Good materials, high-quality display, and attention to detail. But is this enough for superiority in the middle segment? A few years ago, a segment of laptops was predicted of inevitable death under the onslaught of tablets. But portable computers not only remained in demand but also received further development in the form of ultrabooks. Let’s know more in Matebook 13 Review.
Many companies try their hand at a new niche, Huawei is no exception. The new MateBook 13 has decent introductory: an aluminum case, covered with a glass 2K-display and modern iron. You already know that Huawei released more notebook like MateBook X Signature but MateBook 13 is more better laptop. With positioning, the ultrabook is designed for active users who need a laptop computer for every day. What is it like in real life?
Huawei Matebook 13 Review
For MateBook 13 used good materials: brushed aluminum, glass and a minimum of plastic. The color of the metal is unusual. At first glance dark gray, but under the light, there is a beautiful purple outflow. The hinges are covered with plastic in color – a standard solution. Build quality at height: the parts fit perfectly, there is a feeling of solidity.
There are no questions to ergonomics; the device weighs 1.28 kilograms and is quite suitable for permanent wear in a backpack or bag. Now we will discuss more about Huawei matebook in below.
Matebook 13 Specifications:
- Display: 13 inches, aspect ratio 3: 2, 2160×1440, 200 PPI, IPS, glossy finish.
- Operating system: Windows 10 Home.
- Processor: Intel Core i5 8265U, 4 x 1.6 GHz (Turbo Boost up to 3.9 GHz).
- Graphics chip: Intel UHD Graphics 620.
- RAM: 8 GB LPDDR3 2133 MHz.
- Built-in memory: 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD.
- Wireless module: Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (Wi-Fi: 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.0).
- Webcam: 1 MP with LED indicator, microphone.
- Ports and connectors: 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C DisplayPort, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Power Delivery, combined audio output.
- Battery: non-removable, 42 Wh.
- Dimensions: 286 × 211 × 14.9 mm.
- Weight: 1280 grams.
Available Top Features in Matebook 13: Test Result
The laptop from the preliminary review was saddened with tight loops, because of which it was impossible to open the laptop with one hand. In the test sample, the kinematics is different: the minimum force increases as the lid opens.
So the ultrabook opens with one hand, and the display is firmly held in the working position. It is not excluded that the cardinal change of characteristics is a consequence of the intensive exploitation of our specimen. The maximum opening angle is sufficient for easy work on the road on your lap.
Display:
The key advantage of the MateBook 13 is an IPS-matrix with a diagonal of 13 inches, an aspect ratio of 3: 2 and a resolution of 2160×1440. In actual operation, the less stretched 3: 2 ratio is much more convenient than traditional 16:10 and, moreover, 16: 9 since more information is placed in the browser and office applications. For automatic brightness adjustment provides a sensitive light sensor.
The frames around the display are proportionally thin. Not MateBook X Pro, but at the level of or better than classmates: the screen occupies 88% of the entire panel area. The coating is tempered glass, the exact brand is not disclosed, but there is no need to worry about the appearance of scratches. The glass is easily rubbed off from dust and fingerprints; the oleophobic coating is in place.
Design:
The layout is standard for 13-inch laptops: the height of the functional series is reduced, “E” is narrow, Enter is one-story, the arrows are compact. Keyboard island type takes up almost the entire width of the case; the distance between the keys is minimal. The mechanism is smooth with a short course, but clear feedback. Little arrows work pressing a little worse than the other keys, due to less intelligible feedback. The remaining characteristics of the keyboard pleased especially liked the quiet deaf sound of the mechanism.
In some keys, additional LED indicators are mounted. In the Caps Lock, the light indicates a shift in the register, the lit indicator in F7 indicates that the microphone is off. An interesting find is the sticking of FN. For absolute convenience, there are not enough extra bulbs in the buttons for silent mode and Wi-Fi switching.
