In the age of advanced technology, there is still space for budget and mid-range devices. This is where the Huawei MatePad 2021 comes in. A simple but capable tablet that can keep up with your daily needs.

Here I am, using the device for some time now and I can actually say, man, this is good! At first, I was doubtful about the capabilities of the MatePad given that it does not have Google services. But to my surprise, this device can stand on its own and deliver great performance when you need it to. But of course, it has its own setbacks.

Design

The new MatePad is a simple but clean design. The weight of the device is so light, it’s not a hassle to hold around all day. I advise you to place a case over that tablet. Its weight can definitely fool you and it has an occasional slipping from time to time. The device is easy to hold in landscape orientation, it feels good on the hands too.

Unfortunately, when you hold it in a portrait orientation, it suddenly feels too slim, but bearable. Its curved corners help with the grip and the screen follows that curved corners too, giving it a modern look. Its midnight grey colorway is definitely a great color, but I hope they add more colors to their lineup.

Camera

The single shooter camera at the back is nothing special. I understand how a number of tablets do not really prioritize it. The quality of the rear camera is acceptable given that there’s good lighting in your area.

The front-facing camera is not good at all. However, given its price and the fact that it’s a tablet, you shouldn’t expect much from it anyway.

Display

I love the screen size. It has curved corners and is well optimized with the apps. The IPS display is 2000×1000. Great quality, but there are better screens out there. For a mid-range device, the display is highly acceptable.

Having a 10.4-inch screen, multitasking is a breeze. With this, you can use two apps and still have a sizeable screen for content. eBook mode is like the ultra power saving mode on Samsung galaxy phones. Your screen will turn black and white which not only saves you from eye strain, it also saves the battery of the device  — which is amazing!

Audio

The Histen 6.0 3D stereo provided with the MatePad is superb for its price. The quad-speaker setup of this device surely gives it a huge boost and is rare in the mid-range market.

Music streaming was such an amazing experience, it gave me all smiles while testing it out. Even at maximum volume, the audio wasn’t bad at all, the clarity of the music and the instruments still sound superb and this is a huge plus to the device.

Multimedia goodness

The MatePad was pretty good when it came to multimedia consumption, you can download Netflix, HBO Go, and Spotify, just to name a few! The apps were perfectly optimized and the display surely keeps the experience enjoyable. Watching Netflix, HBO Go and YouTube content was fun. I have not experienced any issue regarding the apps itself as it fits perfectly to the size of the display.

Downloading apps can be a new experience when using a Huawei Device. They have their own Huawei AppGallery that may or may not offer you all of the apps you want. For downloading the apps like Netflix, HBO Go and many more, you will be redirected to an APK site. Once in the APK site there will be a download link for you to click and wait for the app to be downloaded. After the process, you’ll find your app ready to set up and use on a daily.

We also have to mention that the MatePad is supported by the M-Pencil. This means you can have more than one mode of entertainment for your device. Take down notes or draw the MatePad is surely lucky to have a stylus fitted for its capabilities.

Gaming

Gaming in this device is, what can I say? — AMAZING! Great graphics and playing games in the highest settings is no problem for this tablet. Personally, playing games like Mobile Legends is perfect for tablets. Playing PUBG Mobile on this device was quite an experience.

Don’t worry about your device when it comes to gaming, it’s a piece of cake for this one! A little bit of advice, Huawei encourages you to turn off Bluetooth when playing games, the reason is unknown but they’re preventing lag given the notification.

Battery Life

The MatePad holds a 7,250mAh battery, making it a long-lasting device. I played five games in Mobile Legends and the device still stands at 100 percent battery life! You can watch season one of Brooklyn Nine-nine and still have a few more left in the tank. believe me, I’ve tried it myself.

Problems

The MatePad surely is a surprising and powerful device, but it seems that this tablet is being held back at some point.

The device lags when using its gestures, from closing apps to left and right swipes, the tablet finds itself lagging and buggy. One huge problem that they need to fix is the App Gallery, now, don’t get me wrong, it works.

