CES 2019: The Huawei Mediapad M5 Lite
by Ian Cutress on January 7, 2019 9:05 AM EST
Back at MWC 2018 we saw the launch of the MediaPad M5 and M5 Pro: high-end tablets attempting to revitalise the premium Android tablet market. Today Huawei is announcing a cost-down version of those devices for the US market, in the MediaPad M5 Lite.
The M5 Lite sits between the two versions of the M5 at a 10.1-inch display, although with a smaller 1920x1200 resolution. The chipset is also lower down the stack, as rather than the Kirin 960 these parts have the Kirin 659: an octa-core A53 variant. This is valid in a cost-down model for sure, as the MediaPad M5 Lite, with a bundled 2048-level pressure sensitive M-Pen, will be $299.
| Huawei MediaPad M5 Family | |||
| 8.4-inch | 10.8-inch | 10.1-inch Lite |
|
| SoC | HiSilicon Kirin 960 4 x A73 @ 2.36 GHz 4 x A53 @ 1.84 GHz |
HiSilicon Kirin 659 4 x A53 @ 2.36 GHz 4 x A53 @ 1.70 GHz |
|
| Graphics | Mali-G71MP8 1037 MHz |
Mali-T830 MP2 900 MHz |
|
| Display | 8.4-inch 2560x1600 |
10.8-inch 2560x1600 |
10.1-inch 1920x1200 |
| Storage | 32 GB / 64 GB / 128 GB + microSD |
32GB + microSD |
|
| Memory | 4GB LPDDR4-1866 | 3 GB | |
| Battery | 5100 mAh Up to 11 hours |
7500 mAh Up to 10 hours |
7500 mAh Up to 10-12 hours |
| Wireless | LTE on select mdoels 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.2 |
No LTE 802.11ac Wi-Fi BT 4.2 |
|
| Connectivity | Type-C Charging USB Type-C to 3.5mm Audio |
18W Type-C Charging 3.5mm TRRS |
|
| Camera | 13MP Autofocus + 8MP Fixed Focus |
8MP Autofocus + 8MP Fixed Focus |
|
| Android | Android 8.0 + EMUI 8.0 | Android 8.0 + EMUI 8.0 | |
| Price | $299 | ||
On the M5 Lite there is a quad speaker system developed in partnership with harmon/kardon, and the 3.5mm headphone jack supports Dolby Atmos. The M5 Lite will be offered as a Wi-Fi model only, but the large size allows for a 7500 mAh battery which should give 10-12 hours of video playback time and 40 days of standby. The port on board is a Type-C, and the unit comes with an 18W (9V/2A) charger. Memory and storage is fixed at 3GB and 32GB respectively, however there is a microSD card slot good for up to 256GB. Cameras are listed as 8MP for both front and rear.
User experience features on the device include an enhanced eye-comfort mode, user profiles based on finger print entry, the aforementioned M-Pen, and a ‘Kid’s Corner’ technology that allows parents to limit what applications their children can use and also fix time limits on various apps.
Dimensions for the device come in at 6.39 x 9.58 x 0.30-inches and 16.76 oz (475g). It is expected to hit the market early in Q1.
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Impulses - Monday, January 14, 2019 - link
Same-ish boat here... I did use my Nexus 7 (still kicking!) a bit more when my phones were 5" (pre Nexus 5 and throughout the 5 years I had it)... Stopped using it as much for anything but travel after I got my Pixel, I almost regret not getting a Nexus 9 when they were cheap... The initial build was abysmal but I got one for my mother later on and it's held up ok, ideal size and AR for me but there's not much else like it now.syxbit - Monday, January 7, 2019 - link
Launching in Q119 with Android 8.0. They should get called out for this. This is terrible.UtilityMax - Friday, January 18, 2019 - link
Was launched in August in Europe.ajp_anton - Monday, January 7, 2019 - link
What is this weird trend where only the cheaper and slower version of the same product gets the 3.5mm plug? Makes it so much harder to choose what to buy, even if money was no option.UtilityMax - Friday, January 18, 2019 - link
It's fsckup up that the more expensive M5 does not have it. The onlt reason I didn't buy one.piroroadkill - Monday, January 7, 2019 - link
If you want me to buy a new tablet, include wireless charging and a nice dock.I'm literally still using my HP TouchPad (with Android installed on it) because everything else is a total jank-fest in terms of charging.
Impulses - Monday, January 14, 2019 - link
Wouldn't wireless charging be pretty slow with 7,500mAh+ batteries? Everyone seems to have diverged from the Qi standard when it comes to charging beyond 5W too which is kinda puzzling, as that would've made it more workable for tablets... I'm still wireless charging an old Nexus 7, tho it's not what's kept me using it tbh. Just not a lot of decent cheap Android tablets, almost bought the Shield a few times but no USB-C and a worse display kept me at bay.Gemuk - Monday, January 7, 2019 - link
Anybody who is interested in this should also check out Xiaomi's Mi Pad 4 line. This particular M5 lite sells for the same price and has a bigger battery than the Mi Pad 4 Plus; but you do get SDM660, LTE, and double the NAND on the Xiaomi.UtilityMax - Friday, January 18, 2019 - link
They don't sell in America.1_rick - Tuesday, January 8, 2019 - link
"cost-down"? Please don't butcher the language like that.