Huawei MediaPad T3 Android 8" tablet KOB-L09 (review)

Huawei’s 8” Media Pad 3 Android tablet is a quality offering in a very crowded market. It adds 4G/LTE and good build quality to the mix for a reasonable price.

Before we get into the review, I want to apologise both to you as readers and to Huawei for back-flipping on my vow not to review another bland Android tablet unless it offers something different or exciting.

Why? Because reviewing Android tablets is as exciting as watching paint dry. They are all basically glass slabs, alloy/plastic chassis, a camera (no flash), and an older version of Android.

Android tablets are like a pair of old slippers –they are comfortable, and you need them. Android tablets are good for one thing – content viewing – and every lounge room needs one!

Their usefulness comes down to screen size and type – typically 10.1, 9.7, 8 and 7” in LCD or AMOLED. I must admit a preference for larger screens, but 8” will do the job.

So, with that less than enthusiastic introduction here is why I decided to review the Huawei Media Tab T3 – KOB-LO9.

It has 4G LTE capability, a good 8” screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor and I was curious to see how Huawei added value to a tablet that I had seen on eBay for under $200 or sold via Vodafone on a 24-month data plan from $20 per month.

Review Huawei MediaPad T3 KOB-L09

Specifications and comments

Huawei Media Pad T3	Specification	GadgetGuy comments
Screen	8”, 1280 x 800 HD, 16:10 800:1 contrast, 189ppi IPS LCD. Colour control: default, warm cold	Nice screen Good colours on the default setting Adequate daylight readability Fingerprint magnet Low 70.5% screen-to-body ratio means it is larger than it needs to be No mention of glass protection
Processor	Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 quad-core A53 4 x 1.4 GHz	Mid-tier processor (SD 425) with far more capability than Huawei is using. Surprised it is not using its own Kirin HI Silicon processor
Graphics	Adreno 308	Adequate for browser and app-based games and video (720p)
RAM/Storage	2GB 16GB eMMC (6GB free) microSD to 128GB OTG support	2GB is fine for Android 7.x as there will be no upgrade to 8.x 16GB is way too small and with 6GB free. Random read/write speeds of eMMC were slow 50/5MB/s
Battery	4800mAh Micro-USB charge 5V/2A Recharge time: 5 hours	Video loop, 720p at 50% lasted about 10 hours. Around 1.5 days normal use SD 425 support Fast Charge, but it does not appear to be enabled
Audio/Speaker	Single mono speaker 3.5mm combo audio jack	Loudness 82dB (good) but no bass, recessed mids and lots of treble made it ‘tinny’. Bluetooth and 3.5mm output were good
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi N 2.4Ghz Wi-Di (cast) Hotspot	SD 425 supports AC dual band Wave 2, but this is not enabled. Wi-Fi speed was 72Mb/s compared to Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 (set to 2.4Ghz) at 144Mb/s
Bluetooth	4.0 A2DP	SD 425 supports 4.1 – not enabled
GPS	Supports ETMS and global emergency service announcements	Was relatively accurate Obtained GPS signal quickly
LTE	LTE Cat 4 150/74Mb/s Bands: B1, B3, B5 (B19), B8, B20, B38, B40 As well as 3G	Tested at 83/25Mb/s on Telstra 4GX Not using SD 425 X6 LTE modem features like 2×10 MHz aggregation,
NFC	No	Not mandatory but the SD 425 supports it, and it’s not enabled
IP rating	No	Few tablets have this – not a deal breaker
Rear Camera	5MP, 28mm, Autofocus Geo-tagging HDR (in app) Document Scan No flash	Camera produced ‘fit-for-purpose’ images although lacking a little in colour saturation, shadow detail, and white balance. Will record in 1080p. Says stereo sound but there is only one mic
Front camera	2MP Fixed focus	Suitable for video chat – maximum 720p.
Android	7.0 and EMUI 5.1	Tablets seldom get upgrades EMU1 5.1 is a heavy user experience over pure Android. Loaded with lots of additional apps that take up space.
Software	Pre-loaded with Office (subscription required) Children’s Corner Google apps	Delete all you can to free up space.Z Apps cannot be installed to microSD card – that is for audio/video storage. Children’s Corner has a built-in password and parental settings.
Build	Milled alloy block Space grey	Quality build No mention of screen coating
Size	H x W x D: 211.07 x 124.65 x 7.95 mm x 350g	Given its 16:10 screen and low screen to body ratio it feels bigger than similar tablets
Price	$249	Vodafone only and on 24-month data, plans starting from $20 per month. Warning: parallel/grey market will be around $200 but do not have Australian warranty
Warranty	One year