Huawei MediaPad M5 lite Tablet Review
After Huawei added a Pro version of the MediaPad M5 to its collection in August, we are now testing the lite model. This is available with or without LTE and can be equipped with 64 or 32 GB of internal storage plus 4 or 3 GB of RAM.
Our test unit is the smaller version with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. The SoC is a HiSilicon Kirin 659 chip, which is supported by an ARM Mali T830 MP2. This mid-range configuration is upgraded by its good-looking metal case.
There is also quite a lot of competition in this price range. We have chosen the following tablets as our comparison devices for today's review: the MediaPad M5, Lenovo's Tab 4 10 Plus, the Acer Iconia Tab 10 and Amazon's Fire HD 10 (2017).
Case - Huawei tablet with a stable case
Huawei has given the MediaPad M5 lite a metal case with a small decorative seam on the back. The top and bottom edges of the tablet have a lot of holes for the four speakers, as well as additional openings for the microphone along the top. This means that there is a row of holes all along the top of the device. The main camera is positioned on the back and stands out by about 2 mm. The fingerprint reader is placed below the display and is noticeable, despite its seamless finish, by the small indentation it makes in the otherwise flat surface.
The buttons are positioned on the left side of the tablet and are also made of metal but are a little loose. The same can be said for the SIM/SD-card slot, which can be found on the right side of the MediaPad M5 lite. Compared to other tablets of this price range, the MediaPad M5 lite is very light and rather small.
Connectivity - mid-range tablet with good performance
The MediaPad M5 lite is equipped with the mid-range SoC Kirin 659 from HiSilicon that enables smooth system performance. It is supported by the ARM Mali T830 MP2. Our Huawei tablet is suitable for many everyday tasks as well as some more-demanding applications with its 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage.
The MediaPad M5 lite can transfer data via its USB Type-C port, which, however, only offers 2.0 speeds. The USB port also functions as a charging connection. Headsets or external speakers can be connected to the tablet via the 3.5 mm audio jack. There is also a microSD-card slot that allows storage to be expanded by up to 256 GB.
Software - MediaPad M5 lite with Oreo
The MediaPad M5 lite currently runs on Android 8.0 Oreo with the security patches dating June 1, 2018. Users of the tablet can expect to find Huawei's own user interface, EMUI 8.0. This has a different settings structure and customized apps for telephoning, messaging, the gallery etc. compared to stock Android.
Operation is just as intuitive as on stock Android and users new to this UI should find their way around without difficulties. If the tablet is to be shared among several users, it is possible to set up separate accounts.
Communication and GPS - Huawei tablet with LTE
Our test version of the MediaPad M5 lite is equipped with a modem that supports GSM, 3G and LTE networks. The category 6 LTE connection allows for download rates of up to 300 Mb/s and upload rates of up to 50 Mb/s. Huawei's telephone app is also installed on the tablet and with a suitable SIM card the device can also be used for making phone calls. This also works without a headset.
At close range, users can connect their tablet via Bluetooth 4.2 or the integrated Wi-Fi adapter, which supports the standards a, b, g, n and ac (both 2.4 and 5 GHz networks). In our tests, the MediaPad M5 lite only reaches subpar transfer rates, which are below the results of our comparison devices.
The app "GPS test" is used to control how well the MediaPad M5 lite can position itself, using GPS, A-GPS, Beidou or GLONASS. Outdoors, the device can locate itself within five meters, but it is not able to locate itself indoors.
We tested the MediaPad M5 lite in comparison with our reference device Garmin Edge 520. The result was that the Huawei tablet can record long, straight routes very well. It has more difficulties in curves or when the direction changes constantly. In this case, only the basic direction is recorded, and we are often located beside the paths. The M5 lite is therefore only suitable for very simple navigation needs.
Cameras - simple cameras for the MediaPad M5 lite
Users of the Huawei MediaPad M5 lite have access to an 8-MP main camera as well as an 8-MP front camera. The latter takes good-quality portraits, as long as the subject is positioned in the center of the picture (due to the fixed focus). Details are displayed nicely with only objects in the background slightly lacking sharpness. Colors also appear strong but are a little too dark. The settings of the camera app only allow you to turn on a bokeh effect and add different color filters.
