Huawei MateBook X Challenges The MacBook Air

By Edwin Kee
Huawei MateBook X announced
Here is a viable rival to the MacBook Air, with its 4.4mm bezel as well as 13-inch display and a purported 10 hour battery life.  Huawei

Huawei is the world’s third largest smartphone manufacturer, but this does not mean that the company is going to rest on their laurels. In fact, Huawei has taken steps to ensure that they are moving in the right direction and being relevant in the world of consumer electronics. Apart from smartphones and smart watches, Huawei has also come up with their very own range of laptops. The latest model that looks set to turn heads whenever you remove it from your bag? The Huawei MateBook X. This laptop will shed plenty of weight, allowing it to boast of a form factor that will definitely make people wonder since when did Apple drop its logo for its MacBook Air. Apart from the Huawei MateBook X, there were also the MateBook E and MateBook D announced, too.

The MateBook from Huawei is the first attempt from the Asian company to construct a laptop that runs on Windows 10, but that model failed to live up to expectations. This time around, it looks as though Huawei is not going to fail with the Huawei MateBook X, in addition to the MateBook E and MateBook D, of course.

What about the Huawei MateBook X?
The Huawei MateBook X comes across as a 13-inch ultraportable laptop that runs on Windows 10, while getting rid of all complains surrounding its predecessor. Arriving in a traditional aluminum clamshell form factor, it will no longer take the 2-in-1 hybrid route. Underneath the hood, the MateBook X will run on either Intel Core i5 and i7 processors, which is good news for those who would like a higher performing chipset compared to something less powerful in the vein of the Core m series. Early indications point to the processor choice allowing the Huawei MateBook X to run for up to 10 hours when one watches Full HD videos at 1080p resolution on a full charge.

Other than that, the MateBook X is certainly impressive, to say the least. It has a 13-inch display that delivers a 3:2 aspect ratio at 2K resolution, a bezel that measures 4.4mm in thickness, a choice of either 256GB or 512GB SSD in terms of storage space, either 4GB or 8GB of RAM which is clearly insufficient for today’s needs (especially the former), and a power button that also functions as a fingerprint reader that plays nice with Windows Hello. Do take note that the 13-inch display is not of the touchscreen variety, so don’t go leaving your prints all over the place.

In order to keep up with the times, the MateBook X will rely on USB Type-C connectivity via a pair of ports. One of them will be used for charging purposes, while the other is perfect for transferring data. Just to make sure that the it is easier to make transition, Huawei has thrown into the mix a MateDock 2.0 USB-C dongle that will allow one to enjoy all the perks of a regular USB Type-A port, DVI, HDMI, and a second USB-C port for pass-through charging. Of course, this “free gift” is available only in select markets, and not all. Huawei will also ensure that Dolby’s handiwork is part of the MateBook X, known as the Atmos Sound System that merges Dolby’s hardware and software elements in order to deliver a superior audio experience than usual.

Initial impressions of the MateBook X had been fleeting but positive at best. It is not only lightweight, it also works speedily and assuming it delivers on the promised battery life, Huawei would definitely have a viable rival to the MacBook Air, except that Huawei is offering Windows 10 as the operating system of choice. There is no word on pricing though, and we keep our fingers crossed that it will not surpass the equivalent of what Apple charges for their MacBook Air.

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