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The Huawei Matebook 14 is extra versatile and boasts higher battery life than the higher-specced MateBook X Professional. Sadly, uncertainty clouding Huawei’s future makes this difficult to suggest in the meanwhile.
Professionals
- Giant, excessive definition show
- Slender design
- Good number of ports
Cons
- Battery life doesn’t examine effectively to different ultrabooks
- Home windows received’t be formally supported for for much longer
Key Specs
- 14-inch 2160 x 1440 show
- 90% sRGB color area protection
- 2 x USB-A, 1 x USB-C, HDMI
- 256GB/512GB storage
- 8GB/16GB RAM
- Huawei Share wi-fi file switch system
The Huawei MateBook 14 is a light-weight laptop computer which – on the time of writing, at the very least – runs Home windows 10.
One of many newest light-weight laptops from Huawei, the MateBook 14 is a much less highly effective (and due to this fact much less battery-hungry) counterpart to the refreshed 2019 version of the Huawei MateBook X Professional.
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Like Microsoft’s Floor Laptop computer 2, the Huawei MateBook 14’s show encompasses a 3:2 facet – that’s rather less frequent than the 16:9 shows you are likely to see on laptops, implying that the MateBook 14 is extra geared in the direction of work than leisure – however streamed content material ought to look fairly good on this, too.
Additionally, there’s no denying it, the MateBook 14, together with others within the MateBook vary, don’t half appear to be Apple’s new MacBook Air, albeit not fairly as fancy and with extra ports.
There’s a very large and indignant elephant within the room nonetheless, and that’s the escalating commerce warfare between the USA and China. Huawei has been caught within the crossfire right here, and it’s very a lot trying like its laptop computer line received’t be working Home windows (if it’s even working in any respect) for for much longer. Nonetheless, in the event you’re not bothered about that and prefer to reside dangerously, you may wish to see what you may get on your cash.
Is the Matebook 14 the very best laptop computer you’re by no means going to purchase?
The Huawei MateBook 14 is a implausible plastic MacBook Air mimic
In case you’re intrigued by the brand new line of Apple MacBook Airs, however have been after one thing {that a}) ran Home windows and b) was a bit bit cheaper, then the Huawei MateBook 14 is likely to be choice for you.
OK, so the construct high quality right here is just not fairly up there at MacBook ranges, however for probably the most half, it nonetheless manages to feel and look like a premium system. The inclusion of a fingerprint scanner on the ability key’s a pleasant contact, no pun meant.
The keyboard is good and roomy, and when you don’t get the likes of Residence and Finish keys right here, the roomy trackpad implies that engaged on large studies, evaluations and paperwork is not any trouble in any respect.
I additionally usually appreciated the typing expertise you get right here, however the plastic keycaps really feel low cost and wobbly. The keyboard is just not nearly as good as what you get on the Floor Laptop computer 2, the MacBook Air, or Huawei’s personal MateBook X Professional.
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The MateBook 14’s keyboard is spacious sufficient, however I’ve issues concerning the sturdiness of the keycaps.
Regrettably, the ‘Up’ arrow key break up after a few weeks’ value of use, which isn’t signal concerning the longevity of the keycaps right here. Nevertheless, I used to be happy to see that, regardless of the plastic physique, the identical diploma of flex which plagues cheaper, much less well-made laptops, is just not current on the MateBook 14. It’s usually a really sturdy-feeling system (arrow keys excluded).
What I actually like concerning the Huawei MateBook 14 will be discovered on its sides – you get a Sort-C USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and HDMI port on the left hand facet, and two Sort-A USB ports – aka the old-fashioned USB ports – on the precise. That’s extra beneficiant that what you get on any of the opposite laptops I’ve listed above.
The USB-C port helps Energy Supply, so in the event you wished to, you could possibly decide up a dock which might allow you to add extra ports whereas retaining the MateBook 14’s battery topped up.
A neat function is Huawei Share, a wi-fi file switch system which makes use of NFC and Bluetooth to shortly switch recordsdata out of your Huawei cellphone to the MateBook 14. It really works simply because it does on the MateBook X Professional.
Huawei Share is nice if you wish to get the odd selfie or audio file off of your cellphone in a pinch, however usually, Android File Switch stays the most suitable choice for transferring a number of recordsdata round without delay.
Then there’s the pop-up webcam, hidden between the F6 and F7 keys. This neat James Bond-esque trick implies that Huawei can make sure that the 14-inch display has a super-thin bezel. Sadly, this additionally implies that the digicam will give whoever is on the opposite finish of a video name an unflattering have a look at your neck and nostrils.
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‘Now look right here, 007, a easy press of the important thing, and the hidden digicam pops up. Do attempt to carry this again in a single piece…’
Huawei MateBook 14’s display – Is it adequate for photograph work?
The Huawei MateBook 14’s display covers portion of the sRGB gamut, which means it’s advantageous for primary photograph work. Low Adobe RGB protection means it’s not nice for anybody studying to edit images professionally.
In my exams, utilizing DisplayCAL software program and a i1Display Professional X-Ceremony colorimeter, the Huawei MateBook 14’s show was capable of cowl a powerful 90.0% of the sRGB color area. That’s superb, because it implies that video games, digital artwork, web sites and the like will look brilliant, vibrant and roughly as their creators meant.
Much less spectacular have been the low Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 color area scores, used primarily by photographers and videographers to color appropriate and grade their work. I recorded 62.3% and 64.7% respectively right here. That’s poor, as most laptops value their salt will provide you with at the very least 70% protection of those color areas.
