Tablets are popping up everywhere, even sub-brands are now making their own. This trend has got me quite itching to buy one myself, and a great starting point could be the newest HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S (PaperMatte Edition), which boasts a solid price tag just under PHP 24,999USD 426INR 36,114EUR 406CNY 3,102.
However, choosing this newly announced model right away wouldn’t be much fun. It needs competition! And one of the best contenders to match it up is Apple‘s iPad Air, specifically the M1-powered version.
While the M2 Air is now available, comparing the budget-friendly MatePad to the M1 iPad Air is already a bit unfair due to the significant price gap, and even more so with the M2 Air. For reference, the iPad Air M1 had a starting price of PHP 39,999USD 682INR 57,783EUR 649CNY 4,964.
So, in this comparison we will discuss the pros and cons of both tablets, keeping a tight budget in mind. Just how much the MatePad 11.5 S can offer for a significantly lower price than the iPad Air 5th Gen? Let’s find out in this comparison.
Table of Contents
Right out of the box, both the MatePad 11.5 S and the iPad Air M1 feature a unibody metal chassis. Both tablets also come in colorful options in addition to the usual gray or black.
They also have sleek profiles with thickness only measuring under 6 millimeters (6.1 mm on the Air and 6.2mm on the MatePad). Taking a closer look, the iPad Air has this signature flat sides aesthetic while the MatePad has a slight curvature on all sides making it more comfortable in the hands.
The MatePad 11.5 S’ frame has slight curvature making it more comfortable to hold.
In landscape orientation, both have dual stereo speakers on the sides with the USB-C port on the right. One key difference here is the placement of the selfie shooter.
While the MatePad has it on the upper center (in landscape orientation), which makes sense for a tablet, the iPad Air has it on the left center and this is intentional apparently. You see, the Apple logo on the back is in portrait orientation unlike the HUAWEI logo that is horizontally aligned.
Despite that, both have the same button layout with the power button on the left frame and the volume rocker on the top-left side. However, only the iPad Air integrates TouchID whereas the MatePad compromises with a face recognition biometrics — which is notably absent on the Air.
Only the iPad Air M1 has TouchID biometrics.
You will also notice that the MatePad is a bit larger and that’s due to having a bigger display which we’ll talk more about next. However, the larger screen makes the MatePad a tad bit heavier at 510 grams as compared to the iPad Air’s 461 grams.
Overall, both tablets have a fairly generic design language. I personally liked the MatePad’s build mainly because it’s more comfortable to hold, thanks to its curved sides. But then again, the iPad Air is lighter, hence, the name. Design-wise? I think both are pretty good.
Now, let’s talk about the display. Like I said, the MatePad 11.5 S boasts a larger 11.5-inch 2.8K IPS LCD panel running at a smooth 144Hz refresh rate.
HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S‘ screen
On the other hand, the iPad Air features a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS LCD but is only capped at 60Hz refresh rate, so that’s a downside already. Another notable difference is you get slimmer bezels on the MatePad than the Air.
What’s interesting is that the MatePad uses what HUAWEI calls the PaperMatte Display 2.0 technology, and this might be the tablet’s biggest selling point. This tech significantly reduces glare and notably, it adds a paper-like feel as you write or draw with a stylus. This also makes it more satisfying to the touch with a smoother friction on your finger.
Some random sketch using the GoPaint app on the MatePad
I honestly enjoyed using the M-Pencil with this tablet and HUAWEI even added its self-developed drawing app called ‘GoPaint’. It is a direct challenger to Apple’s ProCreate and while it is a relatively new software, I feel like it’s already a full-fledged one.
There’s a bit of a learning curve, that’s for sure, but I did get the hang of it after a while — thanks to a little tutorial that HUAWEI added.
GoPaint features lots of brush presets.
Not to mention, the tablet itself supports ‘NearLink’, which is a better connection over Bluetooth. For one, it’s so much more convenient to pair other NearLink enabled accessories such as the M-Pencil and the physical keyboard. And second, it brings even lower latency.
