A tablet is definitely the best bedside device money can buy you, but it also goes without saying that that’s not its only use. Today I propose to take a look at one of the representatives of the tablet market HUAWEI MatePad Air.
Equipment and appearance
The HUAWEI MatePad Air comes in a cardboard box, inside which is the tablet itself, a clip for the SIM card tray, a USB cable and a 40-watt Huawei SuperCharge power supply. When purchasing, however, you will receive two boxes, not one. What’s in the second one? Magnetic keyboard, which further expands the capabilities of the device.
The appearance of the tablet is quite standard. Before us is a rectangle made of glass and plastic. The glass, of course, is on the front and covers an 11.5-inch screen with an IPS matrix and a resolution of 2800×1840 (3:2) pixels. The vertical scan frequency varies from 30 to 144 Hz depending on what’s happening on the screen thanks to VRR (Variable Refresh Rate). The stated brightness of the panel is 500 nits. The bezels around the screen are quite narrow and have the same width on all sides, and the screen ultimately takes up 87% of the front panel of the device.
The back of the tablet is minimalistic and contains only the company logo and the main camera with flash. Here it is worth noting the very interesting color of the lid, which from a distance seems monochromatic, but up close the situation changes.
The frame of the case, as mentioned above, is plastic, and the interesting thing here is that it has four speaker grids, a power button and a volume rocker, a SIM card tray and contacts for connecting the aforementioned keyboard. The frame itself is rounded, which adds convenience when using the tablet.
The physical dimensions of the tablet are 262x178x6.4 millimeters, and the weight is 508 grams.
Screen
As mentioned earlier, the tablet has an IPS matrix with a vertical scan frequency of up to 144 Hz. VRR works perfectly and promptly changes the screen refresh rate, which allows it to show the smoothest image when scrolling and save energy while viewing photos and videos or working with text.
The tablet’s screen also boasts excellent color reproduction with 94% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB. This means that you can work with color-sensitive tasks on the tablet. Unfortunately, there is very little software for such activities on Android, but it still exists.
Performance and software
The tablet received a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 8 GB of RAM. The operating system here is currently HarmonyOS 3.1. Let me clarify in advance that the user will not have any problems with any software for regular Android. Yes, Google services are not here initially, but there is AppGallery, which we have already talked about more than once with its advantages regarding the Play Store. The main one, of course, is the ability to pay with domestic cards (including Mir), and no one is removing bank applications from here due to sanctions.
Well, if you need services from Google, then the GBox application will allow you to download everything you need.
In general, the system is fast and no problems were noticed with it during the preparation period for writing the review. As for performance tests, you will find their results below.
Keyboard
The complete keyboard consists of two parts: a stand with the ability to adjust the position of the screen, as well as the keyboard itself. Both parts are attached to the tablet using magnets, and the keyboard half is also connected through contacts on one of the edges of the device. This is good, since such a keyboard does not need to be charged separately, which means it will work as long as the tablet has a charge.
The key travel is clear, but, for me, a little too deep. This does not cause any inconvenience when typing, just a bit of taste.
Camera
The tablet is equipped with a 13-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture and an 8-megapixel front selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture. Users have access to Pro mode, beauty mode, night mode and even slowmo. I suggest you look at examples of photos taken with the main camera below.
I don’t see much point in commenting on anything. The tablet is not a device for taking photos or videos, but the HUAWEI MatePad Air copes with these tasks at a decent level. By the way, I don’t recommend using beauty treatment – the filter is very aggressive.
Autonomy
The HUAWEI MatePad Air has an 8300 mAh battery. This is a pretty solid figure for a device of this size, but how long will the 11.5-inch screen and the famously hot Snapdragon 888 last?
In games, the tablet provides about 5 hours of operation on a single charge, and the user can watch videos from YouTube at half the screen brightness for about 16 hours without interruptions. In the mode of working with documents or when reading, you can count on 20 hours from a single charge.
As for replenishing the spent charge, it occurs with a power of up to 40 W and the included power supply allows you to charge the device from zero to 100% in an hour and a half. Very decent performance for an 8300 mAh battery.
Let’s summarize traditionally
HUAWEI MatePad Air – a solid tablet with good hardware inside, an excellent (albeit not quite flagship) screen, as well as extensive functionality. In addition to the keyboard, the supported useful accessories also include the HUAWEI M-Pencil stylus, but it must be purchased separately. Additionally, the tablet has excellent battery life and a pleasant-to-touch body. In general, it’s not difficult to recommend purchasing a tablet, but the final decision, as always, remains yours.
