Reversing the traditional dynamic, the Huawei MatePad Air (2026) was announced for the global market back in July and will only launch in China next week on September 7 (Monday). This will happen at the event for the tri-folding Huawei Mate XT 2.
The Huawei MatePad Air (2026) is launching in China next week
The MatePad Air (2026) is a 12” tablet with a 144Hz OLED display – a 3:2 2,800 x 1,840px panel. Huawei’s PaperMatte technology is an optional upgrade – this cuts down on reflections and reduces interference from ambient light (and it costs extra).
The tablet is powered by the Kirin T93C chipset with 8/12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It has a 10,100mAh battery with 66W fast charging via the USB-C 3.1 port. There is also a magnetic accessory connector for the optional keyboard cover.
Huawei MatePad Air (2026)
Other interesting specs include the 6-speaker audio setup, a 50MP rear camera (4K @ 30fps video) and a 12MP front-facing camera. A stylus is supported as well and in some markets it gets bundled with select versions of the tablet. Check out our hands-on with the global version for a closer look.
The tablet measures 5.3mm thick and weighs 509g, which earns it the “Air” moniker. It has an aluminum frame, but it lacks an IP rating (so there’s no official dust or water resistance).
Global Huawei MatePad Air (2026) color options: Airy Blue • White • Sakura Pink
Like we said in the beginning, the Huawei MatePad Air (2026) is already available in several markets and its price is in the $800-$900 range. We expect that the price in China will be lower than that. The Air will be available in four colors: Pink, Dawn Gold, Blue and White (one more than the global version).
There is talk of upgrades for the Chinese release like increasing the screen’s maximum brightness from 1,200 nits to 2,000 nits. The software will certainly be different – the Chinese model will launch with HarmonyOS 7, while the global one runs v4.3.
PS. Huawei will unveil the MatePad Pro (2026), the Huawei Watch D3 and the FreeBuds Neo for the global market later today. As for the Mate XT 2, pre-orders are live in China.