Huawei MateBook X
Huawei's first attempt at a laptop is a MacBook-like Ultrabook for Windows 10 users. It's mostly well executed, too, but there are a few sacrifices.
Huawei is a relatively new name to the Windows 10 world, but the company made some waves last year with its positively received MateBook tablet 2-in-1. For 2017, that device has been rebranded as MateBook E, but it is the new MateBook X that is turning heads.
The MateBook X is Huawei's first attempt at a premium Ultrabook, and for the most part, the company succeeded. Not only the is MateBook X a well-rounded PC, it pushes boundaries to reach current design limits.
Does a fanless 2.3-pound (1.05 kg) laptop that is only 12.5mm thin bring anything new to the Windows 10 world? You bet. It's not for everyone, but this staggeringly small laptop has a target audience that will appreciate it.
The MateBook X’s design is defined by its slightly squarer shape than your average widescreen laptop. The 13-inch screen is surrounded by a very thin bezel, which really helps draw your eyes into the screen.
Where the MateBook X really comes into its own is portability. It’s not quite as light at the sub-1kg ZenBook 3, but at 1.05kg it comes very close. It’s thinner, too, at 12.5mm. This is one of the most baggable laptops you can buy today.
The port selection is a bit of a worry, with just a pair of USB 3.1 type-C connectors. The port on the left side accepts power and nothing else, while the port on the right is for data only. Since USB 3.1 is often universal (the MacBook Pro can accept power and data from any of its four connectors), it feels a bit limiting. You also don’t get a USB-C-to-USB-A connector in the box in all regions, although my review sample did come with one.There’s no word on whether UK models will get one, however.
The fact it isn't touch-screen means that it isn't a big deal that the glass attracts fingerprints and general grubby marks very easily. Still, a micro fibre cloth wouldn't go amiss if you're planning on presenting from it.
With a quoted brightness of 350nits, things don't get as bright as they do on most high-end smartphones or powerhouse editing laptops. But when compared to 12/13in ultrabooks like the regular 12in MacBook, Asus Zenbook 3 and Dell XPS 13, the MateBook X impressively wins out, making it best-in-class for outdoor usability.
The tall aspect ratio also gives you tonnes of vertical space when editing documents, and split-screen multi-tasking is hard-wired into Windows 10, making working across applications both easy and natural.
The touchpad is a bit small for my liking. It is certified for Microsoft Precision gestures, which is always welcome, but in a world where touchpads are growing bigger by the generation, it feels dinky. This is the price you pay for a smaller footprint, but it’s still a very small mark on what is otherwise a good input experience.
The power button doubles as a fingerprint scanner, which is a great idea. Press it, put your finger on it and it instantly unlocks the computer. It’s the best fingerprint scanner I’ve used on a computer and easily as good as the Huawei’s smartphone fingerprint sensors – the best in the business.
The MateBook X also sports a 1-megapixel cam for all your video chatting needs. It's not the sharpest or most detailed webcam I've seen, but it will get the job done. And unlike the XPS 13's camera, the MateBook X's webcam is in the right place: above the display.
Huawei is making a big deal about its partnership with Dolby. Both companies worked together on the MateBook X's hardware (speakers) and software as this laptop is the first to feature Dolby's Atmos dynamic surround-sound system. Most companies just add in the software, but giving Dolby access to fine-tune and help design the actual speakers makes a substantial difference.
The MateBook X features two top-firing speakers located between the keyboard and display (I assume this also serves as passive venting for the CPU). The location is ideal as the sound is not muffled, and in effect, it bounces off the display at the user.
The sound itself reminds me very much of the iPhone 7 Plus's speakers, which have a slight mechanical tuning to them. With the Dolby Atmos software, the system can dynamically adjust sound curves based on the content that is currently playing, or users can override the setting and even customize it to their liking.
What is impressive – besides the clarity – is the volume. It can be very loud – louder than I would ever want to use it - and yet there is zero distortion. Voices are clear and distinct, which is ideal for movies and TV, and surround sound when using headphones is outstanding. These are the best speakers on any laptop we have tried.
The MateBook X only has two USB-C ports. The one on the left of the machine doubles as the power port, the one on the right can accept the bundled dongle, which provides USB-C pass-through as well as a USB-A port, VGA and HDMI out, but not an ethernet port.
