The MatePad 12 X is the latest in Huawei’s line of ambitious tablets, and it just got revealed, alongside the
. Between the Mate 12 X and Huawei’s other two offerings for 2025, however, it might become difficult to figure out which device is built for whom.
Huawei MatePad 12 X announced with a rich, but confusing set of features
Huawei’s tablets typically aim high and perform admirably, and at least on paper, the MatePad 12 X seems to follow suite. The company would like to pose the 12 X as a device with a cutting-edge display, and a feature set built for professionals and productivity-freaks.
Before we get into it, let’s go over the specs:
- 12″ body about 6mm thick, weighing in at roughly 555 grams
- Features a 2800×1840, 280 PPI display with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits
- 12GB of RAM
- 256GB of storage – no variants mentioned
- A 10,100 mAh battery with support for several fast-charging standards
- 50MP camera on the back and a 8MP selfie cam
- Interestingly enough: a set of six speakers, unlike any of its relatives
- Runs HarmonyOS 4.3 out of the box
Before you get tempted and ask for the price tag, let’s go over the features. The MatePad 12 X’s main draw is the PaperMatte display and the latest M-Pencil Pro stylus. You may be quick to confuse the display with that of the MatePad Pro 12.2 for example, but that device came with a Tandem OLED panel. The 12 X in contrast features the same technology, packed with a TFT LCD. On the topic of PaperMatte, our very own Rad put it nicely:
Once again, the usual disclaimer is due that while the PaperMatte screen reduces reflections and makes hand-writing feel more natural, it also adds a very slight grain to the screen and makes it appear less lively. This is the usual tradeoff with matte screens.
We can expect the same status quo on the MatePad Pro 12 X, but it is worth bringing up that this type of treatment makes eye strain less likely. Personally, I love the way it feels, but I can absolutely see how HDR-lovers would be quick to shun away from it. In terms of specific improvements: this generation is stated to be 50% better at reducing screen glare too.
The M-Pencil Pro stylus brings more productivity-friendly menus and a slew of tools, which would be most beneficial to designers and illustrators. Note-takes will also appreciate the opportunity to utilize a new shortcut key, which opens up the Notes app directly.
Naturally, the new features likely work only within Huawei’s built-in set of apps, so it is unclear if things such as pressure sensitivity levels could even work outside, let’s say, the GoPaint app. Beyond that, as expected with a solid modern-day stylus, the M-Pencil Pro supports handwriting recognition and additional gesture controls.
A great kit, confined to first-party software
A quick overview of the specs of Huawei’s latest tablet offerings. | Image by Huawei
As we are all well aware by this point: Huawei’s platform is not based on Android. On the one hand, if Huawei has done its due diligence, this should mean better integration of the aforementioned tools. On the other: if you are used to some apps, solely available on Google Play, you’ll certainly won’t be able to use them on the 12 X.
Beyond that, Huawei’s own rich catalogue of tablets makes it difficult to commit to a choice. Do you get the pricier tablet with the better screen, the smaller (and cheaper) option which is quite comparable to the 12 X, or the latter itself which is the only one among the three that has six speakers and a 50MP camera?
The MatePad 12 X is a hard choice, but easy sell
The 12 X in full-on laptop mode. | Image by Huawei
I’ll be honest: for a niche group of users, this will be the dream-tablet. It is both feature-rich and cheaper than the available Pro models, while having some unique features that help it stand out.
At a glance, the tablet does really seem like a mixed bag: a downgraded display and smaller size, but with upgraded audio and camera setups? For a tablet, it doesn’t seem like a solid trade-off. But then again: this allows Huawei to lower the price, while keeping the core feature-set alive: the great display technology, app suite, and the new M-Pencil Pro.
The release is quite timely, too, as it is September. The bundle is likely to vary between regions, but in some areas, the MatePad 12 X comes not only with the stylus, but with a keyboard too. This means that you practically have a laptop. Not a super-powerful laptop with a popular OS, but still: a great package for a price that even most chromebooks struggle to offer.
I don’t want to say anything too final before we check the device out for ourselves, but as of now: the 12 X seems like a great fit for a niche audience. And, honestly, I might even be among them.
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