The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 is competing with the iPad Pro, offering impressive specs and accessories like a keyboard and stylus that provide laptop-like functionality.
It excels in display quality with its crisp X-True display, which boasts HDR10 support and 1000 nits peak brightness.
However, the app situation is limited due to the lack of Google Services support.
Design and Build
The design of the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 boasts a large 13.2-inch display, making it quite substantial. However the front end impressively consists of 94% screen space with minimal bezels, measuring just over 3mm, and a small notch for the camera. It’s is notably slim at 5.5mm, and the camera bump is minimal, reducing any wobbling when placed on a table.
The back is made of impact and scratch-resistant glass fiber. We have the golden black color, although a green option is available in selected regions. Unfortunately, the MatePad Pro 13.2 lacks dedicated water resistance, unlike the latest Samsung Galaxy Tabs S9 Ultra, but it does offer splash resistance. Despite its 13.2-inch size, the tablet weighs just 580g, making it easy to carry.
Display and Audio
The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 features a 13.2-inch display with Huawei’s XR panel and a 2880 by 1920 pixel resolution. Branded as X True, it offers true-to-life color production, avoiding the boosted tones found in some devices like Samsung tablets. The display provides crisp contrast and natural visuals, supporting full HDR10 streaming. At maximum brightness, it reaches around 1,000 nits, effective for countering glare outdoors.
The display incorporates Eye Care features, including blue light filters for a comfortable evening experience. It supports a 120 Hz refresh rate, ensuring silky smooth navigation. However, the tablet requires careful handling due to its super-skinny bezels, as thumb and palm flesh can inadvertently touch the display, causing temporary unresponsiveness.
The audio setup includes a six-speaker configuration with four custom woofers and a dual-tweeter design. At maximum volume, the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 reaches over 80dB, delivering powerful sound. The speakers maintain strong audio quality even at high volumes, providing clarity and decent bass. This ensures an enjoyable audio experience, making it easy to hear even in noisy environments.
HarmonyOS Features
If you’ve used a Huawei device recently, the software experience will be familiar. It runs on HarmonyOS offering a nice and intuitive navigation, akin to Android. The apps tray is accessible by dragging down, and notifications are easily viewable. Swiping from the right comes the control center similar to iOS.
However downloading apps begins with Huawei’s AppGallery, which is not as comprehensive as the App Store or Play Store. Gaps exist but for anything missing, the Petal Search feature is handy, Simply type in the app name, and options from sources like AppGallery, APKPure, etc., will appear. Storage options include 256 or 512 GB, and while you can’t use Huawei’s proprietary memory cards for expansion, the absence of SIM support means it’s Wi-Fi only.
Multitasking
With apps downloaded from the Huawei AppGallery, you can run them side by side in resizable windows, allowing for easy adjustments to aspect ratios. Apps can be temporarily hidden and brought back when needed. However, not all apps support resizing. The multitasking menu, while generally user-friendly, can become cluttered with apps appearing on top of each other.
For example, Netflix, downloaded via Petal Search, lacks the option for a floating window; it can only run in the background with other apps on top. If you own other Huawei devices like a smartphone or laptop, the super device connectivity feature allows you to run your phone app on the tablet screen alongside tablet apps, streamlining the user experience.
Keyboard and Stylus
If you purchase the magnetic keyboard dock accessory, it adds a kickstand to the tablet’s back and transforms the MatePad Pro 13.2 into a makeshift laptop. The keys span the entire width of the board, providing a satisfying typing experience with 1.5mm of travel and clicky feedback.
The keyboard is detachable, allowing flexibility to rest it on your lap or any convenient surface. This is handy for using it on a train. However, in some apps like Notes, typing quickly may cause the final letter in a word to be missed.
It’s worth noting that I am testing the MatePad Pro in an early, pre-release state, and this issue may be resolved before the official release. The keyboard also has a touchpad with full multi-touch capabilities, surpassing some touchpads found on fully-fledged laptops.
Huawei’s third-generation M Pencil stylus is sold separately but offers great functionality with the tablet. It can be conveniently stored at the top of the tablet, where it also charges. The magnetic connection is robust, ensuring it won’t accidentally detach.
The stylus utilizes NeoLink, a short-range wireless communication technology, providing highly responsive pressure-based sketching with zero latency. It features a virtual button for connecting to the tablet, allowing quick toggling between sketching and erasing with a double tap.
Additionally, dragging the stylus tip down from the top right corner reveals a brief menu for annotations or taking snippets. This offers versatile options for scribbling and sketching on documents.
Cameras
The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 sports a 16-megapixel front-facing selfie camera alongside a Time-of-Flight sensor for reliable face recognition. Facial recognition works smoothly even in low-light conditions, providing a secure and convenient way to unlock the tablet. Notably, it lacks a fingerprint sensor, making the face recognition feature particularly valuable.
The tablet excels in video calls with built-in microphones capturing voices from across the room. Huawei has implemented noise-canceling AI features to minimize background noise, ensuring clear communication.
Surprisingly, the MatePad Pro 13.2 includes a pair of cameras on the back: a 13-megapixel regular shooter and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens. While the ultra-wide-angle lens could prove useful for tasks like document scanning, it’s advised against using a tablet for photography or video recording in real-world scenarios.
Performance
Regarding performance, the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 is powered by the Kirin 9000s chipset, ensuring seamless gaming experiences, even for intense games like Bus Driver Life. The dramatic opening of the game, featuring a plane explosion, took me by surprise, but the tablet handled it without a hitch.
As I navigated the chaotic city environment, interacting with seemingly unconcerned characters, the tablet exhibited flawless performance. Equipped with 12GB of RAM, the MatePad Pro easily handled multitasking and demanding applications.
It features a stainless steel vapor chamber for cooling, along with graphite layers and other heat dissipation measures. These features are likely overkill for a game like Driver Life, but they ensure the tablet remains cool during more demanding tasks.
Battery life
The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 boasts a 10,000mAh battery within its slim yet substantial frame. During my initial days of use, it consistently delivered around 10 to 11 hours of mixed usage on a full charge before needing a recharge.
When utilizing the cameras extensively for activities like Skype or Zoom, the battery life shortens to approximately 6 hours, which is still commendable. Similar to the OnePlus Pad, the battery drain is minimal when the tablet is in hibernation, eliminating the need to power it down after each use.
The Huawei MatePad Pro supports 88W charging, enabling a full charge in just over an hour, even from a fully drained.
Final Thought
The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 impresses with its striking X-True display and HDR10 support, boasting a peak brightness of 1000 nits. Its slim profile and minimal bezels offer a lightweight yet substantial feel.
HarmonyOS powers the device, providing a user-friendly interface. However, the lack of Google Services support presents a notable limitation in the app ecosystem.
The optional keyboard dock enhances productivity, and the stylus supports multitasking capabilities. The Kirin 9000s chipset ensures robust performance, contributing to a well-rounded tablet.
Despite these strengths, the MatePad Pro 13.2 faces challenges in the competitive tablet market, particularly in terms of app availability and the absence of water resistance.
The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 boasts an X-True display, HDR10 support, and a lightweight design. It runs on HarmonyOS, but lacks Google Services support. Its keyboard dock and Kirin 9000s chipset enhance productivity, but faces challenges in app availability and water resistance.
- Design8
- Display8.5
- HarmonyOS and Features6.5
- Keyboard8
- Stylus8
- Audio7.5
- Performance7.5
- Battery Life8
- Camera7