Huawei is back with a new iPad Pro competitor and folding phone

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Not to be slowed down by a little bit of coronavirus or Mobile World Congress being canceled, Huawei has been showing off its new iPad Pro killer at a closed-door event in Barcelona. Also shown, a new folding phone, because why not at this point.

The biggest thing to note here isn’t the new devices though, it’s the lack of the Google Play Store, as current U.S. sanctions against the company are still in effect. That means both devices use Huawei’s AppGallery storefront instead, limiting their usefulness for basically everyone. Let’s take a look at both models below.

The MatePad Pro 5G tablet

The MatePad Pro 5G brings 5G to the tablet space, with a 10.8 inch AMOLED screen, either 6 or 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of internal storage, and a huge 7,250 mAh battery. The capable Kirin 990 5G chipset powers the whole thing, and yes, it’s clad in soft-finished aluminum like its iPad competition.

You’ll be able to get one for €749 for the 8GB RAM, 256GB storage model when they start shipping in April of this year. Well, European readers will be able to anyway. Sorry U.S. based readers, you’ll not be able to get your hands on the best alternative to the iPad Pro.

The Huawei Mate XS folding phone

Another device you probably won’t be able to get is the €2,499 Huawei Mate XS (seen at top). Huawei’s latest foldable is a refresh of last year’s Mate X, and it’s firmly aimed at people who might be contemplating the Galaxy Fold. It’s got the same Kirin 990 5G chipset as the tablet, 8 GB of RAM, 512 GB of internal storage, and a huge 4,500 mAh battery (split between the two halves). Huawei says it’s up to 80 percent stronger than the 8-inch screen used in the prior device, so keep an eye out for those inevitable torture tests.

Unlike the MatePad Pro 5G, the Mate XS will be available to “global markets” next month, according to The Verge.

While these units look impressive, will the lack of Play Store (and the high price tag on the Mate XS) convince buyers that to drop hard-earned cash?

What do you think? Are you interested in either of these new devices from Huawei? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Forget folding phones, bring back the Sidekick
• Motorola’s Razr folding phone is having a hard time, uh, folding
• So apparently Samsung HASN’T sold one million Galaxy Folds
• Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip is another folding phone no one needs

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.