Matepad 11 and Pro 12.6 Huawei announces the first tablets with Harmony OS 2.0
Huawei is taking off in Germany with its Harmony OS 2.0 operating system. In addition to smartwatches, the manufacturer has also announced new tablets with the OS. This is in Matepad 11 and Matepad Pro 12.6.
With the Matepads 11 and Pro 12.6, Huawei announces its first tablets with Harmony OS 2.0. With the new operating system, the manufacturer is continuing its 1 + 8 + N strategy, which relies on cross-device communication. According to the manufacturer, new functions in Harmony OS 2.0 include further developed widgets for app interaction, a homescreen that can be adjusted according to your own ideas, and a control center for all important settings that can be opened with a swiping movement. The “Super Device” button can also be used to manage device connections and transfer audio and video playback to other devices.
This is in the first Harmoy OS devices with which Huawei is turning its back on Google and its services.
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Huawei Matepad Pro 12.6 with 120 Hertz OLED display
Huawei Matepad Pro 12.6. (Image: Huawei)
The new top tablet model from Huawei is the Matepad Pro 12.6. As the name suggests, it has a 12.6-inch screen diagonal with 2.5K resolution (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) and a refresh rate of 120 Hertz in 16:10 format. According to Huawei, the screen supports the DCI-P3 color space and contrasts of up to 1: 1,000,000. The frame around the screen is relatively narrow, which means that Huawei achieves a screen-to-body ratio of 90 percent. On the long side of the frame there is an eight-megapixel camera for video calls. In combination with the offered keyboard case, the tablet can be used as a notebook replacement in landscape format.
As a processor, Huawei uses the in-house Kirin 9000E for its top tablet, which is manufactured using the five-nanometer process. The main memory measures eight gigabytes, the internal memory is 256 gigabytes and can be expanded using a nano memory card. A 10,000-milliampere-hour battery in the Matepad Pro 12.6 ensures a long runtime, which should enable up to 14 hours of video playback or 17 days in standby.
Huawei Matepad Pro 12.6. (Image: Huawei)
Additional features include eight speakers, four microphones, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. In addition, a wide-angle camera with 13 megapixels and f / 1.8 aperture and an eight-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with f / 2.4 and 120-degree viewing angle are installed on the back.
Huawei Matepad 11 comes with a Snapdragon chip
Huawei Matepad 11. (Image: Huawei)
Like the top tablet, the smaller tablet model with a 10.95-inch IPS display supports the 120 Hertz refresh rate and has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,600 pixels. It can also be used in combination with a keyboard case as a notebook replacement and also offers stylus support. Huawei’s new stylus, the M-Pencil, supports 4,096 pressure levels and has a low latency of seven milliseconds, which should ensure direct input.
In contrast to the Pro model, Huawei does not build its own processor into the smaller tablet, but relies on Qualcomm’s eight-core top chip Snapdragon 865 from last year, which is accompanied by six gigabytes of RAM and, depending on the version, between 64 and 128 gigabytes of memory. The memory can be expanded by up to one terabyte using a micro SD memory card.
There is also an eight-megapixel front camera and a 13-megapixel wide-angle camera as well as four loudspeakers and microphones each. The 7,250 mAh battery should allow up to twelve hours of video playback and 127 days of standby. The smaller tablet has Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1 and GPS on board.
Harmony OS 2.0: Matepads as a second screen for Windows computers
With Harmony OS 2.0, the tablets should also understand each other with Windows computers. Using the Huawei Share function, it is possible to establish seamless and cross-platform connectivity between the tablets and Windows, so that data can be conveniently moved using drag-and-drop.
In addition, the screen can be mirrored or expanded using the multi-screen collaboration function. This means that the tablet can be connected to a Windows computer as an external monitor. Mac users should be familiar with this feature of macOS – Apple calls the whole thing sidecar. Samsung has also announced such a function with its new Galaxy Books, which can be used with some of its own Galaxy Tab models.
Huawei Matepad 11 costs from 399 euros
According to Huawei, the new tablet models with Harmony OS 2.0 will be available from July 13, 2021. Matepad 11 is available in “Matte Gray” and costs 399 euros with 64 gigabytes of memory; the manufacturer charges 499 euros for the 128 gigabyte model.
The Matepad Pro 12.6 is offered in the same color and costs 799 euros. If you order the tablet between June 14th and August 17th, you will receive the “Smart Magnetic Keyboard” and the M-Pencil worth 248 euros free of charge, explains Huawei.
