From the growing industry of tablets, various Chinese tablets manufacturer has improve their specification and quality to beat gain names in the market competing with the well known name in the market, Apple iPad which also comes with a smaller version by the name of iPad Mini.

With the little movement of Android based movement of tablet in the market, Huawei announced the new MediaPad model the Huawei MediaPad M5. Competing its size to the iPad mini its name Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 seize the size of 8.4inch potrait screen, with the identical internals and screen resolution to its bigger M5 10.8 give the M5 8.4 with no compensation of its size to the specification.

Specification : 

• Colour : Champagne Gold / Space Grey
• Display : 2560×1600 pixels. Enhanced Calrivu display
• CPU : Kirin 960 Series Chipset
• OS : Android™ 8.0 Oreo™
• Memory : 4 GB RAM + 32 GB ROM* / 4 GB RAM + 64 GB ROM*
• Network : LTE FDD / LTE TDD / WCDMA / GSM (Enabled only on the SHT-AL09 version)
• GPS : GPS, AGPS (SHT-W09 not supported), GLONASS, BDS
• Connectivity : Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz
• Sensors : Gravity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Compass, Gyroscope, Fingerprint sensor, Hall effect sensor, Status indicator
• Camera : Rear camera: 13 MP, F2.2, Auto Focus (PDAF) , Front camera: 8 MP, F2.2, Fixed focus, Flashlight: not supported
• Audio : Dual stereo speaker, HUAWEI Histen sound effect, Harman Kardon audio certified Supports Hi-Res Audio
• Video : File format: *.mp4, *.3gp
• EMUI 8.0
• Battery : 5100 mAh(Actual capacity may vary slightly.), Quick Charge 9 V / 2 A

In The Box:

• Charger
• Cable
• USB Type-C to 3.5 mm headset jack adapter cable
• Eject pin
• Quick Start Guide
• Warranty card

The Mediapad M5 is available in 32GB,64GB storage options with expandable to a MicroSD with a memory of 4GB in all variants

Design : Clean and Premium

• Champagne Gold and Space Grey finishes available
• Metal unibody design, U-shaped antenna bands
• Wi-Fi & LTE/4G connectivity
• Harman Kardon speakers

One of the greatness of the MediaPad M5 is its size, With its size of 8.4-inch display and small screen bezel from left to right with a width of only 124.8mm it fits to a regular hand almost perfect. Huawei has managed to make the M5 so compact that it will fit to a coat pocket or bag easily for storage.

The glass curves along the edges into the metal body added a premium look to its tablet, at the same time, the tablet’s antenna strip is machined into the metal, a very smart and stylish way ensuring a strong signal strength with no chunks of plastic jeopardize the clean aesthetic finish.

With the advanced of port these days, USB-C has been inserted to the bottom for fast charging but the headphone 3.5mm jack is obviously removed. A USB-C to 3.5mm jack (included in the box) converter might be need to listen to the music. All the buttons (Volume + power) are on the right-hand side tablet, position towards the rear of the edge.

Display : The Cool 2K Goodness

• 8.4-inch LCD IPS panel
• 2560 x 1600 resolution (359ppi)

The display of the MediaPad M5 is the most “eye catching” elements of the device, packed with 2K screen display, gives a clean white, vibrant colors and its great contrast LCD panel. Watching video is just awesome and its also wide enough for eBook reader for the potrait mode.

The M5 8.4’s IPS sure delivers a strong viewing angles and great brightness levels.The default setting display of perhaps is just a little cool with slightly blueish on the display is definitely not an issue as it has customary for Huawei’s Android devices where use may toggle the options for blue/cool filter or making it yellow/warm for the night-time reading.

