Huawei's MatePad Pro may prove a headache for the iPad Pro 2018 in China

Huawei has launched the MatePad Pro in its native country. This tablet, in accordance with its many rumors and leaks, is a premium device with a 10.8-inch display with a 280ppi pixel density, a 16:10 aspect-ratio and bezels the OEM measures at 4.9 millimeters (mm). This screen does indeed exhibit a punch-hole selfie camera, which is 8MP in resolution. It also has a rear-facing camera module, which, despite its misleading appearance, turns out to house only 1 13MP sensor.

The MatePad Pro is also equipped with quad speakers, and is compatible with new M-Pen and keyboard cover accessories. It is the first tablet to be powered by the Kirin 990 SoC, and comes in variants with 6 to 8GB of RAM, which have either 128, 256 or 512GB in fixed storage. However, the last of these options is not yet available for pre-order.

This new slate has a 7250mAh battery, which can also sustain 15-watt (W) wireless charging, as well as 7.5W reverse wireless charging. It is said to support the OEM's 40W SuperCharge standard; however, Huawei has pulled an Apple and stuck each MatePad Pro with a 20W adapter in the box. Speaking of the Cupertino company, this device may yet prove a solid competitor for the iPad Pro 2018, particularly its 11-inch variant. However, it will only be doing so in China for the present.

The tablet runs EMUI based on Android 10, but lacks access to Google Mobile Services. Therefore, it may not be an attractive prospect in an international market already graced with options such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6, which may be perceived as more fully functional due to its access to the Play Store.

This is somewhat of a shame, as the Huawei MatePad Pro starts at 3299 yuan (~US$470) for a Wi-Fi only 6/128GB SKU. This increases to 3799 yuan ($540) for its LTE counterpart. At present, these pre-order prices top out at 4499 yuan (~$639) for the LTE-enabled 8/256GB variant.