Watch: Huawei MatePad Pro is a must-see do-it-all tablet and its AppGallery top apps!
In an effort to reinvigorate the shrinking Android tablet market, Huawei introduced the MatePad Pro—a high-end offering featuring a modern design, phone functionalities, and PC-like productivity and multitasking capabilities.
At PHP 32,990, it is one of the very few modern Android tablets with high-end specs that you can enjoy for both work and play.
Related: Huawei MatePad Pro Unboxing and First Impressions
For us, it is one of the must-check tabs in the market right now. Here's why...
The MatePad Pro is a tablet that feels premium and looks premium at the same time. It is minimalist and neat-looking.
The tablet a lightweight fiberglass material at the back to make the tablet not too heavy in hands while providing better overall toughness when dropped compared to glass. If you will look closer, the back panel also has a matte-like finish which provides a better grip and prevents annoying fingerprint smudges, unlike glossy glass finishes.
In the front, it is the first-ever tablet that we tested with a smartphone-like punch-hole in the display to house the selfie camera. Huawei used this design to allow MatePad Pro users to experience a near bezel-less and more immersive screens over other tablets
Huawei's clever craftsmanship resulted in a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio and a not-that-big-and-thick body of just 246 x 159 x 7.2 mm despite its use of a large 10.8-inch panel and 7,250mAh battery capacity.
As mentioned, the tablet is lightweight. It weighs as just 460 grams. The device is also comfortable to hold with 2 hands.
The MatePad Pro is also designed to entertain, thanks to its large 10.8-inch screen and the Harman Kardon-tuned quad-speaker setup.
Also, the 10.8-inch panel is not your ordinary IPS display. It is using a WQXGA 2560 x 1600 resolution with crisp 280 pixels per inch. Basically, it is a 2K sharp screen with more pixels than your regular 1080p tablet.
Huawei also ensured that it has DCI-P3 wide color gamut for better color reproduction.
The result? We find its display amazing for viewing content, social media applications, watching our favorite Netflix videos, playing games, and more.
Also, it has slim bezels which allowed us to have an immersive viewing experience.
Some of you may think that the punch-hole could be obtrusive while watching, but no, it is hardly noticeable.
To complement its great display, Huawei added four speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, a well-respected audio brand originally founded in 1953. Because of that, this tablet has speakers with GREAT audio quality.
To keep it short, its speakers have rich details, powerful sound, minimal distortion, and wide soundstage. It also has a near surround sound experience as the tablet comes with a pair of speakers on each side.
It sounded loud and clear for listening to music, watching videos, and even while doing calls.
Yes, you read that part right, This tablet is also good for calls. It is can do a fine job for voice records as well. Why? It has a total of 5 microphones. The five microphones are designed to allow a 360-degree noise cancellation to ensure that your voice is loud and clear most of the time.
And of course, this tablet works very well with most True Wireless Stereo earphones such as the FreeBuds 3 due to its use of the more stable Bluetooth 5.1 tech.
While I do not really advise taking photos using your tablet, MatePad Pro's 13MP main shooter can deliver respectable images, unlike most tablets. The 8MP selfie camera could also be good for video calls as long as you are in a well-lit scenario.
If you use the Huawei MeeTime, you can enjoy clear HD video calls even if your internet connection is not that strong or the scenario is a bit dim.
This tablet is equipped with the Kirin 990 chip inside, the same beastly 7nm processor found on the Mate 30 Pro. Currently, Kirin 990 is arguably the fastest and most capable chip that you'll see on tablets today.
In particular, Kirin 990 is a 2.86GHz fast octa-core chip with a Dual NPU (Big-Core + Tiny-Core) and Mali-G76 MP16 GPU. The GPU of this device even has the New-Gen GPU Turbo tech to enhance the gaming experience further.
Only the Kirin 990 5G found on the higher-end MatePad Pro 5G is faster than this on tablets yet.
As a result, the MatePad Pro is super fast. It opens most apps with ease and it can play heavy games with no hiccups and stable thermals.
To complement its fast chip, it has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 128GB storage is expandable if you have Huawei's proprietary NM card. It also has a massive 7,250mAh battery. Even under heavy usage with 4G LTE or WiFi all the time, it can last for 2 days on a single charge.
Even if you binge-watch or play games almost non-stop with speakers, it can last for around 12 to 14 hours straight.
