What excites me about tablets the most is how they unlock the potential for me to work on the go much easier.
Huawei’s new MatePad Pro 11 is marketed to do just that, designed to fit into most people’s daily lives for work and leisure.
Sleek and portable frame
Measuring just 5.9mm in thickness, the 11-inch MatePad Pro weighs 449g, making it highly portable for working on the go.
Although, its dimensions are slightly larger than your average A5 notebook, so it won’t fit into smaller handbags.
The tablet I got in Golden Black looks and feels premium with a sturdy build. Narrow bezels measuring 4.2mm increase the screen-to-body ratio, yet the device is easy to hold without triggering unintended touch demands.
On the device’s sides, there are four speakers (two each on its short sides), a power button, a volume rocker, and a USB-C port. There is no headphone jack on the MatePad Pro.
With a punch-hole 8MP selfie camera on the front, the tab also features a flash-supported 13MP camera on the back.
The review device I received came with a stylus, specifically the second-generation M-Pencil with two different nibs to switch out.
It magnetically snaps onto the side of the tablet to charge, or you can put in its secure casing that attaches to the back of the tablet.
Huawei’s M-Pencil feels great to grip. It’s got 4,096 pressure sensitivity with low latency, making it easy to control your brush strokes when drawing.
Another accessory you can get to round out the MatePad Pro is its Smart Magnetic Keyboard that doubles as a folio case, allowing it to function like a laptop.
This was what I mainly used the tablet for, as a smaller, portable laptop of sorts.
A build made for working on the go
What’s unique about the MatePad Pro’s Smart Magnetic Keyboard is that you can actually separate it from the tablet cover itself, giving you a bit more distance from the screen while you type.
It opens up to 165 degrees too so you can adjust your viewing angles, whether for using it as a laptop, note taking, or drawing.
There’s also no need to separately charge the keyboard itself, which was something I had to do on the MatePad 10.4 I reviewed back in 2021.
In essence, all these enable more flexibility while you work on the go. Coupled with the tablet’s portability, these allowed me to pull out the MatePad Pro pretty much anytime, anywhere.
The editorial team at Vulcan Post was recently attending quite a few launches, after which we would quickly get to work in order to be one of the earliest to break the news.
This was where the portability of the tablet really shone, as it wasn’t a burden to carry around, and was quick and easy to set up. I didn’t even need that much table space to sit down and bang out an article.
With Huawei’s Snapdragon 870/888 chipset, the tablet comes with strong multitasking abilities for work with options to open multiple windows at a time and switch between apps.
This came in handy when I was doing my writing, since I like to have my research and references pulled up on the sides while I work.
Admittedly, as I was testing out the tablet and keyboard, I came across a few bugs, but ensuring my device was updated sorted most of them out.
To no surprise, Google Mobile Services (GMS) isn’t available on this device either. As someone who relies on GMS to function both in and out of work, my productivity plummeted on the days I attempted to use the MatePad Pro as my main work device.
There were no issues running YouTube and Gmail on the browser, though I’m sure many can agree with me when I say it was a subpar experience.
It’s a powerful device packed in a smaller body
Although the MatePad Pro doesn’t come with a fancy AMOLED screen, its 2,560 x 1,600 resolution OLED panel is still crisp, vibrant, and large enough to enjoy watching Netflix and playing open-world games.
Other than that, Huawei claims that the tablet comes with a powerful 8,300 mAh battery that easily supports 11.5 cumulative hours of use. After charging the MatePad Pro up fully via its fast charger that comes in the box, this proves true during my usage.
It also includes reverse wireless charging to top up two phones conveniently when you’re out and about, which makes sense since it’s small enough to comfortably fit into a tote bag or backpack.
For RM2,699, the MatePad Pro 11 offers up a power-packed portable tablet experience. Though some might argue such a price tag warrants a larger device, not everyone wants to lug around a 14-inch tablet along with a detachable keyboard every time they want to work on the go.
Thus, the MatePad Pro 11 definitely exists to please these groups of people.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Strong multitasking capabilities | No Google Mobile Services |
| Keyboard remains functional even when detached, giving you the flexibility to change up viewing angles | Though it’s more portable than most tablets, it’s still a little too large to fit into handbags |
| Stylus has low latency and good pressure sensitivity |
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion to our Facebook page.
All image credits: Vulcan Post