Keyboard:
The keyboard is equipped with a two-level backlight in white. The glow is uniform, the engraving is clear without unnecessary gaps. Turning on the backlight and switching the brightness is accompanied by a smooth animation. An unpleasant feature is that the backlight is automatically turned off after 15 seconds of inactivity, regardless of the power supply profile. Disabling this option in the settings could not be found.
The power button with an integrated fingerprint scanner is above the keyboard. The speed and accuracy of the sensor at the level of the company’s flagship smartphones.
TouchPad
The shape of the touchpad is elongated, 120 mm wide and 65 mm high. At first glance it is unusual, but there is no inconvenience in real life. Covering the panel – the usual plastic. Quality work on par with the best Windows laptops. The touchpad supports all possible gestures, including four-finger gestures.
Processor:
Inside, the MateBook 13 runs an updated Intel Core i5 8265U processor with integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics. Four cores with eight threads run at a base frequency of 1.6 GHz with automatic overclocking of one of the cores to 3.9 GHz. Two cores in Turbo Boost take 3.8 GHz, and four – 3.7 GHz. Decent performance for a processor with heat dissipation no higher than 15 watts. As a result, the ultrabook without any problems copes with photo processing, engineering design, and active web surfing.
RAM
If there is enough 8 GB of RAM type LPDDR3, the processor can easily cope with parallel work in several heavy applications. It is impossible to expand the amount of RAM because the chips are soldered on the motherboard.
Storage:
The built-in storage capacity is medium; the user has 256 GB SSD. High-speed performance at height, the drive is connected via PCI Express x4 via the NVMe protocol. Out of the box, the memory is divided into two sections: 80 GB for the system and 142 for personal data. Besides, 14 GB is reserved for the recovery partition. Unlike RAM, SSDs can be replaced by the more capacious M.2 2280 format.
Cooling System:
The active cooling system takes air from the butt end from the hinge side and throws it out through the ventilation holes on the bottom cover. In office mode, the fans rotate at minimum speed or operate in passive mode. Under load, the two-driver system is moderately noisy, not at all annoying.
Ports
There are few connectors: a pair of USB Type-C separated by the ends and an audio jack. The port on the right supports data transfer and image output. Unlike the flagship ThunderBolt 3 in MateBook 13 is not available. The lack of full-size USB is a reason to think about updating the fleet of external devices. For compatibility with existing devices, MateDock 2 is included in the package.
Battery Life:
The battery life at 42 Watt-hour is not inferior to classmates. So, in office mode, the laptop lasted about 8-9 hours. Profile “Optimal Performance,” average brightness, included keyboard backlight, Wi-Fi 5 GHz, running Chrome with 10-15 tabs, viewing online video That is, the ultrabook can work the working day without energy saving.
At 50% of the battery is charged in half an hour. It takes a little more than one and a half hours to fully charge. The statement of the manufacturer about 2 hours of work after a 15-minute charge is valid when it comes to a quiet office mode.
- High-quality matrix with thin frames.
- Excellent build and quality materials.
- Fast charge via USB Type-C.
- Fingerprint sensor.
- Silent keyboard with a sharp mechanism.
- Convenient implementation of multimedia buttons through sticky FN.
- Efficient, but quiet cooling system.
- A modest variety of connectors.
- Lack of support for Thunderbolt 3.
- Incomprehensible kinematics of loops.
Final Words
At Huawei, they seriously took up the development of a line of laptops. The new MateBook 13 has every chance of success in its segment, as it offers a right combination of characteristics, appearance, and cost. Competitive advantage is an excellent display with a convenient aspect ratio. So, we discussed everything in Huawei Matebook 13 Review that will help you know and take a decision about this best laptops.
New suitable for users who are accustomed to solving work tasks in the most unexpected places: in the office, at home, in transport, even on the run. This contributes to a compact aluminum housing and high-performance iron. A small number of connectors hardly upset the younger generation, who loves all the newest and most modern. In extreme cases, an adapter is included in the delivery package.