Huawei bolsters its tablet lineup in the Philippines with the MatePad SE. Huawei’s latest offering might look familiar–it has the same design elements as the MatePad T10s, but the MatePad SE comes with updated internals that make it more powerful.
Slotting between Huawei’s mainstream MatePad series and MatePad T series, the MatePad SE aims to offer a balance of affordability and decent specs. We check it out in this review to see if you should consider this tablet.
How does the MatePad SE look and feel?
It looks familiar because the MatePad SE essentially uses the same body as the MatePad T10s. We don’t mind Huawei using a 3-year-old design on the MatePad SE, as the unibody aluminum frame is just as durable. It has a lovely satin finish, though streaks tend to be hard to remove.
Since it’s a body that we’re familiar with, you do get a headphone jack and loudspeaker on the top, USB-C port, SIM card slot, and another loudspeaker at the bottom, and power and volume controls on the right side.
Overall, the MatePad SE is slim for a 10-inch tablet, and its 16:10 aspect ratio keeps it compact with those symmetrical bezels.
Is the display any good?
It’s slightly better than the one used on the T10s. Aside from being a smidge bigger at 10.4 inches, the colors are more vibrant with the MatePad SE, and the brightness is roughly the same as what we experienced on the T10s. You also get the same 1920×1200 resolution for watching Full HD videos, though its Widevine L3 certification limits Netflix streams to SD or 720p.
Like the T10s, you also get stereo speakers on the MatePad SE, which sounds decent for its asking price–more on that later. Highs and lows are audible and not distorted, though the MatePad SE’s speakers excel with the mids.
How about the cameras?
They’re not a priority on the MatePad SE, so you get a barebones setup: 5-megapixel for the rear camera, and 2-megapixel for the front camera.
The image quality on both cameras is similar to budget phones, so you can’t expect that much. Nonetheless, they are decent enough for sharing in social media. The rear camera can shoot Full HD video, but we don’t advise using it since it’s not practical to shoot a video using a tablet unless you really need to do so.
How does the MatePad SE perform as a daily driver?
It’s definitely more powerful than the T10s, as the MatePad SE uses a Snapdragon 680 processor that’s paired with up to 128GB storage and 4GB RAM. The storage is expandable via MicroSD, and the RAM should be adequate enough for all of the things you’d normally do with a tablet. You can choose between WiFi-only or WiFi+LTE variants, and we suggest to get the latter so you have that added flexibility when it comes to connectivity.
The Snapdragon 680 is a significant upgrade over the Kirin 710A used on the T10s: aside from a power-efficient 6nm process, the mid-range Snapdragon chip has better performance for handling multitasking well and does a bit of gaming on the side. While the Snapdragon 680 is not meant for gaming, it is possible to play graphics-intensive games like Genshin Impact–as long as you keep graphics settings to low so thst you have an enjoyable gaming experience.
On the software side of things, the MatePad SE runs HarmonyOS 3.0. You still do not get access to Google services, but workarounds like GBox have addressed this concern with Huawei devices. Outside of GBox, both App Gallery and Petal Search do a good job of finding the apps we want to install with ease.
Like the T10s, the MatePad SE comes with a 5100mAh battery that feels undersized for a 10.4-inch tablet. However, we were surprised at its battery life. Compared to the 9-hour battery life we got on the T10s with PCMark, the MatePad SE managed to pull off close to 15 hours–which is a 6-hour improvement thanks to the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 680.
Should you consider the MatePad SE?
The MatePad SE is a fairly good offering in the Philippines, as this entry-level tablet covers all the basics one looks for. It improves on the MatePad T10s, especially with its use of a more capable Snapdragon 680 processor that helps both perform better with general productivity work and in making the most out of its battery.
How much is the MatePad SE in the Philippines?
The MatePad SE is priced at Php 13,999 for the 4GB/128GB WiFi+LTE variant and Php 9,999 for both the 3GB/32GB WiFi+LTE and 4GB/64GB WiFi variants. The 4GB/64GB WiFi variant will be available from February 15, while the 3GB/32GB WiFi+LTE and 4GB/128GB WiFi+LTE variants will be available from February 17.
Those buying the MatePad SE until February 28 will get an entertainment gift box, 64GB MicroSD card, Huawei Video vouchers, and 3 Months of Viu Premium with their purchase. In addition to that, those getting the WiFi+LTE variants will also get a Folio Cover as well.
