More and more notebooks rely on the 3:2 format. Besides Asus, Huawei has now also announced a notebook in this format. The new generation of Matebook X doesn’t only want to score with its unusual format. The Chinese company also promises a compact and above all lightweight notebook.
Combat announcement to Apple
Huawei Corona announced the Matebook X 2020 conditionally “only” in the context of an online event. If we were not currently in a pandemic, the Group would certainly have put more effort into presenting the portable notebook. After all, what Huawei is announcing here sounds very promising. At first glance, it is already clear who the number one competitor is. After all, the Matebook X clearly resembles the devices from Apple, and not only in name. But Huawei can by no means be accused of stealing other ideas. Instead, the manufacturer takes some proven elements we know from the MacBook Pro and enhances them with useful features.
Special trackpad and 3:2 format
At first glance, the touchpad of the upcoming Matebook X seems to take some getting used to. After all, it runs all the way to the edge of the chassis. But it’s not only the size that is a bit surprising. Huawei has also given the Matebook X a special notch. It curves in the middle of the palm rest. According to the manufacturer, the trackpad of the upcoming Matebook X has special piezoelectric elements. These are supposed to ensure a smooth click. Huawei is taking a new path with the panel. The format is now changed to a 3:2 panel. This panel has a resolution of razor-sharp 3,000 x 2,000 pixels. Thanks to a maximum brightness of 400 cd/m² nice contrasts should be possible.
Despite a screen diagonal of 13 inches, the Matebook X looks extremely compact. It measures just 306 mm x 284 mm x 12.6 mm. This is mainly due to the incredibly thin display edges. Here Huawei has a lot ahead of the competition from Apple. But thin display edges always bring a problem with them: Where to put the webcam? As with last year’s model, the Chinese company is once again relying on a fold-out button that is hidden under the display.
Who has the choice…
As befits a modern notebook, Huawei also relies on the sale of several variants. Initially, the manufacturer only announced versions with a Core i5-10210U or Core i7-10510U processor during its presentation. It is questionable whether more processors will be added in the course of time. Both the i5 and the i7 processor are based on a power budget of 15 watts. Both originate from the Comet Lake U series and offer 4 cores as well as the possibility of Hyper Threading. The respective processor is supported by 16 GB LPDDR3 RAM. The 512 GB NVMe SSD should also be more than sufficient for most users.
A lightweight with small battery
The Chinese company developed a very special hinge especially for the Matebook X. This hinge offers very good thermal conductivity and is intended to ensure reliable cooling of the device. After all, it ensures that a certain amount of the waste heat from the installed components is dissipated through the lid. At just under 1 kg, the Matebook X is clearly aimed at people who want to transport it every day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esxKj-CY8vk
What has so far emerged as a clear night part is the size of the battery installed. Since it only has 42 Wh, it is questionable whether the Matebook X can really last long. However, Huawei’s specifications promise a solid battery life. With a full battery charge, the Matebook X should last about 9 hours. This would allow a working day without recharging. Nevertheless, the duration seems quite short, especially in view of the competition. The small size of the battery is certainly due to the small dimensions of the Matebook. In terms of ports, Matebook X looks like a twin of the MacBook Pro. Finally, Huawei uses one USB-C port each on the right and left side. If you need more ports, there is no way around adapters.
Price and availability
Unfortunately, Huawei is still holding back on the subject of price and release. But since the new Matebook X should be released this year, more information should follow soon. In any case we will keep you up to date.
