Notebookcheck Logo

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro Tablet Review

Refined version. Even faster, LTE by default and with an included digital stylus: The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro is the "tuned" sister model of the excellent MediaPad M5 10.8. In our review, we determine whether the tablet can achieve similarly convincing results.

Huawei also offers an enhanced version of its high-end tablet MediaPad M5 10.8. It is called MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro and has 3 additional features over the standard MediaPad.

Unlike the MediaPad M5 10.8, Huawei foregoes a pure Wi-Fi and a 32 GB version. Instead, the Pro version always comes with 64 GB storage space and an LTE module. Secondly, the test device is powered by the more powerful HiSilicon Kirin 960 instead of the MediaPad M5 10.8's octa-core SoC HiSilicon Kirin 960s. Finally, the Mate Pen 2, a digital stylus for writing and sketching, is always included with the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro.

Although the MediaPad M5 10.8 is not exactly a bargain in its maximum configuration already (officially 449 Euros or ~$521.99), Huawei charges even more for the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (549 Euros or ~$472.23). In this review we determine whether it is worth it to pay a premium for the short list of additional features. We put the Huawei tablet up against the MediaPad M5 10.8 and the similarly equipped Acer Iconia Tab 10 (A3-A50), the Apple iPad 6 (2018), the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus and the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2017).

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (MediaPad M5 Series)
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 960 8 x 2.4 GHz, Cortex-A73/-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
10.80 inch 16:10, 2560 x 1600 pixel 280 PPI, 2K, ClariVu, WQXGA, native pen support, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 51.5 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: Audio output through USB type-C, Card Reader: microSD cards up to 256 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Gravity sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, hall effect sensor, WiFi Direct, aptX, USB-OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM, UMTS, LTE Cat. 6, download/upload up to 300/50 Mbit/s
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.3 x 258.7 x 171.8 ( = 0.29 x 10.19 x 6.76 in)
Battery
28.5 Wh, 7500 mAh Lithium-Polymer, Quick Charge 9 V / 2 A, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 70 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 70 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 900 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 900 h
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix f/2.2, autofocus
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/2.2, fixed focus
Additional features
Speakers: Four Harman-Kardon speakers, Keyboard: virtual, modular charger (9V/2A), USB cable (type-C to type-A), audio adapter (USB type-C to 3.5 mm jack), Mate Pen 2, SIM tool, EMUI 8.0, Huawei HiSuite, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
498 g ( = 17.57 oz / 1.1 pounds), Power Supply: 75 g ( = 2.65 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
549 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Identical to the MediaPad M5 10.8

When putting the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro down next to the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8, the tablets look identical. The Pro version, too, combines a chic metal back cover with a rounded-off 2.5D glass front with an aspect ratio of 16:10. This amounts to a tablet with a thickness of 7.3 millimeters (~0.3 in) that weighs 498 grams (~1.1 lb) and has a good feel to it as well as good handling. It also does not have any clearance worth mentioning and comes across as a very high-quality device.

Huawei has placed the finger print sensor on the front to the right of the display. The 13 MP camera is placed on the back to the left and protrudes a few millimeters from the chassis. The subtle curvature of the back cover balances this out, ensuring the tablet does not wobble around when placed on a desk. Huawei currently only offers the color option "Space Gray" for the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro.

Size Comparison

267 mm / 10.5 inch 169.2 mm / 6.66 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 531 g1.171 lbs262 mm / 10.3 inch 159 mm / 6.26 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 497 g1.096 lbs258.7 mm / 10.2 inch 171.8 mm / 6.76 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 498 g1.098 lbs258.7 mm / 10.2 inch 171.8 mm / 6.76 inch 7.3 mm / 0.2874 inch 498 g1.098 lbs247 mm / 9.72 inch 173 mm / 6.81 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 475 g1.047 lbs240 mm / 9.45 inch 169.5 mm / 6.67 inch 7.5 mm / 0.2953 inch 469 g1.034 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity - 64 GB eMMC by Default

The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro has 64 GB of storage space, which can be expanded by up to 256 GB through the microSD card slot. However, we were unable to transfer app data to the removable media. The microSD slot and the nano SIM card share the tray on the right side.

At first glance, the Huawei tablet appears to offer only one physical port: The USB type-C port, which supports USB 3.0 speeds but manages to transfer data at only USB 2.0 speeds - it also supports USB-OTG.

At the same time however, the USB type-C port serves as a replacement for the unavailable 3.5 mm audio jack. To this end, a suitable USB type-C adapter has been included. The third and most subtle physical port sits on the bottom: A row of three pogo pins that can be used to connect a keyboard. At the time of testing, Huawei does not offer a fitting keyboard on their web site. However, compatible products can easily be found via a quick search containing "Huawei", "M5" and "keyboard".

