Huawei kindles competition in e-reader segment with MatePad Paper launch

Chinese smartphone giant Huawei launched a gamut of products at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022 tech event in Barcelona on Sunday. What caught everyone’s eye was the Huawei MatePad Paper, an e-reader poised to challenge Amazon’s Kindle, the dominant device in the category.

Driving the new products push is Huawei’s ambition to bolster its consumer business — its smartphone sales have fallen over the past few months due to US sanctions on Chinese tech products.

E-reader specs

The MatePad Paper, the first e-reader from the Huawei stable, comes with a 10.3-inch display, and is compatible with the company’s M-Pencil, which is a brand-agnostic stylus. According to Huawei, the e-reader can be used in the work environment apart from for personal use.

Using the M-Pencil on the MatePad Paper is claimed to replicate the feel of writing on actual paper, thanks to a tiny amount of friction and the sound that comes from it. Users can also convert handwritten notes into electronic text, said a CNBC report.

“Experience paper-like reading and writing, efficient note-taking, enhanced multi-tasking, and creating seamless collaboration,” said the company on its website. “With Huawei MatePad Paper, take hold of your ideas.”

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The MatePad Paper comes with a 10.3-inch screen, which is rather big for an e-reader, and makes it ideal for official use as well. The stylus support and fingerprint scanner are also pluses.

Analysts pointed out that till date the Amazon Kindle has not had very serious competition, though some devices from Onyx and Xiaomi have received limited attention. The Huawei launch could pose a serious threat, they said.

At the MWC 2022, Huawei also launched a new generation of the MateBook X Pro laptop, which aims to rival Apple’s Macbook. Also on show was the Huawei MateBook E, which is a tablet with a detachable keyboard.