Charging is also quite fast using the stock 22.5W charger. You'll only need 3 hours to fully charge it from 0 to 100 percent. If you use an aftermarket 40W SuperCharge charger, charging time is even faster at around 2 hours from 0 to 100 percent.
Tip: This tablet has 15W Wireless Charge and 7.5W Reverse Wireless Charge.
The MatePad Pro could be a good laptop alternative due to its multitasking capabilities. It's a multitasking machine.
It has floating apps, split-screen for opening two apps at the same time, and an App Multiplier that can automatically split the screen of compatible apps to let you multitask better and be more productive.
For example, your shopping options at Lazada will be shown on one side and you can compare the item on the other side.
You can even open 3 apps at the same time if you don't mind the floating app while on split-screen mode.
For example, I can read news articles on one side and open another app on the side while there's another app on the floating window.
This is a MatePad Pro capability that you won't normally see on other Android tablets.
Another thing, if you are one of those lucky early buyers of the MatePad Pro who got the Huawei Keyboard for FREE, you are in for a treat.
Apart from its keyboard functionalities that will let you type documents with ease and more, the Huawei Keyboard will allow you to connect your Huawei smartphone with NFC and Huawei Share like the P40 Pro.
Note: The NFC sensor is located on the right switch key. All you need to do is tap your phone thereafter opening the Huawei Share and turning on the NFC to connect.
Once connected, you can swiftly transfer files from your tablet to the PC. This mode will also allow you to control your phone even if it is a few feet away from the tablet.
If you want a laptop-like experience, you can enter the Desktop mode. Here the tablet will function as a laptop with Linux OS where you can use multiple apps on different windows similar to a regular PC.
One of the best features of the MatePad Pro is its M-Pencil compatibility. If you have the M-Pencil, you can have direct access to the Notepad. It can be used to jot down notes, draw, paint, navigate your tablet, and more.
It comes with a 4,096 pressure sensing level so it feels just like an actual pencil, ballpen, or even a paintbrush. In my experience, it is very accurate.
The M-Pencil can be charged wirelessly on top of the tablet and it has magnets so it won't fall that easily. 30 seconds of charging is enough to make the pen work for 10 minutes.
It can be connected to your MatePad via Bluetooth.
The M-Pencil is great for those who have creative minds and those who simply love jotting down notes.
To recall, the AppGallery is the new gateway to plenty of apps on modern Huawei devices. Currently, AppGallery is the 3rd largest app marketplace in the world and it is steadily and quickly growing.
Of course, the MatePad Pro has it and it is the place where I downloaded most of my top apps.
AppGallery has plenty of categories—18 as a matter of fact. The categories include Games, Business, Communication, Finance, Kids, Media and entertainment, Personalized themes, Shopping, Tools, Books and references, Cars, Education, Food and drink, Lifestyle and convenience, Navigation, Photography, Sports and health, and Travel and accommodation.
I used it to download games such as Asphalt 9 as well as iQIYI and Viu to stream new Asian dramas. I also like that it has a link that points to the Amazon Prime Video web app so I can watch other international exclusive contents such as The Boys.
Using AppGallery, I was able to download Photo and Drawing apps such as Drawing Desk, Meitu, Pencil sketch cam, and more as well.
AppGallery also has plenty of productivity, communications, social media, shopping, and banking apps like the WPS Office, GCash, Viber, TikTok, Wattpad, Booky, PayMaya, BDO, Lazada, Shopee, and more.
It also map-related apps such as Here WeGo, FoodPanda, Grab, and more.
We also like that a lot of the above-mentioned apps are local apps curated for PH use.
Editor's Choice: Top app picks on Huawei AppGallery
If the app that you need is not found on the AppGallery yet, Huawei has several solutions. The tech giant recently introduced AppGo and Petal Search Widget. Petal Search Widget serves as a gateway to a million apps.
AppGo is the app that helps its users find the apps and provide download links or recommend similar apps. For example, it'll tell you if the app that you are searching for is available via AppGallery, third party app markets like APKPure, or if the app has a web version.
I used this to download Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and more on the MatePad Pro.
Apart from being a search engine, Petal Search Widget allows users to search from third-party sources, download them, and run them. Similar to the AppGo, it gives similar apps as well.
If the app that you are looking for is from Google like YouTube, it gave me a suggestion to open YouTube via browser or download alternatives such as YouTube Vanced.
Since most Google apps are web-based, you can simply create a shortcut from the browser. For example, Petal Search Widget helped me create a Google Keep shortcut on the desktop of the tablet.