Bottom edge: Docking port, speaker
Bottom edge: Docking port, speaker
Top edge: Speaker
Top edge: Speaker
Left: No ports
Left: No ports
Right: USB type-C port, SIM/microSD slot, power button, volume control
Right: USB type-C port, SIM/microSD slot, power button, volume control

Software - Android 8.0, EMUI and a lot of Apps

Huawei has installed the up-to-date Android 8.0 Oreo on their MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro and complements it with their popular EMUI overlay, which comes in version 8.0 as well. The ROM takes up a lot of space overall, since only 51.5 GB of the nominal 64 GB of storage space is available ex-factory. This not only stems from the Huawei UI, but also from the many preinstalled apps.

The app assortment consists of helpful applications such as the migration tool Phone CLone and the manufacturer's own HiCare service tool as well as a small selection of free2play games and also straight-up advertisement apps. Conveniently however, every app can be uninstalled. However, it is a good idea to leave the stylus folder untouched at first, since with "MyScript Calculator" (calculator) and "Nebo" (notes app), it contains two apps specifically tailored to the included digital stylus Mate Pen 2.

At the time of testing (mid August), the Android security patches dated back to May 1st 2018, and were thus outdated. Shortly after however, an update to the security patch layer from June 1st 2018 was released, fixing this minor shortcoming.

Communication and GPS - Relatively fast Wi-Fi, precise GPS

Aside from GSM and UMTS, the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro also supports LTE Cat. 6. In conjunction with a nano SIM card as well as a suitable mobile data plan, it allows for downloads at up to 300 Mbit/s and uploads at up to 50 Mbit/s. With an appropriate cell phone plan, calls can also be made with the tablet. In our test, the reception in the local Vodafone mobile data network was good.

For short distances, the tablet uses Bluetooth 4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, which means that it supports the 2.4 GHz and the 5.0 GHz frequency bands. Paired with our reference router Linksys EA8500, the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro receives data at up to 238 Mbit/s through Wi-Fi, making it only marginally slower on the go at 236 Mbit/s. With this result, the test candidate is able to barely beat its in-house competition Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8, whereas it is not even half as fast as the Apple iPad 6 (2018). However, aside from the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus, the other devices in the comparison are far from the top values of the Apple tablet as well.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Apple iPad 6 2018
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 32 GB NVMe
500 MBit/s +110%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
263 MBit/s +11%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
240 MBit/s +1%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
238 MBit/s
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960s, 32 GB eMMC Flash
237 MBit/s 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
PowerVR GX6250, MT8173, 64 GB eMMC Flash
227 MBit/s -5%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple iPad 6 2018
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 32 GB NVMe
570 MBit/s +142%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
350 MBit/s +48%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
262 MBit/s +11%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
PowerVR GX6250, MT8173, 64 GB eMMC Flash
241 MBit/s +2%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB eMMC Flash
236 MBit/s
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960s, 32 GB eMMC Flash
214 MBit/s -9%
GPS signal indoors
GPS signal indoors
GPS signal outdoors
GPS signal outdoors

The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro uses GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS to determine its current location, which, in our test, it did fairly quickly outdoors and inside of buildings with an accuracy of within 5 meters (~16 ft). This result contrasts that of the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8: Here, locating inside of buildings did not work at all and outside it only did after a significant delay and with little precision. For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that the GPS test were performed at two different locations and that the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro had an easier "indoors" test (wooden frames instead of reinforced concrete).

As usual, we determined the day-to-day accuracy of the test candidate's GPS module with a short bike ride, on which we also took the professional navigation system Garmin Edge 520. While the Huawei tablet is not able to match the Garmin device's accuracy, it never deviates far from the actual route in terms of locating. All in all, its navigation features are more than suited for day-to-day app use.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro: Whole route
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro: Whole route
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro: Bridge
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro: Bridge
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro: Grove
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro: Grove
Garmin Edge 520: Whole route
Garmin Edge 520: Whole route
Garmin Edge 520: Bridge
Garmin Edge 520: Bridge
Garmin Edge 520: Grove
Garmin Edge 520: Grove

Cameras - Good for a Tablet

HDR recording with the main camera (13 MP)
HDR recording with the main camera (13 MP)

The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro shares its camera features with the MediaPad M5 10.8. On the back, there is a 13 megapixel main camera which captures photos with a maximum resolution of up to 4160x3120 pixels, has an aperture of f/2.2, uses autofocus and even supports the RAW format when using the Pro mode. In addition, there is a 8 megapixel camera on the front which also has an f/2.2 aperture and features fixed-focus lens. It is more than suitable as a webcam replacement.

