Huawei has recently launched its newest tablet, the MatePad 11.5S PaperMatte.
Although we haven’t given our final verdict of the 11.5S PaperMatte yet we have reviewed its predecessor, the Huawei MatePad 11.5 PaperMatte. With this in mind, we’ve compared the specs of the two tablets so you can determine which one is better suited for you.
Both lack Google services
Due to US sanctions, all Huawei devices lack the Google Play Store and access to any Android apps that rely on Google services to operate. This includes all Google apps (Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps and more) and even third-party apps like Uber Eats that use Google Maps tech to run.
Even so, there are ways you can access Google apps but they require extra effort by using workarounds like GBox and the MicroG Project. Whether this is worth the hassle is up to you but we’d suggest that if you’re just looking for an everyday tablet then the Huawei MatePad tablets may not be the best for you.
However, if you’re a digital artist, the lack of Google services could be worth overlooking thanks to the PaperMatte screen tech.
The Huawei MatePad 11.5S PaperMatte has an OLED display
The MatePad 11.5S PaperMatte features an OLED display with, as the name suggests, a PaperMatte coating that Huawei promises up to 98% reduced reflections and has already been hailed as the “star of the show” in our reviewer’s early verdict.
He continues to praise the matte display as it “feels velvety smooth on your fingertips” and the third-gen M Pencil support offers the “most natural feeling stylus experience”.
The MatePad 11.5 PaperMatte tablet, in comparison, features an LCD display with the same PaperMatte coating. Its surface glass features “nano-level anti-glare etching technology” that reduces eye staring and glare. Our reviewer found there was a “noticeable difference in the texture of the glass, and it is easier on the eyes than some displays.”
The Huawei MatePad 11.5S PaperMatte has a larger battery capacity
With a massive battery capacity of 8800mAh, the MatePad 11.5S PaperMatte promises to be a significant upgrade over the MatePad 11.5 which has a 7700mAh capacity. While we are still testing the longevity of the 11.5S, our reviewer’s early verdict is that it’s a “promising first sign.”
In their review of the MatePad 11.5 PaperMatte, our reviewer was able to drain the tablet to “50% with around 5 hours of use” and concluded that although 7700mAh isn’t the biggest capacity “it should be enough to provide acceptable battery life”.
The Huawei MatePad 11.5S PaperMatte is cheaper
Perhaps surprisingly as it’s a newer model, the Huawei MatePad 11.5S currently has a cheaper RRP than the MatePad 11.5, starting at £349 / €399. The latter starts at £399 / €499 but it can often be found cheaper at third-party retailers.
