Best Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Deals: Where to Buy the Galaxy Tab S7 Series in the US

The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is here, and we can tell you it’s damn good. It’s even shown our reviewer the light and had him sell his iPad Pro. It’s just that great. This premium tablet comes at a premium price, but we can help you save with some Galaxy Tab S7 Plus deals.

The 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen will make everything you view on the Tab S7 pop, and the 120Hz refresh rate will make sure anything you watch will play smoothly. The Pro’s 6,000mAh battery even manages to last a day of heavy use, even with all the bells and whistles that it offers. On top of that, who doesn’t love the S-Pen, which comes with the Tab S7, and works seamlessly with the tablet? It even… has a camera, if you’re into that on your tablets. You really can’t go wrong with choosing the Galaxy Tab S7 or Tab S7 Plus.

If you’re in the US and looking for the best Galaxy Tab S7 Plus deals, we have them below!

Where to buy the Galaxy Tab S7 in the US

You can pick up a Galaxy Tab S7 at all the usual suspects in the US. You can go with Amazon, Samsung, or Best Buy with their own sets of deals, or go to Verizon or AT&T for possible 5G coverage and bundles!

Amazon

The Galaxy Tab S7 is available at Amazon! You can pick between three colors (silver, bronze, and black), two memory capacities (128GB and 256GB), and whether or not you want a keyboard cover. While Amazon doesn’t have as many deals as their competitors, they still win in one factor–convivence. Picking up a Galaxy Tab S7 from Amazon means that you can get it via Prime Shipping. Also, if you have a Prime Rewards Visa, you can sign up for than 18-month payment plan.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

For the most hassle-free way to pick up a Wi-Fi Tab S7, go with Amazon. Enjoy a variety of options and free Prime Shipping!

Buy From Amazon

Samsung

At Samsung, you can save big on the Tab S7, depending on how you want to buy. If you pay for the entire tablet today, you’ll save $450. No strings attached! That will bring the 128GB model down to just $200, or you can get the beefier 512GB version for $380. If you can’t pay for the tablet outright, you can get the total of the 128GB model down to $5.56 a month for 36 months with an eligible trade-in!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Save $450 on a Galaxy Tab S7 when you buy it straight out! If you prefer a payment plan, you can get the 128GB model down to $5.56 a month for 36 months with an eligible trade-in.

From $200 at Samsung store

Best Buy

Best Buy also has the Galaxy Tab S7 in stock, but currently, they don’t have much along the line of deals for the device. Picking up the Tab S7 at best Buy will allow you to save 50% on a keyboard cover, if you’re looking to buy, as well as a free six-month subscription to Webroot Internet Security with Antivirus. It’s up to you whether those deals are worth it over Samsung’s offerings or Amazon’s convenience!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Best Buy is offering the Galaxy Tab S7 Wi-Fi for full price, but you can save 50% if you're looking to bundle them together. It's a worthwhile deal if you're looking to turn this into a pseudo laptop!

From $650 at Best Buy

Verizon

Looking for a 5G tablet so you don’t need to worry about Wi-Fi? Verizon has you covered. the 128GB black version of the Tab S7 for $850. As always, though, there are deals you can try to take advantage of! If you have another non-WiFi tablet to turn in, you’ll save $100 on the price. Also, if you’re buying an eligible phone, you’ll save $150. Finally, if this is a new line, you’ll save $100. If you can take advantage of these deals, then this is the best place to get the 5G Tab S7.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G

This is the 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and you can pick it up from Verizon for $849. Seem a bit steep? You can try and save some money by taking advantage of Verizon's myriad offerings!

Save at Verizon

AT&T

Not a fan of Verizon? AT&T also has the 5G model of the Tab S7 in stock. With them, you can save $50 on the overall price on both the tablet and a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. If you were already with AT&T and really want a 5G tablet, this will be your best bet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G

If you're already part of AT&T, you can pick up a 5B Tab S7 with them. Grab both the tablet and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, and you'll save $50.

$850 at AT&T

Where to buy the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus in the US

For the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, you can grab it at Amazon, Best Buy, or Samsung’s store. For some reason AT&T doesn’t have the S7 Plus, so for 5G, you can go with Verizon.

Amazon

As always, Amazon may not have all of the deals for the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but they have the most variety and the most convivence. Prices starting at $930 (which happens to be $100 off MSRP) are still a bit steep, but you and mitigate the wallet pain a bit with the 18 month Amazon Prime Rewards Visa payment plan. You can pick from three memory capacities, three colors, and whether or not to get a keyboard cover–all with free Prime Shipping.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

Go with Amazon for the best choices and maximum convenience. With three colors, three memory capacities, and the option to bundle in a keyboard cover, you can't really argue with the easy nature of buying now and free Prime Delivery.

Buy at Amazon

Samsung

Good news, Samsung Store fans–the same deals that apply to the Galaxy Tab S7 also apply to the Tab S7 Plus! That means, if you buy it outright, you’ll save a massive $450. That brings the 128GB model to just $400! If you need a payment plan, you can cut down the monthly cost with an eligible trade-in.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

You can pick up your Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus from Samsung's website with $450 off or saving on a trade-in! This is probably the best deal on the Tab S7 Plus, if you can pay for the tablet outright.

From $400 at Samsung store

Best Buy

If you’re not big on Samsung’s store, you can find a bit in terms of savings at Best Buy. If you are grabbing a Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, you can save 50% on a keyboard cover, and get a free six-month subscription to Webroot Internet Security with Antivirus. While it doesn’t beat Samsung’s deal, Best Buy does offers some discounts over Amazon and also has an 18-month payment plan to take advantage of.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

Grabbing the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus at Best Buy means you'll be able to save on a keyboard cover and get some free internet security software.

