Huawei MatePad Pro Max Wins Over MacBook Air M3 User Despite €1,499 Price
Updated
Updated · Pocket-lint · May 10
Huawei MatePad Pro Max Wins Over MacBook Air M3 User Despite €1,499 Price
3 articles · Updated · Pocket-lint · May 10
Huawei's MatePad Pro Max persuaded the reviewer to leave behind a two-year-old MacBook Air M3 for lighter-duty work and travel, a rare case of a tablet feeling close enough to a laptop.
At 4.7mm thick and 499g, the 13.2-inch tablet stayed lighter than the MacBook even with its keyboard case and stylus, while a trackpad-equipped folio and desktop-like Chrome experience made input feel familiar.
Huawei also added hardware the reviewer said stood out: a 3K 144Hz OLED PaperMatte display with 1,600 nits brightness, plus M-Pencil Pro support with 16,384 pressure levels.
Software remained the main compromise because HarmonyOS lacks Google services out of the box, forcing sideloading of apps like Gmail, Drive and Slack before the setup became workable.
A 10,400mAh battery with 66W charging lasted a full workday in testing, but the €1,499 starting price keeps the MatePad Pro Max in premium-laptop territory.
Beyond a 'laptop killer,' is this tablet the key to Huawei establishing a viable third global operating system?
Can superior hardware like Huawei's anti-reflective display convince users to abandon Apple's dominant software ecosystem?