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Huawei MediaPad M5 (10.8-inches, LTE) Tablet Review

Chinese luxury. Huawei used to be content with being low-end. However, now it is entering the high-end sector. The MediaPad M5 10.8 is the current top-end tablet from Huawei. Here, the manufacturer shows off its confidence when it comes to the asking price: Even the new iPad is cheaper under certain circumstances. So the question we have here is two-fold: Is Huawei asking too much for the new slate or is its new high-end tablet really that good?
Huawei MediaPad M5

Sony has done it. Samsung has done it. Apple has been doing it for a long time. Still, not a lot of manufacturers dare to make and try to sell 400-Euro (~$492) tablets. Now Huawei joins their ranks with the MediaPad M5 10.8 with LTE, which has an MSRP of 449 Euros (~$553). The price on the Internet has actually fallen somewhat. But still, it is only the Wi-Fi version that you can get for less than 400 Euros (~$492). You can actually get the new iPad 6 for less than 350 Euros (~$432, depending on the configuration). Whether Huawei brings a similarly good tablet to the market and whether it is worth your money, we shall examine in this review.

The competing devices include: The previously mentioned iPad 6, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus, the Acer Iconia Tab 10 and the Amazon Fire HD 10. Last year’s Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite was priced similarly to this year’s MediaPad M5. However, the MediaPad M3 Lite’s price has fallen significantly in the meantime. Therefore, we shall also examine whether you should get the lower-priced older model instead, and if you already have one whether you should upgrade.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (MediaPad M5 Series)
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 960s 8 x 2.1 GHz, Cortex-A73/-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
10.80 inch 16:10, 2560 x 1600 pixel 280 PPI, capacitive Touchscreen, IPS, Enhanced ClariVu, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 24 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: audio output via USB Type-C, Card Reader: microSD up to 256GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, motion sensor, Hall Sensor
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, 4G, 3G (850/​900/​1900/​2100), 2G (850/​900/​1800/​1900), LTE
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
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix f/2.2, auto-focus
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/2.2
Additional features
Speakers: four Harman Kardon speakers, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, audio adapter, USB charger, USB cable, SIM card tool, HiCare, Game Suite, PhoneClone, 24 Months Warranty, LTE-A Cat6 Download speed: 300 MBit/s, ​Upload speed: 50 MBit/s; SAR value: 0.271 W/kg (head), 1.04 W/kg (body), fanless
Weight
498 g ( = 17.57 oz / 1.1 pounds), Power Supply: 75 g ( = 2.65 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
449 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Chic, but flexible

The MediaPad M5 is significantly broader than the MediaPad M3 Lite. However, the MediaPad M3 Lite is a tiny bit taller than the MediaPad M5. This is probably because the fingerprint sensor has been moved from the bottom lip to the right bezel. That being said, the aspect ratio of 16:10 remains unchanged. The fact that the screen size has been increased to 10.8-inches explains most of the changes in terms of the dimensions. The weight has also increased. However, the differences in overall weight may be attributed to the fact that we are comparing the LTE model of the Huawei M5 with the Wi-Fi model of the Huawei M3. All in all, our current model is not a very light tablet. It tips the scales at 498 grams (1.09 lbs).

Currently, the only available color scheme is “Space Gray”. That being said, the front of the tablet is black. Huawei did not make any radical changes in terms of design. Having said that, the metal back with a matte finish is not very susceptible to fingerprints. The rounded edges make the MediaPad M5 easy to hold. The device could have been more rigid, though: Applying pressure to the screen quickly leads to a rippling effect and the body of the tablet can be slightly bent in.

Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5
Huawei MediaPad M5

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 lbs247 mm / 9.72 inch 173 mm / 6.81 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 475 g1.047 lbs241 mm / 9.49 inch 172 mm / 6.77 inch 7.1 mm / 0.2795 inch 460 g1.014 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

Configuration - MediaPad M5 has less storage space

Only 32 GB of storage space in a 400-Euro (~$492) tablet? This is very little. Many cheaper tablets offer at least 64 GB of internal memory. 4 GB of RAM is standard fare in this price range. 

There is a SIM-card slot on the right side of our review device, which can also take MicroSD cards. Apps can be saved on MicroSD cards; however, they can only be used as external storage. A keyboard can be connected via the docking port (Pogo pins) on the underside of the tablet. The tablet does not have a 3.5-mm audio jack. Instead, it relies on a USB Type-C port for audio output.

