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Review Huawei MediaPad 10 Link Tablet

Linked. The Huawei MediaPad 10 Link not only enables connecting via Wi-Fi but also via mobile internet. Besides that, it belongs to the more affordable 10-inch tablets. Does this inevitably mean that compromises have to be made or can the MediaPad 10 Link also cater for demanding users?
In Review: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link

For the original German review, see here.

Huawei is one Chinese manufacturer which regularly delivers smartphone and tablet products that can compete with the build and equipment of large brand-name companies. Until now the manufacturer has released the MediaPad 10 FHD that, as the name suggests, comes with a Full HD screen. Its battery runtime, build and application performance also belongs to the tablet's qualities.

Now a somewhat lower priced 10-inch tablet with some similarities apart from a lower resolution is launched on the market. The MediaPad 10 Link's name already reveals a lot about its most important feature, which is the possibility of accessing the internet via a mobile network. The MediaPad 10 also features a resolution of 1280x800 pixels, 8 GB of internal storage and the same SoC found in the MediaPad 10 FHD.

The MediaPad 10 Link's price recommendation of 349 Euros (~$450) is priced quite confidently for the 10-inch sector. Most brand name manufacturers, such as Toshiba or Asus, demand around 299 Euros (~$386). Toshiba's AT300SE or Asus' Memo Pad Smart 10 are available for below 300 Euros (~$387). The prices of less renowned companies are often even lower. For example, the Captive Pad 10.1 only costs 199 Euros (~$257). Other contenders are Bullman's Tab 9 AQQR Retina with a very high-definition screen, Trekstor's Surftab Ventos 10.1 or the slightly larger Yarvik Xenta 13c. Does the WWAN module justify the higher price? We took a closer look at the tablet.

Case

The unibody casing is well-manufactured but pressure sensitive.
The unibody casing is well-manufactured but pressure sensitive.

A total of three colors can be discovered on the casing of Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link. There is the black display bezel on the front, the matte-silver metal rear and the white plastic area on the rear. The latter sports the camera lens and both stereo speakers. It has a lightly roughened texture for a better grip.

Huawei specifies a metal unibody casing. Thus, the casing is made of one piece of metal. The white plastic, which also frames the entire casing, is placed on it. The transition between the materials is very smooth and hardly palpable. However, the innards emit a disagreeable noise when attempts are made to twist the casing and rouses doubts about its build quality. Also, pressure from the back leads to reversible image distortions on the screen.

The most striking design feature is certainly the white plastic application on the rear. Otherwise the MediaPad 10 closely sticks to the standard-looks for tablets as defined by the iPad.

In terms of design, Huawei has not made any mistakes with the casing. However, it does not add any new highlights either. The MediaPad 10 simply looks like a tablet. The build makes a good first impression but weaknesses are found when looking closer. This points out the difference to the virtually perfectly built Apple iPad.

Connectivity

The manufacturer's quad-core processor and 16-core graphics card are to ensure the performance of Huawei's MediaPad 10. The tablet lags behind the competition with 8 GB internal storage. The capacity can be increased by 32 GB via an SD card. However, many apps cannot be moved to it and the storage capacity could get tight.

The MediaPad 10 features the standard tablet interfaces in way of a micro-USB port, a combo audio jack and a micro-SD card slot and which are complemented with the SIM slot.

Top: Micro-SD slot, SIM slot (behind flap)
Top: Micro-SD slot, SIM slot (behind flap)
Right: Micro-USB port, audio jack
Right: Micro-USB port, audio jack
Bottom: No interfaces
Bottom: No interfaces
Left: Standby button, volume rocker
Left: Standby button, volume rocker

Software

As to the operating system, Huawei hides its light under a bushel. The manufacturer's German website only specifies Android 4.0 but our review sample actually came to us with Android 4.1.2. The manufacturer's modifications are only superficial and can be read in the review of the MediaPad 10 FHD.