From $849 at Best Buy

Verizon

Want a 5G Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, not a Wi-Fi one? Then Verizon is where you’ll have to head on over to, with the best deals on the 5G tablet. The tablet starts at $1,050, which is really pricey, but you can tack on one or more deals to bring it down a bit. If you have another non-WiFi tablet to turn in, you’ll save $100 on the price. Also, if you’re buying an eligible phone, you’ll save $150. Finally, if this is a new line, you’ll save $100. Yes, these are the same deals as the normal Tab S7, which also means that if you can stack some of these discounts, you’ll get a great price on the Tab S7 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus 5G

Want the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus with 5G? Head over to Verizon and take advantage of some of the deals available for this powerful tablet.

Save at Verizon

The post Best Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Deals: Where to Buy the Galaxy Tab S7 Series in the US appeared first on xda-developers.

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Samsung rolls out October 2020 security update to the Galaxy A50

Another month, another new security update. Unsurprisingly, Samsung once again managed to beat Google to deliver the monthly security patches ahead of the Pixel lineup. This time, the Korean OEM has started rolling out the October 2020 security patchset to the mid-ranger Galaxy A50.

Samsung Galaxy A50 XDA Forums

As reported by SamMobile, the update is rolling out for the SM-A505FN variant of the Galaxy A50. Other than bumping the Android Security Patch Level, the new build (software version A505FNXXS5BTI9) apparently doesn’t bring in any significant new feature. The size of the incremental update package is about 123MB, and the FOTA is currently available across a number of European countries, including but not limited to France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, and the Nordic region.

FYI, the Galaxy A50 also picked up the September 2020 security patches before the Google Pixel series. Moreover, the last month’s update (software version A505FNXXU5BTH8) added a number of fixes related to AR Emoji, Wi-Fi connectivity, and compatibility with third-party applications. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for this month’s build. The bootloader version (v5) also remains the same.

As always, power users can use tools like Frija or Samloader to download the new firmware right now without waiting. Note that the Galaxy A50 is not present in Samsung’s big list of phones getting the One UI 2.5 update, but it is highly unlikely that Samsung won’t bring feature updates to this popular mid-range smartphone anyway.

For those looking for a deeper insight into the new patches, it is worth mentioning that Google usually publishes the Android Security Bulletin (ASB) on the first Monday of each month. Samsung’s own Mobile Security portal has also not been updated yet. As a result, we don’t have all the details on what vulnerabilities have been patched in the October 2020 security update. We’ll follow-up once the ASB for this month goes live.

The post Samsung rolls out October 2020 security update to the Galaxy A50 appeared first on xda-developers.

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Best Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Deals: Where to Buy the Galaxy Tab S7 Series in the US

The Galaxy Tab S7 Plus is here, and we can tell you it’s damn good. It’s even shown our reviewer the light and had him sell his iPad Pro. It’s just that great. This premium tablet comes at a premium price, but we can help you save with some Galaxy Tab S7 Plus deals.

The 12.4-inch Super AMOLED screen will make everything you view on the Tab S7 pop, and the 120Hz refresh rate will make sure anything you watch will play smoothly. The Pro’s 6,000mAh battery even manages to last a day of heavy use, even with all the bells and whistles that it offers. On top of that, who doesn’t love the S-Pen, which comes with the Tab S7, and works seamlessly with the tablet? It even… has a camera, if you’re into that on your tablets. You really can’t go wrong with choosing the Galaxy Tab S7 or Tab S7 Plus.

If you’re in the US and looking for the best Galaxy Tab S7 Plus deals, we have them below!

Where to buy the Galaxy Tab S7 in the US

You can pick up a Galaxy Tab S7 at all the usual suspects in the US. You can go with Amazon, Samsung, or Best Buy with their own sets of deals, or go to Verizon or AT&T for possible 5G coverage and bundles!

Amazon

The Galaxy Tab S7 is available at Amazon! You can pick between three colors (silver, bronze, and black), two memory capacities (128GB and 256GB), and whether or not you want a keyboard cover. While Amazon doesn’t have as many deals as their competitors, they still win in one factor–convivence. Picking up a Galaxy Tab S7 from Amazon means that you can get it via Prime Shipping. Also, if you have a Prime Rewards Visa, you can sign up for than 18-month payment plan.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

For the most hassle-free way to pick up a Wi-Fi Tab S7, go with Amazon. Enjoy a variety of options and free Prime Shipping!

Buy From Amazon

Samsung

At Samsung, you can save big on the Tab S7, depending on how you want to buy. If you pay for the entire tablet today, you’ll save $450. No strings attached! That will bring the 128GB model down to just $200, or you can get the beefier 512GB version for $380. If you can’t pay for the tablet outright, you can get the total of the 128GB model down to $5.56 a month for 36 months with an eligible trade-in!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Save $450 on a Galaxy Tab S7 when you buy it straight out! If you prefer a payment plan, you can get the 128GB model down to $5.56 a month for 36 months with an eligible trade-in.

From $200 at Samsung store

Best Buy

Best Buy also has the Galaxy Tab S7 in stock, but currently, they don’t have much along the line of deals for the device. Picking up the Tab S7 at best Buy will allow you to save 50% on a keyboard cover, if you’re looking to buy, as well as a free six-month subscription to Webroot Internet Security with Antivirus. It’s up to you whether those deals are worth it over Samsung’s offerings or Amazon’s convenience!

