INTRO
Are you looking for a reasonably priced tablet for study, work or play? A tablet that is light and small to take with you from your room to the den, to the office or school, or to a coffee shop or bring along with your wherever you go? A tablet that you can easily type with a keyboard, control with a mouse or write and draw with a pen?
If yes, the new 2022 version of the Huawei Matepad 10.4 might be the tablet for you. Let’s find out why.
EXCITING FEATURES
The 2022 version of the Huawei Matepad has these impressive features:
- 10.4 inch 2K Fullview Display with 84% screen-to-body ration
- Premium Cinema-grade Harman Kardon sound speakers
- Noise reduction mics ideal for online classes/meetings
- Powerful 7,250 mAh long battery life that can last up to 12 hours of work use or Full HD viewing
- Supported by productivity peripherals like the 2nd generation M-Pencil and Smart Keyboard
- Micro curved frame making the device look thinner and easier to hold
- Small and lightweight
- Multi-screen collaboration, Multi-window and App Multiplier features
WHAT’S IN THE BOX (UNBOXING)
Inside the Matepad 10.4 box:
- Tablet (built-in battery) x 1
- Charger
- Type-C cable Eject pin
- Quick Start Guide & Warranty card
PRODUCTIVITY PERIPHERALS
The tablet’s functionality can be further enhanced with these productivity add-ons: Smart Keyboard case and M-Pencil 2.
Inside the Smart Keyboard box:
Inside the Huawei M-Pencil with Cradle box:
FIRST IMPRESSION
Size and Weight
I travelled to Davao recently and instead of carrying my usual laptop, I decided to bring the Huawei Matepad 10.4 instead. Definitely happy with the decision of carrying less weight (additional allowance for “pasalubongs”) and smaller “laptop”.
Inside the plane on the way to Davao, I connected my bluetooth headset. Within the 30 minutes plane on the runway waiting to taxi & fly, plus 1 hour 45 minutes flight time, I managed to:
- chat on messenger & viber and browse social media during the long wait to take off
- listen to music store offline on Spotify while creating my travel content plan on Microsoft Word
- watch a part of an episode of Korean Zombie series Happiness on Netflix
Display
The 2K fullview 10.4 inches IPS touchscreen display is bright at 470 nits readable even in bright daylight. The screen size is ideally wide for spreadsheet work like google sheets or excel or even browsing PDFs and great for video content like Netflix and Youtube.
Speed and Responsiveness
The tablet is fast and responsive on productivity tools. I still have to test it with games in the full review.
Microphone
The tablet, with its three noise cancelling microphones, is ideal for online class or meetings along with a good front camera.
Keyboard, Pen and Mouse
With the add-ons of the Smart Keyboard and the M-Pencil with cradle, typing and drawing becomes faster and more enjoyable as if you have a laptop. Good for taking class assignments or work to the cafe or just in the garden or living room for a change of scenery. You can also attach a mouse via bluetooth for a true desktop experience.
Speakers
The immersive stereo speaker of the tablet. I loud enough even on outdoors. While we were on a sunset cruise in the Pearl Farm in Davao, the boat speakers were not working. So I turned on the tablet with Spotify at full blast and it definitely improved the experience of the cruise!
FRONT MAIN CAMERA SAMPLES
Camera of the tablet is quite good for a table. Here are some sample photos unedited.
SELFIE FRONT CAMERA SAMPLES
PROS
For me, the main key selling point of this product is its size. Not too small but not too big. Ideal for lugging around anywhere you go.
The screen and the speaker is good for audio-visuals. From binge-watching, enjoying the music, and even working long hours on it.
It’s fast and responsive enough for its price range and can easily handle productivity tools like documents, spreadsheets, presentation graphics.
Still need to test it for gaming in the detailed review.
With the Super Device option / ecosystem with other Huawei Smart Devices, the possibilities are endless. The tablet can become a secondary screen to your Huawei laptop, transfer files easily to and from Huawei phones and laptops via Huawei Share!
CONS
Here are some of the cons that I have experienced with the tablet:
- screen bit reflective especially outdoors
- pen does not stick or attached to tablet like the Pro versions (maybe to reduce size)
- pen charging done via cradle via USB-C port not magnetically to the tablet
Very minor complaints that can be easily addressed and worked around.
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
The Huawei Matepad 10.4 will be available this May 6, 2022 in the Philippines.
Check out your favorite online and physical stores for their promos and bundles.