At least a few small goodies, like Kingsoft Office suite, the game Riptide GP and Huawei's DLNA software that enables accessing the home network resources, are installed. These additions are an appropriate and nifty bundle. However, Google's Play Store offers many free software alternatives or the installed programs are free of charge to begin with and the sole monetary value is not particularly high.

Communication & GPS

It is possible to communicate via the current Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, which is the standard for tablets. It would have also been possible to install the forward-looking 802.11 ac standard but that is tolerable in view of scarce router hardware. Bluetooth is also available but only in the now slightly outdated 3.0 version.

Loading pages is generally quite slow, as described in "Performance". The Wi-Fi reception is full strength through 3 walls at a distance of 10 meters. It first drops to half strength with another wall and 2 more meters, which again slightly slows down loading a page.

Of course the WWAN module's performance, so mobile internet, is of interest. Full-sized cards can be inserted into the SIM slot. The module at most receives with the current HSDPA 3G technology and sends with HSUPA for a faster uplink. Apart from the somewhat generally slower loading of pages, very good speeds were achieved with it. The reception in the German O2 network was also very good over the entire testing period and the full signal was usually displayed.

Only tablets from major manufacturers come with a GPS module in this price range, e.g. Toshiba's AT300SE and Asus' Memo Pad Smart 10. Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link does not feature this tracking system.

Cameras & Multimedia

The Android camera app can make use of two cameras in Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link. The rear-facing camera features 3.0 megapixels (2048x1536 pixels) and the front-facing camera has 0.3 megapixels (640x480 pixels), which is only suitable for video calls to an extent.

The rear-facing camera shoots overall acceptable pictures with somewhat pale colors. White surfaces tend to overexpose in daylight while details on zoomed objects are quickly lost. Compared with most similar devices, the MediaPad 10 Link features a higher-resolution rear camera and a slightly better picture quality. Only the 5 megapixel camera in Asus' Memo Pad Smart 10 can compete with that.

3.0 megapixel rear-facing camera
3.0 megapixel rear-facing camera
0.3 megapixel front-facing camera
0.3 megapixel front-facing camera
Reference: Canon EOS 450D, 12 megapixel
Reference: Canon EOS 450D, 12 megapixel

Accessories

Apart from the charger and a separate USB cord, no accessories are included for the MediaPad 10 Link. Unlike the slightly better equipped MediaPad 10 FHD, the MediaPad 10 Link does not feature a 30 pin docking port. Thus many accessories available in Huawei's official shop cannot be used. Special options like the keyboard cover, VGA cord, and HDMI adapter are not compatible with the Link model. Consequently only universal accessories such as chargers or headphones remain and which can be used from every other supplier as well.

Warranty

Huawei includes a 12 month warranty. Single retailers might offer warranty upgrades but they are not available in the official shop.

Input Devices and Controls

Huawei modified the keyboard.
Huawei modified the keyboard.

The capacitive touchscreen supports inputs with up to ten fingers at the same time. It responds up to the outermost screen edge reliably.

Huawei modified Google's keyboard and uses a white model that is characterized by very large keys. However, almost all special characters have been removed from instant access. When using the browser's address bar, the space key turns into a "com" button. That can get annoying when using the browser bar for entering search terms because space cannot be used. However, it is possible to swap among language layouts and access smileys quickly.

Switching to Google's default keyboard is easily possible via the settings. There are also plenty of other keyboard models available in Google's Play Store.

Display

The screen has a resolution of 1280x800 pixels and is on a par with most contenders in this price range. The screen is based on IPS technology and offers a quite high maximum brightness of 407 cd/m². However, the illumination of only 80% is rather uneven over the entire screen.

Subjectively, these brightness differences are not visible on the screen and the image impression is very good otherwise. The contents exhibit crisp colors and are sharp, although it cannot compete with the Retina screen in Bullman's Tab 9 AQQR Retina.