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7

Best Buy is offering the Galaxy Tab S7 Wi-Fi for full price, but you can save 50% if you're looking to bundle them together. It's a worthwhile deal if you're looking to turn this into a pseudo laptop!

From $650 at Best Buy

Verizon

Looking for a 5G tablet so you don’t need to worry about Wi-Fi? Verizon has you covered. the 128GB black version of the Tab S7 for $850. As always, though, there are deals you can try to take advantage of! If you have another non-WiFi tablet to turn in, you’ll save $100 on the price. Also, if you’re buying an eligible phone, you’ll save $150. Finally, if this is a new line, you’ll save $100. If you can take advantage of these deals, then this is the best place to get the 5G Tab S7.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G

This is the 5G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, and you can pick it up from Verizon for $849. Seem a bit steep? You can try and save some money by taking advantage of Verizon's myriad offerings!

Save at Verizon

AT&T

Not a fan of Verizon? AT&T also has the 5G model of the Tab S7 in stock. With them, you can save $50 on the overall price on both the tablet and a pair of Samsung Galaxy Buds Live. If you were already with AT&T and really want a 5G tablet, this will be your best bet.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 5G

If you're already part of AT&T, you can pick up a 5B Tab S7 with them. Grab both the tablet and the Samsung Galaxy Buds Live, and you'll save $50.

$850 at AT&T

Where to buy the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus in the US

For the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, you can grab it at Amazon, Best Buy, or Samsung’s store. For some reason AT&T doesn’t have the S7 Plus, so for 5G, you can go with Verizon.

Amazon

As always, Amazon may not have all of the deals for the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, but they have the most variety and the most convivence. Prices starting at $930 (which happens to be $100 off MSRP) are still a bit steep, but you and mitigate the wallet pain a bit with the 18 month Amazon Prime Rewards Visa payment plan. You can pick from three memory capacities, three colors, and whether or not to get a keyboard cover–all with free Prime Shipping.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

Go with Amazon for the best choices and maximum convenience. With three colors, three memory capacities, and the option to bundle in a keyboard cover, you can't really argue with the easy nature of buying now and free Prime Delivery.

Buy at Amazon

Samsung

Good news, Samsung Store fans–the same deals that apply to the Galaxy Tab S7 also apply to the Tab S7 Plus! That means, if you buy it outright, you’ll save a massive $450. That brings the 128GB model to just $400! If you need a payment plan, you can cut down the monthly cost with an eligible trade-in.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

You can pick up your Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus from Samsung's website with $450 off or saving on a trade-in! This is probably the best deal on the Tab S7 Plus, if you can pay for the tablet outright.

From $400 at Samsung store

Best Buy

If you’re not big on Samsung’s store, you can find a bit in terms of savings at Best Buy. If you are grabbing a Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, you can save 50% on a keyboard cover, and get a free six-month subscription to Webroot Internet Security with Antivirus. While it doesn’t beat Samsung’s deal, Best Buy does offers some discounts over Amazon and also has an 18-month payment plan to take advantage of.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus

Grabbing the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus at Best Buy means you'll be able to save on a keyboard cover and get some free internet security software.

From $849 at Best Buy

Verizon

Want a 5G Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, not a Wi-Fi one? Then Verizon is where you’ll have to head on over to, with the best deals on the 5G tablet. The tablet starts at $1,050, which is really pricey, but you can tack on one or more deals to bring it down a bit. If you have another non-WiFi tablet to turn in, you’ll save $100 on the price. Also, if you’re buying an eligible phone, you’ll save $150. Finally, if this is a new line, you’ll save $100. Yes, these are the same deals as the normal Tab S7, which also means that if you can stack some of these discounts, you’ll get a great price on the Tab S7 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus 5G

Want the Galaxy Tab S7 Plus with 5G? Head over to Verizon and take advantage of some of the deals available for this powerful tablet.

Save at Verizon

The post Best Galaxy Tab S7 Plus Deals: Where to Buy the Galaxy Tab S7 Series in the US appeared first on xda-developers.

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Huawei MatePad Pro Review: A Premium Tablet made better with Google Apps

Chinese tech giant Huawei has been caught at the center of the trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Since the trade ban went into effect, Huawei’s latest offerings don’t feature Google apps and services out of the box. That includes Huawei’s current flagship tablet model, the Huawei MatePad Pro, which is unfortunate because it offers one of the best tablet experiences on the Android market today… if you can get around the lack of apps.

About this review: Huawei sent us the Huawei MatePad Pro along with the keyboard case for review at the end of July 2020. The company did not have any input in the contents of this review.

Huawei MatePad Pro Forums

Huawei MediaPad Pro specifications

Specification	Huawei MatePad Pro 5G
Dimensions & Weight	246.0 (W) x 159.0 (H) x 7.2mm (D) 460g (Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G)
Display	10.8-inches 2500×1600 IPS LCD
CPU & GPU	HiSilicon Kirin 990: 2x Cortex-A76 @2.86GHz 2x Cortex-A76 @2.36GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @1.95GHz Mali-G76 MP16 GPU Fabricated on TSMC’s 7nm+EUV process
RAM & Storage	8GB LPDDR5 RAM + 256GB UFS 3.0 storage Expandable storage (up to 256GB nano memory card)
Sound	Quad Speakers Tuned by Harman Kardon No headphone jack
Battery & Charging	7,250 mAh 40W fast charging 15W wireless charging 7.5W reverse wireless charging
Security	No fingerprint sensor
Rear Camera	13MP f/1.8 main LED flash
Front Camera	8MP f/2.0
Ports	USB Type-C
Connectivity	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.1
Sensors	Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, light sensor, hall sensor
Software	Android 10 with EMUI

A sleek build

The Huawei MatePad Pro features a sleek build, featuring an all-glass back with a small protruding camera at the top. On each end at the top and bottom are two pairs of speakers, making for a quad-speaker setup.

