Review | Huawei MateBook X Pro is a cheaper MacBook alternative, powerful, polished and attractive – only camera holds it back
The second laptop from Chinese tech firm Huawei takes some design risks but consumers should be happy with the resulting performance enhancements, as well as the device’s overall polish – unless video calls are a priority
Huawei’s new laptop does the unthinkable in mobile tech: it is bulkier and heavier than its predecessor.
After some time with the MateBook X Pro, however, I can say that the change should be welcomed by most. Here’s my review of the new machine.
Design and hardware
Last year’s MateBook X – Huawei’s first ever laptop – was an ultra-slim, fan-less device that weighed barely 1kg and measured 12.5mm thick. The MateBook X Pro weighs an extra 0.3kg and is 2mm thicker. The extra size has been used to accommodate a larger battery, a USB-A port, and a fan for cooling. All of these changes improve user performance.
The MateBook X Pro looks very similar to its predecessor, which means it also still looks just like an Apple MacBook. But there are two design choices that are arguably better than what Apple is offering now: the MateBook X Pro’s bezels are slimmer, and the chiclet-style keyboard is more responsive than Apple’s much-criticised butterfly keyboard.