Why you can trust Creative Bloq
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 (2025): Key specifications
| CPU | Kirin T92 (octa-core) |
| Graphics | Malone 920 |
| Memory | 12GB |
| Storage | 512GB |
| Screen size | 13.2in |
| Screen type | Flexible OLED |
| Resolution | 2880 x 1920 |
| Max refresh rate | 144Hz |
| Rear cameras | 50MP f/1.8 (wide), 8 MP, f/2.2 (ultrawide) |
| Front camera | 16 MP, f/2.2 |
| OS | HarmonyOS 4.3 |
| Ports | USB 3.1 Type-C (DisplayPort 2.1) |
| Wireless connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, Nearlink |
| Dimensions | 196 x 289 x 5.5mm |
| Weight | 580g |
Design and build
The first thing you’ll notice upon picking up the MatePad Pro is that it’s nice and light, especially compared to other 13-inch tablets such as the iPad Pro M1 we happened to have in the office at the same time. The next is the screen, which is a 16:9 OLED with Huawei’s lovely Papermatte coating that successfully cuts down on reflections.
Performance
We installed Microsoft Teams and Amazon Kindle as APKs, from two different download sources, and while Kindle worked OK, Teams wouldn’t sign in properly, which some might see as a blessing. The Geekbench app we use for comparing the performance of phones and tablets wouldn’t install at all, despite us downloading the APK twice, which is why there are no hard performance figures to accompany this review. The tablet’s CPU is hardly flagship-level, but it clearly has enough oomph in its eight cores to make the apps responsive, something helped by the 12GB of RAM.
Streaming video is patchily supported, at least by AppGallery apps. You can watch through the browser, and Disney+ appears in the form of a ‘Quick App’, which appears to be a Chromebook-style container for the web page, accessible from an icon but without downloading an APK. We were able to install Plex from AppGallery, Prime Video from an APK, and Disney+ as a Quick App. Netflix was nowhere to be seen, but worked through the browser. YouTube is available as a web app or through the browser.
Anything can run web apps. What we want from a £999 tablet is a smooth experience, and Huawei hasn’t quite got there yet, though it has improved. If you’re a heavy user of Google services then this isn’t the tablet for you, and CorelDraw Go wouldn’t work at all (the Edge browser looked like it was going to manage it, but errored after a while). The web version of Photoshop didn’t want to work in the mobile browser but would in Edge, while Photopea worked in all the browsers, and we were able to connect the MatePad to a mirrorless camera (though only one of the two memory card slots mounted, and it left some folders behind on the card) and to browse network storage with the Files app, so perhaps there’s hope for it yet if there’s a software update on the horizon – a desktop-class browser would be a big step.
Price
Priced at £999 at the time of writing, the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 is certainly cheaper than the 13in iPad Pro, which doesn’t come with a keyboard and stylus bundle but does have a more fully developed app ecosystem for creatives. The enormous 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra costs more too, and both these tablets bring greater performance with them. Drop down to the 11-inch Google Pixel Tablet, however, and you’ll be paying a lot less.
Who is it for?
The Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 isn’t really about processing power, but sells itself on the strength of its excellent screen. It’s pleasant to read, the papermatte coating cutting down on reflections. It’s nice to draw on, the bundled stylus feeling great against the screen. It’s also possible to use as an office machine thanks to the keyboard case and Microsoft 365 app compatibility. It’s a good all-rounder, but you have to put in a bit more work to get the apps you want than you would with other Android or Apple tablets.
Should I buy it?
Buy it if:
- You want an all-round useful tablet with a great screen
- You don’t mind apps being a bit of a fiddle
- You don’t want to buy separate accessories
Don’t buy it if:
- You’d rather have the full Android experience
- Or an iPad
- Or indeed a laptop
Also consider
- The 11-inch Google Pixel Tablet
- The 13in iPad Pro
- The 14.6-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra
