Paul Jones / Android Authority
If you’re in the market for a new tablet, HUAWEI hopes to lure you away from the usual choices of Apple and Samsung. The MatePad Pro and the MatePad 11.5 are two new tablets catering to power users and general consumers. So, should you buy them? And which one should you choose? Here are my thoughts.
HUAWEI MatePad Pro 12.2 (2025)
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro 2025 could almost be my favorite tablet without a few issues. First, let’s go through the specs because they are impressive. It has a 12.2-inch OLED display, and this is one of the best tablets I own for watching content. It offers 2,000 nits of peak brightness and features HUAWEI’s excellent sound tuning. This is probably one of the best-sounding tablets I’ve used in a long time. The tablet’s body is incredibly thin, making it ideal for traveling.
Its multitasking capabilities are also noteworthy. You can have three windows open simultaneously, and the experience is reminiscent of Open Canvas from OnePlus. The included glide keyboard is solid, with responsive keys and a passable trackpad, though slightly too sensitive for my liking. I appreciate that you can position the MatePad Pro at various angles.
Paul Jones / Android Authority
This is a premium tablet, but like all of HUAWEI’s Android-based devices, the problem is app support as you can’t access the Play Store. You can’t get as many apps as you might want due to the ongoing conditions of the US ban.
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If you search on the HUAWEI App Gallery for apps like Netflix, it just provides an APK you must download. This isn’t a big issue, but it’s a bit annoying. It’s highly problematic if you want to access purchased apps on Google Play. Trying to open Amazon Prime doesn’t work; it completely crashes. You can use microG to access various Google products and services, which is a better alternative, but it’s not as extensive or reliable as the proper Play Services experience.
Again, the MatePad Pro’s design is excellent. It’s only 5.5mm thick and weighs 508g, so carrying it around is easy. It feels solid, has a great display, and offers a reliable keyboard and mouse experience. It also has a roomy 10,100mAh battery, which can last a long time, and you can charge it to 85% in about 44 minutes. It’s just the app situation that ultimately weighs it down.
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