Having two USB-C ports is certainly better than just one and helps futureproof the MateBook X, while including an adapter dongle in the box helps ease the transition from legacy USB-A and other connections. Those with older peripherals will be confined to a life filled with dongles in the immediate future.
The spec for the MateBook X is largely the same as other flagship Ultrabooks on the market right now, but we didn't get sent the top version of the MateBook X as there's also an Intel Core i7 version of the laptop up for sale. In our usage, we didn't find there to be much use for the extra processing power but you may want to opt for it if you're planning to use this for intensive tasks such as gaming.
With everyday tasks such as word processing, internet browsing and watching video we found the MateBook X to have excellent performance. Programs load quickly without any further input after you've opened them up and we found it to work as quickly as most other best laptops on the market right now.
In our benchmarking tests for the MateBook X, we found it to get a single core score of 3741 within Geekbench 4. In our battery test we found the MateBook X to last for 10.5 hours at 50% screen brightness while playing video.
Huawei MateBook X OS
HP has a similar feature for its devices, but it uses an app you can download onto Android and iOS devices to share information between your HP computer and your smartphone or tablet. Huawei missed an opportunity to make its sharing feature accessible in a similar way, which would have made it more useful to a larger group of potential customers.
We're always a little concerned about battery life when testing out a system this thin, especially one with a Core i7 CPU. However, with a runtime of 8 hours and 41 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, the MateBook X beat our current ultraportable average of 8:21 by 20 minutes. Asus' ZenBook 3 was even farther behind, with a runtime of 7:05.
Unfortunately, when compared to Apple's and Dell's flagship competitors, the MateBook X's battery life doesn't look quite as nice. The Core i7 XPS 13 lasted about half an hour longer, at 9:11, while the 12-inch Apple MacBook topped the MateBook X by almost a full hour, at 9:38.
If you are on the market for an Ultrabook and can find one to buy, the MateBook X is worth adding to your shortlist. It lacks the multimedia appeal of the fan-cooled Dell XPS 13, Razer Blade Stealth and Microsoft Surface Laptop, but up against the Asus ZenBook 3 it’s a really tight race.
With a great screen, silent running and thinner design, this is the new ultra-thin Windows laptop champ. I don’t yet have a UK price for it, but my inc-VAT estimations based on EU pricing puts it at around £1200 for this model, which is quite expensive no matter which way you look at it.
This isn’t a MacBook replacement, though. You’re limited by the oddities of Windows 10 and you won’t get the pleasures of MacOS, but if you’re OS-agnostic, the MateBook X feels like better value.
Whatever you think of the MateBook X, there’s no doubt it’s an impressive first stab at a laptop. It’s almost as thin and light as the Apple MacBook, yet boasts a larger 13in display and a more powerful processor. Battery life is excellent, the screen is sumptuous, the ergonomics spot on and the speakers are incredible.
It isn’t perfect. The fanless design means the MateBook X can get quite warm and performance dips when you push it hard. You should also be aware that the 12in Asus Zenbook 3 is just as lightweight, costs a considerable amount less and yet offers more RAM and double the storage.
However, if you absolutely must have that extra inch of screen real estate, the MateBook X is hard to beat. It’s a rather lovely, ultraportable 13in laptop.
A better Fanless MacBook killer Ultrabook
Huawei has been slowly pushing its way into the PC market. Its first attempt came in the $699 Matebook, a two-in-one device that couldn't stand up to similar devices due to its lackluster performance, bad battery life, and tendency to overheat.
While in the same device family, the new Matebook X is very different from the original Matebook. It's a true Windows ultrabook whose design inspiration borrows heavily from Apple. With its super-thin frame, brushed metal finish, and overall minimalistic construction, the Matebook is challenging Apple's MacBook not only in design, but in performance as well. The Matebook supports up to a Core i7 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB SSD. But Huawei has to prove that all the power it has packed into the tiny laptop can make the Matebook X a better option than other competing Windows notebooks.
While in the same device family, the new Matebook X is very different from the original Matebook. It's a true Windows ultrabook whose design inspiration borrows heavily from Apple. With its super-thin frame, brushed metal finish, and overall minimalistic construction, the Matebook is challenging Apple's MacBook not only in design, but in performance as well. The Matebook supports up to a Core i7 processor, up to 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB SSD. But Huawei has to prove that all the power it has packed into the tiny laptop can make the Matebook X a better option than other competing Windows notebooks.
