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Huawei MediaPad M2 Tablet Review

Metal head. Unlike its precursor, Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 is now covered in a metal casing. Once again, the tablet scores with a potent HiSilicon Kirin Octa-core processor, decent HD IPS touchscreen, and great battery life. The latest Android 5.1 operating system and fast Wi-Fi round off the couch surfer - a good deal for around 280 Euros (~$306).

For the original German review, see here.

Huawei's 8-inch MediaPad M2 8.0 tablet is the descendant of Huawei's MediaPad M1 8.0 that we tested last year. The Chinese manufacturer has now increased the RRP for the MediaPad M2 8.0 by 50 Euros (~$55) to 279 Euros (~$305). It is still a bargain compared with many rivals since it includes an HD IPS touchscreen, a cutting edge Octa-core SoC from Huawei's own product line, and a 16 GB expandable flash memory. Furthermore, an optional LTE version with a storage capacity of 32 GB and 3 GB of RAM is to be launched for approximately 330 Euros (~$360).

Thus, Huawei's MediaPad M2 tablet enters the ring with Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 8.0 and Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE Tablet as rivals.

Huawei MediaPad M2 (MediaPad Series)
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 930 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
, LPDDR3
Display
8.00 inch 16:10, 1920 x 1200 pixel, multitouch, IPS LCD, 283 PPI, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 9.85 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: microSDXC (max. 128 GB), Sensors: GPS/A-GPS/Glonass , compass, accelerometer, brightness sensor, proximity sensor, Hall sensor
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.0
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.8 x 214.8 x 124 ( = 0.31 x 8.46 x 4.88 in)
Battery
Lithium-Polymer, 4800 mAh, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 30 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Webcam: 2.0 megapixels, primary camera: 8.0 megapixels, AF, LED flash
Additional features
Speakers: stereo speakers, Keyboard: virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, EMUI 3.1; WPS Office, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
330 g ( = 11.64 oz / 0.73 pounds), Power Supply: 64 g ( = 2.26 oz / 0.14 pounds)
Price
299 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Huawei relies on a mix of plastic and metal for its MediaPad M2 8.0. The latter clearly dominates. Similar to Apple's iPhone 6S, the back is now made of metal with incorporated plastic strips that are to ensure good radio reception. Our review sample has been slimmed down slightly compared with the precursor Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0. We measured a reduction in weight of 11 grams (~0.4 oz) and a height of 7.8 mm (~0.31 in) while the dimensions are slightly larger. Thus, Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 belongs to the slimmer tablets of its class that is comfortable to hold in one hand in portrait mode.

Overall, the gaps are evenly spaced - also in the transition of the lateral plastic edges to the metal back. The micro-SD card slot and the LTE version of the SIM slot are now underneath a flap on the side. A metal strip encloses the screen. The tablet makes a very robust and pressure resistant impression. The battery is fixed in the casing and cannot be easily removed. Overall, the MediaPad M2 8.0 makes a good impression and compels with its accurate build.

214.8 mm / 8.46 inch 124 mm / 4.88 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 330 g0.728 lbs214.4 mm / 8.44 inch 120.7 mm / 4.75 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 341 g0.752 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 149 mm / 5.87 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 419 g0.924 lbs198.6 mm / 7.82 inch 134.8 mm / 5.31 inch 5.6 mm / 0.2205 inch 272 g0.6 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

The standard interfaces are found: Micro-USB 2.0 port and 3.5 mm jack. The former also supports USB OTG, i.e. for connecting USB peripherals such as mouse, keyboard or USB flash drives, as well as charging and data exchange. Furthermore, the tablet supports micro-SD card with up to 128 GB. In the test, it accepted a 64-GB card without any issues - and it thus offers enough storage and allows moving apps.

Android 5.1 Lollipop
Android 5.1 Lollipop

Software

Google's Android 5.1.1 Lollipop operating system is installed, and the proprietary Emotion UI 3.1 covers it. Apart from WPS Office, no other third-party software is pre-loaded on the tablet. Huawei offers apps for managing applications and Tablet Manager for storage cleansing. The usual Google bundle is also pre-loaded.

However, the most interesting software is probably the dual-window feature, which allows genuine multitasking with specific apps like the browser and YouTube. The width of the windows can be set freely.