404
cd/m²
408
cd/m²
402
cd/m²
378
cd/m²
418
cd/m²
395
cd/m²
335
cd/m²
368
cd/m²
365
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 418 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 385.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 418 cd/m²
Contrast: 929:1 (Black: 0.45 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.29 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 9.94 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.63

The contrast of 929:1 and the black value of 0.45 cd/m² places Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link in the lower midfield of the comparison bracket. Black areas look dark-gray but the image impression is nevertheless quite good as described above.

We ascertained additional rates relating to picture quality using software from CalMAN and the colorimeter. The picture has a surprisingly low red channel value whereas particularly green hues are very overemphasized, which results in an overall rather cool image impression in the default settings. This distorted reproduction of colors is also especially visible in gray hues. Light grays and white strongly shift into green-blue compared with the ideal.

CalMan Color Management
CalMan Color Management
CalMan Color Accuracy
CalMan Color Accuracy
CalMan Grayscale
CalMan Grayscale
CalMan Color Saturation
CalMan Color Saturation
Outdoors
Outdoors

The glare surface of most tablets does not allow unrestricted outdoor use. Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link is no exception. Users who want to work in bright sunlight will struggle with intense reflections. This condition is quickly defused on cloudy days owing to the screen's high brightness. It is very well possible to work with the tablet in the shade or in bright rooms without many distracting reflections.

The IPS technology is to ensure stable viewing angles in all directions. In fact, no matter how Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link is tilted or turned, brightness deviations or contrast decreases do not become visible on the screen.

Viewing angles: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link.
Viewing angles: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link.

Performance

As said in the intro, Huawei installs the same SoC in its MediaPad 10 Link as in the Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD. The quad-core HiSilicon k3v2 Hi3620 processor is quite promising with a clock rate of 1.2 GHz and a graphics card that sports a remarkable count of 16 cores. However, the gaming performance of the MediaPad 10 FHD was not very remarkable. We will find out whether it has been beefed up in the MediaPad 10 Link.

In fact, the system performance shows a clear advantage for the MediaPad 10 Link over the MediaPad 10 FHD as well as the other compared devices. The system seems to be perfectly equipped for all tasks. However, Linpack requires that applications must be optimized for multi-core processor use because the performance would quickly nosedive otherwise. Subjectively, it is possible to navigate through the system quickly, applications open fast and the speed within apps is also decent.

Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
37.8 MFLOPS
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
39.58 MFLOPS +5%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
59.4 MFLOPS +57%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
60 MFLOPS +59%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
61.6 MFLOPS +63%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
44.85 MFLOPS +19%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
41.6 MFLOPS +10%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
131.7 MFLOPS
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
92.3 MFLOPS -30%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
130 MFLOPS -1%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
75.5 MFLOPS -43%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
93.9 MFLOPS -29%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
117.9 MFLOPS -10%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
118.4 MFLOPS -10%
AnTuTu v3 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
13838 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
14819 Points +7%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
11225 Points -19%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
11346 Points -18%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
12693 Points -8%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
12768 Points -8%
Smartbench 2012 - Productivity Index (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
4326 points
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
3318 points -23%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
3808 points -12%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
3039 points -30%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
3033 points -30%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
3913 points -10%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
3676 points -15%
PassMark PerformanceTest Mobile V1 - System (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
2016 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
2156 Points +7%
Geekbench 2 - 32 Bit - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
1437 Points
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
1209 Points -16%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
1182 Points -18%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
972 Points -32%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
972 Points -32%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
971 Points -32%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
1365 Points -5%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
1406 Points -2%

Legend

 
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link HiSilicon k3v2 Hi3620, Vivante GC4000, 8 GB SSD
 
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD HiSilicon k3v2 Hi3620, Vivante GC4000, 8 GB SSD
 
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina Rockchip RK3188, ARM Mali-400 MP4, 16 GB iNAND Flash
 
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1 Rockchip RK3066 1.5 GHz, ARM Mali-400 MP4, 16 GB SSD
 
Yarvik Xenta 13c Rockchip RK3066 1.5 GHz, ARM Mali-400 MP4, 16 GB iNAND Flash
 
Toshiba AT300SE-101 NVIDIA Tegra 3, NVIDIA GeForce ULP (Tegra 3), 16 GB iNAND Flash
 
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T NVIDIA Tegra 3, NVIDIA GeForce ULP (Tegra 3), 16 GB iNAND Flash

The 3D applications show a mixed picture. Depending on the benchmark, our review sample is either at the very front or very back. In any case a clear improvement over the MediaPad 10 FHD is evident and it can be concluded that the graphics card is much more suitable for a resolution of 1280x800 pixels than for Full HD.

