In recent years, with the increasing popularity and demand for smart devices, the tablet market has seen intense competition from multiple brands. Apple’s iPad series, as the industry leader, has dominated the market for a long time thanks to its excellent hardware, software, and ecosystem. However, in recent years, Huawei, with its strong R&D capabilities and innovative thinking, has launched several competitive tablet products. Among these, the MatePad 13.2-inch is one of Huawei’s flagship products in the tablet market, attempting to challenge the iPad’s position. So, how does this tablet perform in terms of performance, design, display, and system? Can it truly challenge the iPad and become a potential star in the tablet market?
1. Appearance and Design
The design of the Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch continues Huawei’s minimalist and high-end style. The entire device features an all-metal body, providing a great hand-feel and visually conveying an elegant, high-end sense. The MatePad 13.2 has a thickness of 6.3mm and weighs 600g. Although it is slightly heavier, the weight is still relatively reasonable for a 13.2-inch tablet.
1.1 Display Performance
The MatePad 13.2-inch adopts a 13.2-inch full-screen display with a screen-to-body ratio of up to 90%, making the overall design more sleek and modern. The screen has a resolution of 2560 x 1600, supporting a high color gamut display with vibrant and accurate colors. Whether for watching videos, playing games, or graphic design, the color reproduction is excellent and highly expressive.
The screen also supports a 120Hz refresh rate, making the experience very smooth. Whether browsing websites, switching apps, or playing games, the transition animations are fluid, with almost no stutter. Especially when using applications that support high refresh rates, the MatePad’s fluidity surpasses many other tablets in the same price range.
1.2 Overall Design
The entire device adopts rounded edges, and the curvature of the corners is moderate, offering a comfortable grip. Even with prolonged use, it doesn’t cause discomfort to the hand. On the back, aside from Huawei’s classic logo, the design is incredibly simple, conveying a minimalist aesthetic. The metal backplate makes the entire device more refined and adds to its premium feel.
2. Hardware Configuration and Performance
The Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch is powered by Huawei’s self-developed Kirin 9000E chipset, which is a high-performance chip built using a 5nm process. Compared to the previous generation of Kirin chips, the performance and energy efficiency of the Kirin 9000E have been greatly improved. The chip boasts powerful graphics processing capabilities and ARM architecture, ensuring that the MatePad 13.2 delivers high efficiency in various tasks.
2.1 Performance
In practical use, the MatePad 13.2-inch performs excellently. Whether for daily office tasks, entertainment, web browsing, or more complex tasks like graphic design and video editing, everything runs smoothly without noticeable stutter. Even when multiple apps are open simultaneously, the MatePad 13.2 maintains good stability and responsiveness.
In benchmarking tests, the MatePad 13.2 scores impressively, rivaling the performance of high-end smartphones. Its graphics rendering and gaming performance are also outstanding, with large 3D games running smoothly and with clear details.
2.2 Storage and Battery Life
The Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch offers several storage configurations, including 6GB/8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage, which should meet the needs of most users. If more storage is needed, the MatePad also supports microSD card expansion, further enhancing storage flexibility.
In terms of battery life, the Huawei MatePad 13.2 is equipped with a large 8300mAh battery. In actual usage, the MatePad 13.2 performs excellently in terms of battery life, easily lasting a full day under typical usage. Even during power-hungry activities like video playback, its battery life can still satisfy the needs of most users.
3. System and Software Experience
The Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch runs on HarmonyOS, Huawei’s self-developed operating system, which is compatible with Android apps and optimized for tablet devices. The design of HarmonyOS is simple and intuitive, making it easy for users to get started while offering many features that are tightly integrated with the tablet experience.
3.1 HarmonyOS Adaptation and Multitasking
With the support of HarmonyOS, the MatePad 13.2-inch can handle multitasking very smoothly. For example, users can open multiple windows simultaneously and even drag and drop files for quick movement between apps. This is a very practical feature for users who need efficient office work or multitasking.
Additionally, the MatePad 13.2 supports split-screen mode, allowing users to divide the screen into two areas and run two apps simultaneously, greatly improving work and study efficiency.
3.2 App Ecosystem and Compatibility
Compared to Android, the HarmonyOS app ecosystem is still developing. While it supports most Android apps, some apps still need better optimization. However, Huawei has made numerous software optimizations to bridge the gap in the ecosystem. For most users, compatibility issues in daily usage are minimal, and the app store covers most common needs.
3.3 Smart Device Interconnectivity
As part of Huawei’s ecosystem, the MatePad 13.2 integrates well with other Huawei devices (such as smartphones, laptops, and smartwatches). For instance, users can use the Huawei Share feature to copy and paste across devices, share files, and perform other tasks conveniently. Furthermore, the MatePad supports wireless mouse and keyboard connectivity, further enhancing the office experience.
4. Cameras and Audio
Although the cameras on tablet devices are not usually a major focus, Huawei has made significant improvements in this area. The front camera is 8MP, while the rear camera is 13MP, which is adequate for daily photo-taking and video calls.
In terms of audio, the MatePad 13.2 features four speakers tuned by Harman Kardon, and the sound quality is impressive. Whether listening to music, watching videos, or playing games, the audio is clear and loud, with balanced bass and treble. Coupled with the large screen, the MatePad 13.2 offers an enhanced entertainment experience.
5. Huawei MatePad 13.2 vs iPad Comparison
Although the Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch performs excellently in terms of design, performance, and overall experience, it still faces significant challenges in competing with the iPad’s market dominance. First, the iPad benefits from a strong ecosystem and seamless integration with other Apple products, allowing it to maintain its leadership in the high-end tablet market. While the MatePad 13.2 is strong in hardware, it still falls short in terms of ecosystem and app compatibility.
Additionally, despite the MatePad 13.2’s impressive display, performance, and multitasking features, the iPad still has a noticeable advantage in system fluidity, optimization, and ecosystem interconnectivity, especially in education, office work, and creative fields, where the iPad remains the preferred choice for many users.
Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch is undoubtedly an impressive tablet. It performs strongly across hardware, display, performance, battery life, and system functionality, making it a suitable choice for most users. For Huawei fans and those interested in trying a new system, the MatePad 13.2 is definitely worth considering.
However, to truly challenge the iPad’s market position, Huawei still needs to make more efforts in software ecosystem development and app compatibility. Nevertheless, the Huawei MatePad 13.2-inch has certainly set a new benchmark in the Chinese tablet market, making it a highly competitive product for consumers.