Easily one of the best portable tablets I have ever used or reviewed, the Huawei MediaPad M5 (WiFi version) is now available for purchase. Whether you are looking for the 8.4″ version I reviewed, the 10.8″, or the 10.8″ MediaPad M5 Pro, you’ll be able to get yours from Amazon or NewEgg for $319, $359 and $449 respectively.
If you’ve been looking for an affordable yet powerful iPad substitute, look no further than the MediaPad M5. It features a Kirin 960 OctaCore processor, the world’s first 2.5D curved glass on a tablet, a 2K QHD display (2560 x 1600 pixels) powered by ClariVu 5.0, and speakers turned by Harman Kardon. The 8.4″ version has two speakers, while the 10.8″ version has four. The MediaPad M5 is fast, it has a gorgeous screen, and it sounds fantastic when you are consuming media.
Huawei’s engineers developed a structural design that utilizes a metal frame to reinforce the edges and protect the screen from the bumps, knocks and drops of daily use. The HUAWEI MediaPad M5 screens are not only sleek but durable – meeting Huawei’s stringent product safety and reliability standards. The tablets also have Huawei’s U-shaped antenna design to ensure superior connectivity.
The 8.4″ version has a 5,100mAh battery, while the 10.8″ version has a 7,500mAh battery; they are rated for up to 11 and 12 hours respectively during 1080p video playback; I typically get more than a day’s use from my 8.4″ MediaPad M5, and when it’s time to charge — thanks to Huawei’s Quick Charge technology — up to 1.9 hours is all it takes for the 8.4″ version. Those with the larger version can expect a full charge to take up to 2.9 hours.
Unlike an iPad, you can expand the MediaPad M5’s 64GB onboard memory by up to 256GB by simply popping in a microSD card versus having to pay the company for expensive memory options.
The 8.4″ is perfect for my use, but if you need a work powerhouse, look no further than the 10.8″ MediaPad M5 or the 10.8″ MediaPad M5 Pro. Huawei has “transformed the Android OS to create a familiar Desktop View experience and improve work-related tasks. A taskbar has been added to the bottom of the screen, offering easy access to input tools and controls for Wi-Fi and battery — just like on a laptop.”
On the 10.8″ MediaPad M5, you can view multiple windows at once, and you can minimize, maximize, or close windows with one click. Both 10.8″ MediaPad M5s have Pogo-pin ports so you can easily connect them to a keyboard and unlock further productivity features on the desktop view.
On both sizes, you’ll get dual cameras and a built-in microphone for excellent photos, videos, and video calls. The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8″ Pro package comes with the Huawei M-Pen for better interaction with the tablet — no need to pay that additional $100!
Whether you are interested in the space gray 8.4″ version, the space gray 10.8″ version, or the champagne gold 10.8″ Pro version, simply put — the Huawei MediaPad M5 is the best WiFi tablet available for the money, and now you can get yours from Amazon [affiliate link] and NewEgg. We liked it so much at MWC2018 that we gave it a “Best Of” award; I use mine every day, and it is the best tablet I’ve ever owned.