The main camera is suitable for quick snapshots. Photos of landscapes with large differences in brightness often turn out rather uneven. Bright areas are overexposed while dark areas appear almost black. Colors are not displayed well and objects in dark image areas are hardly recognizable. Close-ups also suffer from an uneven brightness distribution. In this case, the entire subject is slightly too dark while details are only visible on bright backgrounds. Again, it is difficult to discern objects in the dark areas. Photos taken in low light display the subject correctly, but they are often rather blurry with hardly any details.
The main camera app offers a large variety of effects and modes. Tablet users can also switch to professional mode in order to improve image quality. Here, users can manually choose the white balance, ISO values, ambient light, manual focus and shutter speeds.
Videos offer similar results as the photographs. Slight shaking is automatically adjusted for. Again, there is a professional mode, but it offers less customization options for videos.
We have tested the MediaPad M5 lite's color reproduction with the ColorChecker passport. This showed that colors also turn out too dark under controlled lighting.
Our test chart also comes out too dark with the MediaPad M5 lite, and sharpness drops significantly towards the edges.
Accessories and Warranty - Huawei tablet with support for stylus
The MediaPad M5 lite includes a USB charger plus USB Type-C cable and a tool for opening the SIM/SD-card slot. In addition, Huawei has designed an optional flip cover and a Huawei M Pen lite stylus.
Buyers of the Huawei MediaPad M5 lite will receive a 24-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices & Operation - MediaPad M5 with customizable keyboard
The MediaPad M5 lite comes with the Swift Key app as its standard keyboard application. This enables users to change the size and appearance of the keyboard. In portrait mode, the Huawei tablet is a little too wide, making it difficult to reach the center of the keyboard if you have short thumbs. In landscape mode, the tablet is not wide enough to type comfortably using both hands.
The tablet is very responsive and confirms every input with a slight vibration. The surface of the screen is comparatively smooth, so that fingers can glide over it easily without too much resistance. The gyroscope reacts quickly to rotations of the tablet and adjusts the orientation of content immediately.
Display - low-contrast display in the Huawei tablet
The display of the MediaPad M5 lite is a 10.1-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. The average brightness is 492.2 cd/m², which is higher than those of other comparable tablets in this price range. However, the brightness distribution is below average at only 80%. The display flickers at 100 Hz at brightness levels below 20%.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 514 cd/m²
Contrast: 535:1 (Black: 0.96 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.42 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86
ΔE Greyscale 6.5 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
92.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.216
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite IPS, 1920x1200, 10.1" | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 IPS, 2560x1600, 10.8" | Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 IPS, 1920x1200, 10.1" | Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus IPS, 1920x1200, 10.1" | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 IPS, 1920x1200, 10.1" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 47% | -3% | 38% | 26% | |
| Brightness middle | 514 | 382 -26% | 340 -34% | 443 -14% | 426 -17% |
| Brightness | 492 | 378 -23% | 320 -35% | 428 -13% | 399 -19% |
| Brightness Distribution | 80 | 92 15% | 84 5% | 94 18% | 91 14% |
| Black Level * | 0.96 | 0.24 75% | 0.19 80% | 0.36 62% | 0.38 60% |
| Contrast | 535 | 1592 198% | 1789 234% | 1231 130% | 1121 110% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.42 | 2.8 48% | 15 -177% | 3.3 39% | 4.5 17% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.84 | 6 39% | 22.8 -132% | 7.2 27% | 7.9 20% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 6.5 | 3.5 46% | 4 38% | 2.9 55% | 5.2 20% |
| Gamma | 2.216 99% | 2.33 94% | 2.09 105% | 2.27 97% | 2.23 99% |
| CCT | 6780 96% | 6903 94% | 6940 94% | 6961 93% | 6875 95% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 100 Hz | ≤ 20 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 100 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 100 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8426 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
According to our measurements, the MediaPad M5 lite has a comparatively low contrast ratio of 535:1 and a significantly increased black value of 0.96 cd/m². This makes it difficult to distinguish clearly between colors, while black content seems to have a gray film over it. The settings menu can choose the color temperature from a color chart. We did not note any blue cast in our test. Instead, colors are displayed with a slight green tinge.