Because the USB port is compliant with the 3.0 specification, it should be able to output a video signal via an HDMI adapter to an external display. However, this does not seem to work in practice.

Left side: no ports
Left side: no ports
Right side: USB Type-C port, SIM/SD-card slot, power button, volume rocker
Right side: USB Type-C port, SIM/SD-card slot, power button, volume rocker
Bottom: docking port, speakers
Bottom: docking port, speakers
Top: speakers
Top: speakers

Software – Outdated security patches and a desktop mode

The Huawei MediaPad M5 runs Android 8. However, at the time of this review, the security patches (January 1, 2018) are somewhat out of date. Huawei uses its own EMUI launcher, which changes up a few things. There is some bloatware straight out of the box, such as streaming or booking apps. Several free-to-play games are also preinstalled. We would have preferred to see a clean tablet here. There are also some useful apps on the tablet, such as PhoneClone (an app that allows you to move data from your old device to your new one). A file manager, a notepad app and the game suite are also available on the tablet. You can use the game suite app to disable system notifications or hide on-screen navigation buttons while gaming. 

If you want you can enable EMUI desktop mode, which resembles Windows a lot, especially when it comes to the background image. The tablet is easy to control with a mouse and a keyboard. This makes it into a good, small desktop computer with Android apps. The desktop mode can be activated at any time, even when you hold the tablet in your hands without the appropriate accessories attached.

Various errors arise when streaming content from different streaming services. Huawei has already developed an update to fix these issues. The update will be released on April 20, 2018.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Software
Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Software
Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Software
Huawei MediaPad M5 10 Software

Communication and GPS – Slow Wi-Fi and phone calls with the tablet

An appropriate mobile network is found almost as soon as you put a SIM card inside the device. Changing the SIM card requires a restart. The reception quality is good and the Internet connection is mostly stable in modestly built German mobile networks. If you have a SIM card with a telephone plan, then you can actually make phone calls. 

The tablet supports all current Wi-Fi standards, i.e. 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. That being said, during our Wi-Fi test, we measured very slow transfer rates with our reference-grade router Linksys EA8500: Here, the iPad 6 offers data transfer speeds that are twice as fast. In close proximity to the router, the reception is much better and sites load much faster. However, there are still times when you will have to wait for an image on a webpage to load. When the tablet is 10 meters away from the router, the sites load relatively slowly.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Apple iPad 6 2018
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 32 GB NVMe
500 MBit/s +111%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
263 MBit/s +11%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
258 MBit/s +9%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
240 MBit/s +1%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960s, 32 GB eMMC Flash
237 MBit/s
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
PowerVR GX6250, MT8173, 64 GB eMMC Flash
227 MBit/s -4%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple iPad 6 2018
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 32 GB NVMe
570 MBit/s +166%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
Adreno 506, 625, 64 GB eMMC Flash
350 MBit/s +64%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
338 MBit/s +58%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
PowerVR GX6250, MT8176, 64 GB eMMC Flash
262 MBit/s +22%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
PowerVR GX6250, MT8173, 64 GB eMMC Flash
241 MBit/s +13%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960s, 32 GB eMMC Flash
214 MBit/s
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test at a window
GPS test at a window
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

Inside, even at a window, the tablet is unable to acquire a location. Outside, the tablet takes a very long time to get a strong enough satellite signal for geo-location. Even when it gets a strong enough signal, it exhibits a margin of error of 34 meters, which is a very poor result.

We can learn more about the capabilities of the global positioning system by taking the device with us on a bike ride. We also took the Garmin Edge 500 with us as a reference device. The Garmin Edge 500 is a navigator that is optimized specifically for cyclists. The Garmin navigator determines our location more accurately, but the Huawei MediaPad M5 is no slouch, either. It does not prove to be that accurate during our test, but it still gets the job done. This is why we can recommend it. That being said, you will still have to wait for a while to get a location fix.

GPS Garmin Edge 500 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – loop
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – loop
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – path
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – path
GPS Huawei MediaPad M5 10 – overview
GPS Huawei MediaPad M5 10 – overview
GPS Huawei MediaPad M5 10 – loop
GPS Huawei MediaPad M5 10 – loop
GPS Huawei MediaPad M5 10 – path
GPS Huawei MediaPad M5 10 – path

Cameras in the Huawei MediaPad M5 – Very good for a tablet

Front-facing camera shot
Front-facing camera shot

The Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite already had an okay camera set-up for a tablet. However, the M3’s cameras were not used very often. With the MediaPad M5 10.8, Huawei goes a step further and increases the resolution of the rear camera up to 13 MP. There is no flash again, which means in dark environments you will have to rely on the quality of the camera alone. This is not something we would recommend doing, because the camera produces dim and noisy pictures in low-light conditions.

