Huawei Matebook 13 review: a powerful GPU and Whiskey Lake chip propel this compact notebook - horndistrace

Huawei's Matebook 13 is an even more ruling notebook than the premium Matebook X Pro we reviewed last year—and information technology's priced more cheaply than its sibling, too. Intermediate battery life and a want of Thunderbolt ports are the only blemishes happening this healthy-made and well-priced 13-in laptop…assuming you don't mind the whiff of security concerns.

Our follow-up unit, received just weeks subsequently Huawei introduced the Matebook 13 at CES, is the premium configuration. It's also the first laptop we've reviewed with Intel's hot Whiskey Lake Intel Core i7 processor. Whiskey Lake is yet other CPU supported the company's aging 14nm manufacturing process; however, Intel is promising better connectivity as good as a decent speed bump of about 10 per centum over the antecedent generation.

Add to that the Nvidia GeForce MX150 GPU, and the $1299 Matebook 13 looks like a good contend compared to the $1,499 for the Matebook X Pro. Register on for more about the specs, features, design, and performance.

Mark Hachman / iDG

The Matebook 13 squeezes a 13-inch expose and current Intel Whiskey Lake processor, plus a GeForce MX150 GPU, into a compact profile.

Matebook 13 features and specs

Video display: 13 inches (2160×1440), IPS, touch
CPU: Intel Core i5-8265U or Intel Core i7-8565U (tested), some quad-core Whiskey Lake chips
Graphics: Intel UHD 620 (Core i5) or Nvidia GeForce MX150 (tested)
Memory board: 8GB of 2,133MHz LPDDR3
Storage: 256GB NVMe PCIe SSD (CORE i5), 512GB NVMe PCIe SSD (tried)
Ports: 2 USB 3.0 Type-C, 3.5mm mic/headphone
Television camera: 1MP (drug user facing)
Battery: 56Wh (measured)
Operating system: Windows 10 Home
Dimensions: 11.26 x 8.31 x 0.59 inches
Weight: 2.92 pounds, 3.36 pounds with battery charger (measured)
Colors: Thinking Silver, Space Grey
Additional features: 1 year of Microsoft Office 365 In the flesh; MateDock 2.0
Monetary value: Huawei Matebook 13(Core i5), $999 Bump off not-product link ; Huawei Matebook 13 (Core i7) $1,299Remove non-product link

Arsenic we noted in our hands-on, Huawei and its rivals are working hard to shrink laptops. The Matebook 13 has a screen-to-consistency ratio of 88 percentage, with identical slender bezels. Meanwhile, the spacious keyboard spans nearly the intact 11.26-inch width of the chassis.

The result of the densely packed design can embody felt when you get wind the Matebook 13. At almost 3 pounds and 0.59-inch thick, the Matebook 13 is amazingly dense and moderately emaciated, though it does look particularly stable. On that point's no evident keyboard flex. When I wiggled the base, I was able to force just a slight tilt in the display portion of the laptop. IT reclines to active 35 to 40 degrees off the naiant—a bit further back than some, and very comfortable for taller users.

Huawei Matebook 13 fingerprint reader — The Matebook 13's integrated fingerprint reader inside the power push is one of our favorite conveniences within Huawei's laptop.

Huawei kept its fingerprint reader in its favourable localisation underneath the superpowe button, where I've seldom had a problem with my finger being read, either connected the Matebook 13 or its more than powerful cousin, the Matebook X Pro. Huawei does an excellent chore here.

Otherwise, though, the ports are rather city. There are two USB-C ports, one on either side of the Matebook 13, and that's all. Regrettably, neither are Thunderbolt-powered, and only the left-hand port can accept power. (A small pop-up in Mandarin advised Maine of this—I think—when I proved plugging in my review unit incorrectly.) Atomic number 102 SD carte slot, none SIM slot, though there is a headphone jack. It's deserving noting that Huawei ships its MateDock 2.0 in the Matebook 13 boxwood, which includes a USB-A port on combined side, and VGA, and HDMI (plus USB-C power) happening the other side.

Huawei Matebook X Pro Matedock 2 — Huawei bundles the MateDock 2.0 with the Matebook 13, providing HDMI, VGA, and USB-A (on the different side of the device).

Huawei rates the Matebook 13's screen at 100 percent of the sRGB color gamut, with a contrast ratio of 1,000:1. While we didn't check the color fidelity, our light cadence according that the 2160×1440 display puts out a comfortable 323 nits of luminousness. We consider about 260 nits to make up copasetic for comfortable interior use. Note that choosing a 1440p control board arsenic anti to a 1080p board does impact battery life.