The power button is situated at the top above the camera cut-out, while the volume rocker is to the right of it.

The tablet itself is extremely light, despite its size and feature package. The stylus you can also pick up for the Huawei MatePad Pro can charge from the side of the device, attaching to one of the four edges to charge. This is the same way the connected keyboard is powered.

A beautiful 10.8-inch media consumption machine held back by software

One of the most important aspects of a tablet is the screen. If you wanted a phone, you’d buy a phone, so the differentiating feature of a tablet is the larger display. The Huawei MatePad Pro’s display quality is adequate, and it gets nice and bright too. There’s a hole-punch cut-out for a selfie camera, which feels a little bit out of place. I understand that some people may want to use a tablet for video calls to replace a laptop, though. The 10.8-inch display on the Huawei MatePad Pro is one of its best features, and I love using it for watching videos. It’s just 60Hz though, which is disappointing but not surprising since Huawei has been relatively slow in adopting higher refresh rate panels. (The Huawei P40 Pro and P40+ were the company’s first devices to feature higher-than-60Hz panels.)

The quad speakers tuned by Harman Kardon sound really good, and are perfect for watching TV shows, movies, or YouTube videos. They don’t beat a dedicated speaker, obviously, but they’re impressive for a tablet’s built-in speakers.

I do have one major gripe with the Huawei MatePad Pro’s display experience, though, but it has nothing to do with the actual hardware. I’ll get into this more in the software section, but the Widevine DRM level is 3. Because of this, you’re restricted to watching Netflix and Amazon Prime in standard definition. That’s not a big deal if you use other streaming services such as YouTube or Plex, but it’s something to keep in mind if the majority of your media consumption is on a platform that enforces Widevine L1 DRM for HD streaming.

Whenever I’ve wanted to watch something on Netflix, this has been enough of a deterrent to make me put down the Huawei MatePad Pro and get my laptop. If you think it’ll bother you and you watch a lot of DRM-protected content, then this isn’t the tablet for you. Huawei’s software woes have gone so far as to affect the content they can show on the screen.

Performance that packs a punch

The Huawei MatePad Pro features the Kirin 990 SoC with the Mali-G76 MP16 GPU. The Kirin 990 is a flagship SoC, the same one driving Huawei’s flagship smartphones this year. I’ve had no lags or stutters, and everything runs perfectly. Because of driver compatibility issues, the MatePad Pro isn’t as performant in retro game console emulators to the same degree that tablets with Qualcomm chipsets are, so you won’t be playing any Nintedo GameCube, 3DS, or Wii games here. Most tablet buyers won’t be doing that anyway.

Apps launch fast and most built-for-Android mobile games run without frame drops. It’s a flagship tablet with a flagship processor, and if it didn’t provide the performance you’d expect from its flagship specs, then there would be an issue. Thankfully, there isn’t. Overall, if you’re picking up a Huawei MatePad Pro, you shouldn’t be worried about performance.

EMUI without Google Apps?

So to preface this section before we get into the software experience on the Huawei MatePad Pro, I should clarify that I have sideloaded Google Apps on my unit. I do not know if this will be possible in the future as the software version on my unit is old. However, I did make sure to use the Huawei AppGallery primarily at first just to get a feel for what a modern Huawei experience is like. I’m sad to say that it hampered my enjoyment of the tablet.

Let me be clear with one thing: This tablet can offer a great experience… with Google apps. Without Google apps, things are a bit more complicated. Trying to download the apps that I want to use often means downloading from multiple different sources, which is somewhat helped by Petal Search. I would consider myself tech-savvy, but I can’t imagine how difficult this may be for someone who is not.

Petal Search will find apps for you that aren’t on the AppGallery from trusted third-party sources. It does do the job as I was able to find most apps that I was looking for from sources that I recognized. Looking for my banking app, though, I found that Petal Search could only find it from sources that I didn’t recognize, and looking them up yielded very few results as to the trustworthiness of the source.

However, there is an alternative to those who don’t want to try and mess with installing Google Apps, and for those who don’t want to try and deal with Petal Search either. It’s called Aurora Store, and it can be found on the XDA Forums. How it works is pretty simple—it’s a third-party, open-source apps for accessing the Google Play Store, giving you access to all of the apps and games hosted on there. You can spoof your device, location, install updates, and you don’t even need Google Play Services for it to work. There’s just one thing to be mindful of, and that is the potential risk to your Google account should you sign-in. You’re technically violating Google’s TOS by using Aurora Store with your Google Account, after all. While you can use the app without a Google account, you won’t be able to download your already-paid apps if you do so.

Aurora store

Aurora Store (Free, XDA Labs) →

But let’s say you’re someone who has managed to figure all of that out, and you’ve set up the Huawei MatePad Pro with all of your apps that you want to use and all of your games you want to play. The next issue you’ll face is that SafetyNet Attestation won’t pass, so you won’t be able to use any banking apps or games that enforce it. Sadly, even setting up Google Apps won’t rectify that, and nor will it bump up your Widevine DRM level from L3 to L1.

