Verdict
The Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025) impresses with its excellent matte 12-inch PaperMatte display. It virtually eliminates reflections, its brightness provides good readability in most lighting conditions, and the 144 Hz refresh rate allows for smooth operation.
The Kirin T92B chipset delivers solid performance, and 12 GB of RAM is sufficient for all common tasks. Battery life is very good, and the tablet benefits from its 66-watt fast-charging capability. The MatePad also stands out for the first time with support for the versatile M-Pencil Pro.
However, Bluetooth and the underlying Android base are not up to date, and Google services are missing. That said, access to the Play Store can be installed easily afterward.
Pros
Cons
Price and availability
Table of Contents
- Verdict
- Specifications: Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025)
- Case and features - MatePad 12 X impresses with its modern look
- Communication and operation - Wi-Fi 7 and M-Pencil Pro
- Software and sustainability - HarmonyOS 4.3 with six years of updates
- Cameras - MatePad 12 X with new 50 MPix optics
- Display - Matt, bright and flicker-free
- Performance, emissions and battery life - MatePad 12 X with Kirin T92B
- Notebookcheck overall rating
- Possible alternatives in comparison
The Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025) follows the tablet of the same name from the previous year. At first glance, the upgrades do not seem particularly significant, but they have a considerable impact in everyday use. Support for the new M-Pencil Pro is especially worth mentioning.
Specifications: Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025)
Case and features - MatePad 12 X impresses with its modern look
The Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025) is available in green and white and features a solid display-to-body ratio of 86%. At 5.9 mm, it is slim and has a high-quality appearance thanks to its aluminum casing.
The tablet withstands twisting attempts with almost no noise. To provoke visible ripples on the LCD, the panel also has to be pressed quite firmly. The gaps are narrow and even; the only compromise is the lack of a high IP certification.
In addition to a fast USB 3.2 port, the device also includes NearLink. However, Bluetooth 5.2 is no longer fully up to date. Unfortunately, there is only one version available now: the 256 GB model.
Communication and operation - Wi-Fi 7 and M-Pencil Pro
The MatePad 12 X (2025) does not offer a cellular option. However, it does support modern Wi-Fi 7, although it does not support the 6 GHz band.
The capacitive touchscreen works flawlessly and also supports the Huawei M-Pencil Pro active stylus for the first time. The stylus connects to the tablet via NearLink, enabling low latency. With more than 10,000 pressure levels, it is highly sensitive, and the three different pen tips (fine writing, fine, drawing) along with haptic feedback complete the hexagonal pen design. Combined with the matte PaperMatte surface, the result is a natural writing experience.
The Huawei tablet does not include a vibration motor. For biometric security, only facial recognition via the front camera is available.
| Networking | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Apple iPad 11 (2025) | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average Wi-Fi 7 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Tablet | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Software and sustainability - HarmonyOS 4.3 with six years of updates
The MatePad 12 X (2025) runs HarmonyOS 4.3, which is still based on Open Android 12. Google apps and services are not preinstalled, but the former can be installed easily afterward. You can read how to do this in this article.
Huawei does not provide any information on sustainability or repairability. The MatePad 12 X also arrives shrink-wrapped, although Huawei has otherwise kept plastic use to a minimum.
Cameras - MatePad 12 X with new 50 MPix optics
The front camera of the Huawei tablet is suitable for occasional video calls but is otherwise not characterized by high quality.
The new main camera on the back uses pixel binning and does not capture fine details despite its high resolution. The performance is adequate for simple documentation tasks but not much beyond that.
Videos can be recorded on both cameras at up to 1080p (30 FPS).
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
HauptkameraHauptkamera5-facher ZoomLow-Light
Display - Matt, bright and flicker-free
The 12-inch (30.48 cm) LCD screen of the Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025) not only has a matte surface that practically eliminates reflections but can also reach comparatively high brightness levels.
Huawei claims up to 1,000 nits; in our measurements, we recorded up to 970 cd/m² in the center of the display with the sensor enabled. Without sensor support, brightness reaches 599 cd/m².
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 970 cd/m²
Contrast: 1115:1 (Black: 0.87 cd/m²)
ΔE ColorChecker Calman: 3.6 | ∀{0.5-29.43 Ø4.79}
ΔE Greyscale Calman: 6.1 | ∀{0.09-98 Ø5}
99.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
CCT: 7149 K
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 LCD, 2800x1840, 12" | Apple iPad 11 (2025) IPS, 2360x1640, 10.9" | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ TFT-LCD, 2880x1800, 13.1" | OnePlus Pad 3 IPS, 3392x2400, 13.2" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 0% | 27% | 19% | |
| Brightness middle (cd/m²) | 970 | 526 -46% | 779 -20% | 687 -29% |
| Brightness (cd/m²) | 906 | 531 -41% | 751 -17% | 641 -29% |
| Brightness Distribution (%) | 90 | 93 3% | 90 0% | 88 -2% |
| Black Level * (cd/m²) | 0.87 | 0.99 -14% | 0.43 51% | 0.58 33% |
| Contrast (:1) | 1115 | 531 -52% | 1812 63% | 1184 6% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.6 | 1.9 47% | 1.9 47% | 2.03 44% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.2 | 4 51% | 5 39% | 3.38 59% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.1 | 2.9 52% | 2.7 56% | 1.8 70% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.14 103% | 2.2 100% | 2.159 102% |
| CCT | 7149 91% | 6982 93% | 6923 94% | 6727 97% |
* ... smaller is better
| Display / APL18 Peak Brightness | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | |
| Apple iPad 11 (2025) | |
| Display / HDR Peak Brightness | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | |
| Apple iPad 11 (2025) | |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8152 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 16.13 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 5.192 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 10.94 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 37 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 29.44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 8.956 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 20.48 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 38 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (31.7 ms). | ||
Performance, emissions and battery life - MatePad 12 X with Kirin T92B
In the MatePad 12 X (2025), Huawei relies on a variant of the Kirin T92, the T92B. The company has not disclosed the exact differences. However, benchmarks show a significant performance increase of up to 24% for the CPU and up to 20% for the GPU compared to its predecessor. In everyday use, the tablet impresses with its smooth performance.
