Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2 review: Doodler’s delight

Huawei has launched quite a lot of tablets this 12 months, and with every new mannequin that crosses my desk, I appear to dub it the perfect Android pill for illustration and digital artwork. Now, the MatePad Professional 12.2 has arrived, and it’s gunning for that title but once more.

So, what makes these tablets so good for doodling, it’s possible you’ll be questioning? It’s a mix of Huawei’s ultra-low-latency NearLink stylus, the textured anti-glare PaperMatte show choices and Huawei’s unique GoPaint app – which is principally a clone of the extraordinarily standard (and iOS-exclusive) Procreate.

With this newest slate, Huawei is bringing dual-layer tandem OLED tech and a PaperMatte end collectively for the primary time. There’s additionally a large battery, quick charging, a great deal of audio system and a brand new thoughtfully designed keyboard cowl. It’s off to a promising begin.

Nonetheless, it is a Huawei product, and, sadly, that comes with some baggage. There’s no entry to Google companies with out workarounds, and also you gained’t discover the newest Qualcomm chip right here both. Is that this pill nonetheless value contemplating? I’ve been utilizing it for the final week in an try to search out out.

Design, Construct & Equipment

• Distinctive Golden Silk end
• 5.5mm thick, 508g
• New Glide keyboard and M-Pencil

With a 12.2-inch show onboard, it’s no shock that the MatePad Professional 12.2 is a reasonably sizeable pill. Fortunately, using slim, symmetrical bezels retains the scale in verify, whereas it’s pretty light-weight and so transportable sufficient to tackle the street.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Huawei says it’s the lightest 12-inch pill ever, tipping the scales at simply 508g with out equipment. For reference, Apple’s 13-inch iPad Professional weighs in at 579g, whereas Samsung’s 12.4-inch Tab S9+ weighs 581g. There’s not a large quantity in it, however for what it’s value, it feels dense and premium with out being a ache to hold.

My pattern has Huawei’s new Golden Silk end on the rear, and it’s a singular look that I’m positive will divide opinion. It has a matt, paper-like texture to it, plus a sample of interwoven traces that develop into seen as the sunshine hits it. The again of the system seems and feels a bit like fancy wallpaper. Personally, I believe the darker Black end is barely extra acceptable for a ‘Professional’ system, nevertheless it’s good to have choices.

On my pattern, the facet rails have a matt golden end that’s fairly grippy and doesn’t choose up fingerprint smudges. There’s a mix fingerprint reader and energy button on the highest facet, a quantity rocker on the best and a USB-C port on the bottom. Elsewhere, you’ll discover a number of small holes for the pill’s huge array of audio system and microphones.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

The MatePad Professional 12.2 may be bought with an optionally available new keyboard cowl referred to as the Glide Keyboard, and it’s a large design change in comparison with earlier iterations. It’s all one piece, relatively than being a separate kickstand and keyboard part, and this implies you get a way more sturdy hinge as a part of the package deal.

Most designs use a kickstand on the rear of the pill to regulate the angle of the display screen, whereas the keyboard part can flop about with no resistance. This implies they work nice on a desk, however they’re actually tough to make use of in your lap. The brand new Glide Keyboard works extra like a standard laptop computer – you’ll be able to freely alter the angle of the display screen and it’ll keep the place you place it.

There are two pre-set magnetised positions for the pill to sit down at, and also you get an honest vary of ahead movement on the hinge utilizing both one. Neither can tilt backwards from their place to begin, however as an alternative, you’ll be able to transfer the pill ahead, leaving solely the trackpad accessible in what Huawei calls Studio mode.

The hinge has a hidden compartment for storing your M-Pencil, behind the place the pill sits, and it’ll cost when it’s stowed on this location. It’s a way more safe answer than magnetically attaching the stylus to the facet of the pill, the place it will probably simply pop off and get misplaced while you put it in a backpack. Nonetheless, in the event you favor, it nonetheless attaches and fees in that location, too.

This new keyboard is way nicer to sort on than conventional designs – it has very pure feeling spacing, a stiff and inflexible deck and an excellent quantity of key journey. My solely criticism is that there’s no delete key, so you need to use perform and backspace collectively.

The big trackpad works flawlessly, and total I’m extraordinarily impressed with the Glide keyboard. There are a couple of downsides, although. 