As for how to set up Google Apps on the Huawei MatePad Pro, it can really depend on what software version you’re on. I tried the guide below, but your mileage may vary as I’ve heard this may not work for every software version.

If you can get around the lack of apps one way or another, the Huawei MatePad Pro is a fine tablet. It’s a great device for watching YouTube and local videos, and it has worked as a media consumption device when it was all that I could fit in my bag. The Huawei MatePad Pro is also a much lighter alternative to my laptop, making it a decent option for getting some work done. I wouldn’t use it as a permanent laptop replacement, but most of the time, it does what I need.

EMUI and productivity

The Huawei MatePad Pro has a number of productivity-focused features that make it a viable competitor to other premium tablets. I didn’t have the stylus accessory for review, so I couldn’t try out the tablet’s note-taking capabilities for use in university. However, I’ve had no issues using it as somewhat of a laptop replacement for basic tasks.

EMUI aids productivity in ways that make sense, primarily through the use of multiple window support. I can take notes or work on an article while Spotify is up in a smaller window, or I can have another web browser up in another window for research. This window is quite small but definitely usable, and it makes it much easier to do other tasks while I’m working.

EMUI itself is feature-packed, though I’ve not come across anything that I thought was really special. Multi-tasking is the best feature here, and that’s very well done. The 10.8-inch screen is great for keeping multiple applications open at a time when working. Multi-window works as well as you’d expect, and I’ve been using it when getting work done to look at notes or to control my music. Not all apps are compatible out of the box, but if you enable developer options, you can enable “force all activities to be resizeable”. Following a reboot, you’ll be able to resize previously-unsupported applications.

Accessories – Keyboard Case

The Huawei MatePad Pro that we received for review also came with the Huawei Keyboard Case, too. How it works is simple: It closes over the tablet like a book, and when you want to use it, you can just open it up and place it on a desk. The MatePad Pro magnetically snaps into one of two positions, which then wirelessly powers the keyboard and connects it to the tablet via Bluetooth. From there, it works just like a normal keyboard. When you’re done, simply close it back up again!

If you anticipate you’ll be doing a lot of writing on the go, the keyboard case is a good investment. I kept it on my Huawei MatePad Pro review unit all the time, and I used it both for replying to regular messages and for working. I didn’t really ever take it out of the case. The keyboard itself is nice to use, and it didn’t really feel all that cheap or flimsy, despite how thin it is. I was able to use it for long periods of time without issues.

If you think you’ll be writing a lot, the Keyboard Case is so much better to type on than using the on-display keyboard. The on-display keyboard is a bit unwieldy with such a large display, but that’s nothing unique to the Huawei MatePad Pro. Definitely consider picking up one of these if you are interested in this device.

Conclusion

The Huawei MatePad Pro can be a fantastic tablet, and for the price, may well be worth the investment. It may not be as feature-packed as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, for example, but it’s much cheaper. With flagship specs, it may well be a great “lite” laptop that you can pick up for work or basic tasks. Definitely make sure you understand the limitations with the software experience and the various workarounds that are available to you before taking the plunge, though.

Huawei MatePad Pro

The Huawei MatePad Pro is an excellent tablet for those looking for a basic but flagship tablet experience.

£499 at Huawei

The post Huawei MatePad Pro Review: A Premium Tablet made better with Google Apps appeared first on xda-developers.

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Huawei MatePad Pro Review: A Premium Tablet made better with Google Apps

Chinese tech giant Huawei has been caught at the center of the trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Since the trade ban went into effect, Huawei’s latest offerings don’t feature Google apps and services out of the box. That includes Huawei’s current flagship tablet model, the Huawei MatePad Pro, which is unfortunate because it offers one of the best tablet experiences on the Android market today… if you can get around the lack of apps.

About this review: Huawei sent us the Huawei MatePad Pro along with the keyboard case for review at the end of July 2020. The company did not have any input in the contents of this review.

Huawei MatePad Pro Forums

Huawei MediaPad Pro specifications

Specification	Huawei MatePad Pro 5G
Dimensions & Weight	246.0 (W) x 159.0 (H) x 7.2mm (D) 460g (Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G)
Display	10.8-inches 2500×1600 IPS LCD
CPU & GPU	HiSilicon Kirin 990: 2x Cortex-A76 @2.86GHz 2x Cortex-A76 @2.36GHz 4x Cortex-A55 @1.95GHz Mali-G76 MP16 GPU Fabricated on TSMC’s 7nm+EUV process
RAM & Storage	8GB LPDDR5 RAM + 256GB UFS 3.0 storage Expandable storage (up to 256GB nano memory card)
Sound	Quad Speakers Tuned by Harman Kardon No headphone jack
Battery & Charging	7,250 mAh 40W fast charging 15W wireless charging 7.5W reverse wireless charging
Security	No fingerprint sensor
Rear Camera	13MP f/1.8 main LED flash
Front Camera	8MP f/2.0
Ports	USB Type-C
Connectivity	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.1
Sensors	Accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, light sensor, hall sensor
Software	Android 10 with EMUI

A sleek build

The Huawei MatePad Pro features a sleek build, featuring an all-glass back with a small protruding camera at the top. On each end at the top and bottom are two pairs of speakers, making for a quad-speaker setup.

The power button is situated at the top above the camera cut-out, while the volume rocker is to the right of it.

The tablet itself is extremely light, despite its size and feature package. The stylus you can also pick up for the Huawei MatePad Pro can charge from the side of the device, attaching to one of the four edges to charge. This is the same way the connected keyboard is powered.