Huawei's keyboards are among the best in the business: spacious, with a comfortable total of key travel. There are two levels of backlighting. Around of you may favor a stiffer keyboard that provides a greater amount of tactile feedback, like the Microsoft Surface Laptop series. Personally, my fingers induce become used to gliding about a keyboard, with minimal pressure. Tastes diverge, simply rest assured your fingers should be comfortable.

Huawei Matebook 13 keyboard — No real surprises within the Matebook keyboard, just a broad expanse of comfortable keys.

Huawei builds in support for its PC Manager utility on the row of mathematical function keys, with a dedicated key in the high row. The included trackpad is large. Notably, information technology's clickable o'er the vast majority of its surface. My only nitpick is that IT didn't always register triad-digit swipes to flip between apps.

Huawei Matebook 13 right side — Huawei doesn't offer many expansion ports on the Matebook 13, here shown at full recline.

As you might expect, the audio superior of the Matebook 13's speakers is average, though the built-in Dolby Atmos enhancement applied science improves information technology noticeably. (Our review social unit came with the Dolby technology switched on automatically, which Windows in real time carves out into the secern Dolby app versus its traditional home in the Windows 10 audio settings.) With the enhancement turned on, the Matebook hits some bankable lows, though the midrange and high notes still sound a lot better. The sound loudness stunned of the Matebook's speakers is more than received.

Huawei Matebook 13 left side — This USB-C port allows you to charge the laptop, while the other does not. Neither of the Matebook 13's USB-C ports include Thunderbolt I/O.

Huawei exercises restaint with extraneous apps, though it's hard to say where Huawei's contributions end and Microsoft's begin. There's aFitbit Coach app andCooking Feverishness, both of which I haven't seen before, as well as the usual contingent on ofCandy Crush crapware that appears along new Windows machines. Huawei's own Microcomputer Manager package is pretty bare-bones, offering three main functions: the ability to upgrade the hardware drivers, check the diverse ironware devices for problems, and provide a link to the possessor's manual.

Huawei also includes a matchless-twelvemonth subscription to Microsoft Function 365 Personal, a $69.99 value.

Secrecy and security system issues

Alas, it's non decent to consider the usual factors when deciding whether to buy the Huawei Matebook 13. It's impossible to ignore reported efforts by the U.S. government to press different countries to block Huawei telecommunications equipment because of security concerns. On Monday, the Department of Justice supposed that Huawei Devices USA—the company responsible for the Matebook 13—tried to steal information virtually a T-Mobile testing robot as portion of a broader indictment against the company and its chief fiscal officer. That suit has even to be tested, and Huawei has too denied the charges.

"Huawei executives insist that they are independent of Beijing and would never via media customer information, though U.S. officials point to Chinese Pentateuch requiring municipal companies to cooperate with government requests as evidence that the company poses a security threat," thePost reported.

Huawei requires you to agree to its consumer privacy policy alongside that of Microsoft when you set up your Matebook 13. The company besides requires you to pass information plunk for to Huawei to use its Microcomputer Manager software—which is, naturally, designed to push device updates to your PC. If you believe that the Chinese government could ask for and receive your ad hominem information as set out by section I.B(10) of Huawei's consumer privacy policy—then you shouldn't buy the Matebook 13.

Matebook 13 operation: Top-notch

As one of the archeozoic notebooks featuring an Intel Whiskey Lake Core micro chip inside of it, we were eager to get a look at how Intel's most recent chip performed. At that place are now a couple of years' worth of Nucleus chips that fall under the 8th-gen umbrella, though they've quieten incrementally developed performance and battery life with each iteration.

Like another notebooks we've recently well-tried, the bottom of the Matebook 13 heated quickly when the SSD was put below freight, and non the CPU. Though the Matebook 13 is not fanless, the "Shark Fin 2.0 system" cools the device by pulling air in with an 8,000rpm cooling fan and distributes IT through the back of the notebook. It's effective, and leaves the fan on for short periods before turn off. It's also a substantial improvement ended the earlier Matebook X Pro, whose fan turned happening oftentimes. Other, the Matebook 13 cools down quickly, and is never uncomfortably warm to lean against your lap.

We've compared the Matebook 13 (colorful legal profession in charts) to a number of rivals, including last twelvemonth's Matebook X Pro (brown bar in charts). The Matebook 13's performance is noticeably better whole compared to the Matebook X Pro. Remember, though, that the Matebook X Pro's screen is of a importantly high resolution.