System information
System information
CPU-Z Device information
CPU-Z Device information
CPU-Z SoC
CPU-Z SoC
Multitasking settings
Multitasking settings
Dual-window feature
Dual-window feature
Energy saving options
Energy saving options
System optimization
System optimization
Quick access
Quick access
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors

Communication & GPS 

The state-of-the-art Wi-Fi module supports the IEEE 802.1 a/b/g/n/ac standards, and thus transmits in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. The reception quality was good in both networks, and sufficient for browsing. Naturally, it became slightly weaker at a distance of 10 meters (~33 ft) to a Telecom router and through 3 walls. Bluetooth 4.0 is also installed, but NFC is absent.

The integrated microphone also did a good job in a Skype test call, but its base noise was rather high. The other party also criticized the slightly muffled sound, but did not complain about the intelligibility.

The incorporated GPS module found our position relatively quickly and accurately outdoors using the GPS Test app. Finding satellites took about one to two minutes indoors.

Our bike navigation comparison using the navigation system Garmin Edge 500 presented us with a surprise: Huawei's MediaPad displayed the route quite accurately and only deviated by approximately 1% from the navigation system. The review sample was even a bit more accurate in difficult parts like on the bridge or railway crossing. A good performance.

GPS Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 overview
GPS Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 overview
GPS Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 railway crossing
GPS Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 railway crossing
GPS Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 bridge
GPS Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0 bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 500 overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 railway crossing
GPS Garmin Edge 500 railway crossing
GPS Garmin Edge 500 bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 500 bridge
Primary camera
Primary camera
Web camera
Web camera

Cameras & Multimedia

Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 is equipped with two camera lenses. With 2 megapixels, the front-facing camera has twice as high a resolution as the counterpart in the former MediaPad M1 8.0. Nevertheless, the photos look muddy and blurry, and the color reproduction of the not very light sensitive lens is inaccurate. The camera is suitable for video chatting in good ambient light, anyway.

The primary camera on the back now relies on an 8-megapixel sensor with auto focus and LED flash. Daylight shots are good with a decent sharpness. The color reproduction, however, deviates slightly from the original. The low-light performance is very unsatisfactory; the flash can only conditionally remedy this.

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.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3

Accessories

Huawei dispatches the tablet with only a modular 10-watt USB power supply with the matching cable. A warranty card and quick start guide are also included. Device specific accessories for the MediaPad M2 8.0 are not yet available, but a magnetic Smart Cover is planned.

Warranty

A 24-month warranty is included; the battery and power supply are covered for 6 months only.

Input Devices & Handling

The capacitive 8-inch touchscreen in Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 supports multitouch with up to 10 fingers simultaneously. However, the plastic surface could be somewhat more gliding friendly. Inputs are detected accurately and quickly up to the edges. The Android navigation buttons are displayed on the screen, but the bar fades out when not used.

The keyboard layout offers all the important buttons at a glance as well as a generous key size. Switching the layout from German to English is rather awkward since the system does not store the settings.

The physical keys, such as the power button and volume rocker, have a slightly spongy pressure point. However, they respond instantaneously and their position is intuitive.

Keyboard menu
Keyboard menu
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard split
Keyboard split

Display

The 8-inch IPS LC screen in Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 has an aspect ratio of 16:1 and a relatively high resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. The pixel density is 283 PPI. Only the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 offers 2048x1536 pixels and a pixel density of 320 PPI in the category comparison.

The screen achieves a maximum brightness of 463 cd/m², and an average of 445.4 cd/m². The illumination of a very good 92% is extremely homogeneous. None of the rivals can compete here, and the former Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 is clearly outperformed.