A beautiful 10.8-inch media consumption machine held back by software

One of the most important aspects of a tablet is the screen. If you wanted a phone, you’d buy a phone, so the differentiating feature of a tablet is the larger display. The Huawei MatePad Pro’s display quality is adequate, and it gets nice and bright too. There’s a hole-punch cut-out for a selfie camera, which feels a little bit out of place. I understand that some people may want to use a tablet for video calls to replace a laptop, though. The 10.8-inch display on the Huawei MatePad Pro is one of its best features, and I love using it for watching videos. It’s just 60Hz though, which is disappointing but not surprising since Huawei has been relatively slow in adopting higher refresh rate panels. (The Huawei P40 Pro and P40+ were the company’s first devices to feature higher-than-60Hz panels.)

The quad speakers tuned by Harman Kardon sound really good, and are perfect for watching TV shows, movies, or YouTube videos. They don’t beat a dedicated speaker, obviously, but they’re impressive for a tablet’s built-in speakers.

I do have one major gripe with the Huawei MatePad Pro’s display experience, though, but it has nothing to do with the actual hardware. I’ll get into this more in the software section, but the Widevine DRM level is 3. Because of this, you’re restricted to watching Netflix and Amazon Prime in standard definition. That’s not a big deal if you use other streaming services such as YouTube or Plex, but it’s something to keep in mind if the majority of your media consumption is on a platform that enforces Widevine L1 DRM for HD streaming.

Whenever I’ve wanted to watch something on Netflix, this has been enough of a deterrent to make me put down the Huawei MatePad Pro and get my laptop. If you think it’ll bother you and you watch a lot of DRM-protected content, then this isn’t the tablet for you. Huawei’s software woes have gone so far as to affect the content they can show on the screen.

Performance that packs a punch

The Huawei MatePad Pro features the Kirin 990 SoC with the Mali-G76 MP16 GPU. The Kirin 990 is a flagship SoC, the same one driving Huawei’s flagship smartphones this year. I’ve had no lags or stutters, and everything runs perfectly. Because of driver compatibility issues, the MatePad Pro isn’t as performant in retro game console emulators to the same degree that tablets with Qualcomm chipsets are, so you won’t be playing any Nintedo GameCube, 3DS, or Wii games here. Most tablet buyers won’t be doing that anyway.

Apps launch fast and most built-for-Android mobile games run without frame drops. It’s a flagship tablet with a flagship processor, and if it didn’t provide the performance you’d expect from its flagship specs, then there would be an issue. Thankfully, there isn’t. Overall, if you’re picking up a Huawei MatePad Pro, you shouldn’t be worried about performance.

EMUI without Google Apps?

So to preface this section before we get into the software experience on the Huawei MatePad Pro, I should clarify that I have sideloaded Google Apps on my unit. I do not know if this will be possible in the future as the software version on my unit is old. However, I did make sure to use the Huawei AppGallery primarily at first just to get a feel for what a modern Huawei experience is like. I’m sad to say that it hampered my enjoyment of the tablet.

Let me be clear with one thing: This tablet can offer a great experience… with Google apps. Without Google apps, things are a bit more complicated. Trying to download the apps that I want to use often means downloading from multiple different sources, which is somewhat helped by Petal Search. I would consider myself tech-savvy, but I can’t imagine how difficult this may be for someone who is not.

Petal Search will find apps for you that aren’t on the AppGallery from trusted third-party sources. It does do the job as I was able to find most apps that I was looking for from sources that I recognized. Looking for my banking app, though, I found that Petal Search could only find it from sources that I didn’t recognize, and looking them up yielded very few results as to the trustworthiness of the source.

However, there is an alternative to those who don’t want to try and mess with installing Google Apps, and for those who don’t want to try and deal with Petal Search either. It’s called Aurora Store, and it can be found on the XDA Forums. How it works is pretty simple—it’s a third-party, open-source apps for accessing the Google Play Store, giving you access to all of the apps and games hosted on there. You can spoof your device, location, install updates, and you don’t even need Google Play Services for it to work. There’s just one thing to be mindful of, and that is the potential risk to your Google account should you sign-in. You’re technically violating Google’s TOS by using Aurora Store with your Google Account, after all. While you can use the app without a Google account, you won’t be able to download your already-paid apps if you do so.

Aurora store

Aurora Store (Free, XDA Labs) →

But let’s say you’re someone who has managed to figure all of that out, and you’ve set up the Huawei MatePad Pro with all of your apps that you want to use and all of your games you want to play. The next issue you’ll face is that SafetyNet Attestation won’t pass, so you won’t be able to use any banking apps or games that enforce it. Sadly, even setting up Google Apps won’t rectify that, and nor will it bump up your Widevine DRM level from L3 to L1.

As for how to set up Google Apps on the Huawei MatePad Pro, it can really depend on what software version you’re on. I tried the guide below, but your mileage may vary as I’ve heard this may not work for every software version.

If you can get around the lack of apps one way or another, the Huawei MatePad Pro is a fine tablet. It’s a great device for watching YouTube and local videos, and it has worked as a media consumption device when it was all that I could fit in my bag. The Huawei MatePad Pro is also a much lighter alternative to my laptop, making it a decent option for getting some work done. I wouldn’t use it as a permanent laptop replacement, but most of the time, it does what I need.

EMUI and productivity

The Huawei MatePad Pro has a number of productivity-focused features that make it a viable competitor to other premium tablets. I didn’t have the stylus accessory for review, so I couldn’t try out the tablet’s note-taking capabilities for use in university. However, I’ve had no issues using it as somewhat of a laptop replacement for basic tasks.

