Huawei brought to the IFA 2016, the consumer electronics fair, a new range of smartphones: the Huawei Nova and Nova Plus. Photography-oriented and with great dedication to its metallic exteriors, the conference reserved a "surprise" for the end: the renewal of the tablet line manufactured by Huawei.
Huawei MediaPad M3: a powerful, beautiful and good-priced Android tablet
Huawei MediaPad M3, a powerful Android tablet, with good price and excellent QuadHD screen. An option to consider.
It's not that these devices are very much in vogue lately, that they seem to run away from the most popular presentations. Although not for that reason they are no longer useful: perfect to take on a trip or to enjoy leisure at home more comfortably than on mobile. Y with much better sound, this is the specialization of the Huawei MediaPad M3.
The solid construction and the choice of metal as a base make the Huawei MediaPad M3 look great both in sight and in hand. Very light, thin and comfortable to use; without fleeing the quality of hardware, as can be seen by its characteristics.
- 8.4 ″ QuadHD display (2560 × 1600 pixels), 359 ppi.
- Kirin 950 8-core processor.
- Mali T880 GPU.
- 32GB / 64GB plus microSD
- 4 GB of RAM.
- 8 MPX rear and front camera.
- Front fingerprint sensor
- 5100 mAh battery.
- WiFi / LTE, micro USB.
- Stereo speakers with audio certified by Harman Kardon.
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow plus EMUI 4.1.
- Dimensions: 215.5 × 124.2 × 7.3 mm.
Light and thin with a solid metal construction
The fact that an Android is built in metal and has a "premium" appearance is not new; but not for that reason it is less remarkable in the case of the Huawei MediaPad M3 tablet: its appearance is superb. Aluminum, color contrasts on edges and back face, quite thin and with a lower weight than you imagine before holding it.
The Huawei MediaPad M3 is as convenient to use as attractive to the eye
It can be held with one hand, although the grip is not too comfortable (logical considering that its screen is 8.4 inches). The design follows the line of Huawei with the beveled contour and up and down holes for double front speaker output. Includes headphone jack and buttons on the right side that do not involve difficulty in pressing.
In the lower Home button is the fingerprint reader. Said button is tactile, does not offer pulsation; with on-screen navigation buttons even though the Home itself is physical. We could not test the fingerprint sensor, but presumably it lives up to what Huawei uses in terms of speed and reliability.
Good performance with an excellent screen
Not for being a tablet I was going to sin of performance, which Huawei has given the MediaPad M3 enough power to perform any task. Videos, games … Even photography: although the conditions were not ideal, the photos we took with the 8 MPX cameras came out more than decent. The camera application also incorporates a good number of options and improvements.
The Huawei MediaPad M3 is a powerful tablet as well as compact and beautiful
8.4 inches screen with QHD resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels. Very good numbers for a tablet of this size that are reinforced by the panel quality and sharpness. Vivid colors and brightness more than enough for interiors. We could not test it outside (although it is not the usual use of a tablet).
Based on the tests we did, and the time we were handling it, The Kirin 950 of the Huawei MediaPad M3 behaves perfectly. We did not notice lags or stops, the applications started quickly and there were no problems starting the installed games. For example, Asphalt 8 was running at full speed. We will have to see how the GPU behaves with other titles that also demand power.
Connectivity and sound are two of its strengths. The version with LTE and 32 GB of storage is at 399 euros, not bad considering the competition. And with a sound that promises: Harman Kardon certifies the chip and 32-bit audio output through the headphones. The conditions were not appropriate to prove it, we will perform extensive sound tests in the review.
Of the battery we can not say in excess beyond its capacity on paper: 5,100 mAh should offer a fairly decent autonomy for an 8.4-inch tablet. Especially considering the good management of this vital part of the hardware that makes the software of the manufacturer.
A reference tablet in 8 inches
It is impossible to make an extensive analysis in the test of the devices after their presentation: the conditions where they are exposed are not the best. But you can appreciate the sensations transmitted by the first contact with the anticipation of how their behavior will be. Without a doubt, The Huawei MediaPad M3 will become one of the best 8-inch tablets. U 8.4.
Huawei provides a layer of software as heavy as usual (EMUI 4.1 on Android Marshmallow 6.0). Multitude of settings to add extra functions that will be many to disconnect, an autonomy management that is the best of the system and some extra applications and games that can be uninstalled or, in some cases, disabled. Software behavior goes hand in hand with good hardware resolution.
EMUI 4.1 on Android Marshmallow 6 and not too many preinstalled applications
The Huawei MediaPad M3 is a powerful tablet, of great benefits, with option to 4G LTE without rising in excess of price, offers a fabulous metal construction, is light and is quite manageable. The sensations after the first contact are at a great level: of the best tablets that have passed through our hands.
In the absence of a thorough review of the Huawei MediaPad M3, we say goodbye with the prices:
- € 349 – 4 GB RAM + 32 GB of storage and Wi-Fi.
- € 399 – 4 GB RAM + 32 GB of storage and LTE.
- € 399 – 4 GB RAM + 64 GB of storage and Wi-Fi.
- € 449 – 4 GB RAM + 64 GB of storage and LTE.
And with the launch: this tablet will be available in Spain from September 26, 2016.