It also becomes evident that the GPU's 16 cores are more a publicity stunt than serious performance components. Most other systems achieve a similar or even better 3D performance with considerably fewer cores.

AnTuTu 3DRating - --- (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
4411 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
2647 Points -40%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
3353 Points -24%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
3353 Points -24%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
3705 Points -16%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
3174 Points -28%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
3447 Points -22%
NenaMark2 - --- (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
57.8 fps
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
53.4 fps -8%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
44.6 fps -23%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
56.1 fps -3%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
56.1 fps -3%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
57.8 fps 0%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
49.5 fps -14%
Epic Citadel
High Quality (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
29.9 fps
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
28.4 fps -5%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
40.7 fps +36%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
40.7 fps +36%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
43 fps +44%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
45.7 fps +53%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
47 fps +57%
High Performance (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
31.6 fps
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
41.5 fps +31%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
41.5 fps +31%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
43 fps +36%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
50.3 fps +59%
Basemark ES 2.0 - Taiji Free (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
26.73 fps
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
15.32 fps -43%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
18.6 fps -30%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
32.24 fps +21%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
33.47 fps +25%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
11.82 fps -56%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
11.87 fps -56%
Basemark X 1.0
Off-Screen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
2.492 fps
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
3.689 fps +48%
On-Screen (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
5.086 fps
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
2.952 fps -42%
3DMark
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
3009 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
3390 Points +13%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
2952 Points -2%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
2952 Points -2%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
3017 Points 0%
1280x720 Ice Storm Standard Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
2810 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
2923 Points +4%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
2634 Points -6%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
2697 Points -4%

Browsing the internet is definitely a focal point for tablets and thus a certain degree of performance is mandatory. Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link is not compelling here. The contenders consistently achieve much better rates. This is also noticed in practical use. Pages need a long time to open via a DSL 18000 line despite full Wi-Fi reception.

Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
777 Points
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
1183 Points +52%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
2080 Points +168%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
1679 Points +116%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
1789 Points +130%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
1526 Points +96%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
1773 Points +128%
Mozilla Kraken 1.0 - Total (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
46368 ms *
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
24960 ms * +46%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
19598 ms * +58%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
23357 ms * +50%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
20643 ms * +55%
Octane V1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
623 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
1883 Points +202%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
1654 Points +165%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
1662 Points +167%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
1471 Points +136%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
1745 Points +180%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
2883 ms *
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
1388 ms * +52%
Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
281 Points
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
668 Points +138%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
594 Points +111%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
421 Points +50%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
505 Points +80%

* ... smaller is better

The storage particularly appears to have problems with write access since all other tablets used for comparison clearly outperform Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link here. Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link places itself in the midfield in write speeds.

AndroBench 3-5
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
8.23 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
7.56 MB/s -8%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
10.92 MB/s +33%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
12.76 MB/s +55%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
12.76 MB/s +55%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
12.28 MB/s +49%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
7.83 MB/s -5%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
7.61 MB/s -8%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
0.31 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
0.57 MB/s +84%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
0.4 MB/s +29%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
0.37 MB/s +19%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
0.37 MB/s +19%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
0.34 MB/s +10%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
0.4 MB/s +29%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
0.53 MB/s +71%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
31.29 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
41.84 MB/s +34%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
9.22 MB/s -71%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
14.12 MB/s -55%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
14.12 MB/s -55%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
13.79 MB/s -56%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
32.34 MB/s +3%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
29.25 MB/s -7%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Huawei MediaPad 10 Link
6.35 MB/s
Huawei MediaPad 10 FHD
7.32 MB/s +15%
Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina
14.45 MB/s +128%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
27.1 MB/s +327%
Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1
27.1 MB/s +327%
Yarvik Xenta 13c
28.11 MB/s +343%
Toshiba AT300SE-101
4.95 MB/s -22%
Asus Memo Pad Smart 10 ME301T
8.49 MB/s +34%

