Huawei MateBook news – release date UK price and specifications
Huawei has announced its second generation of MateBook devices at an event in Berlin. The MateBook E, X and D see the Chinese giant step up its consumer computing device output.
The MateBook E is an update tolast year’s original MateBookand runs Windows 10. Also announced were the company’s first laptop devices. The MateBook X is a thin, fanless Core M laptop while the MateBook D is a more business focussed laptop with a full seventh generation Core I processor.
We were in Berlin and had hands-on time with all three devices. Here’s the latest on the new Huawei MateBook range.
Check out our hands-on review of the MacBook-bothering MateBook Xhere.
When is the Huawei MateBook release date?
All three new MateBooks will be available in North America and China. Other regions will get some of the devices, with Huawei to confirm these soon. The UK will definitely be seeing the new 2-in-1 MateBook E.
A specific release date is yet to be announced but we will update this page as soon as it is.
How much will the Huawei MateBook cost in the UK?
MateBook E
European pricing is as follows:
UK pricing is still to be confirmed. The original MateBook from 2016cost from £749.99, so we’d expect similar pricing to the above European prices if it makes it to the UK. It should.
MateBook X
European pricing is as follows:
As a competitor to the 12in MacBook andDell’s XPS 13, it’s clear to see that the MateBook X will be pushing above the £1000 mark in the UK. We’ll confirm as soon as we know.
MateBook D
European pricing is as follows:
A more traditional laptop, the MateBook D is priced to attempt to enter the student market as well as the business one. This model is the one least likely to see the light of day in the UK, but you can always opt to import.
Huawei MateBook features and specifications
With three new MateBooks to explore there are a lot of numbers and specs flying about. Here is a summary and the headline specs for each one.
MateBook E
The updated MateBook is now called the MateBook E (don’t ask why) and is impressively specced for a 2-in-1 hybrid. It’s also amazingly thin at 6.9mm.
Its base model has a seventh-generation Intel Core m3 processor and runs Windows 10 with an impressive 8GB RAM. There’s also a Core i5 version if need more oomph while both models have a fingerprint sensor on the right edge (see below picture).
The design and innards are largely unchanged. The differences to last year’s version are mainly in the keyboard folio cover, which is included in the box. It has a three-pin rather than seven-pin connector, much like the iPad Pro, and is backlit to two levels.
The hinge of the Microsoft Surface aping folio keyboard cover is also much better, adjusting up to 160 degrees. The hinge is premium and pleasingly stiff, meaning you can angle the device for typing to your preference.
The MateBook E and the MateBook X are the first devices to use Dolby Atmos sound system tech that ekes the best possible sound out of such smaller devices. We heard them at full tilt and were impressed.
It’s available in Champagne Gold and Titanium Grey. There are blue, brown and pink keyboard cover options.
Key specs:
MateBook X
The base MateBook X runs a seventh-gen Core i5 processor in a fanless design that is also available with a Core i7. Huawei admitted to us that it was going after the 12in MacBook, evident in its design, but has managed here to squeeze a 13in display into a body that is smaller than an A4 page.
There’s a clever fingerprint sensor under the power key that worked very fast in a demo while the 2K screen displayed colours vividly. Huawei claims you can get 10 hours of battery life out of it, which is about what we’d expect from a machine with these specifications. The keys are the same colour as the body of the device.
It has a Dolby Atmos sound system in its long bar speaker that gives pretty much room-filling, crisp audio and is a selling point. Huawei’s COO Wan Biao told us in an interview though that the company’s partnership with Harman Kardon is still ongoing in its tablets, last seen on theMediaPad M3.
It will be available in Prestige Gold, Space Grey and Rose Gold.
Key specs:
MateBook D
The MateBook D is the more po-faced of the new products, but Huawei hopes to ease itself into the business space with the high specs and relatively attractive design.
It has small screen bezels for a device with a large 15.6in display, though the matte finish means it is sometimes hard to avoid reflections. The MateBook D also has a dual storage option, meaning users can run two operating systems if they want to thanks to the HDD and SSD running inside.
Huawei told us it sees this device appealing to the small business and campus market, and it most likely will thanks to running Windows 10 Pro as standard.
Key specs:
Author: Henry Burrell, Contributor
Previously Tech Advisor’s Phones Editor, Henry covers and reviews every smartphone worth knowing about. He spends a lot of time moving between different handsets and shouting at WhatsApp to support multiple devices at once.