Huawei is a relatively new name to the Windows 10 world, but the company made some waves last year with its positively received MateBook tablet 2-in-1. For 2017, that device has been rebranded as MateBook E, but it is the new MateBook X that is turning heads.
The MateBook X is Huawei's first attempt at a premium Ultrabook, and for the most part, the company succeeded. Not only the is MateBook X a well-rounded PC, it pushes boundaries to reach current design limits.
Does a fanless 2.3-pound (1.05 kg) laptop that is only 12.5mm thin bring anything new to the Windows 10 world? You bet. It's not for everyone, but this staggeringly small laptop has a target audience that will appreciate it.
Huawei MateBook X Design
The MateBook X’s design is defined by its slightly squarer shape than your average widescreen laptop. The 13-inch screen is surrounded by a very thin bezel, which really helps draw your eyes into the screen.
Aside from that, it looks eerily similar to the Asus ZenBook 3, which in itself looked rather similar to the 12-inch MacBook. But the MateBook X beats both of them by having a larger 13-inch screen, which is impressive given its small footprint.
Where the MateBook X really comes into its own is portability. It’s not quite as light at the sub-1kg ZenBook 3, but at 1.05kg it comes very close. It’s thinner, too, at 12.5mm. This is one of the most baggable laptops you can buy today.
The port selection is a bit of a worry, with just a pair of USB 3.1 type-C connectors. The port on the left side accepts power and nothing else, while the port on the right is for data only. Since USB 3.1 is often universal (the MacBook Pro can accept power and data from any of its four connectors), it feels a bit limiting. You also don’t get a USB-C-to-USB-A connector in the box in all regions, although my review sample did come with one.There’s no word on whether UK models will get one, however.
Huawei MateBook X Display
The Huawei MateBook X has a 2K display that's just a little smaller than an A4 sheet of paper. With a resolution of 2160x1440 pixels, it's pixel density is 216ppi - nice and sharp for a laptop. The screen is shielded by high-quality glass. While this means it's reflective outdoors, it looks premium.The fact it isn't touch-screen means that it isn't a big deal that the glass attracts fingerprints and general grubby marks very easily. Still, a micro fibre cloth wouldn't go amiss if you're planning on presenting from it.
With a quoted brightness of 350nits, things don't get as bright as they do on most high-end smartphones or powerhouse editing laptops. But when compared to 12/13in ultrabooks like the regular 12in MacBook, Asus Zenbook 3 and Dell XPS 13, the MateBook X impressively wins out, making it best-in-class for outdoor usability.
The tall aspect ratio also gives you tonnes of vertical space when editing documents, and split-screen multi-tasking is hard-wired into Windows 10, making working across applications both easy and natural.
Huawei MateBook X Keyboard and Touchpad
The full-sized, auto-backlit, chiclet keyboard takes up most of the space on the chassis, and it looks and feels much like the MacBook's keyboard (though the keys here are color-matched to the laptop instead of being white-on-black, as the MacBook keyboards all are). The keys are larger than those on my MacBook Air, and their 1.2mm of travel is shallower than I'm used to. That didn't get in the way of my typing, though, and it was comfortable to type on for long periods of time. However, if you're not accustomed to the Matebook's keyboard layout, the shallow travel may take a while to get used to. The keys are also firm enough for you to know when you've pressed them fully, so there shouldn't be much input confusion on the user's part.
Huawei MateBook X FingerPrint Scanner and Webcam
The MateBook X also sports a 1-megapixel cam for all your video chatting needs. It's not the sharpest or most detailed webcam I've seen, but it will get the job done. And unlike the XPS 13's camera, the MateBook X's webcam is in the right place: above the display.
Huawei MateBook X Speakers
Huawei is making a big deal about its partnership with Dolby. Both companies worked together on the MateBook X's hardware (speakers) and software as this laptop is the first to feature Dolby's Atmos dynamic surround-sound system. Most companies just add in the software, but giving Dolby access to fine-tune and help design the actual speakers makes a substantial difference.