In brightly lit environments, the image quality of the main camera is very satisfactory. The pictures look sharp and well-detailed. However, the M5’s camera does not produce images that can rival a high-end smartphone camera. All that it is good for are snapshots and occasional photos. The rear camera can record video in 4K. However, it lacks sharpness and exhibits color aberration in dimly lit environments. Nevertheless, the color reproduction is still quite good. The camera is only good enough for occasional use. If you like to film a lot, then you should get a smartphone. Then you will be able to enjoy filming.

The front-facing camera also has a pretty high resolution for a tablet and takes well-colored, fairly sharp pictures. Because the front-facing camera does not have an auto-focus feature, you will have to pay close attention to the distance between you and the camera.

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

In our camera test, we photograph a test pattern with the main camera under certain lighting conditions. Here, the sharpness is good, but the text in front of a colorful background is somewhat blurry. The sharpness drops off at the edges. The colors exhibit some chromatic aberration, but the color reproduction still remains quite good.

Test pattern shot
Test pattern shot
Test pattern detail
Test pattern detail
ColorChecker shot. Original colors are displayed in the lower half of each square.
ColorChecker shot. Original colors are displayed in the lower half of each square.

Accessories and Warranty – Quick charging and an adapter

Quick Charge-compatible charger
Quick Charge-compatible charger

The box includes: A battery charger that supports fast charging, a USB Type-C cable, a SIM-card ejector tool and a USB Type-C to 3.5-mm audio jack adapter. You can also get additional accessories, such as cases and covers, directly from Huawei. These accessories are very well-priced.

The warranty amounts to 24 months. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Handling – Reliable touchscreen, a lot of options

Huawei uses SwiftKey as the main virtual keyboard. It is a very well-known app. Google GBoard is not preinstalled. However, it can be installed from the Google Play Store after the fact just like any other app. The preinstalled keyboard works well. It can also be extensively customized via the settings menu. 

The touchscreen has no problem recognizing inputs, even at the edges or the sides. It feels pleasant to the touch and has a very smooth surface, which further facilitates operation. The fingerprint sensor is located to the right of the screen (when you have the tablet in landscape mode) and serves to wake the device from stand-by mode. The fingerprint reader is very fast and very reliable. The fingerprint scanner can also be used for system navigation. However, this can occasionally prove annoying. For instance: When you watch a video on the tablet and accidentally put your finger on the fingerprint reader (which can easily happen because of its location) you will be sent to the Home Screen. Fortunately, this function can be disabled to avoid such problems.

Huawei also offers the so-called “NaviDot” function, a small dot that can be placed anywhere on the screen and that can perform the same actions as the “back” and “overview” buttons.

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

Display – Good 2K display

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement

Huawei markets the 2K display in the MediaPad M5 10 very aggressively, and indeed, the display resolution of the M5 is somewhat higher than those of the competing devices. Subjectively, the screen content looks very sharp. The display brightness of 378 cd/m² is not very high. However, the brightness distribution of 92% is very good. This is why the colors look very uniform on the screen.

389
cd/m²
381
cd/m²
375
cd/m²
395
cd/m²
382
cd/m²
365
cd/m²
376
cd/m²
375
cd/m²
368
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 395 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 378.4 cd/m² Minimum: 2.83 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 382 cd/m²
Contrast: 1592:1 (Black: 0.24 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.33
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
IPS, 2560x1600, 10.80
Apple iPad 6 2018
IPS, 2048x1536, 9.70
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
IPS, 1920x1200, 10.10
Screen
6%
-92%
-8%
-27%
-6%
Brightness middle
382
530
39%
340
-11%
443
16%
426
12%
435
14%
Brightness
378
513
36%
320
-15%
428
13%
399
6%
413
9%
Brightness Distribution
92
92
0%
84
-9%
94
2%
91
-1%
93
1%
Black Level *
0.24
0.61
-154%
0.19
21%
0.36
-50%
0.38
-58%
0.25
-4%
Contrast
1592
869
-45%
1789
12%
1231
-23%
1121
-30%
1740
9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.8
1.2
57%
15
-436%
3.3
-18%
4.5
-61%
4.4
-57%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6
3.2
47%
22.8
-280%
7.2
-20%
7.9
-32%
7.7
-28%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.5
1
71%
4
-14%
2.9
17%
5.2
-49%
3.2
9%
Gamma
2.33 94%
2.28 96%
2.09 105%
2.27 97%
2.23 99%
2.35 94%
CCT
6903 94%
6588 99%
6940 94%
6961 93%
6875 95%
7056 92%

* ... 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 19530 Hz ≤ 45 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 19530 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 45 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 19530 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

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.

