Huawei's MatePad Pro Max is the world's thinnest flagship tablet — but there's a catch

Huawei has unveiled the MatePad Pro Max, a 13.2-inch tablet that at 4.7mm thick beats the iPad Pro M5 (5.1mm) and the Honor MagicPad 4 (4.8mm) to claim the world's thinnest flagship tablet title. The global launch price is $1,360, putting it directly against Apple's nano-textured iPad Pro at $1,299. The engineering is impressive — the software picture is more complicated.

The hardware case

The MatePad Pro Max is built around a flexible OLED PaperMatte display with 3K resolution, a 144Hz refresh rate, and 94% screen-to-body ratio thanks to 3.55mm bezels. Huawei's nano-etching process gives the screen a matte, paper-like texture that cuts glare without a screen protector — the same concept Apple charges extra for on the iPad Pro. Peak brightness hits 1,600 nits.

Inside sits a Kirin 9-series chip paired with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. The 10,400mAh battery is rated for up to 14.5 hours of video playback, and the tablet supports 40W wired reverse charging — meaning it can top up a phone or earbuds directly. Six speakers with spatial audio round out a spec sheet that reads as well as anything on the market right now.

The body uses aviation-grade aluminium and a Cloud Falcon internal architecture to stay rigid despite its extreme thinness. It weighs around 509g, per ComputerBase EU. A 50MP rear camera and a 12MP front camera hidden in the bezel are also onboard — unusual for a tablet at this size. Accessories include the M-Pencil Pro stylus and the new Glide Keyboard.

The software problem

Here's what the spec sheet doesn't fix: HarmonyOS still has no native Google Play Services. In the US and UK, that means no Gmail app, no Google Maps, no Chrome, and — more critically for creative professionals — no Procreate, no Adobe apps, and no access to the Play Store at all. Huawei's own AppGallery and the updated GoPaint app (now supporting 8K canvas work) are solid, but they don't replace a decade of app ecosystem depth.

In the US, Huawei tablets are not available through major carriers or mainstream retailers. Buyers are limited to Amazon and specialist importers — a niche setup for a $1,360 device. In the UK, availability runs through Amazon.co.uk and select authorized retailers, with no MediaMarkt or equivalent chain stocking them.

For Huawei loyalists or users who work primarily in Huawei's ecosystem, the MatePad Pro Max is genuinely the most refined large tablet built. For everyone else, the iPad Pro's software moat — Procreate, Final Cut, the full Adobe suite — remains unbroken, even if Apple's hardware no longer holds the thinnest-tablet crown.