Matebook X Pro first look

We take an opening look at Huawei’s MacBook Pro killer

Huawei’s unveiled its latest top-end Matebook X Pro Windows 10 laptop at MWC. It’s an updated version of the original Matebook X that won us over last year and features key improvements, including a new near-bezel-less design, the addition of a touchscreen, increased connectivity, and an upgrade to Intel’s 8th Gen CPUs.
The updates may not sound riveting, but having had some hands-on time with the Matebook X Pro, you can colour me impressed. Make no mistake, if it’s priced correctly, the Matebook X could be one of the best ultrabooks to arrive this year.

Matebook X Pro specs

The Matebook X Pro matches the specifications of other top-end ultrabooks and MacBooks, and will be available in two different configurations at launch. You can see both models’ full specs in the table below.

Model	Mate Book X Pro option one	Mate Book X Pro option two
Screen	13.9-inch, 3000 x 2000 LTPS, 260ppi, 450 nits, 1500:1 contrast ratio, 100% sRGB, 178-degree viewing angles, 10-point multi-touch	13.9-inch, 3000 x 2000 LTPS, 260ppi, 450 nits, 1500:1 contrast ratio 100%, sRGB, 178-degree viewing angles, 10-point multi-touch
CPU	Intel Core i7 8550U	Intel Core i5 8250U
Graphics	Nvidia GeForce MX150, 2GB GDDR5	Intel Integrated Graphics
Memory	16GB LPDDR3	8GB LPDDR3
Storage	512GB NVMe SSD	256GB NVMe SSD
Weight	1.33kg	TBC
Battery	57.4Wh	57.4Wh
Connectivity	1X USB C,v 1X Thunderbolt 3, 1X USB A,  1X 3.5mm, USB A	1X USB C,v 1X Thunderbolt 3, 1X USB A,  1X 3.5mm, USB A
Software	Windows 10 (Pro on model demoed)	Windows 10 (Pro on model demoed)

Matebook X Pro – Is it any good?

The specs are pretty par for the course for a 2018 ultrabook and mean the Matebook Pro X should be able to go toe-to-toe with most competing products, like the new Dell XPS 13, though I won’t be able to confirm this until I’ve had a chance to benchmark the two devices.

My only slight quibble is that the company didn’t offer a definitive answer if it would ever consider releasing, or already plans to release, a version packing one of Intel and AMD’s shiny new G-series chips. The G chips were unveiled earlier this year and combine Intel’s existing H-series enthusiast mobile CPUs with AMD Radeon RX Vega M onboard graphics. They’re set to appear in a wave of new devices, including Dell’s spiffy-looking XPS 15 2-in-1.
I haven’t had a chance to test any laptop running them, but if Intel’s claims are to be believed, these could completely shake up the market, offering unheard-of performance and able to play AAA games at 1080p – something I’m not convinced the Matebook Pro X will be able to do unless you use the Thunderbolt port to attach an external GPU.

What makes the Matebook X Pro appear special are the number of subtle improvements Huawei’s made to its overall design.
For starters, it’s an outright gorgeous-looking laptop. The unibody metal has a wonderfully premium sandblasted finish and diamond-cut edges that make it look wonderfully high-end. The premium feel is further aided by the laptop’s ludicrously thin 4.4mm bezel, which to the naked eye looked even dinkier than the edging around the XPS 13’s InfinityEdge display. The end result is a device that makes the Apple MacBook Pro and its larger bezel look slightly dated.
I’m also a huge fan of the fact that Huawei’s taken note of our previous criticism about the Matebook X’s lack of ports and added a full-size USB-A port to the laptop’s side. That Huawei managed to do this while keeping the Matebook X Pro’s body to 4.9-14.6mm thick is an impressive achievement that’s to be applauded.

From what I’ve seen, as on the original Matebook X, Huawei’s also managed to get all the basics right. As before, the screen looks great. I didn’t get a chance to run a colourimeter over it, and the representative on hand couldn’t give me gamut coverage figures outside of “100% sRGB”, but my naked-eye impressions were positive. Colours looked rich and vibrant, without being overcooked. Whites were nicely clean and it appeared to match Huawei’s 450 nits max brightness claims, which will make it more than good enough for day-to-day and outdoor use.
Like the original MateBook X, the Pro has a backlit, “spill-resistant” keyboard and touchpad, which Huawei claims is the largest you’ll find on a 14-inch laptop. In the time I had with the laptop it felt great to use. The touchpad is gigantic and easily dealt with all the multi-touch commands I threw at it, and the keyboard, while a little squished together, was suitably reactive, with the keys having decent travel and a pleasing click action.

The return of the fingerprint scanner is another welcome addition. The scanner’s built into the MateBook X Pro’s power button and lets you unlock and wake the laptop up with a single click.
Huawei’s also worked to improve the Pro’s audio chops, loading it with a new quad-speaker system. The four speakers sit at the top and bottom of the Matebook’s keyboard and support 2nd gen Dolby Atmos surround sound. The speakers split frequencies, so the two on the front cover the upper frequencies while the two at the back cover the lower end.
As an added cherry on top, Huawei’s loaded them with a double suspension system that separates the speakers from the motherboard and chassis, which will in theory reduce noise/distortion when the volume’s cranked.
I didn’t get a chance to try the speakers during my demo, but considering how good the original Matebook X’s were, I have high hopes for them.
The only design feature I’m not completely sold on is the Matebook’s custom “recessed camera”. Huawei made a big deal about this being a world first during its London press demo, but from what I’ve seen it’s not actually that great. Because of the reduced bezel, Huawei’s decided to embed the front camera in the laptop’s keyboard. It pops up from the keyboard when pressed, in theory making it a safer bet for privacy-conscious buyers.
The issue is that, as on the XPS 13, by placing the camera so low it’s all but impossible to frame yourself for a video call without giving people a fairly unflattering view of your nasal passages. Also if you need to type any notes during a video meeting, that’s also a somewhat distracting sight for everyone else.

Matebook X Pro price

My only other serious concern is that Huawei remained tight-lipped about one key detail: how much the Matebook X Pro will cost.
Despite being a company famous for offering great value for money in the phone market, the original Matebook X was pretty darned expensive, with pricing starting at £1200 for the i7 model.
That cost put it in direct competition with the more established MacBook Pro and Dell XPS 13, which are equally impressive devices from companies with much stronger track records in the laptop market than Huawei.
Hopefully this time around Huawei will try to be more competitive, giving buy Crs more of an incentive to try out the Matebook Pro X.

Matebook X Pro release date

Huawei also hasn’t given the Matebook Pro X a solid release date.

First impressions

Huawei may not be the first name you think of when shopping for a top-end laptop, but from what I’ve seen the Matebook Pro X is a stunning piece of kit. Featuring a wonderfully premium design, the X Pro easily gives the XPS 13 and MacBook Pro a run for their money when it comes to looks.
Though I’d like to see a G-series model hit the market, the Matebook X Pro also matches most of the big players when it comes to specs. This, coupled with a number of clever tweaks, mean it could be one of the best ultrabooks to arrive this year.
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