Even though we observed PWM flickering, the frequency is so high that it should not cause any problems, even for very susceptible individuals. The black value of 0.24 cd/m² is very low. This is why the backlight is barely perceivable when looking at dark side bars or letterboxes. The contrast ratio of 1592:1 is also very good.

We can further examine the color reproduction of the display with the help of a spectrophotometer running the CalMAN software. Here we see that the colors are reproduced fairly accurately. However, the display suffers from a slight turquoise cast. All color profiles that Huawei provides seem to suffer from this issue. The M5’s display covers almost 100% of the sRGB color space and 90% of the DCI-P3 color space. Huawei provides a very good display here. However, it could have been a little bit brighter.

CalMAN color accuracy - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN color accuracy - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN color-space coverage - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN color-space coverage - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN Grayscale - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN Grayscale - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN saturation - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN saturation - Vivid (sRGB)
CalMAN color accuracy - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN color accuracy - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN color-space coverage - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN color-space coverage - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN Grayscale - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN Grayscale - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN saturation - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN saturation - Vivid (warm) (DCI P3)
CalMAN color accuracy - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN color accuracy - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN color-space coverage - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN color-space coverage - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN Grayscale - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN Grayscale - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN saturation - Normal (warm) (sRGB)
CalMAN saturation - Normal (warm) (sRGB)

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
30.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16.4 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 80 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 20.4 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. » 65 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Under the open sky, the M5 offers somewhat limited usability. In direct sunlight, you will have to max out the brightness manually to make screen content legible. In our opinion, the ambient light sensor sets the brightness too low here. At low or medium brightness, it is very hard to read screen content.

The viewing angles are very good. However, the brightness falls a little when looking at the screen from the side. Other than that, the screen content looks fine.

Outdoor use – ambient light sensor
Outdoor use – ambient light sensor
Outdoor use – maximum brightness
Outdoor use – maximum brightness
Outdoor use – medium brightness
Outdoor use – medium brightness
Outdoor use – minimum brightness
Outdoor use – minimum brightness
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance – Great performance and support for AI

Huawei equips its smartphones and tablets for the most part with its own SoCs, and the MediaPad M5 is no exception: The HiSilicon Kirin 960s (as compared to the 960 model) comes with an additional processing unit that is supposed to provide hardware acceleration for artificial intelligence. The SoC offers eight cores and runs at 2.4 GHz. It is also faster than other Android-based rivals. This seems to justify the higher price of the M5 when compared to the Android competitors. However, it is still somewhat slower than the iPad 6. We also observed an interesting anomaly: The devices with the Kirin 960 seem very fast in the benchmarks, but in reality the Kirin 960s appears to offer noticeably less performance.