The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro clearly gets the short end of the stick against a high-quality smartphone camera such as the Apple iPhone X' or the OnePlus 5T', but it lends itself well for the occasional snapshot here and there.

Under good lighting conditions, the 13 MP camera manages to take decent pictures which still capture fine details relatively accurately and have good color representation. Due to the lack of a flash, low-light pictures have a lot of noise and are little more than a makeshift when there is no other camera within reach. The Huawei tablet records videos at a maximum resolution of 3840x2176 pixels (4K) and at 30 FPS, that also have a lot of noise in them under poor lighting conditions.

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
click to load images

Under controlled lighting conditions, it becomes apparent that the 13 MP camera captures the ColorChecker color card relatively true to original, although colors tend to be somewhat oversaturated. Grayscales are the other way around and always appear a shade too dark. The test chart presents a big challenge for the tablet: While the image sharpness is still okay, small details such as color gradients, transitions or patterns are lost in the image noise.

ColorChecker colors photographed. The bottom half of every square shows the original color.
ColorChecker colors photographed. The bottom half of every square shows the original color.
Section of the test chart
Section of the test chart
Test chart photographed
Test chart photographed

Accessories and Warranty - Digital Stylus for the Pro Version

Huawei includes the digital stylus Mate Pen 2, a modular charger (9 V/2 A), a USB cable (type-C to type-A), an audio adapter (type-C to 3.5 mm jack) as well as a SIM tool with the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro. Huawei does not offer accessories specific to their tablet on their web page.

The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro comes with a 24-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling - Mate Pen 2 as an Additional Input Method

The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro handles inputs smoothly and without delays in the test. The tablet reacts equally well to commands given by the finger using the touchscreen or the reliable fingerprint sensor and the Mate Pen 2, which only requires a small amount of pressure on the display for a feedback.

Huawei has preinstalled the apps "MyScript Calculator" (calculator) and "Nebo" (notes app) for the digital stylus. The calculator produces results for handwritten inputs such as "5+3=" and the notes app offers smart extras, for example text recognition or text deletion by striking something through.

All physical control elements (fingerprint sensor, power button, volume control) have been placed on the right side of the tablet. The first of the three can adopt the functions of the pictured Android buttons and is thus able to serve as an external navigation row. The NaviDot, a button that can be placed anywhere on the display and is also suited for navigating the system, takes on a similar role.

If the tablet is placed on an even surface, the power button and the volume control can barely be reached at best due to the curvature of the chassis, which, depending on the situation can be anything from practical to annoying. If the navigation feature of the finger print sensor has been activated, one must take care not to touch it while holding the tablet in landscape mode.

Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode

Display - 2K Resolution, Low Luminance, PWM Flickering

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro shows its "2K" resolution of 2560x1600 pixels on its 10.8-inch IPS display and, with 280 PPI, achieves a very sharp representation. At 360 cd/m² on average, it has a luminance which is almost identical to the MediaPad M5 10.8's, while not shining as bright in comparison. This also applies, when repeating the brightness meterings with a, due to being more even, more realistic distribution of bright and dark display areas (APL50). Then, up to 365 cd/m² are possible. Without the brightness sensor being active, the luminance climbs up to 387 cd/m².

The remaining image parameters do not exactly impress either, illumination, for example, is below average at 84 percent. The black value of 0.8 and the contrast ratio of just 480:1 are not good results either. The subjective impression is much better however: The display does not appear pale at all, but rather lifelike and natural.

374
cd/m²
368
cd/m²
322
cd/m²
382
cd/m²
384
cd/m²
347
cd/m²
366
cd/m²
365
cd/m²
334
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 384 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 360.2 cd/m² Minimum: 3.39 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Center on Battery: 384 cd/m²
Contrast: 480:1 (Black: 0.8 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.83 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 7.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.199
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Apple iPad 6 2018
IPS, 2048x1536, 9.70
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Screen
22%
55%
52%
40%
60%
Brightness middle
384
340
-11%
530
38%
443
15%
426
11%
382
-1%
Brightness
360
320
-11%
513
43%
428
19%
399
11%
378
5%
Brightness Distribution
84
84
0%
92
10%
94
12%
91
8%
92
10%
Black Level *
0.8
0.19
76%
0.61
24%
0.36
55%
0.38
52%
0.24
70%
Contrast
480
1789
273%
869
81%
1231
156%
1121
134%
1592
232%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.83
15
-120%
1.2
82%
3.3
52%
4.5
34%
2.8
59%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.7
22.8
-80%
3.2
75%
7.2
43%
7.9
38%
6
53%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
7.5
4
47%
1
87%
2.9
61%
5.2
31%
3.5
53%
Gamma
2.199 100%
2.09 105%
2.28 96%
2.27 97%
2.23 99%
2.33 94%
CCT
8544 76%
6940 94%
6588 99%
6961 93%
6875 95%
6903 94%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 250 Hz ≤ 15 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 15 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The display of the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro unfortunately uses PWM at a very low frequency of 250 Hz, which can cause eye strain for sensitive people. This only comes into effect at display brightness levels equal to or below 15 percent, which due to the small luminance reserves of the tablet should not be common in practice.