EMUI aids productivity in ways that make sense, primarily through the use of multiple window support. I can take notes or work on an article while Spotify is up in a smaller window, or I can have another web browser up in another window for research. This window is quite small but definitely usable, and it makes it much easier to do other tasks while I’m working.

EMUI itself is feature-packed, though I’ve not come across anything that I thought was really special. Multi-tasking is the best feature here, and that’s very well done. The 10.8-inch screen is great for keeping multiple applications open at a time when working. Multi-window works as well as you’d expect, and I’ve been using it when getting work done to look at notes or to control my music. Not all apps are compatible out of the box, but if you enable developer options, you can enable “force all activities to be resizeable”. Following a reboot, you’ll be able to resize previously-unsupported applications.

Accessories – Keyboard Case

The Huawei MatePad Pro that we received for review also came with the Huawei Keyboard Case, too. How it works is simple: It closes over the tablet like a book, and when you want to use it, you can just open it up and place it on a desk. The MatePad Pro magnetically snaps into one of two positions, which then wirelessly powers the keyboard and connects it to the tablet via Bluetooth. From there, it works just like a normal keyboard. When you’re done, simply close it back up again!

If you anticipate you’ll be doing a lot of writing on the go, the keyboard case is a good investment. I kept it on my Huawei MatePad Pro review unit all the time, and I used it both for replying to regular messages and for working. I didn’t really ever take it out of the case. The keyboard itself is nice to use, and it didn’t really feel all that cheap or flimsy, despite how thin it is. I was able to use it for long periods of time without issues.

If you think you’ll be writing a lot, the Keyboard Case is so much better to type on than using the on-display keyboard. The on-display keyboard is a bit unwieldy with such a large display, but that’s nothing unique to the Huawei MatePad Pro. Definitely consider picking up one of these if you are interested in this device.

Conclusion

The Huawei MatePad Pro can be a fantastic tablet, and for the price, may well be worth the investment. It may not be as feature-packed as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7, for example, but it’s much cheaper. With flagship specs, it may well be a great “lite” laptop that you can pick up for work or basic tasks. Definitely make sure you understand the limitations with the software experience and the various workarounds that are available to you before taking the plunge, though.

Huawei MatePad Pro

The Huawei MatePad Pro is an excellent tablet for those looking for a basic but flagship tablet experience.

£499 at Huawei

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OPPO brings the Reno4 Pro 5G, Reno4 5G, and Reno4 Z 5G to the UK

OPPO recently launched its Reno4 lineup as part of its Reno series, which launches roughly twice a year. And these devices offer a pretty good value, all things considered. But since the launch of the OPPO Reno3 lineup, they’ve been taking a (sort of) different approach to the way they launch devices globally. The phone that launched as the Reno3 Pro in India and other markets, for example, is way different than the one that launched as the Reno3 Pro in China. That device launched as the Find X2 Neo globally. A similar thing happened with the Reno4 in how the Pro variant launched in India with a Snapdragon 720G and quad rear cameras. Now, though, the same Reno4 phones that launched in China earlier this year are launching in the UK as the Reno4 Pro 5G and the Reno4 5G, as well as the newer Reno4 Z 5G.

Both 5G versions of the Reno4 Pro and the Reno4 are identical to the devices that launched in China earlier. That means that the quad rear camera setup in the Reno4 Pro is replaced for a triple one instead, and the Snapdragon 720G is replaced for the more powerful, and 5G capable, Snapdragon 765G. Of course, these devices’ headlining feature is 5G, and 5G needs an SoC that’s up for the task. Otherwise, though, the phones are pretty similar: The Pro variant has a curved 90Hz display, the regular variant has a flat 60Hz one, and both of them have hole-punch panels.

The Reno4 Z 5G, though, was actually just announced in China a couple of days back, and it’s actually just a rebrand of the OPPO A92s. It comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 800 processor which is also 5G-capable, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a different design language (with a square camera bump), and, the fastest refreshing display of the bunch at 120Hz (though it has an LCD instead of an AMOLED panel like the other two). It does come with a few downsides, though: Whereas the Reno4 Pro and the Reno4 feature 65W SuperVOOC 2.0, the Reno4 Z has a more conventional 18W charger.

Both the Reno4 and Reno4 Pro 5G are running Android 10 with ColorOS 7.2 out of the box, while the Reno4 Z 5G is running Android 10-based ColorOS 7.1. These devices will be among the first in line to get ColorOS 11 based on Android 11 when it rolls out more widely.

OPPO Reno4 5G Product Page ||| OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G Product Page ||| OPPO Reno4 Z 5G Product Page