The ARM Mali-G71 MP8 is used as the graphics unit. It is slower than the iPad 6 but significantly faster than the rest of the Android competition.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
147305 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
147305 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
78980 Points -46%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
63777 Points -57%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
62725 Points -57%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
46814 Points -68%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
5843 Points +16%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
5648 Points +12%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
5438 Points +8%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
5040 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
5040 Points 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
4895 Points -3%
Work 2.0 performance score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
5114 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
5114 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
4827 Points -6%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
4626 Points -10%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
3927 Points -23%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
3678 Points -28%
BaseMark OS II
Overall
Average of class Tablet (444 - 8886, n=51, last 2 years)
3569 Points +102%
Apple iPad 6 2018
3163 Points +79%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1769 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1769 Points 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1312 Points -26%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
1281 Points -28%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1016 Points -43%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
362 Points -80%
System
Apple iPad 6 2018
6820 Points +140%
Average of class Tablet (1103 - 14097, n=51, last 2 years)
6449 Points +127%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3214 Points +13%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2838 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
2838 Points 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
2329 Points -18%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1957 Points -31%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
1902 Points -33%
Memory
Average of class Tablet (916 - 8890, n=51, last 2 years)
4229 Points +59%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2654 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
2654 Points 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1513 Points -43%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1334 Points -50%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
1214 Points -54%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
972 Points -63%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
968 Points -64%
Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
6760 Points +322%
Average of class Tablet (580 - 31738, n=51, last 2 years)
6458 Points +303%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1602 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1602 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
1015 Points -37%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
833 Points -48%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
764 Points -52%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
701 Points -56%
Web
Apple iPad 6 2018
1628 Points +101%
Average of class Tablet (10 - 1907, n=51, last 2 years)
1196 Points +47%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1010 Points +25%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
850 Points +5%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
811 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
811 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
803 Points -1%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
10 Points -99%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
3499 Points +114%
Average of class Tablet (745 - 5713, n=15, last 2 years)
2711 Points +66%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1634 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1634 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1541 Points -6%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1204 Points -26%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
868 Points -47%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
662 Points -59%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Tablet (1418 - 15310, n=15, last 2 years)
7880 Points +36%
Apple iPad 6 2018
5952 Points +2%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
5809 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
5809 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
4323 Points -26%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
3305 Points -43%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
2889 Points -50%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
2489 Points -57%
Compute RenderScript Score
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
11575 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
11575 Points 0%
Average of class Tablet (2128 - 9945, n=10, last 2 years)
6573 Points -43%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3235 Points -72%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3081 Points -73%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
2242 Points -81%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1562 Points -87%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
37372 Points +39%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
26875 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
26875 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
13742 Points -49%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
13227 Points -51%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
11209 Points -58%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
9906 Points -63%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score
Apple iPad 6 2018
62626 Points +78%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
35210 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
35210 Points 0%
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%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
10102 Points -71%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
15850 Points +8%
Apple iPad 6 2018
15499 Points +5%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
15117 Points +3%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
14698 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
14698 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
9729 Points -34%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
9275 Points -37%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0
Apple iPad 6 2018
3672 Points +100%
Average of class Tablet (507 - 8472, n=19, last 2 years)
2878 Points +56%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1840 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1840 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
929 Points -50%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
852 Points -54%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
682 Points -63%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
599 Points -67%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
6095 Points +255%
Average of class Tablet (454 - 10759, n=19, last 2 years)
3021 Points +76%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1719 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1719 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
884 Points -49%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
731 Points -57%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
598 Points -65%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
518 Points -70%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics
Average of class Tablet (863 - 4858, n=19, last 2 years)
2901 Points +19%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
2445 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
2445 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
2031 Points -17%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1535 Points -37%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1347 Points -45%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
1313 Points -46%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
1128 Points -54%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1)
Apple iPad 6 2018
2735 Points +67%
Average of class Tablet (361 - 14235, n=49, last 2 years)
2029 Points +24%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1642 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1642 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
602 Points -63%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
489 Points -70%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
464 Points -72%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
315 Points -81%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics
Apple iPad 6 2018
3682 Points +145%
Average of class Tablet (290 - 24605, n=49, last 2 years)
2147 Points +43%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
1504 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
1504 Points 0%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
557 Points -63%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
413 Points -73%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
381 Points -75%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
259 Points -83%
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
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
2419 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
1991 Points -18%
Apple iPad 6 2018
1439 Points -41%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
1363 Points -44%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
1318 Points -46%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
843 Points -65%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen
Apple iPad 6 2018
59.7 fps +49%
Apple iPad 6 2018
59 fps +48%
Average of class Tablet (14 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
58.3 fps +46%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
40 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
40 fps 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
21 fps -47%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
20 fps -50%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
17 fps -57%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
14 fps -65%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (15 - 873, n=57, last 2 years)
144.2 fps +50%
Apple iPad 6 2018
125 fps +30%
Apple iPad 6 2018
118 fps +23%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
96 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
96 fps 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
23 fps -76%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
22 fps -77%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
18 fps -81%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
17 fps -82%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL
Average of class Tablet (8.1 - 120, n=57, last 2 years)
45 fps +73%
Apple iPad 6 2018
40.9 fps +57%
Apple iPad 6 2018
40.3 fps +55%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
26 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
26 fps 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
9.5 fps -63%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
9.2 fps -65%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
8.3 fps -68%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
6.9 fps -73%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (7.3 - 494, n=57, last 2 years)
87.3 fps +98%
Apple iPad 6 2018
62.6 fps +42%
Apple iPad 6 2018
58.9 fps +34%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
44 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
44 fps 0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
9.9 fps -77%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
9.8 fps -78%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
8.5 fps -81%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
7.5 fps -83%
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 +123%
Apple iPad 6 2018
27.3 fps +82%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
15 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
15 fps 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
6 fps -60%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
5.7 fps -62%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
4.7 fps -69%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
4.5 fps -70%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (5 - 340, n=57, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +233%
Apple iPad 6 2018
42.7 fps +137%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
18 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
18 fps 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
6.4 fps -64%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6 fps -67%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
4.9 fps -73%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
4.8 fps -73%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen
Average of class Tablet (3.1 - 94.5, n=57, last 2 years)
21.2 fps +112%
Apple iPad 6 2018
17.9 fps +79%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
10 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
10 fps 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3.3 fps -67%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3.1 fps -69%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
2.5 fps -75%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
2 fps -80%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen
Average of class Tablet (2.2 - 214, n=57, last 2 years)
35.8 fps +99%
Apple iPad 6 2018
26.8 fps +49%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
18 fps
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
18 fps 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
3.5 fps -81%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
3 fps -83%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
2.6 fps -86%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
2 fps -89%

