The Huawei MatePad Pro 5G is a high end tablet with next gen connectivity, but it starts at $785. The MatePad 10.4 is cheaper, $280 for the Wi-Fi only option, but is not as capable. In the midway point between those two lies the new Huawei MatePad 5G.
The Huawei MatePad 5G builds on the MatePad 10.4 from earlier this year
It is fairly similar to the 10.4 model, however it upgrades to the Kirin 820 chipset. This brings with it a 5G modem along with Wi-Fi 6. Compared to the Kirin 810 of the other tablet it has double the Cortex-A76 cores (four in total) and a more powerful Mali-G57 MP6 GPU (up to 30% faster than the G52 MP6). Also, there’s only one memory configuration for this slate, 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB storage (expandable via a microSD card).
Chipset aside, there are more similarities than differences. The MatePad 5G has the same 10.4” IPS LCD panel with 2,000 x 1,200 px resolution. Next to it is the same 8 MP front-facing camera, on the opposite sides is another 8 MP cam. There are four speakers mounted around the perimeter along with four microphones.
The battery capacity remains the same, 7,250 mAh, but charging speed has been increased slightly to 22.5 W (up from 18 W). 30 minutes gets the battery up to 30%, going to 100% takes 2.5 hours.
Charging is done over the USB-C port, which now has to serve double duty as the wired headphones port – the 3.5 mm jack has been dropped (at least you get a Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter in the box).
This tablet is compatible with a couple of key accessories – a hardware keyboard cover and the M-Pencil stylus. Since the slate runs EMUI 10.1 (based on Android 10, no GMS), it supports Huawei’s desktop experience, which can turn it into a compact laptop replacement.
Bluetooth keyboard • M-Pencil stylus
The Huawei MatePad 5G can already be pre-ordered from Vmall.com at a price of CNY 3,200 in White and Gray. For comparison, the MatePad 10.4 with LTE and the same 6/128 GB memory configuration goes for CNY 2,500. There’s no word on if and when this tablet will be available globally.