When taking a closer look at the display with a spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software, it shows its relatively accurate color representation properties, although it exhibited a slight blue tint as well as a slightly elevated color temperature in every mode we tested. Screen content representation can be adjusted in the tablet's display settings. The color modes are "normal" and "vivid", whereas the color temperature can be freely set or one of the presets "standard", "warm" or "cold" can be selected.

Color accuracy (Color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Color accuracy (Color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Color accuracy (Color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Color accuracy (Color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Color space (Color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Color space (Color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Color space (Color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Color space (Color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Grayscales (color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Grayscales (color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Grayscales (color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Grayscales (color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Saturation (color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Saturation (color mode normal, color temperature warm)
Saturation (color mode vivid, color temperature standard)
Saturation (color mode vivid, color temperature standard)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 11 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 similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 19 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 55 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Since the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro offers little in terms of luminance reserves, turning up the screen brightness all the way is recommended for outdoor use. On top of that, we deactivated the brightness sensor since it always turned down brightness by a tiny bit too much. The Huawei tablet can be used well outdoors, provided you can find a place in the shade. Hereby, it benefits from its good viewing angles. Screen contents can be made out even at extreme side angles and at worst appear slightly darker, but never color distorted or even inverted.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Worthy Competitor to the Apple iPad 6

With the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro, Huawei relies on their in-house-produced SoC HiSilicon Kirin 960. Compared to the MediaPad M5 10.8's HiSilicon Kirin 960s, it does not have an NPU for AI acceleration, but at 2.400 instead of 2.100 MHz its core clock is higher, which also becomes apparent in the benchmarks.

