If the arrival of the new tablet from Huawei The 10-inch has been a breath of fresh air in the field of the high-end, even more so has the 8-inch, since we still have less to choose from lately if we are looking for a smaller but level tablet. In the comparative Today we face him with one of the few rivals he has who, as usual, bears the stamp of Samsung: MediaPad M5 8 vs. Galaxy Tab S2 8.0.
Integrated
Although in both cases we find tablets with neat lines and good finishes, it should be noted that the tablet of Huawei It has a few points in its favor in the design section, starting with the metal casing, following the Harman Kardon stereo speakers and ending with the USB Type-C port. Both have, yes, a fingerprint reader and you have to remember that with the MediaPad M5 8 It comes without a headphone jack port, so in this sense we will depend on the adapter.
Dimensions
If in the design section the Galaxy Tab S2 it is one step behind, where it is practically unbeatable is in terms of dimensions. The difference in size is perhaps less noticeable than that of proportions and it must be taken into account that it also responds to the fact that its screen is a little smaller (21,26x12,48 inch against 19,86x13,48 inch) but its advantage in weight (316 grams against 265 grams) and thickness (7,3 mm against 5,6 mm) is indisputable.
Screen
Although in both cases we have large screens there are a few differences to take into account. To begin with, on the one hand, the tablet of Huawei wins in resolution2560 x 1600 against 2048 x 1536) but, on the other, with that of Samsung let's enjoy the fantastic image quality of its Super AMOLED panels. To this must be added other factors that, depending on our habits and preferences, it is important that we also take into account, such as that they use different aspect ratios (16:10, optimized for video playback, compared to 4: 3, optimized for reading) or that the display of the MediaPad M5 is a little bigger8.4 inches against 8 inches).
Performance
In the performance section we do have a clear victory for the tablet of Huawei, which not only mounts a more recent processor, but also more powerful (Kirin 960 eight core to 2,1 GHz against Exynos 5433 eight core to 1,9 GHz), but is accompanied by more RAM memory (4 GB against 3 GB) and arrives with the latest version of Android, OreoWhile Galaxy Tab S2 it is only upgradeable to nougat for the moment.
Storage capacity
Where there are no significant differences between the two is in the storage capacity, since both offer us what is now normal in the high range: 32 GB internal memory expandable via card micro-SD. It must be borne in mind, yes, that Huawei announced that even the 8-inch model would be launched in versions with up to 128 GB, but we do not know the availability that they will finally have, thinking that they probably have a relatively low demand.
Cameras
In the cameras section the MediaPad M5 takes the lead again and it is that few tablets are going to find better technical specifications in this section than she, with 13 MP for the main camera and 8 MP for the front. In any case, for an average user those of the Galaxy Tab S2, with 8 and 2 MP, respectively, are probably more than enough.
Autonomy
We have already had the opportunity to see the first autonomy tests of the MediaPad M5 10 but, logically, its results are not directly extrapolated to the 8-inch one. In any case, if you stay close to what your older sister has achieved, you are guaranteed victory, since this is perhaps the weakest point of the game. Galaxy Tab S2, due to the fact that its reduced thickness is achieved at the cost of a battery with a rather small capacity, much lower than that of its rival (5100 mAh against 4000 mAh).
MediaPad M5 8 vs Galaxy Tab S2 8.0: final balance of the comparison and price
The main points against the Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 Front of MediaPad M5 8 basically, they have to do with the fact that it is a relatively old tablet, something that is especially noticeable in the performance section (and not as much as it could be, thanks to the fact that Samsung updates its tablets a lot) and that it is not up to date in design (it lacks a few of the improvements that the Galaxy Tab S3 brought in this section). Its strong point is still the screen, but that of the tablet of Huawei It is also of a high level, and it is very thin and light at the cost of not shining too much in autonomy.
Although it will depend a bit on our preferences, as a whole, therefore, we would say that the MediaPad M5 8 is a superior option right now, but keep in mind that it is also going to be more expensive: it has just hit stores for $350While Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 we are seeing her lately even for less than $300.