Huawei launches tablet with 12-inch 2.8K 144Hz display, 10,100mAh battery and 50MP camera

Huawei has started pre-sales for the MatePad Air Z in China. It is a new addition to the MatePad Air lineup, following the MatePad Air that launched internationally earlier this year and arrived in China in the second week of September.

This new tablet features a 12-inch IPS LCD with a 2,800 x 1,840 resolution, 280 PPI and a maximum refresh rate of 144Hz. The refresh rate can switch between 30Hz, 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz and 144Hz. Huawei also lists 900 nits of peak brightness and P3 wide color coverage.

The MatePad Air Z has an 8MP front sensor and a 50MP rear sensor with autofocus. It also has six speakers, and Huawei claims up to 16 hours of local video playback. Measuring 270.5 x 183.55 x 5.9mm (10.65 x 7.23 x 0.23 inches), the tablet weighs about 555g (1.22 lb) including the battery.

Huawei's recently released MatePad Air (2026) uses an OLED panel instead, while keeping the same screen size, resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It is also thinner and lighter at 5.3mm (0.21 inches) and 509g (1.12 lb).

The standard and Enjoy Edition models use Huawei's Kirin T93SD processor and run HarmonyOS 7. The soft-light versions use the Kirin T93S. Huawei claims a 22% increase in overall performance for the soft-light version compared with the 2025 12-inch MatePad Air, based on its own testing.

The globally available Lenovo Idea Tab Plus (currently available on Amazon) has a slightly larger 12.1-inch IPS display, but its 90Hz refresh rate is lower than the MatePad Air Z's. It also uses a MediaTek Dimensity 6400 processor.

The MatePad Air Z comes with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Both the standard and Enjoy Edition support the M-Pencil Pro and an optional magnetic keyboard, while HarmonyOS 7 adds features such as AI-assisted note taking, real-time transcription and translation tools.

Charging is another difference between the two versions. According to Huawei customer service information cited by IT Home, the standard version comes with a 66W charger and supports a rear LED flash, while the Enjoy Edition includes a 40W charger and does not support the rear flash.

The MatePad Air Z comes in Coral Orange, Island Blue and Space Gray, while the Enjoy Edition is available in Nebula Pink and Moonlight Silver.

Pricing and availability

The MatePad Air Z is scheduled to go on sale in China on September 29 at 10:08 AM local time (2:08 AM GMT).

During the pre-sale, the Enjoy Edition is priced as follows:

• 8GB + 128GB: 2,799 yuan (around $417)
• 8GB + 256GB: 3,299 yuan (around $492)
• 12GB + 256GB: 3,999 yuan (around $596)

The standard version starts at 3,499 yuan (around $521) for 8GB + 256GB. The 12GB + 256GB soft-light version costs 4,799 yuan (around $715). Huawei has not announced international availability for the new tablet.