Each of us knows well from our school economics course that competition is a very positive phenomenon. With healthy competition, the quality of products increases, prices fall, and the client can receive much better offers than in the absence of competition. At the same time, when a monopoly reigns in the market, you and I, ordinary buyers, suffer from this first of all.
In the smartphone market, all these laws are in full force. There was a time when consumers were disdainful of Chinese brands. But it is thanks to the efforts of manufacturers from the Middle Kingdom that today we get strong competition in the mobile phone market and, as a result, cheap and high-quality smartphones, regardless of the country of origin.
The credit for this lies, among other things, on the shoulders of Huawei, which today is the largest manufacturer of mobile equipment in China. The brand is also doing very well on the global market. In 2021, the company, with a share of 10%, occupied third place in the world rankings right after Samsung and Apple, and already in 2021 it was able to break into second place, beating the famous American brand in sales. Huawei is showing very good growth rates and it would not be surprising if in the next few years this Chinese company became the first in global sales.
The days when Chinese-made technology was synonymous with consumer goods are long gone. Now Huawei is almost as popular a brand as LG or Samsung. The company's arsenal includes both good budget devices and advanced innovative flagships with a corresponding price tag. Sometimes it can be easy to get confused with such a variety of options, so today we want to introduce you to the best Huawei smartphones of 2021, as well as models that appeared at the very end of last year and are more than relevant today.
Top 10 best Huawei smartphones according to the editors
If we talk about the top smartphones of 2021 as objectively as possible, then it is likely that it will consist mainly of flagships and the most expensive devices. However, in this rating we want to deviate a little from objective reality and also show you smartphones with an excellent price-quality ratio, as well as simply interesting models. By thus expanding the budget scope of the presented devices, we hope to make the review more interesting, as well as more relevant for people who are wondering which Huawei to buy in 2021. Go.
Always with you. Huawei presented three powerful tablets on HarmonyOS in Russia. What can they do?
Huawei updates tablets almost every year. 2021 was no exception: in the summer the company released three models based on HarmonyOS on the Russian market: MatePad 11 with a fast screen, MatePad Pro with a 12.6-inch diagonal and a flagship processor, and a 10.8-inch MatePad Pro with reverse charging . In the Lenta.ru article we will tell you how the latest gadgets differ from each other, and list the main features of the new product.
Huawei MatePad 11 became the first tablet from Huawei whose display supports an increased screen refresh rate of 120 Hz. Previously, only the brand’s flagship smartphones could boast such a feature, but now it’s the turn of tablets. At 120Hz, the display is capable of delivering more frames per second. As a result, the picture in games, when watching videos, and even when scrolling through menus and web pages looks noticeably smoother than at standard 60 Hz. It is important that the screen refresh rate here is adaptive: in some scenarios, the display will automatically lower the FPS value to save battery power (for example, when viewing static pictures).
The frames around the display are thin, so the usable screen area takes up about 86 percent of the entire front panel. Diagonal 10.95 inches, resolution 2560 x 1600 pixels. The IPS matrix supports DCI-P3 color gamut, which guarantees increased contrast compared to the sRGB standard. Manufacturers paid special attention to eye protection - the display protects from harmful blue radiation and flicker according to TÜV Rheinland and Flicker Free standards, respectively.
The tablet supports the proprietary second-generation M-Pencil stylus, which is magnetic to the tablet body and charges wirelessly. The platinum-coated tip of the accessory is so sensitive that it can detect up to 4096 degrees of pressure. Manufacturers note that the input device has a low latency of two milliseconds - electronic ink appears on the screen almost instantly following the movements of the stylus. It also supports Huawei FreeScript technology: if the user wishes, his handwritten text is automatically transformed into printed text.
Photo: Pavel Tkachuk
The sound in the tablet is immersive, that is, surround. Its quality is ensured by a four-speaker audio system developed and tested by Harman/Kardon engineers. To enhance the bass, Histen 7.0 technology is used here. The MatePad 11 also supports a proprietary noise reduction system, powered by AI, which muffles extraneous sounds during phone calls and Zoom conferences. In addition to four speakers, the tablet is equipped with the same number of microphones: three are installed around the perimeter, and the last one is located near the main camera module.
MatePad 11 was one of the first tablets to run the new HarmonyOS 2 operating system. Compared to Android, the design has been greatly redesigned and many new features have been added. For example, at the bottom of the main screen there is a panel with pinned application icons: frequently used ones are located on the left, and recently opened ones are located on the right.
The tablet works closely with other Huawei devices, especially branded laptops. The owner can connect devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, after which he will have three usage scenarios: Mirror Mode, Extend Mode and Collaborate Mode. In the first case, content running on the laptop will be played on the tablet. In the second mode, the MatePad 11 will act as an additional monitor - it will be possible to display all the necessary information from the PC. Collaborate Mode is needed to easily transfer files from one device to another wirelessly: just drag and drop the content with the computer cursor.
If we talk about multitasking, the new Huawei product is capable of opening four windows simultaneously on one screen. Pop-up windows are also available - they can be used, for example, to chat while watching YouTube or playing games.
The Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard case turns your tablet into a full-fledged laptop. The updated accessory, 1.3 millimeters thick, charges wirelessly and connects to the device via Bluetooth. The lid with the tablet reclines in different positions: from 55 to 65 degrees. If desired, the user can also connect a mouse to the device if he finds it more convenient to control the “tablet” using the cursor.