Games

Playing games on the MediaPad 10 FHD was not really fun because demanding 3D games stuttered. Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link, which features the same SoC, also relies on the 16 core Vivante GC4000 graphics card. However, it is not really convincing here either. Undemanding titles, such as Angry Birds: Star Wars run without difficulties and even action games with many opponents on the screen, like Zombiewood, are no problem.

However, the graphics unit quickly works up a sweat as soon as demanding 3D graphics is an issue, as for example in Real Racing 3 and the games start to stutter. Users who want to use their tablet for games should therefore preferably purchase another device. For example, all tested games ran smoothly on the Captiva Pad 10.1.

The overall performance of Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link is throughout disappointing, especially since quite a bit is promised on paper with the quad-core processor and 16 core graphics card. The system is fast in general productivity but internet browsing is quite slow and the power is not enough for rendering 3D games smoothly either.

Can only be played with stutters: Real Racing 3
Can only be played with stutters: Real Racing 3
Is included and runs smoothly: Riptide GP
Is included and runs smoothly: Riptide GP
Still smooth even with many opponents: Zombiewood
Still smooth even with many opponents: Zombiewood
Also stutters - Shadow Gun: Dead Zone
Also stutters - Shadow Gun: Dead Zone

Emissions

Temperature

Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link is throughout within the norm in temperature development. The tablet reached a maximum of 38 °C on the front. Although that is perceptible it does not restrict use. The device is agreeably cool in idle and only warms up noticeably at the lower left front to 34.5 °C.

Max. Load
 31.5 °C
89 F
37.6 °C
100 F
30.2 °C
86 F
 
 31 °C
88 F
31.4 °C
89 F
30.2 °C
86 F
 
 38 °C
100 F
33.3 °C
92 F
33.8 °C
93 F
 
Maximum: 38 °C = 100 F
Average: 33 °C = 91 F
29.1 °C
84 F
36.5 °C
98 F
29.9 °C
86 F
31.7 °C
89 F
32.7 °C
91 F
32.9 °C
91 F
31.2 °C
88 F
32.6 °C
91 F
32.8 °C
91 F
Maximum: 36.5 °C = 98 F
Average: 32.2 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  46 °C = 115 F | Room Temperature 23 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-350
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 33 °C / 91 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 38 °C / 100 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 36.5 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.2 °C / 92 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.2 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 30 °C / 86 F.

Speakers

Huawei has not relocated the speakers positioning compared with the MediaPad 10 FHD and thus the speakers struggle with the same issues. The sound muffles when the rear-facing stereo speakers are covered by a hand or the tablet is placed on a table.

Generally, the maximum volume is impressive but it hums extremely and is not very differentiated in high volumes. The user rather hears a mush of sound than precisely defined instruments and vocals. The speakers suffice for a quick internet video but it is recommendable to connect headphones or speakers to the audio port for longer movies or music.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

An interesting fact is seen in a comparison between the power consumption of the MediaPad 10 Link and MediaPad 10 FHD. The Link consumes much less power in almost every situation but is quite a power guzzler in standby with 0.9 watts.

In contrast to that, it consumes over 3 watts less power than the FHD model although it features the same performance relevant components. With only 7.1 watts in this setting Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link proves to be very energy-efficient in the category comparison. Although some devices are more economic in idle use, it is again enough for a place in the midfield.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.9 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.7 / 4.7 / 5.8 Watt
Load midlight 6.7 / 7.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 940

Battery Runtime

The comparison rates ascertained in power consumption are pretty much reflected again in the battery consumption. The MediaPad 10 Link sports a 24 watt hour battery, which is exactly the same as in the MediaPad 10 FHD. The Link model has a clear lead in the practical Wi-Fi test and in full load due to its lower power consumption.

