The Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6-inch is the first tablet to be powered by the new Harmony OS and it is certainly sizing up to compete for the high-end tablet market. With a 12.6-inch OLED display, it’s slightly smaller than the iPad Pro 12.9-inch and lacks the mini-LED display but it does have some interesting features for those looking to use it more creatively.
This model now has a full-size keyboard that attaches magnetically to the tablet, with Bluetooth connectivity and wireless charging. It also allows the use of a Bluetooth mouse with the tablet. You can perform both left and right clicks, and even use the scroll wheel.
The Harmony OS home screen has a dynamic layout, allowing you to customize the widgets. There is an update to the MatePad Pro app multiplier that allows a split-screen display to run two apps at once and both a voice control and handwriting function to input text into any box using voice recognition or handwriting using the M-Pencil.
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Making use of the Harmony OS, you can easily drag and drop files between the tablet and both smartphones and PCs. You can also mirror a PC screen onto the tablet to use the M-Pencil for any PC application. Alternatively, it can be used a second screen.
The MatePad Pro features eight speakers and four microphones, including three linear mics for noise reduction on calls. There are three cameras on the rear – a 13MP primary camera, a winde-angle and a 3D sensing camera. Thanks to a huge 10,050mAh battery it has a battery life of 14 hours and uses Wi-Fi 6+ for connectivity.
The MatePad Pro 12.6-inch comes in three colors (silver frost, matte gray and olive green) and is available from June 10, with a pre-order in China now, priced from 4999RMB (£553/$783/AU$1011). Price and availability in Europe, US and Australia is yet to be confirmed.
M-Pencil (2nd Gen)
To accompany the new MatePad Pro, Huawei announced a next-generation M-Pencil. The new model has an updated look and features, with a transparent nib design that not only looks more pen-like but also allows you to more accurately place the nib on the tablet. You can now double tap on the body of the M-Pencil to perform tasks, such as swapping between the brush and eraser tool in notepad. The Pencil Engine Suite provides a range of additional functions, including the ability to create straight lines for charts and shapes with a rough sketch.
The M-Pencil (2nd Gen) is available from June 10 and to pre-order now in China, priced 599RMB (£66/$94/AU$121). Price and availability in Europe, US and Australia is yet to be confirmed.
More MatePad models
The 10.8-inch MatePad Pro has also been given a upgrade with a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor and Harmony OS. It will also be compatible with the second gen M-Pencil and priced from 3799rmb (£420/$595/AU$768).
A new MatePad 11 model will use the Snapdragon 865 processor. It will also be powered by Harmony OS and compatible with the new full-size keyboard and second-gen M-Pencil.
MateView monitors
In addition to the new tablets, Huawei announced two new Harmony OS desktop monitors. The MateView monitor is a 28.2-inch wireless monitor with a 4K display. It features in-built stereo speakers, a smart bar touch control along the bottom of the screen and can connect to a smart phone to work as an external display by tapping the phone on the base of the monitor. For regular laptop and desktop connections it also has a USB-C input.
The MateView GT is a 34-inch curved display with a 165Hz refresh rate, making it ideal for gamers. There is a soundbar built into the base, with an ambient light that can be synced to your game or music.