The thing is, when you download apps, it takes you to another site and then you download the APK file. YouTube app is nowhere to be found and it’s kind of a bummer. Users will be stuck with a website version turned to an app. The YouTube “app”  is buggy and is a pain to use.

Limited apps are available, and lets face it the apps there are not the ones we use on a daily. There are a few apps loaded but not installed and it’s not a pretty sight. It looks like uninstalled bloatware craving for your attention. My advice to anyone who’s going to buy this is that pick some of the provided apps and then remove the remaining apps.

Downloading apps can be a pain too if you’re not familiar with the current Huawei System.

Should you buy the Huawei MatePad?

My answer is a yes, even though they lack Google support and it has a few laggy moments. The MatePad is surely a bang-for-your-buck device. Whatever your current tablet can do, the MatePad can do it too, maybe even better.

The MatePad 2021 retails for PhP 18,990 / SG$ 498

realme’s expansion to tablets and laptops is happening real soon. Renders of the realme Pad have surfaced online portraying a familiar design, along with a list of potential specs for the upcoming tablet.

The renders given by the famous tipster @OnLeaks depict a slim, unibody tablet reminiscent of the latest iPads. Differentiating the realme Pad, however, is the purple line that runs across the back complete with a “realme” branding.

The back of the tablet also houses a single rear camera — presumably a 13 MP camera which is now the standard for most tablets in the market.

Image by 91mobiles

Meanwhile, the front of the tablet depicts seemingly large yet uniform bezels all around its sides. The front also houses the 10.4-inch display, although no specific specs have been shared.

Overall, the renders put the tablet’s dimension at 246.1 x 155.8 x 6.8 mm. Interestingly, the side frame of the tablet is flatter, putting it closer to the aesthetics of the iPad Pro and Air.

Interestingly, there’s also a slot located at the bottom frame where the USB-C port resides. The realme Pad will supposedly come with a stylus out of the box, and the dedicated slot is its safe space so you don’t misplace it.

Images by 91mobiles

The bottom frame also supposedly shows cutouts for the speakers, although it is not clear at the moment if the tablet will have dual speakers or more. Other specs revealed so far include a built-in 7,100 mAh battery and a choice of silver-gray or gray-black color option.

Confirmed to arrive along with realme’s first laptop

Leaks and renders of realme Pad should not come as a surprise, considering that the company confirmed its existence at the global launch event of realme GT.

However, the tablet isn’t the only device that the company will launch soon. There’s also the realme Book, the company’s first Windows laptop. Both devices are slated to launch soon before 2021 ends.

Source: 91mobiles

If you’re reading this, then you’re probably interested on the new public beta of iOS 15, iPadOS, and WatchOS. If you’re looking to try out the Beta versions offered, then you’re in luck!

For those new to the term, what is a Beta software for iOS?

Beta software, including previews and seeds, refers to a version of the software that’s still under development and not yet released to the public. This software is intended only for installation on development devices registered under your Apple Developer Program membership. Registered development devices can be upgraded to future beta releases and the public version of the software.

If you’d like to try Beta, here are some features you should look out for! You Beta be ready for this!

iOS 15 for iPhone

“Hello” is a word that resonates history for apple, and now it’s coming to your iPhone’s lock screen. With the new update, users can now customize their lock screen wallpaper. The word “Hello” is displayed not only in English, but in different languages as well.

Another update we have is the “text from camera” feature. A long press will pop up a new option and there you can point the camera to an object that has text on it. You can also copy text from your photos as well. By doing this, the feature will automatically read as much text as possible or what text you desire to copy.

Memoji’s have been around since the release of the iPhone X, a fun way to communicate with your friends and family. New stickers have been added and color customization is available for the eyes and clothes.

Text magnify disappeared during the days of iOS 13 and now it’s back with a new shape, it kind of resembles the shape of the text box of the messages app, only shorter. Glad to see this one returning!