The load runtime is also top compared with all other category members. However, Toshiba's AT300SE or Bullman's Tab 9 AQQR Retina last a few minutes longer in internet browsing via Wi-Fi or in idle mode. Nevertheless, Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link supplies overall very decent runtimes, particularly when the tablet is frequently put under load.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 05min
WiFi Surfing
9h 02min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 49min

Verdict

A tablet featuring a unibody aluminum casing, quad-core CPU and long battery runtimes for 350 Euros (~$451) sounds like a reasonable price at first. But a few restrictions ruin the at first glance favorable price-performance ratio. Although the casing features a solid build, it creaks disagreeably when handled a bit less carefully. The 16 core graphics card looks especially good on paper but stuttering is noticed adversely in current top games. The high standby power consumption forces the user to connect the tablet to the charger more frequently than necessary and the missing GPS module prevents using some applications outside of the living room. Ultimately, the slow loading of pages while browsing is a disadvantage that will very often be noticed in everyday use.

One of the key points that speak for Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link is the installed WWAN module, which ensures swift speeds while browsing due to HSDPA and HSUPA and which supplied good reception rates in our test. The bright and viewing angle stable screen was as much a pleasure as the decent application performance and the overall low power consumption, particularly during full load.

Huawei has room for improvement in a few areas, although the mobile internet is a unique selling point in this price range that will recompense many buyers for some of the restrictions. Huawei should however avoid issues like the slow and tight storage capacity, lame page loading in all browsers used in the test and the awful noises when pressure was applied to the casing in future devices. Then the subjective impression will be able to keep up with the mostly good objective measured rates.

In Review: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link. Courtesy of Huawei.
In Review: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link. Courtesy of Huawei.
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In Review: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link. Courtesy of Huawei Germany.
In Review: Huawei MediaPad 10 Link. Courtesy of Huawei Germany.

Specifications

Huawei MediaPad 10 Link (MediaPad Series)
Processor
HiSilicon k3v2 Hi3620 4 x 1.2 GHz, Quad-Core CPU
Graphics adapter
Vivante GC4000, 16 core GPU
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
10.10 inch 16:10, 1280 x 800 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
8 GB SSD, 8 GB 
, 5.81 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: combo audio jack, Card Reader: micro-SD card reader up to 32 GB, Sensors: brightness sensor, position sensor
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0, HSDPA: 42 MBit/s, HSUPA: 5,76 MBit/s
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.9 x 257.4 x 175.9 ( = 0.39 x 10.13 x 6.93 in)
Battery
24 Wh Lithium-Ion, 6600 mAh, 3.7 volt
Operating System
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Camera
Webcam: 3 MP rear, 0.3 MP front
Additional features
Speakers: rear-facing speaker, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Kingsoft Office, Riptide GP, Huawei DLNA, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
640 g ( = 22.58 oz / 1.41 pounds), Power Supply: 89 g ( = 3.14 oz / 0.2 pounds)
Price
349 Euro

 

