Huawei MatePad Pro Max Review: Ultra-Thin Powerhouse for Creators

Verdict: Stunning Hardware, Demanding Compromises

The Huawei MatePad Pro Max is a high-end 13.2-inch tablet that combines a flexible OLED PaperMatte display, ultra-thin metal design, bundled keyboard, and M-Pencil Pro stylus to target creative professionals who want a laptop-like canvas for drawing, note-taking, and multitasking-heavy workflows. At its core, this is one of the most impressive pieces of tablet hardware you can buy, but it comes with a catch: no Google apps by default and a price that puts it against very strong rivals. For digital artists, illustrators, and note-heavy productivity users who can live outside Google’s ecosystem, the MatePad Pro Max is an excellent flexible display tablet with a superb screen and long battery life. For everyone else, those software limits and comparatively weaker charging speeds mean the value proposition is far less clear, especially when equally or more powerful alternatives cost less.

Design and Display: World’s Thinnest 13-Inch Tablet

From a hardware perspective, the Huawei MatePad Pro Max is a design achievement. The aluminium frame and rear are milled from a single piece, with polished edges and a matte back available in Space Grey or blue, giving it a sleek, laptop-like feel in the hand. At 289 × 196mm and only 4.7mm thick, it is the slimmest 13-inch-plus tablet on the market, undercutting rival flagship tablets that hover around 5.1mm or slightly thicker. Bezels measure a tiny 3.55mm on all sides, and the 12MP selfie camera sits unobtrusively in a pill-shaped module embedded in the top bezel. The 13.2-inch flexible OLED PaperMatte display is the star: it delivers a sharp 3,000 × 2,000 resolution, a 3:2 aspect ratio, 144Hz adaptive refresh, and up to 1,600 nits peak brightness with a quoted 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. Huawei’s nano-etched PaperMatte finish reduces glare while preserving clarity and giving pen strokes a paper-like feel, which is ideal for content creation.

Performance, Multitasking and Battery Life for Creators

Under the hood, the MatePad Pro Max uses Huawei’s Kirin T93 Pro chipset clocked up to 2.75GHz with 12GB of RAM across all storage variants. Paired with 512GB of storage, this gives ample headroom for large illustration files, layered design projects and heavy note databases without obvious slowdown. In gaming tests with titles like Asphalt Legends, frame rates stayed smooth even during hectic scenes, showing that the tablet can handle demanding 3D workloads as well as creative apps. Where it shines most is its screen accuracy: the Natural colour profile covers 98% of sRGB with 100.1% volume and an average Delta E of 0.78, which is excellent for colour-sensitive work. One quotable conclusion from testing is: "In HDR playback the display reached a peak brightness of 1,556cd/m², making it suitable for viewing content even under strong direct light." Battery life is also strong in practice; the 9,670mAh cell lasted 16 hours 9 minutes in looping video playback tests, outclassing many rivals in stamina even though it is slightly smaller than the previous generation.

M-Pencil Pro, Glide Keyboard and Software Limits

For creative workflows, the accessories matter as much as raw specs, and Huawei has done well here. The MatePad Pro Max ships with the Glide Keyboard in the box, which includes an integrated storage compartment for the M-Pencil Pro, keeping the stylus secure and close at hand. The M-Pencil Pro itself is described as comfortable to hold and "extremely responsive" in use, making sketching, handwriting and fine edits feel natural on the PaperMatte surface. AI-powered PC-level WPS Office, Huawei Notes and the GoPaint app aim to turn the tablet into a productivity and art workstation, and the hardware—including WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NearLink, USB-C (USB 3.1) and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor—supports that ambition. However, the lack of Google apps by default remains the major drawback: anyone who relies on Google Drive, Docs, or cross-device collaboration will find sharing and syncing more awkward, even with Huawei’s ecosystem tools. Charging is another compromise; the 9,760mAh battery supports 66W wired charging, which is a downgrade from the 100W charging of the previous model and feels out of step with the “Max” branding.

Pricing, Value and Final Recommendation

The MatePad Pro Max is priced as a flagship tablet, and that sets high expectations. In one market, the top 512GB variant costs £1,099, while a 256GB model is available at £899, putting it head-to-head with powerful alternatives from other major brands that often offer stronger chipsets for less money. Elsewhere, the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration carries a price of RM5,999 and is sold through brand-owned experience stores and official online channels including the manufacturer’s website and major e-commerce platforms. Buyers can also receive limited-time bundled extras such as the M-Pencil Pro, wireless mouse, productivity software licences and extended display care, which helps offset the upfront cost for professionals. Overall, this tablet is easy to recommend as a creative professional tablet if you want a 13-inch tablet OLED with a superb PaperMatte display, accurate colour, long battery life and included keyboard, and you are willing to accept weaker charging and the absence of Google services. Those who prioritize maximum performance-per-dollar, fast charging, or seamless Google ecosystem integration should think twice before committing at this price.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Huawei MatePad Pro Max if you are a digital artist or designer who values an accurate 13-inch tablet OLED PaperMatte display with pen-friendly texture over raw CPU power.
• Skip the Huawei MatePad Pro Max if your workflow depends on Google apps and cross-device syncing inside Google’s ecosystem, as those services are not available by default.
• Buy the Huawei MatePad Pro Max if you want an ultra-thin 4.7mm flexible display tablet with a bundled Glide Keyboard and M-Pencil Pro stylus ready for professional note-taking and sketching.
• Skip the Huawei MatePad Pro Max if you care more about the fastest possible charging and chip performance than display quality, because some rivals are more powerful and charge faster.
• Buy the Huawei MatePad Pro Max if you prize long battery life, strong speakers and a large 13.2-inch canvas for media consumption as well as creative work.