The brand new hinge design stands out additional than the pill when folded down, growing the general footprint. It’s additionally so much heavier than a typical keyboard cowl, which negates a number of the weight financial savings of the pill itself. It’s about 420g for the keyboard cowl alone, or 928g for each mixed. Not precisely light-weight, however nonetheless lighter than most laptops.

Display screen & Audio system

• 2.8K 144Hz Tandem OLED show, PaperMatte possibility
• 2000 nits peak brightness
• 8 audio system and a 3.5cc rear chamber

Arguably the largest improve with this mannequin is the dual-layer tandem OLED show, just like the newest iPad Professional fashions and the Honor Magic 6 RSR.

In case you’re not acquainted, this tech basically doubles up on OLED panels to realize the next brightness output with much less stress on the person pixels. The outcome ought to be a show that lives 3 times longer than a standard OLED and has a a lot decrease danger of burn-in when maxing out the brightness ranges.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

The massive distinction right here is that the know-how has been mixed with Huawei’s PaperMatte show tech for the primary time. So that you get a large 2,000,000:1 distinction ratio, a speedy 144Hz refresh fee, as much as 2000 nits of brightness and an opulent anti-glare coating that appears and appears like paper. There’s additionally no notch or cutout on this show, as Huawei has managed to squeeze the front-facing digital camera into the slim bezel. 

In case you’d favor, you’ll be able to go for a standard glass coating, and that may be the way in which to go if you’d like the perfect black ranges for indoor viewing. Personally, although, I completely love the PaperMatte end. It makes the pill infinitely extra usable open air, because it nearly utterly eliminates distracting reflections. On the similar time, it’s extraordinarily smudge-resistant, has a velvety really feel in your fingertips and provides some much-needed friction to the stylus tip while you’re doodling.

HDR content material seems attractive on this show. The shadows are darkish and detailed, and the highlights are eyeball-searing. As talked about, the common glass display screen provides you with barely deeper blacks, however I believe the low reflectivity of the PaperMatte show is a worthwhile trade-off. 

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

There are some software program limitations to be cautious of, although. I watched most of my HDR content material by means of YouTube, which isn’t out there by default and needed to be sideloaded. The identical goes for Netflix, however the lack of a Widevine L1 certification means you’re caught with SDR streaming. So, whereas the show seems attractive, you’ll want to analyze rigorously if the companies you employ play properly with Huawei’s OS.

In relation to audio, Huawei is swinging for the fences once more. You get a whopping complete of 8 speaker drivers, mixed with the model’s largest ever rear cavity speaker chamber for a extra full-bodied sound. 

The result’s an astonishingly loud sound output, and a formidable quantity of bass, contemplating it is a pill that’s simply 5.5mm thick. The audio high quality comes near rivalling price range Bluetooth audio system, and also you actually gained’t have to seize your headphones to take pleasure in watching content material round the home.  

Specs & Efficiency

• Probably Kirin 9000S chipset, however not confirmed
• 12GB RAM
• 512GB Storage

When requested what chip is contained in the MatePad Professional 12.2, Huawei declined to remark, however GSMArena has it listed because the Kirin 9000S. Regardless of the case could also be, it’s undoubtedly considered one of Huawei’s personal Kirin chips, probably just like the one discovered within the Pura 70 Extremely. My pattern has this thriller chip paired with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

US sanctions forestall Huawei from utilizing lots of the newest and best chips, so no matter is in right here, it’s not prone to rival the newest and best from Qualcomm or MediaTek – and that’s in all probability the explanation behind the coyness.

Regardless of that, the pill performs effectively in use. I by no means seen any slowdowns or stuttering, even throughout heavy multitasking. Huawei has finished effectively to optimise its software program for the platform and the result’s a pill that feels snappy and responsive always.

Our benchmarks present that the MatePad Professional 12.2 is behind the competitors, nevertheless it’s not terrible in computational workloads, falling simply shy of Google Tensor G4 efficiency in Geekbench 6. Nonetheless, in GPU-heavy benchmarks, the hole shortly widens. It’s actually not the highest possibility for avid gamers.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

That stated, in the true world, the MatePad Professional 12.2 can run most video games with out concern. To my shock, Genshin Impression on excessive settings remained utterly playable at 30fps. There was the odd slowdown throughout an intense battle, nevertheless it’s not terrible.

