While Apple's premium-quality iPad is a family friendly device that everyone can understand, it still doesn't offer individual user accounts. This is where Huawei is stepping in with the MediaPad M5 Lite, a 10.1-inch Full HD tablet arriving in late January that features multiple users and a kids mode. Oh, and at $299, it's $30 cheaper than the iPad.
Once families set up the MediaPad M5 Lite, they'll use its fingerprint sensor to sign right into their own accounts. That means kids get access to the Kid's Corner: a bright, friendly interface featuring the parental controls, including time limits, that parents rely upon.
Huawei MediaPad M5 Lite Specs
| Price | $299 |
| Display | 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixels |
| Weight | 1.05 pounds |
| Size | 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.3 inches |
| Processor | Octa-core Kirin 659 |
| OS | Android 8.0 with EMUI 8.0 |
| Memory | 32GB |
| Storage | 3GB |
| Ports | USB Type-C, microSD reader |
| Battery Life (Estimated) | 13 hours of video playback |
| Special Features | M-Pen Lite included |
And on top of that, the M5 Lite's cameras feature distance sensors and posture detection, so it can teach your child to hold its bright screen at a distance (9.8 inches, or further, away). There's also a blue light filter, so that the screen isn't as harsh on their eyes, as well as a feature dubbed Enhanced Eye-comfort Mode.
The M5 Lite's screen is certainly no slouch, though, as the Avengers: Endgame trailer looked solid on it during my hands-on time. Those wellness features were also active, and immediately shamed me into straightening up and sitting further away.
Another pro in favor of the M5 Lite over the iPad is that it includes a stylus, the M Pen Lite, inside the box. That's a lot better than spending $99 on the Apple Pen (or $129 on the 2nd Gen Apple Pen).
The M5 Lite's design borders on elegant, with its metal Space Gray chassis with diamond-cut edges. Its back panel features a sandblasted finish. The tablet's screen features ClariVu 5.0 enhancement technology, while its quad-speaker setup is certified by the audio specialists at Harmon Kardon.
The slate runs on a Kirin 659 processor, packs 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM. It also features a USB Type-C port for quick charging, as well as a microSD slot for memory expansion (up to 256GB) and a headphone jack because not everyone has jumped to Bluetooth headsets yet (it also offers Bluetooth).
In terms of skinning, the MediaPad M5 Lite runs Huawei's EMUI 8.0 interface, which kids will probably be OK with (though Android purists might resist).
Sure, families could just get a cheaper Amazon Fire Kids tablet, and many do. But the MediaPad looks to blend the premium quality of an iPad with the family-friendly features of Amazon's tablets. We can't wait to test it.
Credit: Laptop Mag