One full charge is enough for 12 hours of continuous video playback in 1080p format. Additional features include support for the latest Wi-Fi 6 wireless standard.
The new product with the Pro prefix received a large 12.6-inch OLED display, occupying 90 percent of the front panel. Under the screen is the flagship proprietary chipset Kirin 9000E, made using 5 nm technology. It has 8 cores with a maximum clock speed of up to 3.13 gigahertz and 22-core Mali-G78 graphics. The 10050 mAh battery lasts up to 14 hours in 1080p video viewing mode or nine hours of continuous browsing in the browser. Huawei SuperCharge fast charging replenishes all energy in 2 hours 10 minutes.
You can connect the second generation Huawei M-Pencil stylus and the latest full-size Huawei Smart Magic Keyboard to the device (included in the box when purchasing the maximum configuration). The firmware has twice as many speakers as the MatePad 11 - there are eight of them; Harman/Kardon engineers also worked on detailed tuning of the audio system. There is also support for the Multiscreen function, which allows you to use the tablet in conjunction with a laptop.
Photo: Pavel Tkachuk
Externally, the MatePad Pro 10.8 model differs from the “older” version in a slightly reduced display size, and inside - a different matrix (there is an LCD panel), the presence of four speakers from Harman/Kardon and a Snapdragon 870 processor. The battery is also slightly smaller: 7250 mAh , it is enough for 11 hours of watching movies in FHD.
With Huawei SuperCharge you can fill your battery in a couple of hours. Plus, there is support for wireless and reverse charging - the owner can replenish the energy of a smartphone or TWS headset by placing them on the back panel of the tablet. The Multiscreen function is in place, as is support for the second generation Huawei M-Pencil stylus and the proprietary Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard.
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The updated Huawei MatePad line further blurs the line between tablets and laptops. Devices have become more powerful, and their screens provide clear images with a high refresh rate. Multitasking functions along with additional accessories allow you to fully work on the “tablet” without any “crutches” or compromises.
All new models are already available for pre-order on the Russian market from July 20, 2021. The price of Huawei MatePad 11 starts from 34,990 rubles, Huawei MatePad Pro can be purchased for 55,990 rubles, and for the most advanced Huawei MatePad Pro 12.6, manufacturers ask 69,990 rubles without accessories and 89,990 rubles for the version with a stylus and keyboard included.
The best Huawei model of 2021 according to readers
Well, how do you like our top 10, dear friends? Did we manage to get to the point or was the rating actually supposed to look completely different? Each of us has our own ideas about high-quality smartphones and how the top should be formed. Therefore, we invite you to make your personal rating of the best Huawei smartphones and share it in the comments.
Let us remind you that our top includes the following devices:
- Huawei P30 Pro.
- Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
- Huawei P20 Pro.
- Huawei P30 Lite.
- Honor 8X.
- Honor Play.
- Honor 10.
- Huawei P20 Lite.
- Huawei P Smart.
- Huawei Y9 2021.
Huawei Mate 20RS
This smartphone has the highest price to date of all devices from Huawei. Specialists from Porsche took part in the development of the design of this device. A seamless body, curved and frameless screen measuring 6.39 inches give the device a unique appearance. The reverse side is trimmed with genuine leather with a glass insert. The location of the fingerprint scanner is also unusual; it is located on the front side of the screen.
The screen is unlocked using the front biometric camera. Its feature is the ability to recognize about 30,000 thousand facial points. The triple main camera with a resolution of 40MP, 20MP and 8MP allows you to take excellent quality photos. An important factor is the capacious battery, which holds a charge for up to two days in active operation. The NFS chip allows you to make purchases using contactless payment.
Huawei Mate 20 X
Unlike the previous model, this smartphone has a screen diagonal of 7.2 inches. The screen itself is decorated with a drop-shaped cutout, which houses the front camera. The main triple camera has a resolution of 40MP, 20MP and 8MP. Thanks to this, the pictures are clear. The back surface is made of tempered glass, and to reduce slipping, it is engraved. Stereo speakers provide excellent sound. The heat generated by the processor is removed using liquid cooling, thanks to the Huawei Supercool system.
Huawei MediaPad M5 8.4 64Gb LTE
This tablet is the most anticipated new product from Huawei. This model is designed specifically for entertainment. The screen diagonal of this new product is 8.4 inches and the resolution is 2560*1600. The device has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. The memory can also be increased using a memory card up to 256 GB. The battery capacity is 5100 mAh. The tablet reaches 100% charge in just 1.5 hours. The front camera has a resolution of 8MP, and the rear one is 13MP, which allows you to take pictures of normal quality.
Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 32Gb LTE
The leading position among tablets is occupied by Huawei MediaPad M3 8.4 32Gb LTE. The metal body eliminates the presence of plastic ends. An eight-core processor and 4 GB RAM are responsible for performance. The built-in memory is 32 GB, plus it can be expanded using a 128 GB memory card. The screen diagonal was slightly reduced, to 8.4 inches, while the resolution of the tablet only improved. The front and rear cameras have a resolution of 8 MP. The tablet can install two SIM cards, it supports mobile communications at the 3G, LTE level.