In the synthetic benchmarks, the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro almost always comes out ahead of the MediaPad M5 10.8. The Huawei internal duel only comes close to a draw in 3DMark and GFXBench. The MediaPad M5 10.8 has a particularly large lead in the AnTuTu v7 benchmark, where it even barely surpasses the Apple iPad 6 (2018), which is overall the fastest at completing the synthetic benchmark course. The Huawei test candidate crosses the finish line not far behind it however.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
157445 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
147305 Points -6%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (124087 - 157445, n=7)
143408 Points -9%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
78980 Points -50%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
63777 Points -59%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
62725 Points -60%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
175581 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (170015 - 181614, n=4)
174560 Points -1%
Apple iPad 6 2018
170921 Points -3%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
113687 Points -35%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
77717 Points -56%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (6830 - 7403, n=7)
7199 Points +5%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6830 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
5843 Points -14%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
5648 Points -17%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
5040 Points -26%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
4895 Points -28%
Work 2.0 performance score
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (6006 - 6299, n=7)
6136 Points +2%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6039 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
5114 Points -15%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
4827 Points -20%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
4626 Points -23%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
3678 Points -39%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Average of class Tablet (444 - 8886, n=51, last 2 years)
3569 Points +62%
Apple iPad 6 2018
3163 Points +44%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (2204 - 2985, n=7)
2701 Points +23%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2204 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1769 Points -20%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1312 Points -40%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
1281 Points -42%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1016 Points -54%
System
Apple iPad 6 2018
6820 Points +87%
Average of class Tablet (1103 - 14097, n=51, last 2 years)
6449 Points +77%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (3572 - 4154, n=7)
3826 Points +5%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
3639 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3214 Points -12%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2838 Points -22%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
2329 Points -36%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1957 Points -46%
Memory
Average of class Tablet (916 - 8890, n=51, last 2 years)
4229 Points +36%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (2778 - 4277, n=7)
3512 Points +13%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
3108 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2654 Points -15%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1513 Points -51%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1334 Points -57%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
972 Points -69%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
968 Points -69%
Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
6760 Points +196%
Average of class Tablet (580 - 31738, n=51, last 2 years)
6458 Points +183%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (2284 - 4143, n=7)
3731 Points +63%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2284 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1602 Points -30%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
1015 Points -56%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
833 Points -64%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
701 Points -69%
Web
Apple iPad 6 2018
1628 Points +78%
Average of class Tablet (10 - 1907, n=51, last 2 years)
1196 Points +31%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (913 - 1215, n=7)
1076 Points +18%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1010 Points +11%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
913 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
850 Points -7%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
811 Points -11%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
803 Points -12%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
3499 Points +85%
Average of class Tablet (745 - 5713, n=15, last 2 years)
2711 Points +43%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1892 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1852 - 1899, n=7)
1875 Points -1%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1634 Points -14%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1541 Points -19%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1204 Points -36%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
868 Points -54%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Tablet (1418 - 15310, n=15, last 2 years)
7880 Points +28%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (6173 - 6527, n=7)
6384 Points +3%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
6173 Points
Apple iPad 6 2018
5952 Points -4%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
5809 Points -6%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
4323 Points -30%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
3305 Points -46%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
2489 Points -60%
Compute RenderScript Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
11575 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (9492 - 11539, n=2)
10516 Points
Average of class Tablet (2128 - 9945, n=10, last 2 years)
6573 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3235 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3081 Points
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1562 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
37372 Points +40%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (25766 - 28883, n=6)
27083 Points +2%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
26875 Points +1%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
26634 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
13742 Points -48%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
13227 Points -50%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
11209 Points -58%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
62626 Points +79%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
35210 Points 0%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (32243 - 38979, n=6)
35199 Points 0%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
35076 Points
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
13239 Points -62%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
12771 Points -64%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
11719 Points -67%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
15850 Points +10%
Apple iPad 6 2018
15499 Points +7%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
15117 Points +5%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (14456 - 15341, n=6)
15019 Points +4%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
14698 Points +2%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
14456 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
9729 Points -33%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0
Apple iPad 6 2018
3672 Points +54%
Average of class Tablet (507 - 8472, n=19, last 2 years)
2878 Points +21%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2386 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1865 - 2649, n=7)
2374 Points -1%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1840 Points -23%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
929 Points -61%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
852 Points -64%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
682 Points -71%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
6095 Points +155%
Average of class Tablet (454 - 10759, n=19, last 2 years)
3021 Points +26%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1856 - 2990, n=7)
2496 Points +4%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2392 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1719 Points -28%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
884 Points -63%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
731 Points -69%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
598 Points -75%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics
Average of class Tablet (863 - 4858, n=19, last 2 years)
2901 Points +23%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2445 Points +3%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2366 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1662 - 2555, n=7)
2086 Points -12%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
2031 Points -14%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1535 Points -35%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1347 Points -43%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1128 Points -52%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1)
Apple iPad 6 2018
2735 Points +54%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1747 - 2666, n=7)
2064 Points +17%
Average of class Tablet (361 - 14235, n=49, last 2 years)
2029 Points +15%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1771 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1642 Points -7%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
602 Points -66%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
489 Points -72%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
464 Points -74%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
3682 Points +124%
Average of class Tablet (290 - 24605, n=49, last 2 years)
2147 Points +30%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1646 - 2798, n=7)
2063 Points +25%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
1646 Points
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1504 Points -9%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
557 Points -66%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
413 Points -75%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
381 Points -77%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics
Average of class Tablet (858 - 5751, n=49, last 2 years)
2781 Points +15%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2419 Points 0%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
2416 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (1679 - 2653, n=7)
2181 Points -10%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
1991 Points -18%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1439 Points -40%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1363 Points -44%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
843 Points -65%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen
Apple iPad 6 2018
59.7 fps +5%
Apple iPad 6 2018
59 fps +4%
Average of class Tablet (14 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
58.3 fps +2%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
57 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (40 - 60, n=7)
53.9 fps -5%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
40 fps -30%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
21 fps -63%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
20 fps -65%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
17 fps -70%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (15 - 873, n=57, last 2 years)
144.2 fps +55%
Apple iPad 6 2018
125 fps +34%
Apple iPad 6 2018
118 fps +27%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
96 fps +3%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
93 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (43 - 93, n=7)
68.4 fps -26%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
23 fps -75%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
22 fps -76%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
18 fps -81%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Average of class Tablet (8.1 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
45 fps +67%
Apple iPad 6 2018
40.9 fps +51%
Apple iPad 6 2018
40.3 fps +49%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (20 - 37, n=7)
28.1 fps +4%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
27 fps
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
26 fps -4%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
9.5 fps -65%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
9.2 fps -66%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
8.3 fps -69%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (7.3 - 494, n=57, last 2 years)
87.3 fps +113%
Apple iPad 6 2018
62.6 fps +53%
Apple iPad 6 2018
58.9 fps +44%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
44 fps +7%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
41 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (19 - 41, n=7)
31.7 fps -23%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
9.9 fps -76%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
9.8 fps -76%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
8.5 fps -79%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (4.8 - 118.3, n=57, last 2 years)
33.5 fps +109%
Apple iPad 6 2018
27.3 fps +71%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (12 - 28, n=7)
18.6 fps +16%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
16 fps
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
15 fps -6%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
6 fps -62%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
5.7 fps -64%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
4.7 fps -71%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (5 - 340, n=57, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +114%
Apple iPad 6 2018
42.7 fps +53%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
28 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (21 - 28, n=7)
24 fps -14%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
18 fps -36%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
6.4 fps -77%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6 fps -79%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
4.9 fps -82%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (3.1 - 94.5, n=57, last 2 years)
21.2 fps +128%
Apple iPad 6 2018
17.9 fps +92%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (9.3 - 16, n=7)
12.2 fps +31%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
10 fps +8%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
9.3 fps
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3.3 fps -65%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3.1 fps -67%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
2 fps -78%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (2.2 - 214, n=57, last 2 years)
35.8 fps +124%
Apple iPad 6 2018
26.8 fps +68%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
18 fps +13%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
16 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (15 - 16, n=6)
15.3 fps -4%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3.5 fps -78%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3 fps -81%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
2 fps -87%

