Huawei MatePad 10.4″ (2022) Review

Early this month, Huawei introduced its newest tablet called the MatePad 10.4” (2022). It has a 10.4-inch 2K screen, Kirin 710A chipset, and quad-speakers. But for the price, is it worth getting, or are you better off with other tablets on the market? Find out in our review.

Design and Construction

The MatePad 10.4 (2022) doesn’t look much different from Huawei’s other MatePads. It’s got slim bezels (although not as slim as the Pro models) and a metallic chassis with a matte paint job. It feels solid and premium for a mid-range tablet.

The new MatePad 10.4 is designed to be used in landscape mode. We have a 10.4-inch screen. Placed above the screen is the 8MP front camera.

To the left, we have the power/lock button and two speakers.

On the right are two more speakers, and the USB-C port.

Up top are the microphones for calls, video recording, and audio recording, and the volume buttons.

Then down below is the card tray for a nano-sized SIM card and microSD card.

At the back, there’s the protruding camera module that houses the 13MP camera, LED flash, and microphone. Found in the middle of the back panel is the Huawei branding.

We think that the MatePad 10.4 is sized just right. We have the iPad Air 3rd-gen 10.5″ to compare it with and although the difference in screen size is just a measly, 0.1″, the MatePad is still significantly smaller. We can comfortably hold it with one hand in portrait mode to read ebooks, or in landscape to watch videos.

Our MatePad came with a Smart Keyboard and an M Pencil. We’re not sure yet if it’s included in the package but we hope that it does as having a keyboard and stylus with the tablet will allow you to take advantage of its full features.

The Smart Keyboard works as the tablets cover when not in use and automatically becomes its stand when it’s time to work on it. It also has a switch and a USB-C port on the right side for charging. And yes, it connects to the tablet via Bluetooth.

The keyboard is tiny but workable. If you’re used to laptops or dedicated keyboards, it might take some time to get used to them. It’s also not backlit, so working in the dark can be a challenge. But given its size, the MatePad 10.4 (2022) allows us to work in small spaces like a coffee shop or just place it on our lap to write drafts, scripts, or answer some emails.

The Huawei M Pencil, on the other hand, has to be paired to the MatePad 10.4 via its proprietary USB-C cable first. Once paired, you can now use it to scribble or write notes. The pen doesn’t magnetically attach to the tablet, so you’ll have to carry it separately.

Display and Multimedia

The 10.4-inch screen has a 2K (2000 x 1200) resolution and an IPS panel. It’s a sharp and very vibrant screen with really good viewing angles, which is great for watching videos. The bezels are just thick enough for your to rest your thumbs on when holding them.

It is equipped with quad speakers — two on the left and two on the right. They’re loud and produce sounds that are immersive and of good quality. The bass is not that strong, but we enjoyed the quality while playing games and watching videos. There’s no 3.5mm audio jack, so you’ll have to go wireless, or use a USB-C adapter.

Cameras

The MatePad 10.4 is equipped with a 13MP rear camera and an 8MP front. It’s not much, but the rear camera was able to produce images with decent sharpness and accurate colors, which is good enough for social media.

The front camera, on the other hand, is not as sharp and prone to noise but is enough for making video calls. The camera placement is also optimized for landscape use so it doesn’t look awkward when you’re on a Zoom call in this orientation.

When it comes to video recording, it’s capable of shooting 1080p videos at 60fps.

In other words, the cameras on the MatePad 10.4 won’t impress but are good enough for casual and productive uses.

OS and Apps

Software-wise, the MatePad 10.4 is running on HarmonyOS 2 with HMS and AppGallery. It has Huawei apps like Link Now, Petal Search, Petal Maps, Huawei Health, Notepad, Kids Corner, and M-Pen Zone, to name a few.

What we didn’t like is that there are plenty of folders on the home screen with tons of recommended apps. These apps were not downloaded yet but if you need to remove them, you’ll have to do it one by one.

If you’re used to having the Google Play Store, the MatePad 10.4 will impose a small learning curve as it doesn’t have Google services. Web-based apps can still be accessed via the default browser, but for apps, you’ll have to use AppGallery or use Petal Search to search for apps on safe APK sites like APK Pure and sideload them.

Although we consider this an entry-level tablet, it’s still a very capable part of the Huawei ecosystem and supports exclusive features such as Multi-Window, Huawei Share, Wireless Projection, and Multi-screen Collaboration. What this means is that if you have a MateBook laptop, you can use the MatePad 10.4 as a secondary screen or sketch pad. You can even send and receive files from your Huawei laptop and smartphone. So, if you’re already in the Huawei ecosystem, this tablet will fit right in.

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the MatePad 10.4 is a Huawei Kirin 710A chipset, which is the same chipset powering the Huawei Y7a in 2020. It also has a Mali-G51 GPU, 4GB RAM, and 128GB of storage. Even with the limited RAM, the tablet performed smoothly when running basic tasks. Although you’ll feel it slow down when there are plenty of apps left in the background, so you’ll have to clear it every now and then.

Yes, you can still game on this device and we were able to play Honkai Impact 3 in mid graphics settings. It’s not always smooth but we didn’t encounter serious hiccups. Check out the benchmark scores below.

• AnTuTu v9 – 159,363
• AnTuTu v9 Storage – 25,946, 532.1 MB/s (Seq. Read), 274.1 MB/s (Seq. Write)
• Geekbench 5.4.4 – 271 (Single-Core), 617 (Multi-Core), 671 (OpenCL)
• 3D Mark – 360 (Wild Life)
• PC Mark – 6,459 (Work 3.0)

Connectivity and Battery Life

The MatePad 10.4 (2022) has a single-SIM slot with 4G LTE connectivity, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and USB-C. Pretty basic stuff but still useful for everyday tasks.

For the battery, it has a large 7,250mAh with support for 22.5W fast charging. In our experience using it as an entertainment device with mostly video streaming and light gaming, we can easily make it last for about 12 hours. Our video loop test, on the other hand, got us 18 hours of playback.

Conclusion

We consider the MatePad 10.4 (2022) to be a weirdly configured tablet. In some aspects, it’s “premium” like its crisp and vibrant screen, immersive quad-speakers, LTE connectivity, large battery, and the exclusive Huawei software features.

However, the old chipset and small RAM held us back from liking it so much, especially if you consider the PHP 18,999USD 324INR 27,446EUR 308CNY 2,358 price tag. People will definitely look around for alternatives. Still, the MatePad 10.4 (2022) is a nice addition to your Huawei ecosystem. And if you purchase within the promo period (May 6 to 15, which we hope they can extend), you’ll get a free HUAWEI M-Pencil and HUAWEI Smart Keyboard.

But if you’re not in the ecosystem, I still recommend looking at other tablets in the price range. They might offer more hardware for almost the same price.

Huawei MatePad 10.4 (2022) specs:
10.4-inch 2K (2000 x 1200) IPS display
Huawei Kirin 710A chipset
Mali-G51 GPU
4GB RAM
128GB storage
microSD card support
13MP F1.8 rear camera
8MP F2.0 front camera
Single-SIM
4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
USB-C
3 microphones
Quad stereo speakers
HarmonyOS 2
7,250mAh battery w/ 22.5W fast charging
154.96 x 245.2 x 7.35 mm
450 g