Legend

 
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 HiSilicon Kirin 960s, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Apple iPad 6 2018 Apple A10 Fusion, Apple A10 Fusion GPU / PowerVR, 32 GB NVMe
 
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 Mediatek MT8176, PowerVR GX6250, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
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 M3 Lite Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash

When surfing the Internet, the iPad’s browser performs best. The Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 also does a good job. The Huawei MediaPad M5 finds its place in the middle of our comparison chart. When scrolling, you will occasionally have to wait for an image on a webpage to load and HTML5 sites like Google Interland take a while to load. But after they are loaded they run very smoothly.

Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
27967 Points +311%
Average of class Tablet (2672 - 74614, n=70, last 2 years)
23400 Points +244%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
8897 Points +31%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
8570 Points +26%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
6802 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
6802 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
4502 Points -34%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite (Chrome 58)
3167 Points -53%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
200 Points +72%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
137 Points +18%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
116 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
116 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
93 Points -20%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite (Chrome 58)
61 Points -47%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
167.2 Points +363%
Average of class Tablet (57.3 - 436, n=6, last 2 years)
143.8 Points +298%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
47.34 Points +31%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
46.39 Points +28%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
36.13 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
36.1 Points 0%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
25.76 Points -29%
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite (Chrome 58)
20.18 Points -44%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite (Chrome 58)
11161 ms * -88%
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60)
9237 ms * -55%
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65)
5947 ms *
Average HiSilicon Kirin 960s
5947 ms * -0%
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2)
3976 ms * +33%
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63)
3756 ms * +37%
Average of class Tablet (451 - 34733, n=59, last 2 years)
3204 ms * +46%
Apple iPad 6 2018 (Safari Mobile 11.3)
1026 ms * +83%

* ... smaller is better

The tablet reads data from our reference-grade SD card, Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, very fast, and it is actually the fastest device when it comes to the write rates. The M5 uses slower eMMC memory for its internal storage. However, it still manages to achieve above-average results: Here the read and write speeds are also faster than in other tablets.

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50Lenovo Tab 4 10 PlusAmazon Fire HD 10 2017Huawei MediaPad M3 LiteAverage 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Tablet
AndroBench 3-5
-41%
-19%
-34%
-41%
-25%
229%
Sequential Read 256KB
247.8
173.7
-30%
270.1
9%
262.2
6%
133.5
-46%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=247)
-2%
848 ?(163 - 3414, n=65, last 2 years)
242%
Sequential Write 256KB
126.8
92.4
-27%
135.5
7%
147.7
16%
60.3
-52%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
-21%
537 ?(78.2 - 2528, n=65, last 2 years)
324%
Random Read 4KB
54.7
13.7
-75%
37.3
-32%
27.72
-49%
38.8
-29%
43.2 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=247)
-21%
166.7 ?(18.4 - 451, n=65, last 2 years)
205%
Random Write 4KB
60.8
8.77
-86%
11.8
-81%
9.37
-85%
8.5
-86%
22.4 ?(0.75 - 91, n=247)
-63%
149.4 ?(8.23 - 503, n=65, last 2 years)
146%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
85.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
80.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
83.9
-1%
55.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-35%
78.7
-8%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-16%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
73.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
56.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-23%
61.1
-17%
30.14 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-59%
56.8
-23%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-28%

Gaming – The Huawei MediaPad M5 is fit for gaming

The three video games from the Google Play Store that we benchmarked ran smoothly, and when the game supported it, at 60 FPS. Frame-rate drops were rare and not especially big.