Facetime

A built-in exclusive video calling app from Apple added new features to the beloved Facetime app with iOS 15. Tap your video and flip it over, with this, you can now zoom in to an object while in a Facetime call. The zoom capabilities can be up to 2x or pinch to zoom. Users can also use portrait mode using the selfie camera blurring out the background.

iOS 15 users can also now have a watch party of their own with share play. This feature enables users to watch movies and TV shows being offered in Apple TV. Apple Music is also available in share play! Facetime for android and windows users can only join the call when provided a link from the host.

Spatial audio now gives attention to the speaker on the facetime session, giving people focus on the speaker to avoid overlapping of voices. Voice isolation blocks ambient noise thanks to machine learning, and wide spectrum picks up your voice and everything around you. And don’t forget, Facetime is end-to-end encrypted, so your security will not be compromised.

Notifications

Another update we have to acknowledge in the beta is the notifications from iOS 15. The new focus feature helps you organize your notifications depending on your preference. The new feature delivers powerful tools that help users focus and reduce distraction.

Focus is a new feature that filters notifications and apps based on what a user wants to focus on. Users can create Home Screen pages with apps and widgets that apply to moments of focus to only display relevant apps and reduce temptation.

iPad OS 15

Doubted back in 2010, the iPad has now become a staple in the product line of Apple. With its new updates, the iPad comes closer and closer to a deconstructed computer.

Multitasking is the strong point of the iPad as it has the largest screen compared to the iPhone, iPod, and the Apple Watch. Widgets are the latest additions starting with iOS 14, but with the new update the iPad also comes to play. You can now place widgets on the home screen of your iPad or bring up the widget gallery. App library is also new to the iPad this coming update so you can see all of your apps in one swipe. The app library automatically categorizes your apps, additionally, you can also place the app library on the dock.

A quick access is always the key, so iPad comes up with a multitasking bar. Setting aside the current app that you’re using, you can now see all of your apps without fully closing any app. Switching apps is also easier in split view, drag the app down and select another one to open. Certain apps like mail can center the messages on the screen giving you more room for productivity.

Notes

Collaboration and organization, the new notes app for iPad is another upgrade from the previous version. First, you can now mention people in a shared note. With this, the mentioned person will be notified and linked back to the note as soon as they receive the mention. Additionally, you can now also see the changes from the notes while you’re away.

The addition of tags can easily organize your notes and quickly see them as soon as you open notes with the tag browser. Quick note is also another addition, by swiping from the bottom right with the apple pencil, you can easily pull up a note from the screen. Quick note is also aware of your apps, so if you’re in safari, you can quickly add the link of the website if needed. You can create your quick notes on iPad OS and Mac OS only, but you access them on your iPhone too.

WatchOS 8

An accessory that proves to be useful to Apple customers comes with a new update. WatchOS 8 can now place your favorite photo as a wallpaper and also create a portrait mode effect. Daily highlights from your iPhone now automatically syncs to your watch, giving you something to view everyday. You can also share photos through messages and mail, now on your wrist!

Heading on to the smart home section, your Apple Watch can now lock and unlock your door if a visitor arrives. You can also access your lights and security camera if your front door has one.  The status of your devices are also displayed on top of your home app. You can see if your lights are on, or if your other Apple devices are charged or not.

A digital key can also be installed in your Apple Watch as it has now partnered with popular smart lock brands. With the Ultra Wideband technology, you can now unlock your car door too. With this, you can now share a digital key to your family, guests, or whoever you’d like to share it to.

Focus gives you more control on your notifications as you can set your prioritized notifications on your watch. The Breathe app is now renamed to “Mindfulness” this app aims to give you a meditation session if you’d like. Breathe and Reflect sessions end with a summary of your time with the apps. With this, you can gain insight on your overall wellness.

Final thoughts

Apple rolled out the new Beta of iOS 15 to the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. The new line of updates focuses more on productivity and ease of use. With this, Apple users do have something to look forward to. We’ll find out more about the updates as we come closer to the official release of the new operating systems for Apple Devices.

To find out more, here are the recent updates for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.

If you’re ready to try it out, here the link to the new public Beta!