Huawei showed off a new tablet called the Mediapad M2 10.0. Featuring a 10.1″ display, 1920 x 1200 resolution and Harmon Kardon speakers, it is a high-end device available in China now. The US launch should follow in late Q1 or early Q2 – talks are ongoing with Amazon and Best Buy now.
A colour enhancement feature has been built into the tablet, and we spent almost half an hour trying to find someone from Huawei who could talk about the technology behind it! Stand staff, as is usual at most CES booths, were uninformed about the details. They could say that the display has “85% saturation”, but couldn’t explain what it meant (this is not a criticism of Huawei so much as it is frustration with all companies attending the show – TA). A product manager was eventually tracked down, who said that the colour is boosted by new software, but wouldn’t go into specifics. The feature is always on.
A 64-bit octa-core Kirin CPU runs Android 6.0, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB – 64GB of storage. The tablet has a split screen feature and fingerprint reader. It will cost $320 – $420.
A smartphone called the Honor 5X was next. Set for a 31st January release, the handset has a 5.5″ display and 1920 x 1080 resolution. It runs Android 5.1 on a 64-bit octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor, with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. An SD slot will accept a card up to 128GB.
The phone will accept both nano- and micro-SIM cards. It has a 3,000mAh battery, USB-C port and will reach full charge in one hour. Huawei will sell it for $200.
Late last year, Huawei launched the Mate 8 smartphone in China (MDM Product Roundup – Vol 22 No 48). This is the company’s newest flagship, and the global launch was being celebrated at CES. It is a 6″ phone with 1920 x 1080 resolution and a new octa-core Kirin 950 processor running Android 6.0.
Battery, as with the Honor 5X, is a key feature on the Mate 8. The phone has a 4,000mAh battery, which will last for more than two days for an average user. A day’s worth of power can be charged in 30 minutes. Huawei has also used a six-layer thermal design, boosting heat dissipation.
A dual-SIM model, the Mate 8 will be launched in 30 countries initially, including Spain, Germany, France, the UAE, Mexico and Australia, Prices will be between €600 and €700.
The Huawei Watch (Huawei Follows Apple) received a minor update; it can now use its speaker and microphone to make and receive calls from a connected smartphone. The feature will roll out as a software update. Huawei representatives believe that a standalone Watch, with a SIM slot, will be released next year.
Finally, there was a new wearable fitness tracker called the Honor Band Z1. Featuring a 1.06″ PMOLED display (128 x 128), with touch, the product will last for four days on a single charge. The battery will last for one day after 10 minutes of charging. The device is waterproof to 1.5m and will be released on the 31st January, for $80.