Because the motion sensor and the touchscreen work very well, we can recommend the tablet to ambitious gamers, with one small caveat: The positioning of the charging port is quite unfortunate. Because it is located in the bottom right corner, the charger’s cable is very likely to get in the way when you are gaming. If this happens, you can simply rotate the tablet 180 degrees and keep playing without any problems.

Shadow Fight 3
Shadow Fight 3
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
Battle Bay
Battle Bay
Arena of Valor
 SettingsValue
 min60 fps
 high HD60 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Battle Bay
 SettingsValue
 half resolution60 fps
 full resolution60 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Shadow Fight 3
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
 minimal30 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!

Emissions – Cool tablet that throttles down

Temperature

GFXBench battery test
GFXBench battery test

We measured a maximum case temperature of 33.6 °C (92.5 °F). This is a barely noticeable change in temperature. When idle, the temperatures do not change much. The device never becomes excessively hot. We use GFXBench for our battery test. In this test, we tax the system over a prolonged period of time to see whether the CPU can maintain its full performance under sustained load. The result here is univocal: The frame rates between benchmark runs fluctuate strongly, and by the end of the test the frame rates settle in the upper levels. This is why you should not assume that you will be able to use the full power of the CPU at all times. 

Heat distribution - front
Heat distribution - front
Heat distribution - back
Heat distribution - back
Max. Load
 32.8 °C
91 F
33.6 °C
92 F
31.1 °C
88 F
 
 33.4 °C
92 F
31.8 °C
89 F
29.4 °C
85 F
 
 32.7 °C
91 F
29.6 °C
85 F
27.7 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 33.6 °C = 92 F
Average: 31.3 °C = 88 F
28.6 °C
83 F
31.9 °C
89 F
32.9 °C
91 F
28.2 °C
83 F
30.2 °C
86 F
30.4 °C
87 F
27.6 °C
82 F
29 °C
84 F
29.4 °C
85 F
Maximum: 32.9 °C = 91 F
Average: 29.8 °C = 86 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.5 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.3 °C / 88 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 33.6 °C / 92 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 32.9 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 33.3 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Sound diagram - speakers
Sound diagram - speakers

Huawei has put four speakers from Harman Kardon inside the M5: Two on the top side and two on the bottom side. With this, Huawei aims to create a 3D stereo experience, and indeed when you watch demos with surround sound you notice certain 3D audio effects. Naturally, the sound is not coming from behind, but you still get the feeling that it is coming from the sides, which is quite impressive for a tablet. With 79.9 dB(A), the MediaPad M5 is not the loudest tablet, but it is still able to fill a medium-size room with sound. The deep mids are reproduced very faithfully and there is no distortion even at a high volume.

Those who prefer to use headphones can still use Huawei’s Histen sound effects such as the equalizer or 3D Audio. Furthermore, the tablet supports HD Audio and aptX. There is no 3.5-mm audio jack, but there is a USB Type-C to audio jack adapter in the box. The adapter provides a clear sound and Bluetooth signals are also reproduced faithfully.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.630.22524.926.63124.624.44026.422.55030.824.66323.619.88020.221.110019.928.812517.642.916019.159.720019.159.625017.456.631516.961.640016.863.550015.166.363016.567.880015.666.410001561.9125015.565.1160015.367.6200015.771.5250015.569.7315015.572.8400015.467.9500015.86463001663.8800015.860.81000016.154.71250016.151.61600017.349.7SPL27.979.9N146.4median 16median 63.5Delta0.76.332.73430.830.331.132.53435.832.432.129.23033.931.128.338.326.351.826.148.624.351.922.955.1225522.363.320.962.42060.519.363.218.959.918.562.317.962.217.862.817.669.317.864.717.761.717.659.317.666.217.861.317.856.717.759.217.862.130.875.71.537.2median 18.5median 61.32.33.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei MediaPad M5 10.8Apple iPad 6 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
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%