425
cd/m²
444
cd/m²
439
cd/m²
445
cd/m²
463
cd/m²
449
cd/m²
430
cd/m²
454
cd/m²
460
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 463 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 445.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 463 cd/m²
Contrast: 985:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.25 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.16 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.43
Huawei MediaPad M2
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
Mali-T760 MP6, Exynos 5433, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
Mali-450 MP4, Kirin 910, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
19%
-8%
-8%
Brightness middle
463
347
-25%
389
-16%
328
-29%
Brightness
445
348
-22%
371
-17%
308
-31%
Brightness Distribution
92
88
-4%
88
-4%
84
-9%
Black Level *
0.47
0.25
47%
0.46
2%
Contrast
985
1556
58%
713
-28%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.25
1.67
73%
10.28
-64%
5.23
16%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.16
1.75
72%
9.65
-57%
4.68
24%
Gamma
2.43 91%
2.27 97%
1.25 176%
2.15 102%
CCT
7921 82%
6361 102%
6657 98%
7185 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
95.4

* ... smaller is better

Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 offers a decent black level of 0.47 cd/m² and appealing contrast of 985:1. Black looks saturated subjectively, and the image reproduction is very vivid thanks to the high contrast. Both rivals are even better and the precursor is again defeated here.

We examined the color reproduction with the CalMAN software and a spectrophotometer. Like the precursor, the screen of the review sample suffers under a light bluish tint that is especially noticeable in mixed colors with a dE rate of 6.25. The grayscale levels are also visibly discolored in the darker sector. However, the color temperature can be controlled and adjusted freely between warm and cold in the menu. The sRGB color space is not completely covered, which results in somewhat pale colors.

These shortcomings were not particularly annoying in everyday use, and are only visible in a direct comparison.

CalMAN ColorChecker sRGB
CalMAN ColorChecker sRGB
CalMAN Colorspace sRGB
CalMAN Colorspace sRGB
CalMAN Grayscale sRGB
CalMAN Grayscale sRGB
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps sRGB
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps sRGB

Outdoor use is not a big challenge for Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0. However, the high brightness and automatic sunlight mode cannot really defy direct sunlight, especially since the screen's glossy surface reflects direct light. Otherwise, the image reproduction is very good outdoors.

Thanks to the implemented IPS technology, the review sample's viewing stability is high. The brightness decreases marginally only in extremely slanted viewing angles, and colors are not distorted.

Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors in direct light
Outdoors in direct light
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The proprietary HiSilicon Kirin 930 Octa-core SoC in Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 clocks at 2 GHz. Although it can outperform the weaker counterpart in Huawei's MediaPad M1 8.0, it lags behind some much stronger rivals in almost all tests. It can only slightly outrun Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 in the Basemark OS II benchmark. The available performance will always be enough for routine use.

Geekbench 3
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
823 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
481 Points -42%
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
3468 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
1452 Points -58%
Smartbench 2012 - Productivity Index (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
5985 points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
12428 points +108%
Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
121 MFLOPS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
344.1 MFLOPS +184%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
272 MFLOPS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
613 MFLOPS +125%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
4358 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
5564 Points +28%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
1093 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
359 Points -67%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
1044 Points -4%
System (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
1870 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
654 Points -65%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
2764 Points +48%
Memory (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
1235 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
217 Points -82%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
593 Points -52%
Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
820 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
371 Points -55%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
876 Points +7%
Web (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
754 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
314 Points -58%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
952 Points +26%
AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
48699 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
50779 Points +4%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
14 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
29 fps +107%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
15 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
24 fps +60%
GFXBench 3.0
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
7.8 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
10.4 fps +33%
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
7.8 fps
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
11 fps +41%
GFXBench 3.1
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
0 fps
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
0 fps
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
70 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
707 Points +910%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
55 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
612 Points +1013%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
1019 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
1559 Points +53%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
10447 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
8327 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
17240 Points +65%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
11984 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
4410 Points -63%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
20006 Points +67%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
11605 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
4925 Points -58%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
19317 Points +66%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Physics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
9499 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
9766 Points +3%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
7040 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
3573 Points -49%
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
7470 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
4159 Points -44%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Physics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
9849 Points
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8
15195 Points
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
5322 Points
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8
14566 Points
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
5927 Points
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8
14701 Points

Legend

 
Huawei MediaPad M2 HiSilicon Kirin 930, ARM Mali-T628 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 HiSilicon Kirin 910, ARM Mali-450 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE Samsung Exynos 5433 Octa, ARM Mali-T760 MP6, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8 Intel Atom Z3745, Intel HD Graphics (Bay Trail), 32 GB eMMC Flash

A similar impression is seen in the browser-based benchmarks. Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 can only marginally defeat Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 in the older SunSpider benchmark test. In contrast, Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 8 takes an evident lead also thanks to the faster Google Chrome browser. Furthermore, the review sample clearly surpasses Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 in the latest Jet Stream test. However, everything ran smoothly and stutters were rarely noticed during routine browsing.

Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
1021 ms *
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
1444 ms * -41%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
1031 ms * -1%
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8
437 ms * +57%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
4444 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
7167 Points +61%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
3866 Points
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
1467 Points -62%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
7097 Points +84%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
11544 ms *
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
6512 ms * +44%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
67 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
79 Points +18%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
23 Points
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
40.3 Points +75%

* ... smaller is better

The internal storage is quite fast compared with the precursor, and is only outperformed by Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 in most tests of the AndroBench app. The user has 9.85 GB of the 16 GB of storage available for personal use, making it an advantage that Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 supports micro-SD cards with up to 128 GB. We tested the speed of the micro-SD card slot, or more precisely that of the fast Toshiba Exceria (CX32UHS1, UHS-I Class 3, read: 85 MB/s, write: 50 MB/s) memory card. The results were not overwhelming: Just 14.72 MB/s were achieved in sequential writing of data, and it was still 52.41 MB/s in sequential read. Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 is on a considerably higher level here (read: 80 MB/s, write: 33 MB/s). Smaller data blocks cause transfer rates to drop tremendously. However, performance is adequate enough for copying videos.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
145 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
38.74 MB/s -73%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
248.3 MB/s +71%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
40.72 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
12.13 MB/s -70%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
47.45 MB/s +17%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
25.09 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
9.12 MB/s -64%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
25.53 MB/s +2%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad M2
13.44 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
0.95 MB/s -93%
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
9.68 MB/s -28%

Games

Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 relies on the SoC-integrated ARM Mali-T628 MP4 graphics card that clocks at 600 MHz. The graphics chip, installed for the first time in late 2014, supports OpenGL ES 3.0 and DirectX 11. Thus, even more demanding games run smoothly in high resolutions. Both "Asphalt 8" and the latest "Asphalt Overdrive", as well as the less sophisticated "Angry Birds 2" run smoothly, and can be played using high detail settings. The review sample's motion sensors support gameplay adequately; only the touchscreen's surface could be a bit sleeker.

"Angry Birds 2"
"Angry Birds 2"
"Asphalt 8"
"Asphalt 8"

Emissions

Temperature

Like the former MediaPad M1 8.0, Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 always remains within a pleasant temperature range. We measured a maximum of 34.2 °C (~94 °F) under permanent load via the Stability Test app. The average idle temperatures always remained below 30 °C (~86 °F), and thus the tablet barely gets lukewarm even under load. The power supply also remained within an uncritical range with 33.9 °C (~93 °F) under load.

We checked whether the performance of the review sample is throttled excessively using the Battery Test of the GFXBench 3.1 benchmark. Here, the T-Rex test runs thirty times in succession. We could ascertain a performance loss of only 16% after half the runs. Therefore, performance throttling will not be noticed, and should not be expected even during prolonged gaming sessions.

GFXBench Battery Test results
GFXBench Battery Test results
GFXBench: Battery consumption
GFXBench: Battery consumption
GFXBench: Performance
GFXBench: Performance
GFXBench: Temperature
GFXBench: Temperature
Max. Load
 32.1 °C
90 F
31.4 °C
89 F
31.2 °C
88 F
 
 33.2 °C
92 F
33.1 °C
92 F
31.9 °C
89 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
34.2 °C
94 F
32.4 °C
90 F
 