We commence with the PCMark 8 battery of tests: Workplace, National, and Creative. The Operate suite of mainstream productivity applications (Holy Scripture processing, spreadsheet calculations, a simulated video cry out) is a cakewalk for any recent Intel Core Central processor, including the peerless in the Matebook 13. No of the scores below is anything to be ashamed of, just the Matebook 13 leads the pack.

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench pcmark work — The Matebook 13 gets off to a good get, soaring to the top of the heap.

The Home and Creative tests punctuate the multimedia aspects of daily life a trifle more. The Home test measures tasks associated with content pulmonary tuberculosis, such atomic number 3 vane browsing, writing, gambling, photo editing, and video chat. The Creative examine pushes a bit deeper into content creation, measuring operation in vane browsing, photo editing, video editing, group video chat, media transcoding, and gaming workloads. The Matebook 13 formerly once more tops all the others.

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench pcmark home

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench pcmark creative — Once again, the Matebook 13's new Whisky Lake processor and discrete GPU motivate IT to the top of the separate.

We don't have a huge collection of scores for PCMark's more modern PCMark 10 benchmark, but the Matebook 13 scored 4,299. In our tests, Dell's Recent XPS 13 9370 was a close competitor—and the XPS scored 3,737, indicating the Matebook's invulnerable performance in office exploit.

Maxon's Cinebench bench mark is a staple of PC and component benchmarking, an offshoot of the company's work in creating the Cinema 4D suite for information processing system animators. The nearly common test (and the one we purpose) applies all of the processor's quaternity cores and eight threads to rendering a static scene. Once again, though the fan kicked in reasonably early, the scene rendered quickly, and the fan turned forth shortly thereafter. Huawei's Matebook 13 is the quickest of all of the notebooks we well-tried.

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench — These systems are somewhat tightly clustered, but there's a measurable difference betwixt the Matebook 13 and the stay.

HandBrake, by contrast, is more of an endurance try. The open-source tool transcodes a uncut Hollywood flic into a format that's right for a tablet—a real-world test, even if one that might not be as common in an age where Netflix movies can be straightaway downloaded. Nevertheless, it's representative of how well the PC will do on an application over time. With a time hovering around an hour, the Matebook 13 performs excellently.

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench handbrake — Only the Dingle outperforms the Matebook 13 in the HandBrake transcoding test.

Ass the Matebook 13 wait on Eastern Samoa a gaming PC? Not exactly, though the discrete Nvidia GeForce MX150 at bottom of it provides far more oomph than the average integrated chip, boosting it to the top of our 3DMark Sky Diver test.

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench sky diver — Phew! That's what a fully-clocked GPU gets you.

It's sort of a tweener: You English hawthorn take to dial down a scope or three (and in all likelihood eliminate virtually top-tier, modern games from retainer), but a fair number of games should be somewhat playable.

IT's too telling how solidly the Matebook 13 blows the Matebook X Pro out of the water—and that's because while the Matebook X In favour of ill-used a downclocked (937MHz) version of the MX150, the Matebook 13's integrated MX150 runs at a base clock of 1,469MHz. The graphics performance increases substantially As a result.

In conclusion, thither's battery life. Interestingly, Huawei told U.S. at CES that the Matebook 13 would ship with a 41.8Wh batter, but our review unit shipped with a 56Wh battery—and, at full charge, it delivered 58Wh. That's a substantial change, and perhaps a needed one, as the bigger battery barely ready-made IT past eight hours in our TV rundown test. That's passable for a typical working day. The Matebook 13's emphasis seems to be happening performance kinda than battery longevity.

Huawei Matebook 13 cinebench battery life — Battery life story is a tolerable eight hours-plus with Huawei's Matebook 13.

Should you buy the Huawei Matebook 13?

While it's tempting to call the Matebook 13 a filamentlike-and-light Personal computer, the combination of the discrete GPU and Intel's latest Whiskey Lake chip helper the Matebook 13 punch comfortably above its weight class. Because of this, the lack of leastwise one Thunderbolt left feels a little out of eccentric, and we'Ra shot Thunderbolt will be a feature article of an upcoming Matebook X Pro review.

But a Whiskey Lake laptop with a discrete GPU for just $1,299? That's a fairly compelling Mary Leontyne Pric full point, and there's much to like some the Huawei Matebook 13. The Matebook doesn't quite circus tent the Dingle XPS 13, however, which offers comparable performance, a slimly cheaper price point, and better battery life.

Should you exist worried about the government's reluctance to endorse Huawei? It's Worth a note of caveat, though there's no information publicly available to corroborate either mode. We can say with sure thing, however, that Huawei has excelled with the Matebook 13.