Huawei MatePad 11 tablet with a “paper-like” display

28/3/2023

Huawei’s new MatePad 11 (2023) is a mid-range tablet with up to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor, up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and support for touch and pen input.

But the tablet’s most distinctive feature is its display. Huawei says the 11 inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel IPS LCD display has a 120 Hz refresh rate and “paper-like” qualities that reduce glare and eye strain while improving the handwriting experience. The new MatePad 11 is up for pre-order in China with prices starting at 2199 CNY (about S$424.45).

The starting price is for a model with a Snapdragon 865 processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Upgrading to the top-tier specs raises the price to 2899 CNY (about S$559.56). And the stylus is an optional add-on that costs a little more.

According to Huawei, the tablet’s display “eliminates 97% of light interference,” and a “micro-vibration and paper-like damping feel” when using a pressure-sensitive Huawei M-Pencil stylus. The awkward phrasing is probably a combination of vague promises and poor Google Translation. But the company essentially seems to be positioning this display as an alternative to TCL’s NXTPAPER displays: it’s a full color LCD screen rather than electronic ink or ePaper. But the company says it looks and feels a bit more like paper than most LCD screens.

The tablet measures 254 x 165 x 7mm and weighs about 480 grams and features a 22.5 Wh, 7,250 mAh battery and 10V/2.25A charging, support for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1, a USB 2.0 Type-C port, four speakers, two microphones and a 13MP rear camera and 8MP front-facing camera.

Like most other recent Huawei phones and tablets, the new MatePad 11 ships with HarmonyOS rather than Android.

It’s unclear if or when this model will be available outside of China, but Huawei does still sell some of its phones in Europe and other regions.