CES 2019: HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Lite is aimed at families, featuring kid-friendly UI

While the MateBook 13 was certainly HUAWEI’s biggest focus at CES 2019, it wasn’t the only announcement from the company. After launching in India and other select markets late last year, the HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Lite is now on its way to the US market.

The HUAWEI MediaPad M5 Lite is a fairly mid-range device, though it’s solid aluminum construction seems pretty durable and, while it may not scream premium, it certainly doesn’t feel like a cheap budget tablet either. It also has a few extras you won’t find in most mid-rangers.

Instead of more typical single or dual speaker configurations, the M5 Lite has four speakers combined with HUAWEI Histen 5.0 audio enhancement technology for what should hopefully result in a pleasurable audio experience. Artistic types and young children will also appreciate the included M-Pen lite stylus. With 2,048 layers of pressure sensitivity, this could be a solid pen for making notes and sketches.

The MediaPad M5 Lite is powered by a Kirin 659 processor and backed by 3GB RAM. Other key specs include a 10.1-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, 32GB storage with microSD expansion, an 8MP front and rear cam, and a 7,500 Mah battery. Lastly, there’s a fingerprint scanner which is probably one of the most significant features on this tablet.

The MediaPad M5 Lite is aimed squarely at families, and that’s where the fingerprint reader comes into play. Adult family members can set up fingerprint security not only for themselves but also their younger children. Logging in with your fingerprint will trigger the full EMUI 8.0 experience if you’re an older user, while a child will be immediately logged into Kid’s Corner. The child-friendly UI is brightly colored, simple to use, and has parental control features that let parents set time limits and control access to certain apps and other content.

The MediaPad M5 Lite also features a distance sensor, posture detect sensor, ambient light sensor, and blu ray filter – all of which are designed to make the tablet even more child-friendly.

When the tablet is less than 9.8 inches away from your child’s face it will detect this and provide visual guidance to help ensure the M5 Lite is at the optimal viewing distance. The posture detect sensor determines if it is viewed at certain angles and provides posture guidance. Finally, the blu ray filter helps reduce eye strain by blocking out bluelight, while an ambient light sensor automatically adapts the color and brightness of the display to help protect young viewer’s eyes.

The MediaPad M5 Lite will arrive at Amazon, Newegg, and select retailers in late January in the US for $299. Without a full review it’s hard to say if this tablet is worth the money, but we certainly liked the child-friendly aspects and can see how this could be a solid family device.