Even under load, the surface temperature only occasionally exceeds 40 °C, and the SoC still manages to deliver consistent performance.
The six speakers provide a good sound experience, becoming only slightly muffled at high volumes, but overall performing well for all types of media.
The battery supports charging at up to 66 watts. In our testing with a compatible power adapter, a full charge takes just 97 minutes (50% in 36 minutes, 80% in 60 minutes).
| Geekbench AI | |
| Single Precision NPU 1.5 | |
| Average of class Tablet (166 - 5295, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin T92 (n=1) | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
| Half Precision NPU 1.5 | |
| Average of class Tablet (154 - 41155, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin T92 (n=1) | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
| Quantized NPU 1.5 | |
| Average of class Tablet (88 - 57388, n=27, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin T92 (n=1) | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
| Jetstream 2 - 2.0 Total Score | |
| Apple iPad 11 (2025) | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin T92 (129.8 - 194.5, n=4) | |
| Average of class Tablet (22.3 - 395, n=72, last 2 years) | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | OnePlus Pad 3 | Average 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | Average of class Tablet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -63% | -18% | -21% | -58% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB (MB/s) | 3939.89 | 1686.77 -57% | 3796 -4% | 3664 ? -7% | 1682 ? -57% |
| Sequential Write 256KB (MB/s) | 2609.8 | 999.78 -62% | 3329 28% | 2701 ? 3% | 1235 ? -53% |
| Random Read 4KB (MB/s) | 473.25 | 228.91 -52% | 316 -33% | 381 ? -19% | 236 ? -50% |
| Random Write 4KB (MB/s) | 988.72 | 211.53 -79% | 368 -63% | 405 ? -59% | 268 ? -73% |
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 43.4 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.7 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
3DMark Stress Tests
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | |
| Apple iPad 11 (2025) | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
| Steel Nomad Light Stress Test Stability | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 9.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (9.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 4% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 30% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 66% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 17% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
| Battery runtime - WiFi v1.3 | |
| Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 | |
| Apple iPad 11 (2025) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ | |
| OnePlus Pad 3 | |
Notebookcheck overall rating
The Huawei MatePad 12 X (2025) combines a matte 12-inch display with a Kirin T92B processor, 12 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage. Highlights include the M-Pencil Pro, USB 3.2, and Wi-Fi 7. The build quality is impressive, but the cameras are weak. Even so, the tablet is well-suited for both productive and creative work.
Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025
- 11/19/2025 v8
Daniel Schmidt
Total Sustainability Score: Possible alternatives in comparison
Image | Model / Review | Price | Weight | Drive | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. 83.2%  | Huawei MatePad 12 X 2025 HiSilicon Kirin T92 ⎘ HiSilicon Maleoon 920 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: 1. $17.79 FZZSZS (4-Pack Screen Protec... 2. $4.99 Mr.Shield Screen Protector c... 3. $25.60 Cover Compatible with Huawei... List Price: 649€ | 555 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 12.00" 2800x1840 279 PPI LCD |
2. 83.9%  | Apple iPad 11 (2025) Apple A16 Bionic ⎘ Apple A16 GPU 4-Core ⎘ 6 GB Memory, 128 GB NVMe | Amazon: 1. $279.99 Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip... 2. $279.99 Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip... 3. $379.99 Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip... List Price: 399€ | 477 g | 128 GB NVMe | 10.86" 2360x1640 265 PPI IPS |
3. 81.8%  | Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ Samsung Exynos 1580 ⎘ Samsung Xclipse 540 ⎘ 8 GB Memory, 128 GB | Amazon: 1. $359.99 SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S10 FE 12... 2. $359.99 SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S10 FE 12... 3. $499.99 SAMSUNG Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ 1... List Price: 789€ | 664 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 13.10" 2880x1800 259 PPI TFT-LCD |
4. 88.4%  | OnePlus Pad 3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite ⎘ Qualcomm Adreno 830 ⎘ 12 GB Memory, 256 GB | Amazon: $579.99 List Price: 699€ | 675 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 13.20" 3392x2400 315 PPI IPS |
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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Every year, Notebookcheck independently reviews hundreds of laptops and smartphones using standardized procedures to ensure that all results are comparable. We have continuously developed our test methods for around 20 years and set industry standards in the process. In our test labs, high-quality measuring equipment is utilized by experienced technicians and editors. These tests involve a multi-stage validation process. Our complex rating system is based on hundreds of well-founded measurements and benchmarks, which maintains objectivity. Further information on our test methods can be found here.
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