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%

Energy Management – Huawei MediaPad M5 offers average battery life

Energy Consumption

The MediaPad M5 offers middling results when it comes to energy consumption. Here, the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus is the most energy-efficient device. When the tablet is switched on, it draws at least 2.01 watts. When it is off, it draws only a minimal amount of power. Under load, it can draw up to 11.53 watts. This is the second-highest value we measured when compared to the rest of the competition. Only the iPad 6 draws more power in this and all other areas.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.15 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.01 / 5.4 / 5.44 Watt
Load midlight 8.55 / 11.53 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
7500 mAh
Apple iPad 6 2018
 mAh
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6100 mAh
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
7000 mAh
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
6300 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
6600 mAh
Power Consumption
-31%
-17%
35%
20%
27%
Idle Minimum *
2.01
2.2
-9%
3.21
-60%
1.23
39%
1.55
23%
1.45
28%
Idle Average *
5.4
7.8
-44%
5.97
-11%
3.92
27%
4.17
23%
4.44
18%
Idle Maximum *
5.44
7.9
-45%
6.19
-14%
4.03
26%
4.25
22%
4.61
15%
Load Average *
8.55
12.6
-47%
9.72
-14%
5
42%
7.13
17%
6.21
27%
Load Maximum *
11.53
12.8
-11%
9.97
14%
7.09
39%
9.63
16%
6.33
45%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

High energy consumption is the reason why the Huawei MediaPad M5 offers mediocre battery life despite its large 7500 mAh battery: The tablet achieves a battery runtime of 10 hours and 48 minutes in our Wi-Fi test. In our video test, the tablet lasts one hour longer. In day-to-day use, you can expect the tablet to last two or three days without charging. Those who will use the tablet only on rare occasions can expect it to last for at least a week.

Huawei also offers a deactivatable energy-saving mode, which can lower power consumption by reducing the resolution to extend battery life. The tablet also supports fast charging and the battery only takes roughly two hours to fully charge.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
22h 24min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 48min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 42min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 16min
Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8
7500 mAh
Apple iPad 6 2018
 mAh
Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50
6100 mAh
Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus
7000 mAh
Amazon Fire HD 10 2017
6300 mAh
Huawei MediaPad M3 Lite
6600 mAh
Battery Runtime
2%
-32%
16%
-6%
26%
Reader / Idle
1344
735
-45%
1625
21%
960
-29%
1345
0%
H.264
702
795
13%
585
-17%
833
19%
WiFi v1.3
648
714
10%
387
-40%
647
0%
542
-16%
802
24%
Load
196
185
-6%
175
-11%
256
31%
274
40%
312
59%

Pros

+ very responsive
+ color-accurate, high-res display
+ good cameras
+ four loud speakers
+ good software
+ possibility to make calls
+ good input devices
+ fast memory
+ the tablet does not get hot
+ good battery life

Cons

- not a lot of storage space
- throttles down under load
- no 3.5-mm jack
- case is flexible
- outdated security patches
- slow Wi-Fi and GPS
- preinstalled bloatware

Verdict – The good price-to-performance ratio puts the MediaPad M5 over the top

In review: Huawei MediaPad M5. Review device provided courtesy of: Huawei Deutschland.
In review: Huawei MediaPad M5. Review device provided courtesy of: Huawei Deutschland.

At the beginning of our review, we asked ourselves whether Huawei’s tablet was really worth the price. The answer is: There are a number of highlights that make the tablet appear not so expensive. Plus, the price-to-performance ratio is also very good.

These highlights include: The high resolution display with good color-space coverage, the powerful speakers and the great performance. The fact that you can make phone calls with the tablet is also a nice gimmick. Good input devices, comprehensive software and fast charging round off the package.

In the course of our review, a few negative points also cropped up: The security patches are not up to date, there is plenty of preinstalled bloatware, Wi-Fi is really slow and GPS takes a long time to acquire a location. The high performance is also not available at all times and the tablet throttles down from time to time. Moreover, the device could have been somewhat more rigid. The lack of rigidity takes away from the overall high-value impression that the tablet leaves.

An expensive tablet that is worth the money.

However, because the cameras are pretty good for a tablet and the input devices work very reliably and offer extensive customization options, we can easily give the Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 a clear recommendation. Those who do not need LTE functionality can save some money by getting a simple Wi-Fi version. 

Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 - 09/16/2019 v7
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
83 / 98 → 85%
Keyboard
71 / 80 → 89%
Pointing Device
90%
Connectivity
49 / 70 → 70%
Weight
83 / 40-88 → 90%
Battery
89%
Display
88%
Games Performance
23 / 78 → 30%
Application Performance
52 / 92 → 57%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
81 / 91 → 89%
Camera
52 / 85 → 62%
Average
73%
83%
Tablet - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Huawei MediaPad M5 (10.8-inches, LTE) Tablet Review
Florian Wimmer, 2018-04-12 (Update: 2019-03-20)