Huawei MatePad 11, a portable alternative to a laptop

By Jaime Misalucha

Portability is one of the most important things to consider when buying a new gadget. It has to be easy to carry and lightweight, plus it has to have all the productivity tools that you will need while working remotely, and, of course, it has to have good battery life for long hours of working.

To some, a laptop is a top choice. But recently, tablets are getting more competitive and adding accessories for them to be more friendly towards productivity and portability.

Recently, Huawei launched the Huawei Matepad 11 just a few months after the release of its bigger sibling, the Huawei Matepad Pro 12.6. For those who find the Matepad Pro 12.6 a bit on the large size, the Matepad 11 can be more manageable and portable for you.

It also runs via Huawei's Harmony OS, which is not really a huge change in Android and IOS interface. What's interesting to note is that although not all apps are officially available in the Huawei App Gallery, its very own Petal Search can help you find the adequate installer for the apps you want. But for sure, sooner or later, Huawei will have those apps available in their App Gallery as well.

For instance, I used Petal Search to download apps like Google Drive and GDocs to write this article. I was also able to download social media apps for Facebook and Instagram.

Instagram's interface is engaging most especially when you are viewing it in landscape mode. When you tap into an Instagram story, it will automatically split the screen between the Instagram posts and the Instagram stories. Talk about social media multitasking, right?

So anyway, The Huawei Matepad 11sports four speakers on its sides to give you a truly immersive sound while you are watching a movie or even just playing music as you work on your tasks for the day.

It has a 13 megapixels camera that captures clear images with stunning color reproduction. It may not be Huawei P-series camera levels, but its single 13-megapixel camera gets the job done. It even has 10x digital zoom, but the images captured looked soft and a bit like a painting, in my opinion. Again, it's not Huawei P-series camera levels, but it is good that it is there just in case.

Its front camera sports an 8-megapixel lens that gives a clear image good for video calls. Interestingly, the front camera is located at the side of the screen so that when you mount it with the keyboard, it is on the top of the screen, just like the standard webcam location of laptops.

The battery is also worth mentioning as it gives you enough juice for days before plugging it again. Just like smartphones and tablets at present, its 7,250 mAh battery is non-removable. It also gets fully charged in less than an hour.

In conclusion, the Huawei Matepad 11's slim body makes it portable, and it gets you in the mood to work anytime, anywhere. Some may be hesitant to get one because it now runs using a new operating system. But just like the more established OS in the market now, it also started where the Harmony OS is now. Remember when we were all used to the Symbian OS of Nokia, and then the Android OS entered the market? Didn't we all have hesitation as well?

So think of it this way, sooner or later, the Harmony OS will be embraced by consumers as well, and that it is just a matter of getting used to it. But it would be nice to be one of the first Harmony OS users and that you can be like a Harmony OS master that can help and support others when they use it.

With the Huawei Matepad 11 and its Harmony OS, we get a glimpse of what Huawei's ecosystem will be like in the years to come.