Display 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. » 41 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (20.6 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17 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 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 47 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.3 ms). | ||
The MediaPad M5 is easy to use outdoors in the shade. The display does not reflect surrounding objects too much and screen content can be read easily. However, reflections become very strong under direct sunlight or a blue sky. Even indoors, bright lights can cause bothersome reflections on the screen.
The IPS panel of the MediaPad M5 lite has very stable viewing angles. Screen content can be read without distortions or falsified colors from almost all angles. As long as there are no reflections, the Huawei tablet can be used in unusual positions.
Performance - affordable tablet offers good performance
The MediaPad M5 lite is equipped with a HiSilicon Kirin 659 and an ARM Mali T830 MP2 that enable smooth system performance. Both components are used in good mid-range devices. In this device, these processors are supported by 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC storage. This combination can support many everyday workloads and display most games at medium resolution.
The MediaPad M5 lite reached average results in our system performance benchmarks. Tests that focused on graphics performance did not offer such good results, placing the tablet in the bottom range of our comparison devices. The tablet even received the lowest results among our comparison devices in some of the most graphically intense benchmarks.
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (62810 - 68232, n=8) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus | |
| AnTuTu v7 - Total Score | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (81992 - 89639, n=6) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 | |
The browser performance of the MediaPad M5 lite is varied. While the WebXPRT 2015 test, which is directed at online applications, brought good results, other tests that are focused on pure performance place the tablet towards the bottom of our comparison table. Its performance is sufficient for everyday use, however, and media loads quickly.
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Tablet (763 - 111219, n=95, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite (Chrome 67) | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (4191 - 5471, n=8) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60) | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65) | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (86 - 120, n=8) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite (Chrome 67) | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (23.4 - 31.3, n=8) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (8684 - 10788, n=8) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite (Chrome 67) | |
| Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus (Chrome 60) | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 (Chrome 65) | |
| Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 (Amazon Silk 61.2) | |
| Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 (Browser: Chrome Version 63) | |
| Average of class Tablet (319 - 34733, n=81, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
Huawei has equipped our MediaPad M5 lite with a 32-GB eMMC flash memory, of which about 22 GB is available to the user for apps and files. The integrated microSD card reader can be used for SD cards with a capacity of up to 256 GB. However, this can only be used for personal files. It is not possible to format the microSD card as internal storage.
In our storage benchmark, the Huawei tablet reached very good read and write rates that can be compared to those of its competition. The internal SD card reader also offers very good results when tested with our reference storage card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501.
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 | Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 | Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 | Average 32 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Tablet | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -2% | -38% | -16% | -30% | -25% | 407% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 308.1 | 247.8 -20% | 173.7 -44% | 270.1 -12% | 262.2 -15% | 242 ? -21% | 1253 ? 307% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 82.6 | 126.8 54% | 92.4 12% | 135.5 64% | 147.7 79% | 100.5 ? 22% | 882 ? 968% |
| Random Read 4KB | 73.5 | 54.7 -26% | 13.7 -81% | 37.3 -49% | 27.72 -62% | 43.1 ? -41% | 206 ? 180% |
| Random Write 4KB | 77.3 | 60.8 -21% | 8.77 -89% | 11.8 -85% | 9.37 -88% | 22.3 ? -71% | 212 ? 174% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 83.7 ? | 85.1 ? 2% | 80.4 ? -4% | 83.9 0% | 55.5 ? -34% | 71.8 ? -14% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 72.8 ? | 73.8 ? 1% | 56.8 ? -22% | 61.1 -16% | 30.14 ? -59% | 52.9 ? -27% |
Games - a tablet suitable for gaming
The MediaPad M5 lite uses the graphics unit ARM Mali T830 MP2 to display 3D applications. Its performance is sufficient to smoothly display current games in medium settings. The games we tested were displayed smoothly in every setting and controlling the game via the touchpad continued to work well even after playing for a while.
