Huawei's Matepad Paper convinced me that e-ink and Android aren't a good fit

电子笔记本 einkcn 2022-06-28 09:07 22061 0

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

When it was first introduced at Mobile World Congress 2022, the Huawei Matepad Paper intrigued me a lot. An e-reader with an e-ink display perfectly suitable for outdoor and indoor reading, a pencil to sketch or jot down all the thoughts that come to my mind, and support for third-party Android apps? Sign me up right away.

I’ve spent the last few weeks with a Huawei Matepad Paper in hand and, in real life, the combination of an e-ink reader and a pseudo-tablet is leaving me a little underwhelmed. The idea is great in theory, but the technology isn’t there yet in reality. Part of it is Huawei’s software limitations, the other part is due to the very nature of e-ink displays.

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Huawei Matepad Paper review: Just excellent hardware

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Huawei still knows how to make great hardware. Even though a lot of unexpected variables have affected the company’s software and sales over the last few years, its hardware unit can still build excellent devices.

The Huawei Matepad Paper is thin, light, well balanced, and is easy to hold for several hours, which you’ll want to do if you’re reading a book. The faux leather back is comfortable and it doesn’t feel slippery. I’ve spent several multi-hour (up to seven) reading sessions on it without experiencing any wrist pain or cramps. Compared to my Kindle Paperwhite (2021), the larger size and extra weight didn’t affect my experience at all.

Our verdict: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2021) review

The 10.3-inch e-ink display is excellent too. It’s large enough for tablet use and easy to read both indoors and outdoors — even during the sunniest and warmest weekend I have ever experienced in Paris. You can control how often the e-ink display redraws or force it to refresh manually in case you see lots of ghosting on the screen. (This happens with third-party apps — I’ll get to it later.)

A fingerprint reader tucked in the power button on top allows you to unlock the tablet quickly. One top- and one bottom-firing speaker can play music while you read, or you can choose to connect a Bluetooth headset if you prefer to stay in your own bubble.

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

The tablet seems better suited for right-handed users at first. The larger grippy bezel is located on the left, while the pencil attaches magnetically on the right side. Automatic rotation is supported, though, so a simple turn and the entire interface becomes adapted for the 10% of lefties among us. Only the volume buttons keep the same function in both orientations. If you’ve rotated the tablet, you have to press down to raise the volume, and up to lower it. Quirky, but at least the rest works well enough.

It's not exactly like writing on paper, but it's miles better than dragging a stylus on a shiny glass display.

The pencil charges magnetically when attached to the side of the Huawei Matepad Paper, connects immediately over Bluetooth when you snap it off, and feels great in hand. Using it isn’t exactly like writing on paper — as much as Huawei and many other e-ink tablet makers would like you to believe — but it gets close. It’s definitely better than gliding a stylus on a shiny glass display like an Apple iPad or Google Pixelbook. I didn’t notice any latency while drawing or writing, but there were some minor disruptions if I tilted the pencil too much to the side.

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority

Even the folio cover provided in the box gets all the right features. It’s made of nice faux leather, offers automatic sleep and wake when you open or close it, has a magnetic flap to keep the tablet and pencil properly stored, and more magnets to get the tablet snapped in place.

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