Hands-on: There's no stopping Huawei with its many tablets and earbuds (updated)

Huawei still has room for you, and vice versa. #huawei #nova13 #freearc #tablet #smartphone #wearable #matepad

Note: This feature was first published on 19 February 2025.

10 March 2025 update: Huawei Band 10 gets official pricing in Singapore. Updated below.

Huawei's February 2025 Product Launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei's February 2025 Product Launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Photo: HWZ.

Despite its adverse business climate hampering its global smartphone growth and user base, Huawei still offers robust consumer tech products in other areas. For example, you can always pair Huawei earbuds or wearables with a compatible Android handset and keep your work and personal life separate from a non-Android tablet for entertainment.

Huawei's latest launch event in Malaysia. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei's latest launch event in Malaysia. Photo: HWZ.

Encapsulating its breadth of delectable gadgets, Huawei did a major February 2025 all-in-one product launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, showing u that Huawei still has room for you, and vice versa.

Here, we will look at:

Huawei Nova 13

Huawei Nova13. Photo: Huawei.

Huawei Nova13. Photo: Huawei.

The Nova lineup is Huawei’s midrange series, offering excellent hardware for the price. The Huawei Nova 13 now leads the lineup as the latest model.

The phone packs an interesting plaid texture design for the rear glass, a 6.7-inch flat-edge OLED display with AI HDR, a large 5,000mAh battery that supports 100W wired fast charging and more.

Unlike most handsets, it's selfie-focused. The ultrawide 60MP front camera offers a 100° FOV and Quad PD phase-detection AutoFocus to allow focusing on all the sensor's pixels. The front camera even has 2x optical zoom and 5x digital zoom to enhance its selfie tricks. Software optimisation comes from its AI Best Expression, where it selects the best facial expressions in solo or group shots.

On the rear, there’s a 50MP main camera and an 8MP ultrawide camera that doubles as the macro lens. There is also a laser focusing sensor and a 10-channel colour temperature sensor. These cameras support up to 10x digital zoom.

Unfortunately, no Nova 13 demo units were available at the event, so we couldn’t try the phone ourselves. However, we know it runs on EMUI 14.2 (based on Android 12, without GMS).

Huawei Nova13. Photo: Huawei.

Huawei Nova13. Photo: Huawei.

The Huawei Nova 13 in Loden Green costs S$598 (12GB RAM + 256GB storage) and is available on Lazada and Shopee.

Pre-orders will start on 18 February 2025. Pre-orders will be entitled to a free Huawei FreeBuds SE 2 (worth S$89), and there are S$50 early bird vouchers while stocks last (first-claim, first-checkout basis).

The phone will be available for sale from 24 February 2025 onwards.

Huawei MatePad 11.5

Huawei MatePad 11.5. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei MatePad 11.5. Photo: HWZ.

The two new Huawei tablets have different provisions based on your viewing needs.

Huawei MatePad 11.5 has a PaperMatte Display with anti-glare etching that helps minimise reflections that can cause eye fatigue. The 11.5-inch, 2,200 x 1,440 resolution display has a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and content consumption.

To give the display a magazine-like feel, it has Color eBook Mode, where its colour mapping is tuned to match its PaperMatte Display. The hue, brightness, colour temperature, and other colour sciences are refined to replicate the texture and vibrancy of comic books.

It’s compatible with Huawei’s third-generation M-Pencil Package, which uses damping and vibration to simulate a real pen-on-paper experience.

The MatePad 11.5 also offers access to native desktop applications like WPS Office and floating multi-window support for better multitasking and productivity. Additionally, the tablet can also be used as a second screen. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2. Photo: HWZ.

If productivity is your main concern, the MatePad Pro 13.2 comes with an even larger 13.2-inch display, Huawei’s first Flexible OLED PaperMatte Display.

Like the MatePad 11.5, the anti-glare coating keeps the screen readable, while the matte finish diffuses light evenly, making the screen legible and reflection-free.

The large 2.8K resolution display comes with a peak brightness of 1,000 nits and allows for side-by-side multitasking, with plenty of usable screen space thanks to thin bezels and a 94% screen-to-body ratio

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2. Photo: HWZ.

The MatePad Pro 13.2 comes with a massive 10,100mAh battery that supports 100W fast wired charging, so it’ll last through most moderate use cases. Even if the battery runs out, that 100W fast charging can juice it back up quickly.

The 2-in-1 PC-level bundle includes the NearLink Split Keyboard and NearLink M-Pencil, allowing the user to type and write on the tablet.

At just 1,076g heavy for the entire setup or 580g for just the tablet itself, it’s a portable system perfect for bringing on the go. 

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2. Photo: HWZ.

For creatives, the MatePad Pro 13.2 has Huawei’s exclusive painting and sketching application, GoPaint. It can handle 8K canvases up to 29 layers without lag. We tested the tablet during the launch event in Kuala Lumpur, and it was lightweight.

The attached keyboard makes editing spreadsheets, Word documents, and more super easy. It can also run the full PC version of Kingsoft's WPS Office applications.

Furthermore, the Huawei Smart Keyboard can be used even if detached from the tablet so that it can be used in different setups.

