The Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2 punches above its price
Tandem OLED, full-size keyboard, and stylus bundled. The MatePad Pro punches above its price.
The Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2-inch tablet is a premium tablet complete with a full-sized keyboard at an almost-bargain price.
I had the chance to try out one of the latest devices from Huawei's premium tablet line over several weeks. My thoughts? It's a stellar device that offers outsized value.
Gentle on the eyes
The MatePad Pro is the premium line of tablets from Huawei, and this particular model comes with a 12.2-inch tandem OLED "PaperMatte" display.
The tandem OLED is gorgeous with up to 2,000 nits of peak brightness, while the display is matte through nano-level etching and is very pleasant and gentle on your eyes.
The tablet itself weighs 512 grams, and when paired with the bundled keyboard case and stylus, brings it to just 850 grams.
Photo Credit: Paul Mah
Keyboard and stylus
Unlike other brands, Huawei has been bundling a keyboard case and stylus with its tablets, which I used together with the MatePad Pro 12.2.
As a touch typist, I really loved the keyboard, which offers full-size key pitch and great key travel. I find the typing experience akin to a laptop, which says a lot.
The Huawei M-Pencil (3rd gen) stylus was adequate for writing, and Huawei Notes is a very polished app designed just for that. The feel cannot compare to my reMarkable Pro, but it does feel less plasticky than other styluses I've tried.
For handwriting across apps, Huawei has FreeScript as the equivalent to the iPad's Scribble capability. FreeScript worked well in my experience.
Both peripherals are charged wirelessly. The stylus attaches to the side iPad-like where it charges. The keyboard also snaps on magnetically and charges its built-in batteries automatically.
They communicate with NearLink wireless, which is distinct from Bluetooth. Pairing is as simple as attaching them magnetically to the tablet and agreeing to pair. That's it.
Photo Credit: Paul Mah
Great value
Like other Huawei devices, accessing Android apps requires jumping through a couple of initial hoops. You could either use the open-source MicroG app or the free GBox app. MicroG is a substitute for Google Play Services, while GBox is a virtual machine environment.
In my opinion, the Huawei MatePad Pro line is an underappreciated product range. Priced at around S$1,000 (can be lower during promotions) inclusive of keyboard and stylus, it offers a premium tablet experience without a premium-level price tag.
Of course, it's not perfect. The windowing experience trails behind iPadOS 26, which is exceptional. And there are no mobile-enabled variants.
The Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2 is sold out in Singapore right now, though a new model should replace it soon. I expect new models to offer similar value.