Follow the medium preset and you’ll take pleasure in a stable 60fps expertise. You’re not prone to discover a sport the place you’ll be able to take full benefit of the speedy 144Hz show, although.

Huawei MatePad Professional 12.2 PaperMatte Version benchmarks

Cameras

• 13Mp f/1.8 most important – 4K 30fps video
• 8Mp f/2.2 ultrawide
• 16Mp f/2.2 selfie – 1080p 30fps video

Tablets normally have fairly mediocre cameras, and sadly, the MatePad Professional 12.2 isn’t any completely different.

The entrance digital camera is respectable sufficient for video calls, nevertheless it’s not prone to wow anybody. There’s no autofocus and the FOV is just a little tighter than I’d have appreciated. It’s a reasonably small sensor, so it will get noisy at nighttime, however follow well-lit areas and it’ll get the job finished.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Across the again, you get a 13Mp most important digital camera and an 8Mp ultrawide. The primary digital camera is the perfect, nevertheless it’s nonetheless unimpressive. It does, a minimum of, have dependable autofocus and it helps 4K video recording at 30fps. It’s value noting that there’s no optical picture stabilisation, and the digital stabilisation isn’t the perfect, so that you’ll want regular fingers to benefit from this characteristic.

For some motive, Huawei has added a 10x zoom button to the digital camera UI, however I’d chorus from urgent it. The outcomes are so pixelated that they seem like have been taken with a GameBoy.

The ultrawide is about as primary as they arrive, and there’s some barrel distortion on the edges that offers it a little bit of a GoPro look. It’s there in the event you want it, however until you’re scanning a QR code otherwise you’re on a video name, you must in all probability pull out your telephone as an alternative.

Battery Life & Charging

• 10,100 mAh battery pack
• 14 hours of video playback/380 days standby time
• 100W quick charging

The MatePad Professional 12.2 has a large 10,100mAh battery, and the model claims this can provide you as much as 14 hours of video playback on a cost. Huawei additionally advertises distinctive standby time: apparently, it will probably final for over a 12 months whereas sitting idle, then get up once more inside 12 seconds.

Having solely had the pill for every week or so, I couldn’t put that standby time to the take a look at, however I’m glad to listen to some work has been finished in that space. Tablets, extra so than most gadgets, are usually used intermittently, and nothing’s extra irritating than choosing up your slate to search out that it’s drained itself within the drawer.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Paradoxically, that state of affairs could be much less of a ache with this pill, because it helps lightning-quick 100W quick charging. The charger comes provided within the field, and it’s sufficient to take you from totally flat to completely charged in below an hour.

All through my testing, the battery life has been phenomenal. I’m not the type of one who makes use of a pill for a full workday, however with a couple of hours of looking, illustrating and content-watching most evenings, I discovered I solely wanted to cost as soon as every week. 

Software program & Apps

• HarmonyOS 4.2
• Unique GoPaint and Huawei Notes apps
• No Google service assist

This pill has impressed me in nearly each space up to now, nevertheless it’s the software program the place issues get difficult. Huawei’s merchandise don’t have entry to Google companies by default, there’s no Play Retailer, and you need to depend on Huawei’s App Gallery as an alternative.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

My on-line life may be very a lot tied to Google platforms like Drive, Gmail and YouTube, so a tool with out these companies is all however ineffective to me. I’m positive a lot of our readers really feel the identical means. Fortunately, there are quite a few workarounds to get these working. 

Essentially the most seamless is a mix of the MicroG Mission and the Aurora Retailer. It’s a must to be happy with a bit of labor, however as soon as every little thing’s finished, you’ll have Google’s apps working nearly natively. You possibly can count on some minor bugs and oddities every so often, however for probably the most half, I’ve had no points working apps this fashion.

Briefly, this implies tech-savvy individuals who don’t thoughts leaping by means of a couple of hoops could make this pill do something that some other Android pill can do. Nonetheless, those that are on the lookout for a easy plug-and-play answer ought to steer effectively clear.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Apart from Google-related frustrations, HarmonyOS 4.2 is a well-laid-out and easy-to-navigate pores and skin. It runs very easily and I believe the aesthetics are fairly refined, too. It’s nonetheless based mostly on Android 12, which is unusual, however Huawei has added so a lot of its personal options that you simply may by no means discover.

