Huawei MediaPad M6 10.8 with Google Play Store for $356.16

Even though the Android tablet market has become a niche market, Huawei never tires of offering the best Android tablets apart from Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S series with the MediaPad M series. You can find out in our test whether the MediaPad M6 10.8 has succeeded in doing this again.

• Huawei MediaPad M6 10.8 WiFi
  • with 4/64 GB at CECT Shop for $356.16 | TradingShenzhen for $376.83 | Banggood for $421.69
  • with 4/128 GB at CECT Shop for $420.15 | TradingShenzhen for $439.09
• Huawei MediaPad M6 10.8 LTE
  • with 4/128 GB at CECT Shop for $548.15 
• Huawei MediaPad M6 8.4 WiFi
  • with 4/64 GB at CECT Shop for $324.15
  • with 4/128 GB at CECT Shop for $388.15
• Huawei MediaPad M6 8.4 LTE
  • with 4/64 GB at CECT Shop for $388.15 | Banggood for $441.69
  • with 4/128 GB at CECT Shop for $430.82 | Banggood for $486.69

Technical Data Huawei MediaPad M6 10.8 & M6 8.4

Top-level design & workmanship

As you’d expect from the strongest tablet of a huge company like Huawei, the MediaPad M6 delivers a complete modern design and workmanship. The unibody case, which can be silver or gold, is made of aluminium and is only interrupted at the top by unobtrusive antenna strips. The very clean back shows only the Huawei lettering in the middle and the note “Sound by harman/kardon”. The sound experts deliver four speakers for the tablet. These are located on the top and bottom of the tablet on the left and right sides respectively.

Below there are also three contact points for the keyboard (not included) and other accessories. At the top there are four microphones in the middle between the two loudspeakers to ensure perfect communication with voice assistants and the other person during video calls. On the right you have the volume rocker, the power button, the USB-C port and the headphone port at the bottom. Due to the clever placement at the bottom, the cable of the headphones lies so easily on the table and doesn’t float in the air at the top.

At the front you are greeted by a 10.8 inch display with small but not too narrow edges for a tablet. After all, you still have to hold the tablet somewhere if you don’t have a case with an integrated stand. To the right of the display is a very narrow fingerprint sensor, which works very quickly and reliably. Alternatively, you can also use Face Unlock via the 8 megapixel front camera.

The workmanship is beyond any doubt and I personally like the design very much. Only the camera on the back, which protrudes very far out of the case, is annoying because the tablet wobbles when typing when it lies flat on a table without a cover. Then it’s better to have a thicker tablet with a bigger battery or a camera that needs less space.

Beautiful WQXGA LC display

Like the MediaPad M5, the 10.8-inch display has a resolution of 2560 × 1600 pixels, which is called WQXGA (Wide Quad Extended Graphics Array) by experts. Here you have a resolution that is even higher than Quad HD (1440P). The aspect ratio is 16:10 and is therefore somewhat more square than classic 16:9 screens and closer to a DIN A4 sheet on edge. The screen also has real corners that aren’t rounded, as is currently the case with almost all smartphones.

Thanks to the IPS technology, the LC display offers very good viewing angle stability and accurate colors, at least in the “Normal” color mode. The standard “Vivid” mode tries to simulate an OLED display with strong colours and contrasts. Fortunately, you can set this according to your personal preferences and even choose the color temperature completely by yourself. In addition, the display also adjusts the color temperature according to the ambient light so that the eyes are spared. For evening / night there is also an extra night mode.

The touch screen recognizes up to ten fingers simultaneously and responds quickly and reliably to all inputs. You can also buy a stylus (Huawei M-Pen Stylus) separately to draw and write on the tablet. The brightness is completely sufficient even in direct sunlight. Usually it is approx. 75% brightness, if you let it regulate automatically.

Kirin 980 processor ensures performance

The processor is probably the biggest upgrade compared to its predecessor. The M5 still has the Kirin 960 from 2016, which was also used in the Huawei P10 and was manufactured in the 16 nm process. The MediaPad M6 now has the Kirin 980 processor, which is also included in the P30 Pro and is based on the new 7 nanometer process. The Octa-Core is much more powerful and energy efficient. One notices this both in the benchmarks and in everyday life. Apps open very quickly, inputs are processed immediately and even demanding games don’t lag.

