Verdict on the Huawei MatePad SE 11: The affordable tablet is too conventional without the pen

During our test, the Huawei MatePad SE 11 proved to be a good—but not extraordinary—entry-level tablet which benefits in particular as a result of its M-Pen Lite support. This is because an active stylus with a pressure sensitivity of 4,096 levels is hard for school and college students to find elsewhere for such a low price—however, one alternative with pen support could be the Lenovo Tab M11.

Aside from the aforementioned M-Pen Lite, the Huawei MatePad SE 11 also boasts an efficient screen-to-body ratio. For a tablet costing less than 300 dollars, the bezels around its display have been kept super slim. A stable and high-quality metal case round out the Huawei tablet's modern design.

On the other hand, anyone who cannot really benefit from the M-Pen Lite and doesn't want to take notes with their tablet should consider to what extent you can accept its compromises with HarmonyOS. After all, the Huawei MatePad SE 11 lacks a truly unique selling point compared to its entry-level competitors, as its in-house operating system is known to lack Google services and apps from the PlayStore. With the App Gallery and the cross-system search "Petal Search", which uses applications from third-party sources, users can still enjoy lots of apps. However, apps from alternative stores are less convenient and also potentially less secure (malware) than those downloaded from the PlayStore.

Do you value an affordable price and stylus operation in a tablet? Then you can get a detailed impression of the Huawei MatePad SE 11 with its Kirin 710A by reading our detailed review. An alternative without a stylus but with a better update policy could be the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+.