The saying goes that, in the absence of bread, cakes are good. And in the case of Huawei, in the absence of agreements that allow it to use Google services on its smartphones, the manufacturer has dedicated itself to innovating in other areas. This has allowed its helmets, smart watches and tablets to become some of the best-performing devices on the market. AND the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2, which we have already talked about, is one of them.
Once we have it in hand, the first thing that catches our attention is the choice of color: gold. Assuming that I am not a devotee of colors that deviate from white, black or gray for devices such as tablets or laptops, the tone chosen by Huawei is striking. It works well in terms of attracting attention. Huawei’s Golden Silk finish has a matte, paper-like texture, plus a pattern of interlocking lines that become visible when light reflects off it. All of this gives it an elegant wallpaper look, but the shade selected is not the one that appeals to me the most. A matter of taste that does not influence its capacity.
If we continue down the most complicated path, it is inevitable to talk about Google and the prohibition of using its services. While it is true that many of the applications are not installed by default, it is something that can be easily resolved. Whether through Huawei’s own gallery or the Aurora Store, a “substitute” Google Play Store that is compatible with Huawei’s operating system. Thanks to this we can access options such as YouTube with all its qualities or Google Drive or Gmail. The process takes just a few minutes and 99% of the obstacles are overcome with this.
Finally, if we get into picky mode, we could also talk about the cameras: two rear cameras of 13 and 8 MP and a front one (and hidden in the bezels) of 8 MP. They are not remarkable, none of them. But the reality is that it is common in all tablets, from the lowest to the highest range. Its main objective is to be used for video conferences… and little else. Therefore, more than a defect, it is a lack of the market in general.
Last detail before the positive points: the power. We are looking at a Kirin T91 processor, probably among the five best on the market at this level. Is it the most powerful? No. Is this noticeable? If you use the MatePad Pro 12.2 to encode or play high-demand video games, you may notice some skips, but Most of us mortals do not demand enough from him to reach this stage.. A 12GB RAM ensures the process is almost velvety smooth and storage of up to 512GB adds solidity. It’s not too much, but it’s safe.
And now yes, with what leads us to rub our hands: the MatePad Pro 12.2 is the best tablet for drawing and illustrating, if we do not take the iPad into account. The merits for this are several. The 12.2-inch display (hence the name) has a dual-layer OLED panel. Basically, this technology doubles OLED panels to achieve higher brightness output with less stress on individual pixels. The result is a screen that lasts three times longer than a traditional OLED and has a much lower risk of “burn-in” when brightness levels are maximized.
Added to that is that Huawei has “fused” double OLED with its PaperMatte display technology for the first time. Together, this creates one of the largest contrast ratios on the market. Contrast ratio is the difference between the darkest black and the brightest white. And in this Tablet it is 2,000,000 to 1 (the same as the iPad pro), 2000 nits brightness and a refresh rate of 144 Hz. The twist comes with an anti-reflective coating that looks and feels like paper .
This PaperMatte finish makes the tablet infinitely more usable outdoors, as it almost completely eliminates reflections. At the same time, it is surprisingly resistant to stains and the almost imperceptible texture adds a “friction”, similar to the roughness of paper, which makes the touch and use of the stylus (included) in the latest offers , be a pleasure in the writing and illustration section. Special mention for the M Pencil: It has more than 4,000 different pressure levels and in the GoPaint app, it shines.
GoPaint is the app that seeks to rival Procreate (basically the reason why designers and illustrators lean towards an iPad). Here We have 80 different brush modes and a Splatter Brush option that seems like magic: without touching the screen we can make the pencil “splash” drops of color, as if we were doing it on watercolor paper. The fusion of screen, PaperMatte technology, the GoPaint app and the capabilities of the stylus are the assets so that, for the first time, there is a real alternative to an iPad in illustration and design.
The Tablet weighs almost 100 grams less than the 13-inch iPad Pro or the 12.4-inch Tab S9+. Unless we add the keyboard/case. In fact, the new Glide keyboard makes it blend more into the environment of a laptop, not only because of its features, but also because of its design, which allows you to freely adjust the angle of the screen and it will stay where you place it.
Finally, the battery: 10,100 mAh with an included 100 W charger that allows a full charge in 55 minutes, half that of an iPad Pro. The detail that we have not verified is the sleep mode. According to Huawei, It could last up to a year in this mode thanks to its battery, and it would take 12 seconds for it to “come back” to life.
Verdict: Its price is 999 euros. But we must take into account a promotion on the website that discounts us 100 euros, gives away the keyboard and the M Pencil. Today, for use by illustrators, designers and digital artists, who do not want to depend on the iOS ecosystem, the Huawei MatePad Pro 12.2 is the best option.
