HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4
RM999.00
Pros
- Good multitasking
- Good battery life
- Best to use with other HUAWEI devices
- Stereo speakers
- Lovely display
Cons
- No GMS
- Not for heavy gaming
I have come across many new tablets in 2022 and I have come to like most of them. But the tablet market has always been a little quiet, mainly because the demand for it is low while the specification for each new tablet release is not up to par with today’s needs. I do notice problems with the latter. Powerful tablets are too expensive, while those affordable ones are just too weak.
Enter the new HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4. Personally, I think this one has potential given that it comes with good hardware that matches well with the software offerings as well. If you’re into HUAWEI’s ecosystem such as HarmonyOS, you will feel right at home with the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4. Not only does it sound good on paper, it actually performs well as a daily tablet.
First of all, the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 is based on HUAWEI’s HarmonyOS. So don’t expect to see Google Mobile Services on this tablet. If you wish to have apps installed, you can use HUAWEI’s own App Gallery. There is an “official” method to have Google on any HUAWEI devices but I will leave that up to you to proceed. For now, HUAWEI’s HarmonyOS it is.
The HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 is powered by the Snapdragon 680 chipset with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Having a Snapdragon system on chip for this tablet is great, in my opinion. It is able to deliver fast responsiveness on the screen while performing smoothly in multitasking and app switching. It is one of the reasons why I said that this tablet comes with a good potential. And I’m very thankful it doesn’t come with HUAWEI’s own Kirin chipset. Also to note, the Snapdragon chipset is also LTE enabled, meaning you can use the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 as a mobile device on the go.
The large 10.4” 2K Eye Comfort HUAWEI FullView Display is bright and vibrant enough to be viewed under direct sunlight. The 2K screen resolution is pleasing to the eyes even after long hours of use. Watching movies is also very entertaining as the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 comes with stereo speakers. With a dual symmetrical speaker system tuned by HUAWEI Histen 8.0 technology, HUAWEI MatePad SE can widen the surround sound field and enhance human voice, making each call, line in the film, and online class crystal clear.
The volume rocker buttons are located at the top side on the left when viewing the tablet in landscape mode. Right next to the volume rockers is the power button. There is also a front selfie camera right in the middle of the display. It’s not that noticeable at first glance but you’ll know it’s there. The said stereo speakers can be found on either left and right side of the tablet, near the bottom part. While on the right side, is the USB-C charging port and the SIM/MicroSD tray.
Around the back, there is a single camera module setup. It uses a simple 5-megapixel sensor with f/2.2 sized aperture. This is just a basic camera, nothing fancy about it but photos taken with it are just decent enough. Best is to use the camera while being outdoors so that it can capture better photos in bright outdoors. But I won’t go too deep with the camera. The front facing camera is good enough for Zoom meetings when needed.
For daily usage like multitasking and some office assignments, the HUAWEI MatePad SE works like a charm. In fact, it does better than what I expect, all thanks to the Snapdragon 680 SoC and a good amount of 4GB RAM. Checking emails and replying to them is easy. Switching from one app to another is quick enough for me. And leaving a few apps open does not slow down the tablet at all. I am quite pleased with its overall multitasking performance.
It is also capable of having multi-window interactions, which works great when multitasking. You can have multiple windows open for easy drag-drop lines of words or making a file copy from one app to another. You can also drag a photo from the album and drop it off to a messaging app easily. The possibilities are endless.
Binge watching some movies was really entertaining for me. I do love the stereo speaker sound quality. The bass is punchy enough while the vocals are superbly loud and clear. I didn’t max out the volume, yet it is loud enough for a few people in my household to hear. So that’s a plus point for me.
As for the battery endurance, I am more than happy to declare while under my home testing, the HUAWEI MatePad SE was able to last more than 24 hours even after watching some movies and browsing the Internet. The large 5100mAh battery performed well under stress and some gaming sessions. I didn’t get to install my go-to game on the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 but I’m good with just the simple ones such as Angry Birds 2. It is capable of handling PUBG Mobile, but I know it will be too much for it.
Since I have a HUAWEI laptop, it is so easy for me to make the file transfer from the HUAWEI MatePad SE tablet to my laptop, all thanks to the HUAWEI Super Device connection. Just drag and drop the files you see in the Super Device page and that’s it. Nothing is easier when two compatible devices work hand in hand.
Conclusion
There are not many tablets that are capable in terms of hardware specifications. As I said earlier, the good ones are too expensive while the cheaper ones are just not good enough. But the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 is a very capable tablet to move forward towards 2023. If you’re okay with not having Google Mobile Services, then you will be more than happy with the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4 right here.
Multitasking is great, that is one of its biggest selling points. As an entertainment device, I love it to bits. The 2K display is fun to watch and the audio quality is surprisingly pleasant. It is one of those tablets that I find it difficult to put down. And I do some light reading on it too.
So if you’re thinking of getting a brand new tablet, just go for the HUAWEI MatePad SE 10.4. It is now available for purchase at HUAWEI’s official website at a very reasonable price.