Huawei expands its 10-inch tablet range.
Huawei expands its 10-inch tablet range.
Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link largely corresponds to the previously reviewed MediaPad 10 FHD.
Huawei's MediaPad 10 Link largely corresponds to the previously reviewed MediaPad 10 FHD.
Both devices feature a metal unibody casing and the on paper good-sounding 16 core graphics card.
Both devices feature a metal unibody casing and the on paper good-sounding 16 core graphics card.
Both devices also feature the Android operating system and Dolby's audio enhancement. They did not make a difference in our tests.
Both devices also feature the Android operating system and Dolby's audio enhancement. They did not make a difference in our tests.
The MediaPad Link's unique selling points: Its SIM card slot  and WWAN module, which enables mobile internet use.
The MediaPad Link's unique selling points: Its SIM card slot and WWAN module, which enables mobile internet use.
Huawei also demands 50 Euros (~$64) more for this than other manufacturers in this sector.
Huawei also demands 50 Euros (~$64) more for this than other manufacturers in this sector.
Although the touchscreen does not support Full HD, it offers high brightness and reliable use.
Although the touchscreen does not support Full HD, it offers high brightness and reliable use.
The metal unibody casing features a solid build.
The metal unibody casing features a solid build.
It does not cope with pressure very well. That results in image distortions and creaking noises.
It does not cope with pressure very well. That results in image distortions and creaking noises.
The design is appealing but not exceptional.
The design is appealing but not exceptional.
The front-facing camera has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels and is thus only suitable for video calls to an extent.
The front-facing camera has a resolution of 0.3 megapixels and is thus only suitable for video calls to an extent.
A stronger camera is found on the rear:
A stronger camera is found on the rear:
It at least offers 3 megapixels and shoots decent pictures.
It at least offers 3 megapixels and shoots decent pictures.
No GPS for the MediaPad 10 Link. Other devices in this price range can boast with that...
No GPS for the MediaPad 10 Link. Other devices in this price range can boast with that...
but not with a WWAN module for mobile internet.
but not with a WWAN module for mobile internet.
Huawei has also modified the software, for example its own keyboard.
Huawei has also modified the software, for example its own keyboard.
Apart from an office suite and a game, not many software extras are included.
Apart from an office suite and a game, not many software extras are included.
Both stereo speakers are on the rear.
Both stereo speakers are on the rear.
They can get loud but the audio jack should be preferably used with headphones or speakers.
They can get loud but the audio jack should be preferably used with headphones or speakers.
The micro-USB port and 3.5 mm audio jack are on the left.
The micro-USB port and 3.5 mm audio jack are on the left.
The buttons are on the right.
The buttons are on the right.
The nicely designed power supply with a separate USB cord are the only accessories.
The nicely designed power supply with a separate USB cord are the only accessories.
There are not many options available for purchase. A lot of interesting accessories were available for the MediaPad 10 FHD but they cannot be used here.
There are not many options available for purchase. A lot of interesting accessories were available for the MediaPad 10 FHD but they cannot be used here.
Huawei offers overall competitive hardware that has to be improved in details though.
Huawei offers overall competitive hardware that has to be improved in details though.
For example, loading pages in the browser is very slow and the gaming power is weak.
For example, loading pages in the browser is very slow and the gaming power is weak.
This regrettably makes the subjective impression look worse than the objective measurements.
This regrettably makes the subjective impression look worse than the objective measurements.
Hopefully Huawei will do a better job with future devices.
Hopefully Huawei will do a better job with future devices.

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Pros

+ Bright screen...
+ ...with strong viewing angles
+ Well-manufactured unibody casing
+ Reliable touchscreen
+ Strong application performance
+ Long load battery runtime
+ Strong reception WWAN module

Cons

- Pressure-sensitive casing
- Tight and slow storage
- Poor gaming suitability
- Websites need a long time for loading
- No GPS
- High stand-by power consumption
- No accessories like found in MediaPad 10 FHD

Shortcut

What we like

The good screen, the WWAN module and the decent application performance.

What we'd like to see

That the subjective impression doesn't lag behind the objective assessments.

What surprises us

That someone finally manages to offer mobile internet in this price range.

The competition

The MediaPad Link 10 FHD for a bit more money, but with many optional accessories and a Full HD screen, however no WWAN. Also: Toshiba AT300SE, Asus Memo Pad Smart 10, Captiva Pad 10.1, Bullman Tab 9 AQQR Retina, Trekstor Surftab Ventos 10.1, Yarvik Xenta 13c.

Rating

Huawei MediaPad 10 Link - 08/05/2013 v3 (old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
80%
Keyboard
65%
Pointing Device
84%
Connectivity
42%
Weight
98%
Battery
97%
Display
84%
Games Performance
25%
Application Performance
53%
Temperature
86%
Noise
100%
Add Points
70%
Average
74%
84%
Tablet - Weighted Average
Florian Wimmer, 2013-06-28 (Update: 2018-05-15)