HarmonyOS performs very properly with different Huawei tools, and it will probably routinely recognise close by gadgets for fast pairing and file sharing. I really like that I can simply magnetically connect the keyboard or stylus and the software program will pop up a notification asking whether or not to attach or not. It’s all very streamlined.

The most important benefit of this OS, although, is an app referred to as GoPaint. Huawei developed this app particularly for its tablets, and it’s nearly a precise duplicate of Procreate. No factors for originality, nevertheless it’s what the folks need.

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

Luke Baker

In case you aren’t accustomed to it, Procreate is an iOS-exclusive digital portray/illustration app, and it’s so well-liked that it’s the only motive quite a lot of artists purchase an iPad. With GoPaint, Huawei tablets present an nearly equivalent expertise for Apple ecosystem avoiders.

Huawei is regularly bettering GoPaint, too. There are actually over 80 completely different brush settings, adjustable move charges, extra assist for imported brushes and extra canvas and paper-textured surfaces. All of this, mixed with Huawei’s extremely low-latency stylus, makes for the perfect digital portray expertise on an Android system.

Huawei’s Notes app is extraordinarily feature-packed, too. It’s not one thing I take advantage of as a lot, however in the event you like taking handwritten notes, it’s among the many greatest. New options included single-tap split-screen word viewing, and the flexibility to replay recorded audio in sync along with your written notes.

Value & Availability

The Huawei MatePad Professional 12.2-inch PaperMatte Version is obtainable to buy now within the UK, each straight from Huawei and through third-party retailers reminiscent of Amazon.

It’s additionally out there in choose European areas, however as standard, you gained’t be capable of purchase it within the US.

It’s out there in two varieties, you’ll be able to go for the Black model with 256GB storage and the Glide Keyboard included for £699.99, or you’ll be able to select the Gold mannequin with 512GB of storage and the Glide Keyboard for £799.99.

In case you order straight from Huawei, there’s an introductory supply that slashes £100 off the value and likewise nets you a free Huawei M-Pencil third Technology. The M-Pencil is often bought individually for £129.99, so it’s a reasonably cracking deal.

The MatePad Professional 12.2 may be very competitively priced, particularly in comparison with the one different dual-layer OLED pill available on the market, Apple’s iPad Professional. A 13-inch mannequin will set you again £1,299 within the UK, and it doesn’t include a keyboard or stylus. The identical goes for Samsung’s Tab S9+, which begins at £999 with out equipment. If you wish to verify how these evaluate, have a learn of our information to the perfect tablets.

Must you purchase the Huawei MatePad Professional 12.2?

There’s so much to like in regards to the Huawei MatePad Professional 12.2, particularly in the event you’re a digital artist.

It has one of many brightest and most spectacular shows of any pill, and that’s solely elevated by the velvety coating. The battery life is phenomenal and it fees shortly. The upgraded keyboard cowl is among the nicest that I’ve come throughout, and naturally, there’s the unique GoPaint app and lag-free stylus.

Nonetheless, on the flip facet of that, you get a slower-than-average processor, an previous model of Android and also you’ll have to tinker to get any Google apps working. You don’t get full-quality Netflix content material, both. Informal customers will get extra for his or her cash elsewhere.

The {hardware} is great, and sure points of the software program are too, however there’s quite a lot of baggage while you select a Huawei pill. For the best particular person, one who primarily cares about having an excellent instrument for illustration and artwork, this is a wonderful instrument that’s straightforward to advocate. Nonetheless, everybody else ought to in all probability have a look at a pill from one other producer.

Specs

• Kirin 9000S chipset (unconfirmed)
• 12GB RAM 
• 512GB non-expandable storage 
• 12.2-inch, 2800 x 1840 dual-layer OLED show with matt coating 
• 144Hz refresh fee 
• 10,100 battery 
• 100W quick charging (charger included)
• 13Mp f/1.8 most important digital camera
• 8Mp f/2.2 ultrawide digital camera
• 16Mp f/2.2 selfie
• 8 audio system 
• HarmonyOS 4.2
• 271.3 x 182.5 x 5.5 mm
• 508g (pill solely)