These scores aren’t unusual for laptops on this class as you may see above and beneath, so this isn’t a failing of the MateBook 14, however not likely an argument in its favour both.
I recorded a color temperature of 6656K throughout exams, which is basically good – 6500K is the temperature that’s closest to pure gentle, with numbers beneath that being hotter/redder and numbers above that being cooler/bluer.
It’s a reasonably brilliant display, too. Prime brightness ranges I recorded with the MateBook 14 was 363.5 nits, sufficient so that you can comfortably work in most environments, even outdoors on all however the sunniest of days.
I recorded a black stage of 0.2 nits right here as effectively. That’s not dangerous in any respect, including as much as a distinction ratio of 1532:1. As a common rule of thumb, something above 1000:1 on a laptop computer lately is excellent.
In sensible phrases, which means that darkish areas of images and movies received’t look too gloomy or vague (until you’re watching that episode of Sport of Thrones) and brighter areas of photographs received’t look blanched and washed out.
Huawei MateBook 14 battery life – how good is the Matebook 14’s battery?
The MateBook 14’s battery will provide you with roughly eight hours of energy, in the event you’re utilizing it for work functions, i.e. writing, photograph enhancing, checking emails, all whereas streaming music from Spotify and YouTube.
For streaming, anticipate rather less, across the six hour mark. Whether or not I used to be catching up on new episodes of Killing Eve on iPlayer, The Sinner on Netflix, or watching fan footage of these new Software songs on YouTube advert infinitum, I might get round six hours in earlier than the ability warning would begin flashing at me.
I additionally looped a 2-minute 4K video pattern till the Huawei Matebook 14 began to energy down, and famous six hours and 55 minutes.
Working the ‘Work’ battery benchmark on PC Mark 8 gave me a rating of 4 hours and 6 minutes, which is a bit worse that what my real-world observations counsel.
In all cases, the display’s brightness was dipped to 150 nits, and the speaker quantity was saved at 50%.
Whereas these scores are OK, it’s nonetheless underneath par for different laptops in its worth vary that includes the identical processor – an Intel Core i7-8565U. From the so-called ‘Whiskey Lake’ vary of laptop computer CPUs, different machines with an i7-8565U we’ve examined boasted higher battery efficiency, together with the Dell XPS 13 and Asus ZenBook Professional 14.
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Two USB-A ports sitting beneath the fingerprint scanner and energy key of the MateBook 14.
Huawei MateBook 14 efficiency – is the Huawei MateBook 14 good for work and photograph enhancing?
Whereas engaged on one thing which required the devoted graphics unit to essentially flex its muscle – like photograph enhancing – I might discover that the MateBook 14 would get fairly scorching. Right here, I’d have to succeed in for the mains adapter if I wished to get something carried out with out skirting into battery hazard zone.
The great display scores mixed with the very quick disk learn and write speeds implies that opening up massive images and tweaking away may be very breezy certainly. The very responsive trackpad comes into its personal right here too.
I used to be capable of take the MateBook 14 with me out to some work occasions and it held up fairly effectively. It truly travelled with me to Computex 2019, and I used to be capable of hammer out all of my work filed there on this simply sufficient.
The USB-C, 3.5mm and HDMI port of the Huawei MateBook 14
I undoubtedly appreciated that I might join this to a TV for displays (and making Netflix seem on non-smart TVs) by way of the HDMI port, and the USB-C and two USB-As meant that I didn’t really feel the necessity to maintain a dock with me always.
You may get ultrabooks that are much more beneficiant by way of ports, certain – the Asus ZenBook 15 offers you an identical, plus an SD card reader, for instance – but when your query is, ‘is the Huawei MateBook 14 appropriate for workplace work?’, then the reply is sure, sure it’s.
If there’s one factor I undoubtedly didn’t admire right here, it’s the shortage of lighting across the keys, making this nearly not possible to make use of in darkish convention centres. Until you may touch-type with 100% accuracy (spoiler: I can’t), then it is a mark towards the Huawei MateBook 14.
Personally, I miss the outdated opening flower Huawei brand, however this neat, boxy typeface is form of good, I suppose…
Ought to I purchase the Huawei MateBook 14?
The Huawei MateBook 14 is a strong laptop computer that’s value testing, however selecting one up proper now comes with a level of threat hooked up.
We don’t know if, and even when, the Government Order on Securing the Info and Communications Expertise and Companies Provide Chain might be signed. This may successfully imply that Microsoft, Intel, AMD, Nvidia, Cisco, or any U.S. firm can’t do enterprise with Huawei with out specific permission (which they’re not going to get), which means that in the meanwhile, any client know-how made by Huawei won’t profit from the extent of assist, frequency of updates you may anticipate.
Microsoft has pulled all of its Huawei items from its official Retailer – though on the time of writing, they have been again within the U.S. Retailer – which means that you’re extra likley to choose up a MateBook 14 on Amazon and eBay.
If the connection with Microsoft goes bitter, Huawei says it has a ‘Plan B’ in retailer, and is outwardly growing its personal desktop OS. Whether or not it bears any relation (and even the identical title) to Hongmeng, the cellular OS it’s engaged on, stays to be seen.
Within the quick time period, all of it is a actual disgrace, as a result of there’s rather a lot to love concerning the Huawei MateBook 14. For now, I’d solely suggest shopping for it in the event you’re ready to experience out this storm of uncertainty.
Verdict
A superb Huawei laptop computer that’s hamstrung and hobbled by worldwide politics.
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