Review of Huawei MatePad 10.4 - a powerful tablet for 22 thousand rubles
Devices / / January 06, 2021
The Android tablet market is overflowing with low-cost models, so the release of the MatePad 10.4 is a major challenge for Huawei. The company has not yet resolved the issue with Google services: will the new product be able to offer something in return to withstand the onslaught of competition?
Table of contents
- Specifications
- Design and ergonomics
- Screen
- Software and performance
- Sound
- Camera
- Autonomy
- Outcome
Specifications
CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 810 |
operating system | Android 10, EMUI 10.1 |
Display | 10.4-inch (2000 x 1200 pixels) IPS |
Memory | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB internal storage, microSD card slot up to 512 GB |
Battery | 7 250 mAh; up to 12 hours of video playback |
Audio system | Four stereo speakers |
Camera | Main - 8 MP with autofocus, front - 8 MP |
Dimensions | 245.2 x 154.96 x 7.35 mm |
Weight | 450 g |
Communication means | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, 2.4 / 5 GHz; Bluetooth 5.1; LTE (in a separate version) |
Ports and connectors | USB Type ‑ C 2.0 |
Design and ergonomics
Huawei MatePad 10.4 received a metal back and a side frame made of plastic. The corners and edges of the case are rounded for convenience. The indentations around the screen are small, due to which the device came out very compact. At the same time, they are wide enough to hold the tablet comfortably. The 450 g weight does not strain your hands during prolonged use.
Build quality and materials are excellent: the gaps between glass, plastic frame and aluminum are minimal and invisible to the touch. There are no logos on the front side, the only element on it besides the screen is the front camera.
At the ends there are four speakers, a power button and USB Type-C. Connector for headphone not provided. Also, the novelty is devoid of a fingerprint scanner - unlocking is carried out by the face. But the model was not deprived of microphones: there are four of them. A logo and a camera with a flash were taken out to the back.
The tablet received a hybrid slot for SIM cards and microSD. There is also a version without an LTE modem.
Screen
The novelty is equipped with a 10.4-inch display made using IPS technology. The matrix has a resolution of 2,000 × 1,200 pixels, which provides a pixel density of 224 ppi - quite an acceptable result by tablet standards. The picture is clear, the small print is well read.
The contrast level is sufficient so that blacks do not look faded. When viewed from an angle, the image fades a little, but this does not interfere with using the device.
Color reproduction is calm, and some users may not like it. Unfortunately, in the settings there is no choice of ready-made color profiles, but you can correct the picture using the RGB wheel.
The brightness margin for IPS is excellent, readability in the sun does not drop much. There is also a Natural Tone mode, which adapts the color rendition to lighting conditions, and a blue filter, which reduces eye strain.
Software and performance
Huawei MatePad 10.4 runs Android 10 with a proprietary EMUI shell. The latter is well known from the company's smartphones and differs only in support for landscape orientation. There are no Google services here either.
The hardware platform of the novelty is the HiSilicon Kirin 810 chipset with big. LITTLE: Two high-performance Cortex-A76 cores operate at up to 2.27 GHz, and six energy-efficient Cortex-A55 cores at up to 1.88 GHz.
Responsible for the graphics is the Mali-G52 MP6 video accelerator, and a coprocessor for working with Huawei DaVinci neural networks has also entered the SoC. RAM is 4 GB, and the amount of internal storage is 64 GB and is expandable with microSD memory cards.
In World of Tanks: Blitz on medium settings, the tablet produces a stable 60 FPS. It is noteworthy that the new product bypasses the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, which is equipped with a less efficient video accelerator Mali-G72 MP3.
The system also works flawlessly, although the lack of Google services in some places causes inconvenience. For example, there is no separate YouTube client - you have to go to the video hosting through a browser.
AppGallery still lacks many familiar apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Fortunately, you can install them through your browser by downloading the APK file.
Sound
Huawei MatePad 10.4 is equipped with four speakers, which work in stereo mode. The sound is just excellent: the voice range is well developed, the volume margin is high, while there is no distortion at maximum values, there is even a good bass.
To connect headphones, you will have to use an adapter or Bluetooth. In both cases, the sound quality depends on the audio codec in the dongle or directly in the headphones. The tablet itself supports Bluetooth 5.1 and holds well connection with any devices.
Camera
The novelty has received an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus. There is no need to talk about quality: the frames are dull, the detail is low. A similar result can be obtained with cheap smartphone up to 10 thousand rubles.
But the front camera of 8 megapixels is great for video calls, and satisfying selfies are obtained on it.
Autonomy
A 7,250 mAh battery is installed inside the tablet. According to the manufacturer, this is enough for 12 hours of video playback. During testing, the new product withstood a day and a half of active use with games, music and YouTube - a decent result.
The kit comes with a 10 W adapter, which is a little frustrating: I would like to see fast charging. It takes 3.5 hours to fully recharge the battery.
Outcome
The basic Huawei MatePad 10.4 will cost 22 thousand rubles, and the version with LTE support - 2 thousand more. Of course, there are a lot of compromises in the new product: body materials are inexpensive, the screen could be more saturated, the main camera was set for show, and the charging adapter is not powerful enough to quickly replenish the capacious battery. The absence of Google services cannot be ignored, although the company is trying to make life easier for users.
Despite a number of problems, the model deserves attention: it boasts gaming performance, excellent speakers and long battery life. Considering the price, the offer is more than fair.
Buy
The author thanks Huawei for the device provided for testing. The company had no opportunity to influence its outcome.
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