If you worry about security, Huawei has recently added four-layer threat detection. The purpose of this is to ensure all user data is contained within the device and every app installation is screened for threats without exemption. It also has strict security detection for malicious behavior detection, privacy check, security vulnerability scanning, and the manual real-name security check.
Using the AppGallery could also let you win Huawei Points, app vouchers, and VIP privileges.
This is a good sign of Huawei's growth even without Google. The tablet works well without Google Services out of the box and even if you don't sideload it. Huawei made it possible.
MatePad Pro made Android tablets relevant again.
It's a solid tablet work and play with great build, modern design, nice display, strong specs, long battery life, and plenty of other features such as the Harman Kardon quad-speaker setup, 5 microphones in total, and Huawei Keyboard and M-Pencil support.
While it is not perfect and it can't do everything, this is a great tool if you are not a power user and you want a compact "mini laptop" for typing documents, answering emails, and surfing the net as well as a tablet that you can use for watching movies, playing games, social media, being creative, and more.
We also like its set of above-mentioned multitasking features that could help you increase your productivity together with Huawei's valiant effort of providing plenty of apps and alternative solutions to still provide a great Android experience despite the lack of Google Services.
At PHP 32,990, the MatePad Pro is a highly compelling device. For its purpose, it gets things done.
 |
| Huawei MatePad Pro |
At PHP 32,990, it is one of the very few modern Android tablets with high-end specs that you can enjoy for both work and play.
Related: Huawei MatePad Pro Unboxing and First Impressions
For us, it is one of the must-check tabs in the market right now. Here's why...
Huawei MatePad Pro is a must-see do-it-all tablet
Clever craftsmanship, modern design
 |
| Fiberglass material |
The MatePad Pro is a tablet that feels premium and looks premium at the same time. It is minimalist and neat-looking.
The tablet a lightweight fiberglass material at the back to make the tablet not too heavy in hands while providing better overall toughness when dropped compared to glass. If you will look closer, the back panel also has a matte-like finish which provides a better grip and prevents annoying fingerprint smudges, unlike glossy glass finishes.
In the front, it is the first-ever tablet that we tested with a smartphone-like punch-hole in the display to house the selfie camera. Huawei used this design to allow MatePad Pro users to experience a near bezel-less and more immersive screens over other tablets
Huawei's clever craftsmanship resulted in a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio and a not-that-big-and-thick body of just 246 x 159 x 7.2 mm despite its use of a large 10.8-inch panel and 7,250mAh battery capacity.
As mentioned, the tablet is lightweight. It weighs as just 460 grams. The device is also comfortable to hold with 2 hands.
Multimedia satisfaction
 |
| Netflix and chill with MatePad Pro |
The MatePad Pro is also designed to entertain, thanks to its large 10.8-inch screen and the Harman Kardon-tuned quad-speaker setup.
Also, the 10.8-inch panel is not your ordinary IPS display. It is using a WQXGA 2560 x 1600 resolution with crisp 280 pixels per inch. Basically, it is a 2K sharp screen with more pixels than your regular 1080p tablet.
Huawei also ensured that it has DCI-P3 wide color gamut for better color reproduction.
 |
| Clear screen quality |
The result? We find its display amazing for viewing content, social media applications, watching our favorite Netflix videos, playing games, and more.
Also, it has slim bezels which allowed us to have an immersive viewing experience.
Some of you may think that the punch-hole could be obtrusive while watching, but no, it is hardly noticeable.
To complement its great display, Huawei added four speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, a well-respected audio brand originally founded in 1953. Because of that, this tablet has speakers with GREAT audio quality.
To keep it short, its speakers have rich details, powerful sound, minimal distortion, and wide soundstage. It also has a near surround sound experience as the tablet comes with a pair of speakers on each side.
It sounded loud and clear for listening to music, watching videos, and even while doing calls.
Yes, you read that part right, This tablet is also good for calls. It is can do a fine job for voice records as well. Why? It has a total of 5 microphones. The five microphones are designed to allow a 360-degree noise cancellation to ensure that your voice is loud and clear most of the time.
 |
| Decent 13MP main cam |
And of course, this tablet works very well with most True Wireless Stereo earphones such as the FreeBuds 3 due to its use of the more stable Bluetooth 5.1 tech.
While I do not really advise taking photos using your tablet, MatePad Pro's 13MP main shooter can deliver respectable images, unlike most tablets. The 8MP selfie camera could also be good for video calls as long as you are in a well-lit scenario.
