Huawei MateBook X Puts Apple’s MacBook In Its Crosshairs With Kaby Lake Core i7 Power

by Brandon Hill — Tuesday, May 23, 2017, 11:55 AM EDT

Huawei is taking the fight directly to Apple with its new MateBook X. Aimed squarely at the 12-inch MacBook, the MateBook X employs a sleek aluminum frame and a generous 13-inch display with a resolution of 2160×1440 and a screen-to-body ratio of 88 percent thanks to thin 4.4mm bezels.

Unlike the MacBook, which it will no doubt be compared to by everyone who looks at it, the MateBook X is powered by Kaby Lake Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which is a noticeable upgrade from the Core m3 and Core m5 processors available in Apple’s counterpart. Despite the fact that up to a Core i7 can be configured in the device, the MateBook X has a fanless design made possible by Huawei’s Space Cooling Technology.

If you’re someone who craves a lot of RAM in your portable system, the MateBook X is likely to disappoint. Base and fully maxed out systems comes with just 8GB of RAM with no option to upgrade to 16GB. Likewise, the base machines include 256GB of SSD, and top out at 512GB. We’d like it if Huawei could have included a 1TB SSD option, but beggars can’t be choosers.

You’ll also find a 41.4 WHr battery, which will last up to 10 hours per charge according to Huawei. Interestingly enough, the battery capacity and rated uptime is exactly the same as the 12-inch MacBook. And unlike the MacBook, the MateBook X includes two USB-C ports: one that supports data transfers/charging, and one that supports just data transfers. Other features include a fingerprint sensor that is incorporated into the power button and a Dolby Atmos Sound System.

Also taking a page from Apple’s MacBook, the MateBook X is available in Prestige Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold.

In addition to the MateBook X, Huawei introduced the MateBook E, which has a 2-in-1 convertible with a 2K touch screen. The Folio Keyboard allows the device to rotate through 160 degrees of motion can be configured with up to a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Its 33.7 WHr battery is good for up to 9 hours of runtime.

Finally, there’s the MateBook D, which incorporates a 15-inch 1080p display with Core i5 or Core i7 processors and is available with up to 16GB of RAM. The MateBook D comes standard with an NVIDIA GeForce 940MX discrete graphics card, and can be equipped with up to a 256GB SSD that can be used in conjunction with a 1TB HDD.

Huawei hasn’t provided U.S. pricing at this time, but the MateBook X, E, and D will be priced from €1,399, €999 and €799 respectively when they ship this summer.

Tags: Apple, Macbook, Huawei, matebook x, matebook e, matebook d

Brandon Hill

Brandon received his first PC, an IBM Aptiva 310, in 1994 and hasn’t looked back since. He cut his teeth on computer building/repair working at a mom and pop computer shop as a plucky teen in the mid 90s and went on to join AnandTech as the Senior News Editor in 1999. Brandon would later help to form DailyTech where he served as Editor-in-Chief from 2008 until 2014. Brandon is a tech geek at heart, and family members always know where to turn when they need free tech support. When he isn’t writing about the tech hardware or studying up on the latest in mobile gadgets, you’ll find him browsing forums that cater to his long-running passion: automobiles.

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