Legend

 
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 Mediatek MT8176, PowerVR GX6250, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Apple iPad 6 2018 Apple A10 Fusion, Apple A10 Fusion GPU / PowerVR, 32 GB NVMe
 
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 Mediatek MT8173, PowerVR GX6250, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 HiSilicon Kirin 960s, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 32 GB eMMC Flash

No other tablet gets close to the Apple iPad 6 (2018) in terms of browser performance. Although here the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro is the most tenacious pursuer of the Apple high-flyer, which nets it second place again. Surfing the web feels fast subjectively. Only more demanding HTML5 web pages such as the flipper game “Ouigo Let's Play” require some waiting time, whereafter you are rewarded with a very smooth experience.

Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
27967 Points +136%
Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=70, last 2 years)
23400 Points +97%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
11854 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (10016 - 11897, n=7)
10823 Points -9%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
8897 Points -25%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
8570 Points -28%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
6802 Points -43%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
4502 Points -62%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
200 Points +12%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
178 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (107 - 184, n=7)
148.3 Points -17%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
137 Points -23%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
116 Points -35%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
93 Points -48%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
167.2 Points +193%
Average of class Tablet (57.3 - 436, n=6, last 2 years)
143.8 Points +152%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (56.8 - 68.6, n=7)
59.3 Points +4%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
57 Points
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
47.34 Points -17%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
46.39 Points -19%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
36.13 Points -37%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
25.76 Points -55%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
9237 ms * -158%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
5947 ms * -66%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
3976 ms * -11%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
3756 ms * -5%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro (Chrome 68.0.3440.91)
3575 ms *
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960 (2734 - 3734, n=7)
3226 ms * +10%
Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years)
3204 ms * +10%
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
1026 ms * +71%

* ... smaller is better

While the 64 GB of eMMC flash storage of the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro makes for short loading times with its sequential read speed of 278.6 MB/s, it falls significantly behind the MediaPad M5 10.8 in 4 KB random reads. Still, its performance remains above the results of both the Acer Iconia Tab 10 (A3-A50) and the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2017).

The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro is far from exhausting the capabilities of our reference microSD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 (read up to 270 Mbyte/s, write up to 150 Mbyte/s), but at 84.9 MB/s, it has above average sequential transfer speeds.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 ProAcer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50Lenovo Tab 4 10 PlusAmazon Fire HD 10 2017Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8Average 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Tablet
AndroBench 3-5
-27%
6%
-14%
70%
47%
514%
Sequential Read 256KB
278.6
173.7
-38%
270.1
-3%
262.2
-6%
247.8
-11%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-2%
848 ?(163 - 3414, n=65, last 2 years)
204%
Sequential Write 256KB
94.1
92.4
-2%
135.5
44%
147.7
57%
126.8
35%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
88%
537 ?(78.2 - 2528, n=65, last 2 years)
471%
Random Read 4KB
27.41
13.7
-50%
37.3
36%
27.72
1%
54.7
100%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
116%
166.7 ?(18.4 - 451, n=65, last 2 years)
508%
Random Write 4KB
15.35
8.77
-43%
11.8
-23%
9.37
-39%
60.8
296%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
107%
149.4 ?(8.23 - 503, n=65, last 2 years)
873%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
84.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
80.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
83.9
-1%
55.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-35%
85.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-9%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
73.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
56.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-22%
61.1
-16%
30.14 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-59%
73.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-20%

Gaming - A very Recommendable Tablet for Gamers

The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro will serve you well if you are looking for a tablet suitable for gaming: During the test it not only managed to convince us with its position sensor and accelerometer, but also with its surround sound and its great SoC performance. Even maximum detail settings do not manage to bring the tablet below the 60 FPS mark in current games such as “Battle Bay” or “Shadow Fight 3”.

