First Look

Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 Unboxing and First Impressions

Published

June 30, 2021

Another year, another new tablet. The Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 is a refresh of 2020’s MatePad Pro. But instead of being Android based, this one’s running Harmony OS 2. One of the first devices to be shipped outside of China to do so.

We suspect there aren’t plenty of differences. However, before we get ahead of ourselves, let’s unbox it!

The box and plain and simple.

You’ll see the MatePad Pro 12.6 right after lifting the box’s lid.

Set the tablet aside and you’ll see two boxes. One of which has the SIM tray ejector when you flip it.

Inside the boxes, you’ll find the power brick as well as the USB-C cable.

That’s actually it. However, Huawei sent over two more accessories that go with the MatePad Pro.

We have the M-Pencil 2…

… And the Smart Magnetic Keyboard

The M-Pencil 2 has replacement tips and some documentation.

The Smart Magnetic Keyboard has its own corresponding documentation and some instructions.

Here’s a closer look at the M-Pencil’s tip and the surface of the Smart Magnetic Keyboard.

The two accessories connect seamlessly to the tablet.

And the sides of the device is magnetic. You can safely stow the M-Pencil like so.

As far as buttons go, the power button is on the left side when propped-up in this laptop-ish form.

The volume buttons are right on top left side.

The speakers on the MatePad Pro are tuned by Harman Kardon.

It’s also home to three cameras. Something ‘unique’ for a tablet.

That’s a 13MP f/1.8 main camera, 8MP f/2.4 wide angle camera, and a 3D Depth Sensing camera.

First Impressions

On the outside, it doesn’t look too different from last year’s model. But the differences lie in the raw computing power and all the other hardware improvements. Using the device for only a couple of days, it certainly able to handle most tasks thanks to the Kirin 9000E powering this slate. It also has a 10,500mAh battery for extended use and 8GB of RAM along with 256GB of internal storage.

We haven’t used the M-Pencil 2 extensively so we can’t speak to much to it at the moment. Meanwhile, the Smart Magnetic Keyboard works about just as well as you can expect from keyboards like this. It’s certainly feels like it’s a higher-end accessories compared to others like it, but if you have trouble with these kinds of keyboards, you’ll likely have trouble with this as well.

The keys are tiny and those with stubby fingers like yours truly will suffer from typos more than usual. That said, the travel feels okay, and the whole unit is sturdy.

We’re curious about the decision to continuously come out with tablets. At this point, it feels more like a luxury than a need for most people. That said, if you are looking to buy, the sales information are below.

Pricing and availability

The Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6 retails for PhP 55,999 in the Philippines. It will be initially exclusive via the HUAWEI official online store and its flagship stores on Lazada and Shopee from June 25 to 27.

Early bird purchasers get to enjoy freebies worth PhP 17,387 for just an additional PhP 1. The freebies include a Huawei MatePad M-Pencil worth PhP 5,999, a Huawei Smart Keyboard worth Php 7,999, a Bluetooth Speaker worth PhP 1499, and a Huawei Band 4 worth PhP 1,890.

First Look

OnePlus Open Unboxing & First Look

Is this your next best foldable?

Published

October 22, 2023

GadgetMatch

Meet the OnePlus Open, the company’s very first foldable device.

Undeniably, it’s also the twin sister of OPPO’s latest foldable, the Find N3 — just exclusive to China.

But with the OnePlus Open being open (pun intended) to regions outside its hometown such as Europe and the US, will this become the next best foldable that you can buy?

In this video we’re doing a quick unboxing to give you a glimpse of the OnePlus Open.

ICYMI: Here’s also a replay of Michael Josh and Judie Stanford of Gear Diary in an Open Table Talk segment.

First Look

4 reasons to check out the Huawei Watch GT 4

When fashion meets fitness

Published

September 28, 2023

MJ Jucutan

Huawei introduces the Huawei Watch GT 4, unveiling a new look and feel to its smartwatch. It blends style and smart connectivity, but of course, there’s more to a smartwatch than its appearance.

Lo and behold, here are four reasons to check out Huawei’s new smartwatch.

1. Refined design

Huawei puts fashion at its core, turning a fine smartwatch like the Huawei Watch GT 4 into a smart timepiece. The 46mm variant prides itself with a distinctive geometric design, using an octagon watch body. It is inspired by the diamond cut and chiselled exterior found in performance cars, pushing a classic look that matches any strap you prefer.

There’s also the 41mm variant, embodying a pendant design. It achieves the perfect balance between sleekness and sophistication.

Both smartwatches feature a stunning AMOLED screen with ultra-thin bezels, giving more space to the data that matter.

2. Live a smart, connected life

What’s a smartwatch if it can’t stay connected, right? The Huawei Watch GT 4 pushes smart connectivity inside a fashionable timepiece.

It brings seamless integration between the smartwatch and the connected smartphone. Yes, it works beyond non-Huawei smartphones. As long as you’re using smartphones running Android 6.0 and iOS 9.0 or later, you can enjoy the wonders of this timepiece.

It also comes with improved app multitasking management, allowing users to continue getting updates from the background running app while accessing information from the watch face.

Luckily, it offers up to 14 days of battery life on the 46mm and 7 days on the 41mm. You don’t have to worry about charging your smartwatch every single day.

3. Better health monitoring

The Huawei Watch GT 4 uses HUAWEI TruSleep 3.0 sleep monitoring technology, which monitors sleep stages, real-time heart rate, sleep breathing, and assesses sleep quality.

Furthermore, it’s equipped with a newly upgraded TruSeen 5.5+ heart rate monitoring technology, leveraging the power of AI algorithms to provide accurate heart rate readings.

It also introduces Pulse Wave Arrythmia Analysis to help users better understand their heart health through a comprehensive cardiac health management.

There’s also a lung function assessment, respiratory check, and cycle tracking as part of its 24/7 health monitoring.

4. A companion for staying active

The Huawei Watch GT 4 promotes staying active and being fit.

It comes with 200+ free fitness courses with personalized scientific training plans. It intelligently adjusts based on real-time feedback to optimize progress.

Moreover, it has over 100 diverse sports modes, and introduces 19 new professional sports mode. It covers indoor and outdoor activities such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and more.

For those who want to manage their weight, the smartwatch has an app called Stay Fit which aids in scientific calorie management.

And if developing healthy habits is your thing, the Huawei Watch GT 4 has an upgraded Activity Rings serving as visual target.