Source: consumer.huawei.com
Despite some initial successes in the early 2010s, small tablets have dwindled into something of a niche product category. The iPad mini is almost certainly the most popular small tablet for sale today, but it’s not without its flaws. Like I’ve talked about in my previous review, the lack of meaningful competition in the small tablet space means Apple can, and arguably does, rest on its laurels with the Mini.
But what if they didn’t?
When I saw the Huawei MatePad Mini over the weekend, I’ll admit, I was a little jealous. The hardware looks like everything we’ve wanted the iPad Mini to be in 2025::
- Thin bezels enabling a larger display
- OLED display
- 120 Hz refresh rate
- Full cellular support with telephony
That last point is particularly interesting. The MatePad mini lets you pop in a SIM card, make calls, and send SMS just like a phone. This may have seemed ridiculous at one point, but in the age of folding phones, a phone this large isn’t really strange.
Based on YouTube comments and other conversations I’ve had, there are more than a few of us interested in using an iPad mini-sized device as a phone, and I love that Huawei is leaning into this in its marketing.
Huawei MatePad Mini vs iPad mini (A17 Pro)
| Feature | Huawei MatePad Mini | Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 8.8″ OLED, 120 Hz | 8.3″ LCD, 60 Hz |
| Resolution | 2560 × 1600 (approx) | 2266 × 1488 |
| Brightness | ~1800 nits (peak) | 500 nits |
| Chipset | Kirin 9010 (rumored) | A17 Pro |
| RAM/Storage | 12 – 16 GB / up to 1 TB | 8 GB / up to 512 GB |
| Cellular | 5G with telephony (calls, SMS) | 5G data only (no calls/SMS) |
| Weight | 255 g | 297 g (with cellular) |
| OS | HarmonyOS (no Google services) | iPadOS |
| Availability | China only | Global |
(Specs based on official Huawei site and current iPad mini lineup. Some MatePad details may vary by model.)
The next iPad mini is rumored to gain a couple of the MatePad’s features, namely an OLED display and a slightly larger screen, but only at 60 Hz. These are great improvements on their own. but it’s hard to look at the MatePad Mini and not feel a little annoyed that Apple often treats the iPad mini like an afterthought.
Link: Huawei
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