There is only one detail which does not seem quite right: When trying to play while charging the tablet, it is possible for the USB cable in the bottom right to be in the way, although this can be easily fixed by turning the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro by 180 degrees.

Shadow Fight 3
Shadow Fight 3
Battle Bay
Battle Bay
Shadow Fight 3
 SettingsValue
 high60 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Battle Bay
 SettingsValue
 full resolution60 fps

Emissions - Cool during Use, but with Frequent Throttling

Temperature

GFXBench battery test (T-Rex scenario)
GFXBench battery test (T-Rex scenario)

On the outside, the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro has good thermals. Even after one hour under full load, the temperature indicator only rises to a very moderate 39.5 °C (~103.1 °F). As shown by the GFXBench battery tests however, the tablet internally reduces its clock speed in order to get heat dissipation under control.

Both in the less hardware intensive T-Rex benchmark as well as in the more demanding Manhattan scenario, each of which GFXBench runs 30 times, the performance drops after just a short amount of time. While the performance drops remain fairly minimal, it should be considered that the full power of the MediaPad 10.8 Pro cannot always be accessed.

Max. Load
 33.8 °C
93 F
37.1 °C
99 F
33.2 °C
92 F
 
 33.6 °C
92 F
34.6 °C
94 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
 34.1 °C
93 F
33.4 °C
92 F
32.5 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 37.1 °C = 99 F
Average: 34 °C = 93 F
34.5 °C
94 F
39.5 °C
103 F
36 °C
97 F
33.8 °C
93 F
35.7 °C
96 F
34.9 °C
95 F
33.2 °C
92 F
34.3 °C
94 F
34.4 °C
94 F
Maximum: 39.5 °C = 103 F
Average: 35.1 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.2 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34 °C / 93 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 37.1 °C / 99 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 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

Huawei has installed four Harman Kardon speakers inside the case of the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro, two of which are at the top and the other two at the bottom of the tablet. According to Huawei, the speakers are supposed to deliver powerful 3D sound, a promise which they actually keep. In the test, the speaker quartet of the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro does a surprisingly good job of producing surround sound, which even has very balanced mids and highs. While the basses get somewhat lost in the overall sound pattern, playback is not distorted even at maximum volume.

When connecting a headset to the tablet using the included USB type-C adapter, the sound can be spiced up with Huawei Histen sound effects. Connecting via Bluetooth also works and produces high-quality sound thanks to aptX support.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs203237.72531.931.13131.731.14031.132.75036.235.96326.332.48022.232.210022.53812525.445.516018.952.820017.159.825016.962.43151462.640013.568.750013.869.263012.571.380012.175100011.475125011.273.416001170200010.871.4250010.574.3315010.874.6400010.373.1500010.375.2630010.469.4800010.563.51000010.459.41250010.351.31600010.447.1SPL70.765.523.884.6N2718.20.562.7median 11.4median 68.7median 12.1median 73.6Delta5.210.111.61132.73430.830.331.132.53435.832.432.129.23033.931.128.338.326.351.826.148.624.351.922.955.1225522.363.320.962.42060.519.363.218.959.918.562.317.962.217.862.817.669.317.864.717.761.717.659.317.666.217.861.317.856.717.759.217.862.130.875.71.537.2median 18.5median 61.32.33.928.630.224.926.624.624.426.422.530.824.623.619.820.221.119.928.817.642.919.159.719.159.617.456.616.961.616.863.515.166.316.567.815.666.41561.915.565.115.367.615.771.515.569.715.572.815.467.915.8641663.815.860.816.154.716.151.617.349.727.979.9146.4median 16median 63.50.76.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei MediaPad M5 10.8 ProApple iPad 6 2018Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 73.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 73.6% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 73.6% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (110.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 98% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPad 6 2018 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (13.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 18% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 10% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 87% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.9% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 26% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 23%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 20% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 75% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - Good, but not Great Battery Life