Games in which the gyroscope is used respond to these inputs easily and without delay.
| Dead Trigger 2 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 30 fps | ||
| Arena of Valor | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| min | 31 fps | ||
| high HD | 31 fps | ||
Emissions - MediaPad M5 lite with four speakers
Temperature
The surface temperatures of the MediaPad M5 lite remain around 25 °C while idling. They increase only slightly under load with the warmest spot reaching 35 °C. The tablet never feels hot and can always be held comfortably. The more demanding GFXBench performance tests also show that temperatures only have a very low influence on system performance. Users therefore need not expect any limitations due to high temperature development.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.4 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F, ranging from 20.7 to 53.2 °C for the class Tablet.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.7 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.1 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.
Speakers
Huawei has equipped the MediaPad M5 lite with four speakers, certified by harman/kardon. Compared to other tablets of this price range, our test unit offers a more balanced sound profile and can also reproduce lower frequencies. Highs are still overrepresented, however, which becomes noticeable when the volume is turned up.
The speakers are definitely acceptable for occasional audio playback. If you want to listen to music for a longer period of time, we would still recommend connecting headphones or external speakers. The 3.5 mm audio jack works very well and does not have a negative impact on audio quality.
Huawei MediaPad M5 lite audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 63.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 63.6% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 63.6% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (116% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 99% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 3% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, 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
» 33% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 61% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 129%
Compared to all devices tested
» 23% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 72% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management - tablet with long battery runtime
Energy Consumption
The energy consumption of the MediaPad M5 lite is lower than those of comparable devices according to our measurements. While idling, the Huawei tablet is the most energy-efficient of our entire list of comparison devices. Only the Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus has better results under load.
The included power supply offers 18 watts and is easily large enough for the tablet's needs.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  2.8 / 3.3 / 3.9 Watt |
| Load |
5.2 / 7.2 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite 7500 mAh | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 7500 mAh | Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 6100 mAh | Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus 7000 mAh | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 6300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -40% | -56% | 8% | -12% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 2.8 | 2.01 28% | 3.21 -15% | 1.23 56% | 1.55 45% |
| Idle Average * | 3.3 | 5.4 -64% | 5.97 -81% | 3.92 -19% | 4.17 -26% |
| Idle Maximum * | 3.9 | 5.44 -39% | 6.19 -59% | 4.03 -3% | 4.25 -9% |
| Load Average * | 5.2 | 8.55 -64% | 9.72 -87% | 5 4% | 7.13 -37% |
| Load Maximum * | 7.2 | 11.53 -60% | 9.97 -38% | 7.09 2% | 9.63 -34% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Runtime
The MediaPad M5 lite runs on battery for over 14 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test. At 5 hours, its runtime is very good under maximum load as well and our test unit offers significantly better runtimes than its competitors.
The included 18-watt power supply recharges the Huawei battery in a little over two hours.
| Huawei MediaPad M5 lite 7500 mAh | Huawei MediaPad M5 10.8 7500 mAh | Acer Iconia Tab 10 A3-A50 6100 mAh | Lenovo Tab 4 10 Plus 7000 mAh | Amazon Fire HD 10 2017 6300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -30% | -54% | -20% | -34% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2162 | 1344 -38% | 735 -66% | 1625 -25% | 960 -56% |
| H.264 | 934 | 702 -25% | 795 -15% | 585 -37% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 852 | 648 -24% | 387 -55% | 647 -24% | 542 -36% |
| Load | 299 | 196 -34% | 175 -41% | 256 -14% | 274 -8% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - MediaPad M5 lite offers good performance
The MediaPad M5 lite did well in our review. Its system performance is sufficient for many everyday workloads and still has reserves for more demanding applications. Modern games can also be played on this device, although users might have to content themselves with average graphics settings.
The MediaPad M5 lite can keep up with its big brother in many areas, with the main weaknesses being the display and cameras.
At about £270 (~$350), Huawei has equipped the MediaPad M5 lite very well. It has a large battery, a fingerprint reader and LTE as well as a good SD card reader. However, users will have to accept low camera quality with a comparatively low resolution and limited storage options, as apps cannot be stored to the microSD card. The app storage is therefore limited to 32 GB and the low-contrast display might not be up everybody's street.
Huawei MediaPad M5 lite
- 11/05/2019 v7 (old)
Mike Wobker
Price comparison