Maximum: 34.2 °C = 94 F
Average: 32.5 °C = 91 F
30.2 °C
86 F
30.4 °C
87 F
30.5 °C
87 F
32.5 °C
91 F
31.3 °C
88 F
30.5 °C
87 F
33.1 °C
92 F
33.4 °C
92 F
30.8 °C
87 F
Maximum: 33.4 °C = 92 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  33.9 °C = 93 F | Room Temperature 22.1 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.5 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 30 °C / 86 F for the devices in the class Tablet.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.4 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.9 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Compared with the MediaPad M1 8.0, only the positioning of both stereo speakers has changed, and are now on the casing’s lateral edges. Although they might be easily covered depending on where the device is held, the sound can also benefit from this when the hands are used as a sound amplifier. The trebles and mids make a somewhat stifled and distorted impression only in very high volumes despite cooperation with the sound experts from Harman/Kardon. We do not quite share the Huawei's pithy assertion that the MediaPad M2 offers the best audio experience of all tablets. However, although the sound is somewhat weak in bass, it is good for a tablet.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Despite the bright screen and strong SoC, Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 is downright frugal in the category comparison. The consumption climbs to at most 7 watts even under load - roughly 3 watts less than that of the rivals. We measured just 1.4 to 3.4 watts in idle mode.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.4 / 3.3 / 3.4 Watt
Load midlight 5.5 / 7 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 870
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

Like in the precursor, the battery's capacity of 4800 mAh is enough for all routine tasks. This, in conjunction with the low power consumption results in a very good battery life that outruns all rivals. In addition, Huawei's Emotion UI offers various energy saving options that enable optimizing the battery runtime even more. The review sample stopped the Reader's test after almost 26 hours using minimum brightness and enabled energy-saving mode. Lenovo's Yoga Tablet 2 8 gave up after roughly 14 hours despite its larger battery (24.3 Wh). Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0 stopped our Wi-Fi test performed in a brightness of 150 cd/m² after 8:45 hours. The runtime of Samsung's Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 (4000 mAh, 15.2 Wh) is 16% shorter here. The tablet had to be recharged after 5:43 hours of full load via the Stability Test app using maximum brightness. Movie fans can watch Full HD videos for a good 12 hours using an adapted brightness.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
25h 46min
WiFi Websurfing
8h 45min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
12h 07min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 43min
Huawei MediaPad M2
Mali-T628 MP4, Kirin 930, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0
Mali-450 MP4, Kirin 910, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8
HD Graphics (Bay Trail), Z3745, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE
Mali-T760 MP6, Exynos 5433, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
-46%
-11%
Reader / Idle
1546
829
-46%
1399
-10%
H.264
727
780
7%
WiFi v1.3
525
442
-16%
Load
343
265
-23%
WiFi
751
368

Pros

+ impeccable build and rigid metal casing
+ Full HD IPS screen
+ high brightness
+ decent black level and contrast
+ application and graphics performance
+ long battery life
+ decent stereo speakder
+ USB OTG and App2SD
+ memory expandable by up to 128 GB
+ latest Android 5.1.1 software
+ swift ac Wi-Fi
+ accurate GPS module

Cons

- no NFC
- non-removable battery
- camera modules' mixed performance

Verdict

In review: Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0. Review sample courtesy of Huawei Germany.
In review: Huawei MediaPad M2 8.0. Review sample courtesy of Huawei Germany.

Huawei provides a decent 8-inch tablet with a very good battery life in the form of the MediaPad M2 8.0. We also liked the potent, yet frugal Octa-core SoC and the contemporary graphics solution. The latest and intuitive to use combination of Android 5.1.1 and Emotion UI 3.1 is also on the plus side. The well-built metal casing is just as compelling as the bright, high-contrast IPS screen with a high resolution. Praise is also due for the fast ac Wi-Fi and accurate GPS module. USB OTG and App2SD, as well as support for micro-SD card up to 128 GB are a bonus. The decent-sounding speakers and always uncritical surface temperatures round off the good overall impression adequately.

The only noteworthy points of criticism are limited to the mediocre camera lenses with poor low-light performance and the non-removable battery.

Rarely does the highly overused term "good price-performance ratio" fit so well to a product as to Huawei's MediaPad M2 8.0. A recommendable total package for couch surfers.

Users who want a bit more should take a closer look at the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0.

Huawei MediaPad M2 - 10/30/2015 v4(old)
Michael Moser

Chassis
78%
Keyboard
74 / 80 → 93%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
38 / 65 → 58%
Weight
86 / 40-88 → 96%
Battery
94%
Display
83%
Games Performance
59 / 68 → 87%
Application Performance
43 / 76 → 57%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 91 → 84%
Camera
62 / 85 → 73%
Average
75%
86%
Tablet - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Michael Moser, 2015-11- 4 (Update: 2018-05-15)