Energy consumption

The Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro achieves moderate results in terms of energy consumption, but almost all of the other devices in the comparison are slightly more economical. Only the Apple iPad 6 (2018) taxes the battery even more and, particularly during idle, demands several extra watts. The test candidate also loses the internal contest, since the sister model Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 is slightly more economical overall. The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro is only barely ahead in terms of idle energy consumption.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.06 / 0.1 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.3 / 4.2 / 7 Watt
Load midlight 10.4 / 13.8 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
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.
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
7500 mAh
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6100 mAh
Apple iPad 6 2018
 mAh
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
7000 mAh
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
6300 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
7500 mAh
Power Consumption
2%
-16%
43%
31%
13%
Idle Minimum *
3.3
3.21
3%
2.2
33%
1.23
63%
1.55
53%
2.01
39%
Idle Average *
4.2
5.97
-42%
7.8
-86%
3.92
7%
4.17
1%
5.4
-29%
Idle Maximum *
7
6.19
12%
7.9
-13%
4.03
42%
4.25
39%
5.44
22%
Load Average *
10.4
9.72
7%
12.6
-21%
5
52%
7.13
31%
8.55
18%
Load Maximum *
13.8
9.97
28%
12.8
7%
7.09
49%
9.63
30%
11.53
16%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Due to the fairly uneconomical energy consumption values, the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro only achieves average battery life results despite its 7500 mAh battery. The tablet persevered for slightly more than 11 hours of browsing the web, while it ran for around ten and a half hours while playing an H.264 video - those are good, but not great results. The MediaPad M5 10.8's battery life is practically identical, which puts the Huawei duo ahead of the Apple iPad 6 (2018), the Amazon Fire HD 10 (2017) and the Acer Iconia Tab 10 (A3-A50) in particular. The longest battery life was achieved by the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus however.

The MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro supports Quick Charge and managed to fully charge the battery after 2 hours in our test.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 54min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 10min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
10h 29min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 40min
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro
7500 mAh
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6100 mAh
Apple iPad 6 2018
 mAh
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
7000 mAh
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
6300 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
7500 mAh
Battery Runtime
-34%
-5%
17%
-6%
1%
Reader / Idle
1254
735
-41%
1625
30%
960
-23%
1344
7%
H.264
629
795
26%
585
-7%
702
12%
WiFi v1.3
670
387
-42%
714
7%
647
-3%
542
-19%
648
-3%
Load
220
175
-20%
185
-16%
256
16%
274
25%
196
-11%

Pros

+ high-quality workmanship
+ LTE Cat.6
+ 64 GB storage
+ 4 speakers
+ Android 8.0
+ high resolution display
+ good camera
+ very fast
+ digital stylus
+ stays cool during use
+ solid battery life
+ quick charging

Cons

- no 3.5 mm jack
- system takes up a lot of space
- Wi-Fi not particularly fast
- preinstalled bloatware
- USB 3.0 port with USB 2.0 speeds
- weak display luminance
- throttling under load

Verdict - Marginal Differences to the MediaPad M5 10.8

Review: Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro. Test device supplied by Huawei Germany.
Review: Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro. Test device supplied by Huawei Germany.

High resolution 2K display, 4 Harman Kardon speakers, a good camera, solid battery life and quick charging - the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro essentially shares all of the MediaPad M5 10.8's virtues. On top of that, it comes with three good extra features: The digital stylus, LTE by default and the slightly faster SoC. Compared to its sister model, the tablet also had more convincing GPS results, but fell behind in terms of screen properties.

The Huawei MediaPad M 5 10.8 Pro is an expensive tablet, which, aside from its digital stylus, varies very little from the significantly cheaper MediaPad M5 10.8

Who needs the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro? Since the MediaPad M5 10.8  already performed terrifically, one would be hard-pressed to find a reason to choose the nominally but not noticeably faster test candidate. Additionally LTE is available in the cheaper sister model as well, which essentially reduces the central reason for buying the Mate Pen 2. While combined with the responsive and accurate display, it makes for an enjoyable writing experience, that experience comes at a price. Officially, the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro costs 100 Euros (~$116) more than a MediaPad M5 10.8 in its maximum configuration.

Regardless of which variant you choose, you will not make a bad purchase. Currently, the MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro andthe MediaPad M5 10.8 belong to the fastest and most well-equipped Android tablets on the market.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro - 08/22/2018 v6(old)
Manuel Masiero

Chassis
85%
Keyboard
71 / 80 → 89%
Pointing Device
93%
Connectivity
48 / 65 → 73%
Weight
83 / 40-88 → 90%
Battery
93%
Display
79%
Games Performance
55 / 68 → 81%
Application Performance
59 / 76 → 77%
Temperature
90%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 91 → 84%
Camera
68 / 85 → 79%
Average
77%
88%
Tablet - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 2 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 Pro Tablet Review
Manuel Masiero, 2018-08-24 (Update: 2019-02-27)