The MateBook X features two top-firing speakers located between the keyboard and display (I assume this also serves as passive venting for the CPU). The location is ideal as the sound is not muffled, and in effect, it bounces off the display at the user.
The sound itself reminds me very much of the iPhone 7 Plus's speakers, which have a slight mechanical tuning to them. With the Dolby Atmos software, the system can dynamically adjust sound curves based on the content that is currently playing, or users can override the setting and even customize it to their liking.
What is impressive – besides the clarity – is the volume. It can be very loud – louder than I would ever want to use it - and yet there is zero distortion. Voices are clear and distinct, which is ideal for movies and TV, and surround sound when using headphones is outstanding. These are the best speakers on any laptop we have tried.
Huawei MateBook X Ports
The MateBook X only has two USB-C ports. The one on the left of the machine doubles as the power port, the one on the right can accept the bundled dongle, which provides USB-C pass-through as well as a USB-A port, VGA and HDMI out, but not an ethernet port.
Having two USB-C ports is certainly better than just one and helps futureproof the MateBook X, while including an adapter dongle in the box helps ease the transition from legacy USB-A and other connections. Those with older peripherals will be confined to a life filled with dongles in the immediate future.
Huawei MateBook X Performance
With everyday tasks such as word processing, internet browsing and watching video we found the MateBook X to have excellent performance. Programs load quickly without any further input after you've opened them up and we found it to work as quickly as most other best laptops on the market right now.
In our benchmarking tests for the MateBook X, we found it to get a single core score of 3741 within Geekbench 4. In our battery test we found the MateBook X to last for 10.5 hours at 50% screen brightness while playing video.
Windows 10 Pro is pretty clean on the Matebook X. The two main programs Huawei installed are Dolby's sound-changing software, to accompany the speakers, and the Matebook Manager. Manager lets you control the efficiency of the Matebook X by managing backups of your data, updating drivers, and other similar features. There's also a sharing tool that lets you share data from your Matebook X with other devices around you, but it only works with other Huawei devices. This clearly will have more use in Asian markets where Huawei actually sells its smartphones; Huawei doesn't sell many handsets in the US market, so this feature doesn't mean much for anyone buying a Matebook X in the States.
HP has a similar feature for its devices, but it uses an app you can download onto Android and iOS devices to share information between your HP computer and your smartphone or tablet. Huawei missed an opportunity to make its sharing feature accessible in a similar way, which would have made it more useful to a larger group of potential customers.
Huawei MateBook X Battery
We're always a little concerned about battery life when testing out a system this thin, especially one with a Core i7 CPU. However, with a runtime of 8 hours and 41 minutes on the Laptop Mag Battery Test, the MateBook X beat our current ultraportable average of 8:21 by 20 minutes. Asus' ZenBook 3 was even farther behind, with a runtime of 7:05.
Unfortunately, when compared to Apple's and Dell's flagship competitors, the MateBook X's battery life doesn't look quite as nice. The Core i7 XPS 13 lasted about half an hour longer, at 9:11, while the 12-inch Apple MacBook topped the MateBook X by almost a full hour, at 9:38.
Should you buy One?
If you are on the market for an Ultrabook and can find one to buy, the MateBook X is worth adding to your shortlist. It lacks the multimedia appeal of the fan-cooled Dell XPS 13, Razer Blade Stealth and Microsoft Surface Laptop, but up against the Asus ZenBook 3 it’s a really tight race.
With a great screen, silent running and thinner design, this is the new ultra-thin Windows laptop champ. I don’t yet have a UK price for it, but my inc-VAT estimations based on EU pricing puts it at around £1200 for this model, which is quite expensive no matter which way you look at it.
This isn’t a MacBook replacement, though. You’re limited by the oddities of Windows 10 and you won’t get the pleasures of MacOS, but if you’re OS-agnostic, the MateBook X feels like better value.
Conclusion
It isn’t perfect. The fanless design means the MateBook X can get quite warm and performance dips when you push it hard. You should also be aware that the 12in Asus Zenbook 3 is just as lightweight, costs a considerable amount less and yet offers more RAM and double the storage.
However, if you absolutely must have that extra inch of screen real estate, the MateBook X is hard to beat. It’s a rather lovely, ultraportable 13in laptop.
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