Written By Jaime G. Misalucha, jr.
Even before the pandemic struck, working remotely had already been a thing. But when working remotely, you need a powerful yet portable device. This is where laptops come into play. But sometimes, the weight of laptops makes them a little less portable and you still need at least a medium sized bag to carry it along with its peripherals.
Good thing Tech brands have introduced tablets that are now just as powerful and, in fact, more flexible than a laptop. Global Tech brands such as Huawei, saw this trend, or should I say demand, and recently launched the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6. It is a compact yet as powerful as any laptop. It has a 12.6 inch Huawei Oled Fullview Display with super thin 5.6mm bezels.
This 90% screen-to-body ratio is in fact the highest in the world. But despite its screen size it is lighter than a laptop which is a lot easier to carry around. The screen has a 2500 X 1600 high resolution with DCI-P3 cinematic wide color gamut. This may sound too technical but it basically means that the screen can give you true to life colors in crystal clear details.
In terms of performance, the MatePad Pro 12.6 does not disappoint. With its Kirin 9000E Chipset, computer lags are a thing of the past and the transition from one app to another is smooth. So smooth you’ll miss it when you blink due because its chipset, the Kirin 9000E, is actually the fastest processor in the world.
The MatePad Pro 12.6 runs with Huawei’s own operating system, the Harmony OS. Despite being new in the game, the Harmony OS packs a lot of apps that you normally find in other OS.
Personally, I was initially turned off by this OS. But when I tried using it, my worries went away. This is because I was able to access all the apps that I need for work and for entertainment. It was also a big help that I found this article from Huawei that assures people of the different applications that are already available in the Harmony OS’ AppGallery.
It features a unique app dock at the bottom of the screen that serves as your “taskbar” that houses your frequently used apps. Which is very useful especially when you are in a hurry… like me all the time. Now if the app you like is not yet available in the AppGallery, the Petal search Widget is your friend. It can help you search an app online and help you find a good installer for it in the MatePad Pro 12.6. This way, you can be assured that whatever app you fancy, the Harmony OS can handle.
Being a heavy user of Google Drive and Google documents, I was happy to find out that I can access my Gdrive and edit my documents through the Harmony OS. As for entertainment, Netflix runs perfectly and in fact, the MatePad Pro 12.6’s speaker enhances your viewing as it delivers impressive and superb sound thanks to its speakers by Harman Kardon. There are actually 8 speakers in total in this device, four on each side. The speakers of the MatePad Pro 12.6 can actually rival those high-end soundbars that everyone is clamouring to have these days. Looking back at the various tablets in the market, the MatePad Pro 12.6 is the only tablet in the world that has 8 speakers.
It actually gives you a surround and crystal clear sound that I only experience when I wear a high quality headphone. Testing its speaker with surround sound demo videos from Youtube gave me the idea on how the MatePad 12.6 truly performs under a sound heavy video and music. While doing the test, and also while watching movies from Netflix, I almost forgot that I was watching and hearing the sound from a tablet.
For full productivity, you also can accompany the MatePad Pro 12.6 with the Huawei M-Pencil 2nd Generation that works as your pointer and your pen. It magnetically connects to the side of the MatePad Pro 12.6 where it serves as its charger.
The M-Pencil 2nd Generation is responsive and comfortable to hold. You can double-tap it to switch pens, or switch to its eraser, while using its notepad. Its rounded hexagon shape was also a genius touch as it gives you better grip. It was a joy to use the M-Pencil 2nd Generation with apps like the Ibis Paint X where you can draw anything you fancy.
Its sensitivity is on point and I honestly don’t know what magic Huawei did to make it this highly sensitive and accurate. I am not complaining though as this M-Pencil really works like magic and as if you are holding an actual pen and you are writing or drawing on an actual piece of paper.
Another “magic” the M-Pencil can do is creating instant shapes or charts. By doing a double-tap or a long tap, you will be toggling its instant shape where when you draw a shape free-hand it will process it and make the shape standardized or should I say, perfect. Because let’s admit it, when it comes to drawing, the majority of us have two left hands, me included, and only few are blessed with those drawing hands!
Apart from that, the double-tap or long tap feature can also give you an instant table after you draw free-hand. This also makes the table flexible as it will adjust the cell’s space automatically once you have filled it up with information. So you see, it is more than just a writing tool. It is actually a real life magic wand!
The Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard on the other hand has full-sized buttons that are generously spaced that give you ease and comfort of use. It also magnetically snaps at the back of the MatePad Pro 12.6 and it will automatically be detected and connected.
Speaking of charging, its 10,050 mAh battery surprisingly lasted me for about 4 days of juice before I plugged it into an electrical outlet. Its charging supports SuperCharge capability that can give you full batt quickly.
Now if you have a Huawei laptop and a Huawei smartphone, which I am sure you have, you can connect your MatePad Pro 12.6 to work in various ways. First the mirror mode, where you can mirror your laptop’s screen to your MatePad Pro 12.6. Second is the Extend mode where you can use the MatePad Pro 12.6 as your laptop’s extended screen.
The last, and I have to say the coolest, is the Collaborate mode. Here you can easily transfer files between your MatePad Pro 12.6 to your second or third devices with ease without sending it via Bluetooth like we are used to.
In case you're wondering, the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 also has cameras. A 13 MP, 8MP wide angle and 3D depth sensor at the back and an 8 MP selfie camera. One more thing to brag about the MatePad Pro 12.6 is that it is the first tablet to have a triple camera at the back and a punch-hole camera upfront. The rear camera can shoot in different modes such as Night mode, Slow-Mo, Panorama and more. Meanwhile, the front or selfie camera can shoot in Time-lapse, Capture smiles and Mirror reflector modes which are all dead useful.
The selfie camera also captures clear images, especially during video calls. The MatePad Pro12.6 even has an auto-reduction of noise during conference calls, as if you are in an office and not outside or at a noisy place. You see, working remotely, be it at home, at an open space or even at your desk in your office, devices such as the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 works well and deliver the performance you expect to cater to whatever you are doing wherever that next big idea hits you.
Artists can carry the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 anywhere and instantly draw or write their inspiration. Also, its mobility and powerful computing can surely live up to the needs of corporate guys and gals where processing those million peso deals at a moment's notice is vital. So whatever you are doing, be it chasing your passion, focusing on your career or just simply enjoying your free time, devices like the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 got you covered.
The HUAWEI MatePad Pro 12.6 is now available in the Philippines for P55,999. Until July 18, customers just need to add Php 1 to get premium freebies worth P19,925! The bundle includes a HUAWEI MatePad M-Pencil worth P5,999, a HUAWEI Smart Keyboard worth P7,999, a Bluetooth Speaker worth P1499, a Huawei Band 4 worth P1,890, and exclusive access to key productivity, creativity and entertainment apps!
The last promo bundle will be running from July 10 to 31. Again, you just need to add P1 to get P13,998 worth of premium freebies. This includes a HUAWEI MatePad M-Pencil 2nd generation and a HUAWEI Smart Keyboard.
For more details, you can head to Huawei’s website or you can visit a Huawei store. Or, if you prefer to buy online, you can find them in Lazada and Shopee