OPPO Reno4 5G, Reno4 Pro 5G, Reno4 Z 5G: Specifications

Specifications	OPPO Reno4 5G (CPH2091)	OPPO Reno4 Pro 5G (CPH2089)	OPPO Reno4 Z 5G (CPH2065)
Dimensions and Weight	159.3 x 74.0 x 7.8mm 183g	159.6 x 72.5 x 7.6mm 172g	163.8 x 75.5 x 8.1mm 184g
Display	6.4″ AMOLED 2400×1080 resolution Flat display 60Hz refresh rate 409PPI Dual hole-punch	6.5″ AMOLED 2400×1080 resolution Curved display 90Hz refresh rate 402PPI Single hole-punch	6.57″ LCD 2400×1080 resolution Curved display 120Hz refresh rate 401PPI Dual hole-punch
CPU and GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Prime core @ 2.4GHz 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Performance core @ 2.2GHz 6x (ARM Cortex-A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz 7nm EUV process Adreno 620 GPU @ 625 MHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Prime core @ 2.4GHz 1x Kryo 475 (ARM Cortex-A76-based) Performance core @ 2.2GHz 6x (ARM Cortex-A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz 7nm EUV process Adreno 620 GPU @ 625 MHz	MediaTek Dimensity 800 4x ARM Cortex-A76 @ 2GHz 4 ARM Cortex-A55 @ 2GHz TSMC’s 7nm process (N7) ARM Mali-G57MC4 GPU
Storage and RAM	8GB + 128GB	12GB + 256GB	8GB + 128GB
Battery and Charging	2x2010mAh cells (4020 mAh total) 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging	2x2000mAh cells (4000 mAh total) 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging	4000mAh 18W charging
Rear Camera	Primary: 48MP, Sony IMX589, f/1.7, 1.20″ sensor Secondary: 8MP, ultra-wide-angle, 119° FoV, f/2.2 Tertiary: 2MP, monochrome camera, f/2.4 Laser AF Video: 4K@30, 1080p@30/60, 720p@30/60 Slow motion: 1080p@120, 720p@240	Primary: 48MP, Sony IMX586, f/1.7, 1.20″ sensor, OIS Secondary: 12MP, Sony IMX708, ultra-wide-angle, night scene video camera, 120° FoV, 1/2.43″ sensor, 1.4μm pixel size pre-binning Tertiary: 13MP, telephoto camera, f/2.4 Laser AF Video: 4K@30, 1080p@30/60, 720p@30/60 Slow motion: 1080p@120, 720p@240	Primary: 48MP Secondary: 8MP wide-angle lens Tertiary: 2MP black-and-white monochrome lens Quaternary: 2MP vintage portrait monochrome lens Video: 4K@30, 1080p@30, 720p@30
Front Camera	Primary: 32MP, f/2.4 Secondary: 2MP, f/2.4 Video: 1080p@30, 720p@30	Primary: 32MP, f/2.4 Video: 1080p@30, 720p@30	Primary: 16MP Secondary: 2MP depth sensor Video: 1080p@30, 720p@30
Security	Optical under-display fingerprint scanner	Optical under-display fingerprint scanner	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner
Sensors	Geomagnetic sensor, optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gravity sensor, gyroscope, pedometer	Geomagnetic sensor, optical proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gravity sensor, gyroscope, pedometer	Magnetic sensor, light sensor, proximity sensor, gravity sensor/accelerometer, other sensors
Ports	USB Type-C No 3.5mm headphone jack	USB Type-C No 3.5mm headphone jack	USB Type-C Has 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity	Qualcomm Snapdragon X52 5G modem (SA/NSA Dual Mode) SIM 1 (primary SIM) 5G: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n77/n78 4G（TD-LTE）: B38/B39/B40/B41/B42 4G（FDD-LTE）: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B32/B66 3G（WCDMA）: B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 2G（GSM）: 850/900/1800/1900MHz SIM 2 (Secondary SIM) 4G（TD-LTE）: B38/B39/B40/B41/B42 4G（FDD-LTE）: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B32/B66 3G（WCDMA）: B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 2G（GSM）: 850/900/1800/1900MHz WLAN: 2.4G/5.1G/5.8G; Wi-Fi Display; MU-MIMO supported Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth v5.1 Bluetooth Audio: SBC/AAC/APTX/APTX-HD/APTX-TWS/LDAC GNSS: Built-in GPS that supports A-GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS NFC: Android Beam supported, HCE/UICC supported	Qualcomm Snapdragon X52 5G modem (SA/NSA Dual Mode) SIM 1 (primary SIM) 5G: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n38/n40/n41/n77/n78 4G（TD-LTE）: B38/B39/B40/B41/B42 4G（FDD-LTE）: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B32/B66 3G（WCDMA）: B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 2G（GSM）: 850/900/1800/1900MHz SIM 2 (Secondary SIM) 4G（TD-LTE）: B38/B39/B40/B41/B42 4G（FDD-LTE）: B1/B2/B3/B4/B5/B7/B8/B12/B17/B18/B19/B20/B26/B28/B32/B66 3G（WCDMA）: B1/B2/B4/B5/B6/B8/B19 2G（GSM）: 850/900/1800/1900MHz WLAN: 2.4G/5.1G/5.8G; Wi-Fi Display; MU-MIMO supported Bluetooth Version: Bluetooth v5.1 Bluetooth Audio: SBC/AAC/APTX/APTX-HD/APTX-TWS/LDAC GNSS: Built-in GPS that supports A-GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS NFC: Android Beam supported, HCE/UICC supported	SIM Card 1： GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28/66 TD-LTE: Bands 38/39/40/41 5G NR: n77/78/38/40/41/1/3/5/7/8/20/28 SIM Card2： GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 FDD-LTE: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28/66 TD-LTE: Bands 38/39/40/41 5G NR: n77/78/38/40/41/1/3/5/7/8/20/28 WLAN: WLAN 2.4G, WLAN 5.1G, WLAN 5.5G, WLAN 5.8G, WLAN Display Bluetooth Version：Bluetooth v5.1 Bluetooth Audio Codec：SBC, AAC, aptx, aptx HD, LDAC GNSS: （Beidou）, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS NFC：HCE, NFC-SIM
Software	ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10	ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10	ColorOS 7.1 based on Android 10

 

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