I do have a bit of a heavy hand and I could tell that the lines get definitely thicker as I glide through the pencil with more pressure.
While the newest iPad Pro lineup already has similar anti-glare feature, HUAWEI has been the first to implement it since last year.
In terms of viewing experience, both tablets won’t disappoint. However, the MatePad’s anti-glare coating or PaperMatte tech may slightly reduce vividness compared to the iPad Air.
But for the most part, the MatePad’s display is quite superior to that of the Air. It offers a smoother 144Hz refresh rate, a paper-like feel, and most importantly, it is not as reflective — which I would actually prefer on a display this big.
Now onto performance. No doubt, the iPad Air powered by the Apple M1 chip would be far better in terms of raw performance. It has an octa-core architecture and can reach up to 3.2GHz clock speed.
On the other hand, HUAWEI didn’t really disclose what’s under the hood of the MatePad 11.5 S. But with a little peek on our benchmarking apps, I found that it’s powered by HUAWEI’s in-house Kirin 9000 WL chipset. The specific meaning of “WL” is unclear, but it uses a 12-core architecture and can get a decent 2.49GHz clock speed.
Given that the Apple M1 is more powerful, that’s not to say that the Kirin 9000 is bad. I was still able to play my favorite games with no apparent lags and was able to multitask just fine, especially with the tablet’s multi-window feature.
HUAWEI markets the tablet having PC-level productivity and I concur. In fact, I continued working on a Canva design on this tablet and it works like a charm.
The tablet also adds WPS Office which works similar to Microsoft Office on PC. This will be good for those who don’t have access to Microsoft apps, although you can just install those apps anyway or simply use the web apps. The only problem is, features may be limited since they’re technically mobile apps, so PC-level WPS Office might be worth a try.
As for configuration, this is an edge for the MatePad as it boasts a larger default storage at 256GB. The base model variant of the iPad Air is only left with 64GB which is not ideal nowadays. To get the same 256GB option, you will be needing to spend a chunk more, unfortunately.
Moving on to cameras, this is where the MatePad 11.5 S falls a bit short. It features a single 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus paired with an 8-megapixel selfie shooter.
Meanwhile, the iPad Air boasts a single rear camera as well, a 12-megapixel sensor with support for phase detect autofocus, and the front sees a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens.
On paper alone, you can already tell whose camera setup is better and that’s, of course, the iPad Air’s. Images we captured are generally better on the Air with more vivid colors and better handling of dynamic range.
iPad Air single rear camera appears to output better image quality.
Flip to front and you also get a better selfie shooter with the Air. It even adds the Center Stage feature that keeps you, the subject, in-frame. In my experience, there’s no such feature on the MatePad (yet), and that’s probably because its selfie camera is only a wide lens.
As a general take, we don’t really recommend a tablet for photography. Tablets like the MatePad are good for quick snaps and online meetings, but the iPad Air gets a nod offering slightly better camera capabilities.
In terms of battery, Apple doesn’t really specify this, but based on my research, the iPad Air M1 packs a 26.8Wh battery which is roughly 8,827mAh. That’s almost exactly the same with the MatePad 11.5 S having an 8800mAh unit.
As advertised, the iPad Air can reach over 10 hours of battery life on surfing the web or watching videos over a Wi-Fi connection. In our PCMark testing the MatePad was able to last 13 hours and 43 minutes. This isn’t a definitive indicator though because of various real-world use cases.
As for charging, both tablets use USB-C connection with the MatePad having 25W charging and the iPad Air being paired with a tad bit slower 20W charging rate.
Software is a bit of a rough situation for the MatePad 11.5 S. It runs on a newer HarmonyOS 4.2, and patience is a must when sideloading apps on this machine. Although, what really matters to me is that apps and games run with no problems after all the hassle.