If you use the Huawei MeeTime, you can enjoy clear HD video calls even if your internet connection is not that strong or the scenario is a bit dim.
Flagship-level performance
 |
| Almost 500K score |
This tablet is equipped with the Kirin 990 chip inside, the same beastly 7nm processor found on the Mate 30 Pro. Currently, Kirin 990 is arguably the fastest and most capable chip that you'll see on tablets today.
In particular, Kirin 990 is a 2.86GHz fast octa-core chip with a Dual NPU (Big-Core + Tiny-Core) and Mali-G76 MP16 GPU. The GPU of this device even has the New-Gen GPU Turbo tech to enhance the gaming experience further.
Only the Kirin 990 5G found on the higher-end MatePad Pro 5G is faster than this on tablets yet.
 |
| All high settings at NBA 2K20, no problem |
As a result, the MatePad Pro is super fast. It opens most apps with ease and it can play heavy games with no hiccups and stable thermals.
To complement its fast chip, it has 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The 128GB storage is expandable if you have Huawei's proprietary NM card. It also has a massive 7,250mAh battery. Even under heavy usage with 4G LTE or WiFi all the time, it can last for 2 days on a single charge.
Even if you binge-watch or play games almost non-stop with speakers, it can last for around 12 to 14 hours straight.
Charging is also quite fast using the stock 22.5W charger. You'll only need 3 hours to fully charge it from 0 to 100 percent. If you use an aftermarket 40W SuperCharge charger, charging time is even faster at around 2 hours from 0 to 100 percent.
Tip: This tablet has 15W Wireless Charge and 7.5W Reverse Wireless Charge.
Multitasking
 |
| Floating apps |
The MatePad Pro could be a good laptop alternative due to its multitasking capabilities. It's a multitasking machine.
 |
| Split-screen |
It has floating apps, split-screen for opening two apps at the same time, and an App Multiplier that can automatically split the screen of compatible apps to let you multitask better and be more productive.
For example, your shopping options at Lazada will be shown on one side and you can compare the item on the other side.
 |
| App Multiplier |
You can even open 3 apps at the same time if you don't mind the floating app while on split-screen mode.
For example, I can read news articles on one side and open another app on the side while there's another app on the floating window.
This is a MatePad Pro capability that you won't normally see on other Android tablets.
 |
| Connected to a P40 Pro using the Huawei Keyboard |
Another thing, if you are one of those lucky early buyers of the MatePad Pro who got the Huawei Keyboard for FREE, you are in for a treat.
Apart from its keyboard functionalities that will let you type documents with ease and more, the Huawei Keyboard will allow you to connect your Huawei smartphone with NFC and Huawei Share like the P40 Pro.
Note: The NFC sensor is located on the right switch key. All you need to do is tap your phone thereafter opening the Huawei Share and turning on the NFC to connect.
Once connected, you can swiftly transfer files from your tablet to the PC. This mode will also allow you to control your phone even if it is a few feet away from the tablet.
 |
| Desktop mode |
If you want a laptop-like experience, you can enter the Desktop mode. Here the tablet will function as a laptop with Linux OS where you can use multiple apps on different windows similar to a regular PC.
M-Pencil is FUN
 |
| M-Pencil in action |
One of the best features of the MatePad Pro is its M-Pencil compatibility. If you have the M-Pencil, you can have direct access to the Notepad. It can be used to jot down notes, draw, paint, navigate your tablet, and more.
It comes with a 4,096 pressure sensing level so it feels just like an actual pencil, ballpen, or even a paintbrush. In my experience, it is very accurate.
The M-Pencil can be charged wirelessly on top of the tablet and it has magnets so it won't fall that easily. 30 seconds of charging is enough to make the pen work for 10 minutes.
It can be connected to your MatePad via Bluetooth.
The M-Pencil is great for those who have creative minds and those who simply love jotting down notes.
AppGallery top apps!
 |
| AppGallery |
To recall, the AppGallery is the new gateway to plenty of apps on modern Huawei devices. Currently, AppGallery is the 3rd largest app marketplace in the world and it is steadily and quickly growing.
 |
| AppGallery |
Of course, the MatePad Pro has it and it is the place where I downloaded most of my top apps.
 |
| Apps we installed 1 |
AppGallery has plenty of categories—18 as a matter of fact. The categories include Games, Business, Communication, Finance, Kids, Media and entertainment, Personalized themes, Shopping, Tools, Books and references, Cars, Education, Food and drink, Lifestyle and convenience, Navigation, Photography, Sports and health, and Travel and accommodation.
 |
| Apps we installed 2 |
I used it to download games such as Asphalt 9 as well as iQIYI and Viu to stream new Asian dramas. I also like that it has a link that points to the Amazon Prime Video web app so I can watch other international exclusive contents such as The Boys.
