Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite first look: A parent’s dream?

Huawei releases another Android tablet that looks likes pretty much like all its other Android tablets. However the MediaPad M5 Lite might have one unique trick

It seems like Huawei is one of the few brands still focussing on Android tablets. It releases a bunch of them each year and they tend to tick a load of different requirements and prices. The latest, which has just been unveiled at CES 2019, sits in the mid-range and has a particular focus on family use.

Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite price and release date

The Mediapad M5 Lite will retail for $299 when it starts shipping in the US in January. There’s no word on UK pricing yet. We’ll update this when we know more.

These days kid’s tablets are everywhere but the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite has a clever trick. You can set the fingerprint scanner to automatically log different people into different accounts without any faff.

Set up your child’s fingerprint and when they press it they’ll bypass your content immediately and head straight into the Kid’s Corner software, which lets you select apps and other content, suitable for your children. This makes it actually feel like their tablet.

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The $299 tablet also comes with a stylus included in the box, something that’s quite rare these days. Even the pen (which Huawei is calling the M Pen Lite, though it couldn’t tell me how it was different from the regular M Pen) feels like it’s designed for kids thanks to a chunky, almost pencil-like design. During my short time with the pen it felt nice to hold and responsive, thanks to 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity.

This tablet is aimed at kids and families without looking like your typical durable kids slate. There’s a layer of 2.5D on the front that gently slopes and an aluminium body. It’s by no means unique in its style but it’s far from ugly and it feels nice to hold.

There’s also nothing particularly new in the rest of the specs. There’s a Kirin 659 (a mid-range chip) powering the tablet, 3GB RAM and 32GB storage which can be expanded. There’s a a USB-C port on the side for charging and, unlike other Huawei tablets, a headphone jack too. You’ve also got two 8-megapixel cameras – one on the front and another on the back.

The 10.1-inch display has a 1920 x 1200 resolution and a number of ‘enhancements’ Huawei was keen to talk about. There’s something called ‘ClariVu’ which is supposed to boost contrast, colours and give the screen an overall more pleasing look along with a bunch of eye-care modes to reduce strain on your retinas.

First impressions

If you’re looking for an affordable family Android tablet that has decent specs, an included stylus and plenty of features for kids then the Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite seems like it could be a strong choice.

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