Huawei MediaPad M2 Tablet Review
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Ø4.89
ΔE Greyscale 6.16 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
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.
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.
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 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| 32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Smartbench 2012 - Productivity Index (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Linpack Android / IOS | |
| Single Thread (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Multi Thread (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| AnTuTu v5 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
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 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 8 | |
| Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
* ... 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 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Random Read 4KB (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
| Random Write 4KB (sort by value) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M2 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M1 8.0 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 LTE | |
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.
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.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.2 °C / 94 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 33.4 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °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.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.4 / 3.3 / 3.4 Watt |
| Load |
5.5 / 7 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 870 | |
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.
| 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
Cons
Verdict
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
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