Along with launching a new device in the form of the Mate X, Huawei was also announcing an expansion to their laptop product range. These came in the form of one new laptop and two new revisions of existing designs.
First up we have the Updated MateBook X Pro which was always a stunning bit of kit and one I would very much like to own., that being said I wouldn’t mind owning any of the laptops from Huawei! The X Pro features an updated 8th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 8565 processor to keep it spinning its gears and then the new NVIDIA® GeForce® MX250 GPU with 2GB GDDR5 for when you want to kick back do a bit of light gaming.
It still keeps the two USB Type C ports on the side but it now allows one of them to be used as aThunderbolt 3 port opening up the possibility of more serious gaming via a eGPU module such as the Razer Core. It also allows the option to add on an external display like the Dell Monitor I reviewed last week. It keeps all the charm from the previous generation model including the stunning 13.9″ 3k ultra FullView display that as an awesome 91% screen to body ratio making the bezels near invisible.
We will also still find the funky little pop-up webcam that is hidden away in the keyboard under a key until it is needed. This is actually a feature that I really like the look but I am not really that sure about the practicality of such a camera when it comes to actually use one for making Skype calls etc. The keyboard is a thing of beuty to type on and it feels buttery smooth and i would have very few worries about using this as my daily driver. The trackpad is pretty substansial in size and again is very smooth as is the clicking action.
Another area where Huawei have raised the game is in the audio terms. The X Pro comes with Dolby Atmos® Sound Systembuilt in and has 4 speakers spread around the base of the laptop which creates a really good overall sound when watching video. You can get a sense of movement as the object in question moves from one side of the screen to the other or to be more technically astute from one channel to the other!
So that is the updated MateBook X Pro but that was not all that Huawei had to announce, I would like to introduce you to the MateBook 13 with Touch and the MateBook 14
Now the MateBook 13 is not actually anything new as it has been around for a while now however it was lacking a touchscreen. Well, the good news is that has now been rectified and we now have full touch as an option.
The next device is the Huawei 14 was the truly new product that was unveiled. This laptop sits in between the MateBook X Pro and the MateBook 14 this is s slightly bigger device than the 13 but shares most of the same features as its smaller brother. The 14 gives a slightly bigger screen with a higher screen to body ratio of 90% The screen is slightly lower quality at 2K but it still retains the option of touch if desired. It shares the same pop-up camera as the MateBook X Pro. as for the ports we have got USB type A X2, Type C and HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack. All of this is in a sleekly crafted ultra slim body.
The big new feature however was not to be found within the hardware and it is not limited only to the Matebook 14 as it can be found on the whole range. I am talking about a new file sharing method called One Hop this will allow you with the easiness of a tap of your phone to transfer files , picture and video from your phone to your laptop with ease and speed.
This is a truly innovative use of some very basic tech that has been around for a few years. It basically uses Wi-Fi direct to so the file transfer and uses NFC for the trigger point to initiate the activation of the transfer.
OneHop will also support a mode that will allow you connect your laptop to your phone and screen record what is happening on your laptop to your phone. Whilst it is a nice feature I can’t really see a need for it but is suppose for some it will incredibly useful.
What was more useful is the ability to take a screen shot on the laptops by the simple act of dragging three fingers down the screen. This is a feature that has been on phones for years and should have been in laptops as soon as touchscreens become a reality. I am very glad that Huawei have seen that it is a great feature that should be included on a PC it’s about time someone did it.
So there you go that is the details of Huawei new laptops.
Here are some pictures of the various laptops in more detail for your viewing pleasure.
File sharing between smartphones and PC using Huawei Share using NFC called Huawei OneHop near instant file transfer without cables. Capable of transferring multiple pictures in mere seconds. Reverse transfer also possible.
Screen capture via three finger gesture on the touch screen. Screen record via shake gesture to record from the computer via OneHop up 60 seconds
Transfer speeds of up to 30mbps
Clipboard sharing copy text from one device and paste to another.
Matebook 14
90% screen to body ratio
2k Touchscreen
Recessed camera
Whiskey lake processor
Up to 15 hrs video
USB type A X2
Type C and Hdmi
3.5mm headphone jack
One Hop included
Ultra-slim Metal Unibody