Huawei doesn’t really disclose how long its software support is gonna be for tablets, so this is a clear win for the iPad Air. It runs iPadOS 16 out of the box upgradable to iPadOS 17.5.2 and should be upgradable to the upcoming iPadOS 18 as well.
With over five years of software support from Apple, the tablet should get at least until iPadOS 20 if the naming scheme remains linear.
Connectivity-wise, both get Wi-Fi 6 support and all the essentials, except cecullar capability on the MatePad. Only the iPad Air gets a 5G model.
One thing to note is that the MatePad features NearLink and as convenient as the iPad Air when it comes to pairing accessories. The HUAWEI M-Pencil along with the physical keyboard connects seamlessly with the tablet and can charge themselves magnetically just like on the Air.
Not to nitpick but I can even detach the keyboard away from the tablet and it will still work as intended. This is not possible with the Apple Magic Keyboard or any other keyboard that utilizes Apple’s Smart Connector as of yet.
Wrapping this up, we need to answer the question: is the HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S a worthy opponent to the iPad Air? It appears it is.
It is undeniable that the iPad Air M1 reigns supreme in terms of raw power and even software experience. Apple’s smooth iPadOS combined with longer software support are clear advantages of the tablet. Plus, you get a slightly better camera system.
On the other hand, the MatePad 11.5 S is jam-packed with features, leveling itself on par with the competition. Its larger, smoother 144Hz display with the PaperMatte technology is a big win for artists and note-takers alike. The massive 256GB base storage is a steal compared to the base 64GB iPad Air.
With utmost priority on value for money, the HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S sure is worth every penny, starting at only PHP 24,999USD 426INR 36,114EUR 406CNY 3,102. At this price point, it comes bundled with freebies including a stylus (M-Pencil 2nd Gen) and a wireless mouse.
The bundle option with the physical keyboard racks up the price to PHP 29,999USD 511INR 43,337EUR 487CNY 3,723.
HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S vs Apple iPad Air M1 specs:
| HUAWEI MatePad 11.5 S (PaperMatte Edition) | Apple iPad Air M1 (5th Gen) |
|---|---|
| 11.5-inch 2.8K TFT LCD (IPS) | 10.9-inch 2K Liquid Retina IPS LCD |
| 2800 × 1840 pixels, 144Hz adaptive refresh, 291 ppi | 2360 x 1640 pixels, 60Hz refresh, 264 ppi |
| 3:2 aspect ratio, PaperMatte Display 2.0 | |
| HUAWEI Kirin 9000 WL | Apple M1 |
| 12-cores, up to 2.49GHz | Octa-core, up to 3.2GHz |
| 8GB RAM | 8GB RAM |
| 256GB storage | 64GB, 256GB |
| 13MP f/1.8 rear camera, autofocus | 12MP f/1.8 rear camera, PDAF |
| 8MP f/2.0 front camera | 12MP f/2.4 front camera (ultrawide) |
| (No cellular) | 5G, 4G LTE (optional) |
| Wi-Fi 6, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax | Wi-Fi 6, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
| NearLink, Bluetooth 5.2 | Bluetooth 5.0 |
| USB Type-C (USB 3.0) | USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen2, DisplayPort) |
| (No biometrics) | TouchID |
| Dual stereo speakers | Stereo speakers |
| HarmonyOS 4.2 (Android 12) | iPadOS 17.5.1 |
| 8800mAh battery | 26.8Wh battery |
| 22.5W charging (wired) | (Unspecified) charging rate |
| 177.3 x 261 x 6.2 mm | 247.6 x 178.5 x 6.1 mm |
| ~510g | 461g |
| Space Grey, Silver Frost, Violet | Space Gray, Starlight, Pink, Purple, Blue |
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opporma says:
Huawei will probably provide 1-2 years of os support, which is a shame, since their tablet is packed with really good features. On the other hand, the ipad will get a minimum of 5 years of os support, probably you can use it for 10 years and it would still be good. If only huawei was not banned, this would be a good tablet.