Both tablets will be available for pre-order on 18 February 2025, 4 PM, and will be available for general purchase on 24 February. Prices and pre-order gifts are listed in the table below.

Do note that the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2 will also be available for pre-order at both Huawei Experience Stores in Singapore. Still, no Early Bird voucher discount will be available if you pre-order in-person instead of online.

Product
Price
Colour
Pre-order bonus
Notes
Huawei MatePad 11.5
S$598
Space Gray
Freebies worth S$385 - Huawei Smart Keyboard, Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Gen), Huawei FreeBuds SE 2
Pre-order at Huawei Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2
S$1,498
Premium Gold
Freebies worth S$544 - Huawei Smart Keyboard, Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Gen), Huawei FreeClip

Pre-order at Huawei Official stores on Lazada and Shopee

Pre-order at Huawei Experience Store, no Early Bird voucher discount

Huawei FreeArc

Huawei FreeArc. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei FreeArc. Photo: HWZ.

There’s also the Huawei FreeArc, Huawei’s first open-ear earbuds with ear hooks for a more secure fit.

Reviving Huawei’s C-Bridge design, the FreeArc uses a 0.7mm nickel-titanium alloy to ensure the hook can mould to the user’s ears. The earbuds have a 140° triangle support and are covered with skin-friendly liquid silicone. They have a symmetrical acoustic structure and come equipped with a 17 x 12mm high-sensitivity driver. 

The FreeArc has an IP57 rating. Photo: HWZ.

The FreeArc has an IP57 rating. Photo: HWZ.

These earbuds have an IP57 dust and water resistance rating (read what this means here) and water-resistant microphones, so you won’t have to worry about rain or sweat ruining them.

We also tried them on at the event, and they sit incredibly securely and comfortably in the ear, even with vigorous headshaking and jumping around.

For outdoor runners, gym-goers and athletes, this should be a decent option if you prioritise having a secure fit when exercising vigorously.

Huawei FreeArc in purple. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei FreeArc in purple. Photo: HWZ.

While the bass isn’t as powerful, it’s to be expected from a pair of open-ear earbuds. The demo floor was rather noisy, but we felt the mids and highs were quite evident even in such conditions.

Thanks to the earbuds resting on the outside of the ear, wearers can keep an ear out for their surroundings and exercise safely while wearing them for outdoor runs.

A new Huawei Audio Connect app is slated to launch next month. Huawei says the app will make connecting the company’s audio products to iOS and Android devices even easier.

There’s currently no Singapore price or availability date for the Huawei FreeArc. 

Huawei Band 10

Huawei Band 10. Photo: HWZ.

Huawei Band 10. Photo: HWZ.

Last but not least, the Huawei Band 10 is Huawei’s new smart band, featuring an Enhanced Sleep Health Assistant feature that provides personalised sleep insights, recommendations, and summaries of the wearer’s sleep patterns using heart rate variability (HRV) data.

Weighing just 15g, the built-in Emotional Wellbeing Assistant monitors physiological changes throughout the day with real-time health data. It visually tracks these changes with an interactive panda-themed watch face that tracks and displays mood shifts.

Unfortunately, there were also no Huawei Band 10 units on display for us to look at during the launch event.

Huawei Band 10. Photo: Huawei.

Huawei Band 10. Photo: Huawei.

10 March 2025 update: Huawei Band 10 is available for pre-order on Lazada and Shopee for just S$58. General availability starts on 14 March 2025, 8 PM SGT. The offers for this wearable are detailed below.

Pricing and availability

For convenience, you can find all the prices and availability details of the announced products in the handy table below. When we get that information, we’ll update this article with local pricing for the Huawei FreeArc and Huawei Band 10.

Product
Price
Pre-order date
Pre-order freebies
General sale date
Notes
Huawei Nova13
S$598
18 February 2025
Freebies worth S$89 - Huawei FreeBuds SE 2 S$50 Early Bird voucher, while stocks last
24 February 2025
Pre-order at Huawei Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee
Huawei MatePad 11.5
S$598
18 February 2025

Freebies worth S$385 - Huawei Smart Keyboard, Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Gen), Huawei FreeBuds SE 2

S$50 Early Bird voucher, while stocks last

24 February 2025
Pre-order at Huawei Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2
S$1,498
18 February 2025

Freebies worth S$544 - Huawei Smart Keyboard, Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Gen), Huawei FreeClip

S$100 Early Bird voucher, while stocks last

24 February 2025

Pre-order at Huawei Official stores on Lazada and Shopee

Pre-order at Huawei Experience Stores, no Early Bird voucher discount

Huawei Band 10

S$58 (Polymer)

S$68 (Aluminium)

10 March 2025
S$8 Early Bird voucher, first-come, first-served
14 March 2025, 8PM

Two variations:

Durable Polymer Case (Black, Pink)

Aluminium Alloy Case (Green, Matte Black, Purple, Blue, White)

Note #1: Blue is a Lazada exclusive

Note #2: White is a Shopee exclusive

Note #3: Blue and White are only available from 14 March to 24 March 2025.

Huawei FreeArc
TBC

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