Unfortunately Huawei uses the latest CPU, but keeps the memory at the old 4 GB instead of the current standard of 6 GB. On average, ~1.87 GB (47%) are used by the system (Android+EMUI) alone, leaving only 2.13 GB (53%) for the apps. So not as many apps remain open in memory and need to be reloaded when you switch back to them. Especially for productivity scenarios this is a disadvantage, but in normal use the 4GB are sufficient. After all, the mass storage has at least 64 GB or 128 GB, which can be extended by up to 512 GB via microSD.

Android 9 in multiple languages but without Play Store

Huawei does everything right with the software, because the M6 comes with the latest Android 9 Pie and the security patch from July 2019. Huawei is laying its EMUI 9.1 interface on top of this, as usual. It still reminds a bit of iOS, is quite colorful and unfortunately always comes with Bloatware, which you can uninstall for the most part. Especially with our China version there is even more Bloatware available in the form of Chinese Apps. This brings us to the current biggest problem: the China version.

Currently, the MediaPad M6 is not yet available as a European or Global version. The tablet is therefore completely adjustable to several languages, but the Google Play Store and the Google Play Services are missing, both of which cannot be installed (we have tried several ways). Therefore you have to use Apps on the pre-installed Huawei AppGallery or other App Stores like F-Droid, Amazons App Store, Aurora, Aptoide or UpToDown. Furthermore you have to find alternative apps for Google Maps (e.g. HERE WeGo), YouTube (e.g. YouTube Vanced) and GMail. Furthermore, Netflix didn’t want to start with us, which is probably due to the complete lack of a Widevine level (a kind of copy protection). Also some games didn’t run with the hint that they need the Google Play Services. So if you don’t want to do without Google services, you should wait for the international version or go for the predecessor M5.

Nevertheless, the desktop mode should be noted as positive. The tablet recognizes when you connect a mouse and keyboard via Bluetooth or OTG adapter and switches to “I am a Windows laptop” mode. In this mode you have a start menu and resizable windows – just like in Windows or MacOS. So you can use the MediaPad even better for productive work.

Camera

As with all tablets, you shouldn’t expect too much from their cameras, because they simply aren’t the focus of a tablet. In addition, you should use the rear camera of a tablet as little as possible and please do not see it as a replacement for the smartphone camera. Nevertheless, sometimes you just need the camera, for example to show the other person the surroundings during a video call or to take a photo and mark something on it afterwards.

Huawei has installed a 13 MP camera with a f/1.8 aperture on the back, which takes average photos. All in all there is a lack of sharpness and dynamics, but in good light the photos are usable overall.

The front camera unfortunately works with a fixed focus, so you have to stay within a certain distance to get a reasonably sharp picture. But even then the photos of the 8 megapixel camera are not too sharp, but in good light it’s enough for reasonable pictures.

12 hours battery life

As in its predecessor, a 7,500 mAh battery is used, which, according to Huawei, guarantees 11 hours of continuous video playback. In the test with the PCMark Work 2.0 Battery Test, our tablet even lasted 12 hours and 16 minutes. I get a good three to a maximum of four days, but with more intensive use the tablet has to be plugged in again after only two days. There it spends about 2 hours and 15 minutes with the included 18 Watt Quick Charge charger to get from 0% to 100%.

Connectivity & Audio

This is where the MediaPad M6 really scores, because it covers pretty much everything you could wish for. This includes good and fast positioning via GPS/GLONASS/BDS, Bluetooth 5.0, WLAN ac and, of course, LTE reception with the LTE version.

As already mentioned, the physical ports have a USB-C port with OTG functionality and a well-placed headphone port. When enjoying music or video, you always have the choice between the very good four speakers or wired headphones. The good audio package is rounded off by the four microphones on the top, which can pick up even distant voices crystal clear – so Skypen is fun!

Conclusion: Top tablet in the waiting queue

With the MediaPad M6 10.8, Huawei has once again delivered a tablet with a top price-performance ratio. The top workmanship, the good screen, the significantly improved performance as well as the strong connectivity are positive. The battery life is also solid and extras like the good speakers and the smart desktop mode make the M6 a real all-rounder.

Currently it is unfortunately still held back by the absence of the Google Play Store and the Play services. Because in our tested China version it is not comfortable and usable without compromises. Therefore the MediaPad M6 has to wait for the release as Global or International Version until I can recommend it without any restrictions.

Would you get the tablet even now despite the lack of Google services? Or maybe just because of that?