Review Huawei MatePad 11.5”S Papermatte Edition with attractive price

The new Huawei MatePad 11.5”S Papermatte Edition is a tablet with an 11.5” screen. It is 6.2 mm thick, weighs 510 grams and has HarmonyOS 4.2 as operating system. Striking is the matte reflection-free screen, called PaperMatte, which has a paper-like structure. A detachable keyboard and M-pen can be supplied as an option. The tablet is available in three colors.

Operating system
We are used to operating systems based on Google’s Android or Apple’s iOS. Huawei has developed its own operating system that is very similar to Android in appearance and operation. The Android App Store is not available and therefore the Huawei AppGallary or other channels must be used. Commonly used apps for browsing and mail are of course standard. Other applications, such as Facebook and YouTube, are not available but can be started via the Internet browser. Many other common apps are or will be available soon, because the HarmonyOS operating system is still working on them.

Technology
The matte TFT-LCD-IPS screen has a 3:2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2800 x 1840 pixels with an automatic refresh rate of 30 to 144 Hz. The image looks good with correct color reproduction. The maximum brightness at SDR is 500 and at HDR 1000 can be reached. The color gamut is wide with DCI-P3.
The processor used is not shown in the settings, but it would be the HiSilicon Kirin 9000WL, which is comparable to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1. The RAM is 8 GB and the storage capacity is a generous 256 GB. That is a nice combination in this price range.
The cameras are an F1.8/13MP on the back and an F2.0/8MP selfie camera at the top of the screen. That’s fine for video calls and the like. Photos are possible up to 4160 x 3120 pixels and video up to full-hd or 1920 x 1080. The sound is produced by 2x 2watt speakers on the short sides and sounds surprisingly good. Wireless communication is with Wi-Fi 5 and BT5.2. The USB port is type-C 3.0. The battery is 8800 mAh and should be good for several days, depending on use. The charging power is a maximum of 22.5 watts. This tablet has no NFC and GPS support and also no 3.5mm audio jack and SD slot.

Practical test
The tablet works reasonably fast with a smooth display. The Papermatte screen looks sharp and has hardly any reflection. In the sun you have to tilt the screen in such a way that the image is optimal. The touch control is somewhat less smooth and responsive than we are used to with other tablets. Holding on to the narrow screen edges also sometimes causes an unwanted command. So that takes some getting used to. The M-Pen, which works with a Near-Link connection to the tablet, works correctly, quickly, with low latency (or very little delay) and with 10,000+ pressure levels. Two apps (GoPaint and Huawei Notes) are included, with which we were able to test the M-pen and that works very well. The simple wireless Near-Link keyboard connects magnetically via a connector on the bottom and works satisfactorily. Both the pen and keyboard contribute to increasing productivity.

Conclusion
For this price it is an interesting tablet where the strength lies in the creative and graphic processing possibilities in combination with the optional pen. It should be taken into account that the lack of Google apps, the App Store and GPS location services can be a limitation.

Huawei MatePad 11.5”S

Suggested retail price: € 399,-
Keyboard: €100.00
M-Pen: €49.00

+ interesting specifications
+ attractively priced
– no full range of apps
– no GPS