Huawei MatePad Mini and WATCH GT Runner 2 Launch in Malaysia
TLDR:
- Huawei MatePad Mini: 5.2mm thin, 260g, 8.8-inch Flexible OLED PaperMatte Display at 1800 nits with P3 wide colour gamut<
- 50MP main camera and 32MP front camera with 6400mAh battery and 66W SuperCharge
- M-Pencil Pro support transforms the Mini into a digital canvas — priced at RM2,199
- Huawei WATCH GT Runner 2: Aerospace-grade titanium at 34.5g with multi-system GNSS and 3D floating antenna
- Marathon Mode features coaching insights from Eliud Kipchoge and dsm-firmenich, 14-day battery, RM1,499
Huawei MatePad Mini — Portability Without Compromise
Huawei has launched the MatePad Mini in Malaysia, and the device makes an immediate impression with its specifications. At 5.2 millimetres thick and weighing just 260 grams, the MatePad Mini is notably slimmer and lighter than most tablets in its class. This is not a budget tablet with stripped specifications — Huawei has built a premium compact tablet designed for users who want portability without sacrificing display quality or performance.
The display uses an 8.8-inch Flexible OLED panel with Huawei’s PaperMatte technology, which reduces glare and reflections to create a reading and writing surface that mimics paper. The PaperMatte finish also reduces eye strain during extended use, which matters for students and professionals who spend hours with their tablet. Resolution is set at 2.5K (2560 by 1600 pixels), delivering sharp text and detailed images that take advantage of the OLED panel’s contrast ratio.
Brightness reaches 1800 nits peak, ensuring the MatePad Mini remains usable outdoors in Malaysian sunlight without needing to boost brightness to maximum. The P3 wide colour gamut coverage means colours appear accurate and saturated for photo review, video playback, and digital art creation. This combination of PaperMatte finish, OLED contrast, and P3 colour accuracy makes the MatePad Mini particularly well-suited for creative work and content consumption in bright environments.
Camera and Battery That Travel Well
Huawei equips the MatePad Mini with a 50-megapixel main camera that is unusual for tablets but welcome for document scanning, whiteboard photography, and casual photography. The 32-megapixel front-facing camera handles video calls with detail sufficient for professional use, supporting 1080p video calls with the device’s noise-reduction algorithms working to clean up the image in challenging lighting.
The 6400mAh battery delivers extensive endurance for a device this thin. Huawei rates the MatePad Mini at approximately 10 hours of continuous video playback, which covers most long-haul flights and full working days without access to a charger. When charging is necessary, the 66W SuperCharge system restores the battery rapidly. Huawei claims the 66W charger takes the MatePad Mini from empty to 50 percent in approximately 30 minutes.
The M-Pencil Pro stylus support is the feature that transforms the MatePad Mini from a consumption device into a productivity tool. The stylus attaches magnetically to the tablet’s frame, pairs automatically, and charges wirelessly. Huawei’s note-taking and drawing apps take full advantage of the stylus, with pressure sensitivity, tilt detection, and low latency making the tablet viable for digital illustration, handwritten notes, and document annotation.
Huawei WATCH GT Runner 2 — Built for Serious Runners
Huawei launched the WATCH GT Runner 2 alongside the MatePad Mini, targeting athletes who want precision sports tracking without the bulk of dedicated GPS watches. The device uses aerospace-grade titanium for the case, keeping the weight down to just 34.5 grams despite the large battery and multi-antenna GNSS system inside.
The multi-system GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver tracks GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, and QZSS simultaneously, providing faster satellite acquisition and more accurate position tracking than single-constellation GPS. Huawei’s 3D floating antenna design uses the titanium case itself as part of the antenna structure, improving signal reception without adding external antenna elements that could break or collect debris.
Huawei’s X-DR positioning algorithm combines satellite data with barometric altitude and accelerometer inputs to smooth position errors that plague standard GPS tracking. For runners training in urban environments where building reflections corrupt GPS signals, the X-DR algorithm significantly improves distance and pace accuracy compared to unassisted GPS.
Marathon Mode with Eliud Kipchoge and dsm-firmenich Partnership
The WATCH GT Runner 2’s Marathon Mode represents Huawei’s most ambitious sports coaching integration. The device includes training insights developed with Eliud Kipchoge, the world record holder and first human to run a sub-two-hour marathon, and dsm-firmenich, a global science-based company specialising in health and performance nutrition. The partnership provides the WATCH GT Runner 2 with running economy metrics, lactate threshold detection, and personalised training load recommendations.
Lactate threshold tracking measures the exercise intensity at which lactate accumulates in the bloodstream faster than the body can clear it — the threshold that separates aerobic from anaerobic training. Knowing this threshold allows runners to target specific training zones for optimal adaptation, improving endurance without accumulating excessive fatigue.
Running power analysis on the wrist gives athletes real-time feedback on their output in watts, similar to cycling power meters. This metric is more accurate than pace for measuring effort because it accounts for terrain gradient, wind, and surface conditions. The WATCH GT Runner 2 displays running power during workouts, allowing runners to self-regulate effort without relying on perceived exertion alone.
The device supports over 100 sports modes covering running, cycling, swimming, strength training, and more exotic activities, with sport-specific metrics for each mode.
Pricing and Availability in Malaysia
The Huawei MatePad Mini launches at RM2,199 for the WiFi-only configuration. Pre-order customers receive bundled gifts worth up to RM2,014, which Huawei has not fully detailed but suggests include official protective cases, M-Pencil Pro stylus, and charging accessories. The pre-order window opens now through Huawei stores, authorised dealers, Shopee, and Lazada.
The Huawei WATCH GT Runner 2 launches at RM1,499, positioning it competitively against the Garmin Forerunner series and Apple Watch Ultra in the premium sports watch segment. The WATCH GT Runner 2 is available through the same channels as the MatePad Mini.
Both devices run Huawei’s latest HarmonyOS iteration with full Google Mobile Services support for Malaysian models, resolving the app availability concerns that affected earlier Huawei devices.
Our Take
Huawei has arrived at the Malaysian market with two products that address genuine gaps rather than chasing spec-sheet competition. The MatePad Mini’s 5.2mm thickness and 260g weight make it the most portable premium tablet available locally, and the PaperMatte OLED display with P3 colour gamut creates a viewing and working experience that justifies the premium pricing.
For Malaysian students and creative professionals, the M-Pencil Pro support is the deciding factor. Samsung and Apple dominate the premium compact tablet space, but neither offers stylus support at this price point with comparable display quality. The MatePad Mini fills a gap for users who want a digital canvas that fits in a school bag without effort.
The WATCH GT Runner 2 deserves attention from the serious running community. The Eliud Kipchoge and dsm-firmenich partnership gives the device genuine scientific credibility that marketing partnerships rarely deliver. Lactate threshold detection and running power analysis are features that serious amateur and elite athletes will use regularly, and having them on a wrist-worn device removes the need for separate lab testing to establish training zones.
At RM1,499 with a 14-day battery life, the WATCH GT Runner 2 undercuts comparable Garmin devices while delivering more sophisticated training analytics than most competitors offer at this price. The aerospace titanium construction and 3D floating antenna address durability and accuracy concerns that have limited adoption of GPS watches for serious training.
Source
Huawei MatePad Mini Product Page