Using AppGallery, I was able to download Photo and Drawing apps such as Drawing Desk, Meitu, Pencil sketch cam, and more as well.
AppGallery also has plenty of productivity, communications, social media, shopping, and banking apps like the WPS Office, GCash, Viber, TikTok, Wattpad, Booky, PayMaya, BDO, Lazada, Shopee, and more.
It also map-related apps such as Here WeGo, FoodPanda, Grab, and more.
We also like that a lot of the above-mentioned apps are local apps curated for PH use.
Editor's Choice: Top app picks on Huawei AppGallery
If the app that you need is not found on the AppGallery yet, Huawei has several solutions. The tech giant recently introduced AppGo and Petal Search Widget. Petal Search Widget serves as a gateway to a million apps.
 |
| AppGo |
AppGo is the app that helps its users find the apps and provide download links or recommend similar apps. For example, it'll tell you if the app that you are searching for is available via AppGallery, third party app markets like APKPure, or if the app has a web version.
I used this to download Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and more on the MatePad Pro.
 |
| YouTube via Petal Search Widget |
Apart from being a search engine, Petal Search Widget allows users to search from third-party sources, download them, and run them. Similar to the AppGo, it gives similar apps as well.
If the app that you are looking for is from Google like YouTube, it gave me a suggestion to open YouTube via browser or download alternatives such as YouTube Vanced.
Since most Google apps are web-based, you can simply create a shortcut from the browser. For example, Petal Search Widget helped me create a Google Keep shortcut on the desktop of the tablet.
 |
| Four-layer threat detection |
If you worry about security, Huawei has recently added four-layer threat detection. The purpose of this is to ensure all user data is contained within the device and every app installation is screened for threats without exemption. It also has strict security detection for malicious behavior detection, privacy check, security vulnerability scanning, and the manual real-name security check.
 |
| Rewards on AppGallery |
Using the AppGallery could also let you win Huawei Points, app vouchers, and VIP privileges.
This is a good sign of Huawei's growth even without Google. The tablet works well without Google Services out of the box and even if you don't sideload it. Huawei made it possible.
Huawei MatePad Pro Specs
Display: 10.8-inch IPS screen w/ WQXGA 2560 x 1600 resolution at 280 ppi
CPU: 2.86GHz 7nm Kirin 990 octa-core processor w/ Dual NPU (Big-Core + Tiny-Core)
GPU: Mali-G76 MP16 w/ GPU Turbo (New-Gen)
RAM: 6GB LPDDR4X
ROM: 128GB expandable via NM card slot up to 256GB
Back Camera: 13MP f/1.8 w/ PDAF and LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0
Battery: 7,250mAh w/ 40W SuperCharge + 15W Wireless Charge + 7.5W Reverse Wireless Charge
OS: Android 10 w/ EMUI 10.0.1
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 700MHz 4G LTE Cat 21, Bluetooth 5.1 LE, aptX HD, LDAC, OTG, NFC, GPS (L1 + L5 dual-band), A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo (E1 + E5a dual-band), QZZS (L1 + L5 dual-band)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure
Others: Fingerprint sensor, 4x speakers, 5x microphones, Colors: Orange, White, Green, Gray
Dimensions: 246 x 159 x 7.2 mm
Weight: 460 g
Price: PHP 32,990
Price: PHP 32,990
Quick thoughts
MatePad Pro made Android tablets relevant again.
It's a solid tablet work and play with great build, modern design, nice display, strong specs, long battery life, and plenty of other features such as the Harman Kardon quad-speaker setup, 5 microphones in total, and Huawei Keyboard and M-Pencil support.
While it is not perfect and it can't do everything, this is a great tool if you are not a power user and you want a compact "mini laptop" for typing documents, answering emails, and surfing the net as well as a tablet that you can use for watching movies, playing games, social media, being creative, and more.
We also like its set of above-mentioned multitasking features that could help you increase your productivity together with Huawei's valiant effort of providing plenty of apps and alternative solutions to still provide a great Android experience despite the lack of Google Services.
At PHP 32,990, the MatePad Pro is a highly compelling device. For its purpose, it gets things done.
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