Huawei Matepad Paper Review | 68 Data compared

The Huawei MatePad Paper is a 10.3-inch E Ink device that attempts to bridge the gap between an e-reader and an Android tablet, offering a premium, lightweight design with a faux leather back suitable for long reading sessions. It shines as a dedicated tool for note-taking and sketching, featuring a high-quality M-Pencil with low latency and a 86.3% screen-to-body ratio. However, the experience is hindered by limited app availability in Huawei's AppGallery, requiring sideloading for basic functionality, and a high price point that may not justify its performance limitations. For a full breakdown of the pros and cons, read the complete review at Android Authority.

The Huawei MatePad Paper is a premium 10.3-inch E Ink device that successfully blends e-reader functionality with tablet features, highlighted by a lightweight design and a natural "paper-on-pen" writing experience. Key pros include excellent build quality, capable stereo speakers, a long-lasting battery with fast charging, and the inclusion of both the M-Pencil stylus and a folio cover. However, the device is held back by buggy HarmonyOS software, a very unreliable fingerprint sensor, and persistent, albeit minor, E Ink input lag.

The Huawei MatePad Paper is a 10.3-inch E Ink hybrid featuring a sharp 1,872×1,404 display and a lightweight, premium design, which bundles an M-Pencil stylus and folio cover for superior value. It boasts a tactile note-taking experience with low latency, integrated audio recording, and an adjustable front light. However, the device is hindered by a "half-baked" operating system, poor ebook formatting, sluggish performance, and a lack of Google Play services, leading to a "do not buy" verdict.

The Huawei MatePad Paper is a 10.3-inch E Ink hybrid tablet offering a premium, lightweight design with an included M-Pencil and folio cover for superior value. However, the device suffers from software issues, featuring notable screen latency and ghosting, along with a sluggish interface despite its powerful processor. Lacking Google Play Services, it relies on the limited AppGallery and sideloading, making it a capable, yet frustrating, note-taking tool that is difficult to recommend over competitors.

The Huawei MatePad Paper is a 10.3-inch E Ink tablet designed to bridge the gap between e-readers and traditional tablets, featuring a matte, paper-like display and the responsive M-Pencil for note-taking. Key pros include the premium, lightweight hardware, 26ms stylus latency, and an impressive battery life of approximately 28 days. The device also includes useful features like a fingerprint scanner and a magnetic vegan leather cover. TechRadarUnder the hood, it utilizes a Kirin 820E processor with 4GB of RAM, providing solid performance for an E Ink device. However, notable cons arise from software limitations, as it runs HarmonyOS 2 and lacks Google Play Services, relying instead on app sideloading. Additionally, the slow refresh rate inherent to E Ink makes the device unsuitable for media consumption, and the screen, while good, does not match the resolution of modern high-end tablets.

The Huawei MatePad Paper is a 10.3-inch E Ink tablet acting as a hybrid between an e-reader and a productivity-focused Android device. It boasts a premium, lightweight design with a 1872 x 1404 E Ink display and is powered by a Kirin 820E processor with 4GB of RAM, enabling efficient handling of PDFs. Notable pros include the included second-generation M-Pencil with 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity, impressive stereo speakers, and a fast, integrated fingerprint scanner. Despite its strengths, the device faces significant limitations, primarily the lack of Google Play services, forcing reliance on the limited Huawei AppGallery or sideloading. While the screen is excellent for reading, the slow refresh rate inherent to E Ink technology causes noticeable lag during scrolling, typing, and general UI navigation. Other drawbacks mentioned in reviews include some "half-baked" software features and a note-taking application that needs refinement.

Good e-Reader calls the Huawei MatePad Paper a great first effort and Huawei's first E INK e-reader. The reviewer says the software is very polished and lets you install your own Android apps. The 10.3-inch E INK Carta HD display has 227 PPI, and the M-Pencil offers 4096 pressure levels. He likes the leather-style back, the stereo speakers and the four-microphone array for voice notes. The weakest part is the stylus, which has no eraser button, needs charging and rejects other WACOM pens. Because of US sanctions, the tablet runs HarmonyOS and US buyers can only import it. The 3625 mAh battery gives six days of use after a 1.5-hour charge.

Notebookcheck tests the Huawei MatePad Paper as an E Ink tablet for handwritten notes, web browsing and reading. The reviewer dislikes its slippery plastic case and sharp edges, although the construction feels stable and never creaks. At 360 grams, it feels light for 10.3 inches, but extended reading demands more effort than with smaller readers. The screen displays only 16 gray levels and responds slowly, so the tablet cannot suit every intended use. HarmonyOS 2.1.0 lacks Google Services, but the Kindle app and most benchmarks worked after installation through another app store. The review welcomes the tolino app for German-speaking users and finds the integrated translation tool adequate for everyday needs.

The GSMArena review looks at the Huawei MatePad Paper, which sits between well-known e-readers and fully fledged tablets. The reviewer calls it super light at 360 grams and enjoys the big speakers, but notes there is no IP rating. The 10.3-inch screen has 1872 by 1404 pixels and 227 ppi, and the text is readable even though it could be sharper. The biggest issue is the slow refresh rate, which keeps it from working as a proper tablet. The screen response to the M Pencil is also frustrating, and the Smart AI refresh mode showed no discernible difference. Huawei does not recommend video or games on the screen, and neither does the reviewer.