Huawei is launching new premium laptops and will launch those devices in Belgium as well. The MateBook X Pro series combines handsome specifications with a unique Huawei ecosystem, although the latter will presumably appeal less.
Huawei is revamping its MateBook X series with the introduction of the MateBook X Pro. The 2022 version of that laptop is based on Intel chips and features a 14.2-inch display. That display counts 3,120 x 2,080 pixels, has a brightness of 500 nits and supports 100 percent of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Huawei says its laptops out of the box have a DeltaE of less than 1. That’s a punishing claim, since a DeltaE of less than 2 equals very high-quality and accurate colors.
Huawei laptops in Belgium
Huawei already had a brief presence on the Belgian market with the MateBook 14 and the MateBook X Pro 2020. Those devices were met with enthusiasm because of their build quality, design and interesting price. However, they were not followed up.
Huawei is opting for 11th-generation Intel Core chips (Tiger Lake) for these devices, rather than 12th-generation Alder Lake processors. This is not a disaster, as long as the manufacturer opts for a cimpetitive price tag. However, the European recommended retail price of 1,899 euros suggests to us that the device will face sharp competition from premium laptops from other manufacturers that already have Alder Lake on board.
This is all the more the case since the laptops will not appear with us until around summer. Huawei is going to reintroduce its entire revamped laptop portfolio in Belgium, but the translation of the hardware into Azerty causes a bit of a delay. Therefore, we do not yet know the recommended retail price with us, as well as the exact availability.
Tablet and AiO
Huawei is also launching the MateBook E, which is a Surface Pro-inspired device with a detachable 12.6-inch tablet as a computer. Huawei opts for an OLED display for this device and again claims excellent colors with one hundred percent DCI-P3 display and a DeltaE of less than 1. These devices are also powered by Intel Tiger Lake. The entry-level version with Core i3 processor gets a European suggested retail price of 649 euros, which again is just an indication of the price in our market.
The MateStation X is an All-in-One that has been around in China for a while, but is now being released to the entire world. The device has a 28.2-inch touch screen with a resolution of 3,840 x 2,560 pixels over a 3:2 ratio. For this computer, Huawei is partnering with AMD. Under the hood you will find AMD Ryzen 5000H processors. The recommended retail price is 2,199 euros but a Belgian launch for this device has not yet been confirmed.
Super device
Huawei is highlighting “Super Device” during its launch. That’s the manufacturer’s generic term for an integrated ecosystem where you can very easily use laptop, smartphone and tablet together. For example, you can quickly open your phone on your computer and run various apps on the laptop screen from there. You can further combine devices for additional functionality, such as by connecting a pen and stylus to a laptop.
The concept is interesting and Huawei is betting heavily on integration, although the manufacturer is unlikely to turn many heads with that selling point with us. After all, the mobile ecosystem is still disconnected from Google because of U.S. sanctions, which tests the usability of the devices in Belgium. Huawei argues that it has an alternative for every Google application, but that’s poor consolation in a competitive market where competitors don’t have to defend their offerings with “yes, but.
We are curious about the laptops and their positioning in our country. Huawei remains a hardware manufacturer that can deliver excellent devices. Thus, the attractive MateBooks certainly have a chance to be well-received.