HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S: A Premium Tablet Experience Under PHP 30K

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S is the latest premium tablet offering from tech giant HUAWEI, and it’s packed with features that make it an attractive option for those looking for a near PC-like experience on the go. With its improved HUAWEI PaperMatte display, capable configuration, and generous freebies, this tablet is definitely worth considering.

Build Quality and Design

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S boasts an all-metal construction with nice curves on the corners and slightly chamfered edges, giving it a premium feel. The back is also textured, making it less prone to unwanted fingerprint smudges. The device is compact and lightweight, measuring 261.0 x 177.3 mm and weighing 510 grams, making it easy to carry around even with the keyboard case.

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S is compact and lightweight, making it easy to carry around.

One area for improvement is the inclusion of an IP rating for protection against accidental water splashes and dust. Additionally, there is no mention of glass protection, but thankfully, the screen is not prone to hairline scratches.

Multimedia Experience

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S features a beautiful 11.5-inch TFT LCD (IPS) with HUAWEI’s new-generation PaperMatte Display technology. This technology uses nanoscale anti-glare etching to eliminate 99 percent of light interference, making it perfect for outdoor use. The display also has a 30 to 144Hz adaptive refresh rate and a crisper 2.8K 2800 x 1840 resolution.

The PaperMatte display is perfect for outdoor use, with minimal glare and great color reproduction.

The tablet also comes with great speakers, featuring 4 speakers in total. They are loud, rich in details, and quite full-sounding, making them perfect for watching videos or listening to music. However, it’s worth noting that the device only has Widevine L3, which means it cannot stream HD content on Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+.

Cameras

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S features a 13MP f/1.8 main shooter with autofocus, which takes reasonably crisp images with nice colors in daylight and indoor shots. The exposure is a little dimmer than expected, and there is some grain in low-light snaps. The front camera is an 8MP snapper with f/2.0 aperture, which supports both regular photo and Beauty modes.

The camera takes reasonably crisp images with nice colors in daylight and indoor shots.

Performance

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S runs on the Kirin 9000WL fabbed under the 7nm manufacturing process, paired with the Maleoon 910 GPU. While the benchmark scores may not be impressive, the device is snappy and smooth in all non-gaming tasks. It can run multiple apps at the same time with ease, do split screens even with background apps, and can run most content creation tools.

Battery

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S has a massive 8,800mAh capacity, which provides impressive battery life. In real-life tests, the device can last up to 3 days before needing to charge again, even with heavy use. The charging speed is decent, but could be improved.

Software

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S runs on HarmonyOS 4.2, which is similar to Android but with HUAWEI’s own touch. The device is easy to use, and most Google apps work, including Google Keep, Maps, Search, and more.

NearLink Keyboard

The NearLink Keyboard is a freebie accessory that can be connected to the HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S, turning it into a PC-like device. The keyboard is comfortable and quiet to type on, and the key travel is laptop-like. The WPS document app is also useful for creating documents on the go.

Verdict

The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S is a great example of HUAWEI’s innovation despite the restrictions imposed on them by the US government. With its impressive build, PaperMatte display, strong battery life, and loud speakers, this tablet is definitely worth considering for those who need a premium tablet experience on the go.

“The HUAWEI MatePad 11.5"S has its own charm that you won’t find on other similarly priced tablets.”