Huawei MediaPad M3

Alan Martin takes a look at Huawei’s rival to the iPad Mini.

- Alan Martin

Huawei, it may surprise you to discover, is not only a smartphone manufacturer; it also makes Windows and Android tablets. However, with such stiff competition from market leaders, including Apple and Amazon, it has never managed to break into the big time. But if any product deserved to break that cycle, it’s this one.

Build and screen

The MediaPad 3 certainly looks the part and it bears more than a passing resemblance to the iPad Mini 4. If it weren’t for the small Huawei logo in the top-left corner and the oval Home button, you’d be hard pushed to tell them apart. While this loses the MediaPad 3 points for originality, it’s far from a major drawback. 

Turning over the device reveals a gently curved metal back that feels great to hold. It’s smooth without being slippery and weighs just 320g, so it’s comfortable for one-handed browsing.

Huawei has squeezed in It’s great to handle, small enough to carry around and its premium features make it stand out from the crowd more than the average selection of features, including 4G internet connectivity and the ability to make phone calls. All you need to do is add a SIM card.