Huawei MatePad Pro 11: A cheaper iPad Pro that performs better in a few areas

Wouldn't it be nice: A manufacturer sells a premium tablet with a great, colo-accurate display for a very cheap price. Even the accessories, which make the Apple iPad Pro 11 so special - a digital stylus as well as a keyboard cover - are all available.

However, most people know by now that the manufacturer being Huawei means that there will be some hurdles to overcome: The Chinese company has been sanctioned with a trade ban from the US, which cuts it off from Google services and core parts of the 5G cellular technology.

As a result, the Huawei MatePad Pro 11, which we just recently reviewed in depth, only comes with HarmonyOS 3 as its operating system. Although it is very reminiscent of Android and even allows users to install Android apps, Google's own applications in particular and certain third-party apps will not always work without issues.

The main problem is that there is a lot of uncertainty for professional users: Will the app I need run on the Huawei tablet? For how long can I expect the software support to continue? Will there be more sanctions against Huawei?

This is very unfortunate, since the tablet is very affordable at only 649 Euros, while still offering a premium case that is slightly more compact compared to many similar devices from competitors. Furthermore, the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 offers long battery life, powerful speakers, and GPS geolocation.

The tablet uses the Snapdragon 870 SoC. Even though this platform does technically support 5G, Huawei is forced to omit cellular capabilities. The processor is quite capable in its own right, but of course not able to come close to what the Apple M2 can provide in terms of performance.

If top performance is not essential for your professional workflow or if you do not consider Apple to be an option, our in-depth review of the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 may be worth reading. The model is definitely a good value proposition.