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Huawei goes after Apple’s MacBook with new thin-and-light Matebook X

A fingerprint sensor, extra USB Type-C port, and included dock help it stand out.

Video shot/edited by Jennifer Hahn.

Huawei has only been making PCs for a few years now, but the company has been paying attention to its competition. Today, Huawei announced a new laptop, the Matebook X, which looks like Apple's MacBook with its slim profile, light metal body, and fanless design. The Matebook X has many of the same features as the MacBook, but Huawei added its own practical flare to this Windows notebook, which may be enough to make it stand out.

At first glance, you might mistake the Matebook X for the MacBook if you overlook the Huawei logo in the middle of the lid. Huawei describes the material the 13-inch notebook is made of as "microencapsulated phase change material," and it looks and feels like metal. The company claims this construction is better at absorbing heat produced by the machine, so it shouldn't overheat like other laptops. It measures 12.5mm thick at its widest point, which is just slightly thinner than the Macbook's 13.1mm thickness. The Matebook X will come to the US in two colors: space gray and a warm, bronze-like gold called "prestige gold." China will receive an extra rose gold version.

There is one glaring difference: the Matebook X has two USB Type-C ports, one on either side. Apple's MacBook only has one, so if you've been craving an Apple-like design but need more ports, Huawei has you covered. Also included with the Matebook X is a new Mate dock that plugs in to one of the USB Type C ports and provides you with an extra USB Type-A port, an HDMI port, a VGA port, and an additional USB Type-C port. While it's nice to have that extra port on the device itself, it's even more convenient to have that new dock on hand without paying extra for it.

When you open the Matebook X, you see more of that MacBook style. Huawei put a 2160×1440-pixel display in the Matebook X, and the bezels are noticeably similar to those on Apple's device, measuring just 4.4mm on either side. The display feels large for the 13-inch frame of the device, and a webcam sits atop it in the middle of the top bezel. The full-sized, backlit keyboard sits in the middle of the chassis with a large Precision Touchpad below it and the power button at its top-right corner. The power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor, so you can turn on the device and log in with just one press. It'll also be able to detect different users' fingerprints, so everyone with an account on the device can take advantage of that convenient feature.

You'll have a few options with the Matebook X's internals: it supports both Core i5 and i7 Kaby Lake processors, a 256GB or 512GB SSD, and either 4GB or 8GB of LPDDR3 RAM. Each model has Intel HD 620 graphics, as well as a 41.4Whr battery that Huawei claims can last up to 10 hours on a single charge. Huawei also worked with Dolby to co-design the speakers in the Matebook X to give it better sound quality than most similar laptops. The internal speakers should provide "enhanced surround sound with immersive overhead audio," but we'll have to test this out with a few desk concerts to see how immersive it really is.

Huawei also announced two other products, one of which is an update to the original Matebook. That two-in-one device, dubbed the Matebook E, looks nearly identical to the original Matebook. It now has a new kickstand on its keyboard cover that allows for more viewing angles than the previous model, a fully backlit keyboard, three magnetic connectors instead of seven, and a new battery life of up to 9.5 hours. The final device, the Matebook D, is billed as a 15-inch multimedia laptop with an aluminum alloy design, support for Core i5 and Core i7 processors, Nvidia GeForce 940MX graphics with 2GB GDDR5 video memory, and a 43.3Whr battery.

All of the new Matebooks begin shipping this summer. The Matebook X will start at €1,399 (about $1,569), the Matebook E will start at €999 (about $1,120), and the Matebook D will start at €799 (about $896).

Listing image by Valentina Palladino

Channel Ars Technica