Great 12-inch OLED tablet: Does PaperMatte make it the perfect E Ink alternative?
People who enjoy reading books or comics on their tablets often turn to an e-reader. Tablets with glossy screens produce strong reflections, especially outdoors, quickly causing eye strain.
The MatePad Air (2026), with its 12-inch PaperMatte display, promises a paper-like feel and delivers impressive brightness in our review, making an Apple iPad Air (available on amazon.com) look like an entry-level tablet. Find out how much better the MatePad Air's OLED panel is in a direct comparison in our review.
Android tablet with a dedicated e-book mode in black and white or color
Huawei uses a special etching process for the MatePad Air that is said to scatter up to 98 percent of incoming ambient light. In practice, this means content is very easy to read whether we use the MatePad Air at home or on the go in direct sunlight.
The combination of the glare-free surface and high brightness also makes the MatePad Air an interesting alternative to an e-reader.
For this purpose, Huawei offers a dedicated e-book mode in black and white or color. E-book mode can be activated via the control center. It simulates an E Ink display. The black-and-white mode is intended for books, while the color e-book mode is aimed at fans of comics or graphic novels.
The big advantage is that this is a smooth OLED panel. The refresh rate of up to 144 Hz also comes into play in e-book mode. Users can therefore scroll through PDFs without stuttering or even watch videos in “book mode.”
However, the MatePad Air consumes noticeably more power in e-book mode than an Amazon Kindle, as the OLED display needs a constant supply of power. Find out whether this mid-range tablet's battery life is a problem in our review.
Source(s)
Review of the MatePad Air 2026
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