Software : 

• Google Android 8.0 Oreo operating system, running Huawei EMUI 8.0 
• 4G/LTE Cellular model has phone dialler/SMS

Based on the Google’s Android operation system as its backbone, Huawei re-skins it very own “EMUI” software which is improving the user-experience. The software is almost identical to most the Huawei’s latest smartphone Huawei Mate 10 Pro with only exception of larger to fits the tablets display. Huawei’s user may notice few subtle difference such as the dual-panel view permanently at the main setting menu despite from landscape or portrait mode.

Using EMUI 8.0, user can customize everything from transition to home screen grid on the MediaPad M5 8.4. The fingerprint scanner is accurate and responsive and also serve as the navigation button, replacing the black navigation bar which consume space in most Android device.

Performance

• HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor
• 4GB RAM, 32/64/128GB storage

Enhanced by the Kirin 960 Processor and 4GB RAM truly brings the Mediapad M58.4 to it excellence in everyday tablet task. eBook reading and web browsing just as smooth along with 4k video playback. It does run the latest games with high performance settings.

The performance is therefore just like the high-end tablets should be. Tested with the lastest famous game – PUBG Mobile loaded without any noticeable delay with the game run at high frame rate.

Battery

• 5,100mAh battery capacity
• USB-C for fast-charging

Huawei’s latest MediaPad M5 has incredible standby time, averagely used at above of 50% brightness which will give you is almost of 10 hour screen on time. With the battery optimization feature in the Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4,  you may tweak its option of output resolution options to save battery and also disable a few background functions to enjoy more battery life.

With the intense use of the M5, battery would loss just over 15 percent of its full capacity. During the test, the tablet can last in the duration of six and a half to eight hours depending the usage of the tablet.

With the USB-C, it shows us the power of faster charging solution for the tablet..However the downside of it is that the tablet still need excess of two hours of fully charged battery.

Camera 

• 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera
• 1080p video recording

Like most tablet camera, the M5 camera isn’t as good as the high end camera of the smart phones, the tablets results lack detail, and consider not great dealing with contrasting light conditions. There is also a HDR mode to helps improves things if you remembers to switch it on, but regular auto mode definitely won’t be use for prize winning photography. As for low- light images, there are grainy by default, which the absence of the flash light in the MediaPad M5.

There are modes that helps improve things a little, but from recommendation, do avoid using the camera for big important pictures unless there are no alternatives.The front camera is actually better expected to see from a decent smartphone. It does take a decent fair-looking selfies.

The MediaPad M5 suprising shoots in FullHD 60fps which many smartphones doesn’t yet. It also has the option of 4K recorded at 30fps but with the higher frame rate recording, the digital stabilizer option will be turn off. If you are shooting at 1080p 30fps , the digital stabilizer works alright for the handheld. There are no slow motion option available as well.

Multimedia : 

• Harmon/Kardon Tuned
• Plenty of power for gaming

The MediaPad M5 8.4 may stun you with the excellent imaging when comes to multimedia, The content looks great on its 2K screen and dual – speakers system tunes by Harmon/Kardon produces excellent sound quality for such thin, good-looking tablet.

The bookworm will rejoice owning the piece of tablet on their hands as the eBook reading really hits their spots thanking its design of portability, nice weight and ergonomic curves.

Keeping up the “trend” of the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack really stirs up the annoyance a group of people with the fond of headphone/earphone user but it’s relative no issue as Huawei includes a USB-C -to-3.5mm dongle in the box upon purchase.

Verdict

There are tons of great small-scale Android tablets in the market. The Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 is the fresh air in the breeze of stagnating market of tablets.

Apart from few oddity here and there, we would like to see more on screen time from the battery and less pre-installed bloatware. The screen is sharp, colorful and a quality design and built are the best there is among all the tablets

Its not a five-star device, the Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 is still the best sub-10-inch Android tablet around right now. Many decent Android tablets are also few and far between at the moment, making M5 8.4 an easier recommendations.

Purchase Link : Huawei Schubert-W09B MediaPad M5 Android Tablet – 64GB Dual Harman Kardon-Tuned Speakers, 8.4″, Space Gray