman Kardon, deliver excellent audio quality, making it an ideal tablet for multimedia consumption. Whether you’re watching movies, playing games, or listening to music, the audio experience is immersive and crystal clear.
For security, the device relies on facial recognition and password-based authentication, as it doesn’t come with a fingerprint sensor.
Price and Availability
The Huawei MatePad 5G is available for around 400 EUR, which is a competitive price for a tablet with 5G connectivity and solid performance. It’s an excellent option for students, professionals, and content creators who want the latest in tablet technology without breaking the bank.
Specifications Table
| Specifications | Details |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 245.2 x 155 x 7.5 mm |
| Weight | 460 g |
| Display | 10.4 inches, IPS LCD, 1200 x 2000 pixels |
| Operating System | Android 10, EMUI 10.1 (No Google Play Services) |
| Chipset | Kirin 820 5G (7 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (1×2.36 GHz Cortex-A76, 3×2.22 GHz Cortex-A76, 4×1.84 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Mali-G57 (6-core) |
| RAM | 6GB RAM |
| Storage | 128GB, microSDXC |
| Main Camera | 8 MP, AF, LED flash, HDR, Panorama |
| Selfie Camera | 8 MP, HDR |
| Battery | 7250 mAh, 22.5W fast charging |
| Connectivity | 5G, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS |
| Price | About 400 EUR |
Conclusion
The Huawei MatePad 5G is an excellent mid-range tablet that offers high performance, solid battery life, and future-proof 5G connectivity. While the absence of Google Play Services may be a drawback for some, Huawei’s AppGallery provides a growing ecosystem of apps to meet most users’ needs. With its Kirin 820 5G chipset, large battery, and a vibrant display, it’s a compelling option for those looking for a tablet that can handle productivity, entertainment, and everyday tasks with ease.
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
