Slim, practical and cutting-edge
The good-looking Huawei MateBook D boasts a solid performance, writes Balqis Lim
THIN and light notebooks have been the rage ever since Apple introduced the MacBook Air. And today, many new players are offering their own rendition of light notebooks.
One of them is Huawei. Although new in the notebook market, its MateBook D comes with cutting-edge features and is aimed at tertiary students and those on their first job.
FIRST LOOK
Honestly, the MateBook D looks and feels like a MacBook Pro. I am blown away with its build quality.
This 14-inch laptop is coated with a silver finish that gives it a premium look. So familiar, right?
If you are a minimalist and like simple designs, this laptop would be on your list.
Weighing 1.47kg and 15.8mm in thickness, this ultra-thin laptop is extremely portable.
There’s a HDMI port on the left side, along with a USB Type-C and USB TypeA. On the right side, you can find another USB Type-A port and the audio/headphone jack.
There are four speakers to give users good vibes. A one-megapixel front camera is located at the centre display.
The MateBook D is also equipped with a fingerprint sensor.
Typing on the keyboard is great as the keys are flat and wide. The pressure points can be felt though it’s a bit rough for my liking. The keyboard is also backlit, which is useful in many situations.
The trackpad has a smooth surface that is easy to use. In terms of responsiveness, it works really well, and also features multi-gesture function.
PERFORMANCE
The MateBook D features a Full HD IPS display with 1080p resolution. For everyday use and watching videos, the display looks very nice.
It has great colour and contrast as well as sharp viewing.
This laptop comes with the 8th generation Intel Core i5-8250U processor, Intel UHD Graphics 620, 8GB of RAM and 256GB storage.
One of the things I like about it is the speaker system. Tuned by Dolby Atmos system, you get 360-degree surround sound.
The audio quality is above average compared to other mid-range laptops. When playing songs on full volume, I can’t really hear any voice cracking.
The battery life is quite decent. I am still able to watch a couple of movies after a day’s use at work. How long the battery lasts depends on what you do with the laptop.
I use it mostly for work and movies and it has been smooth overall for me, thanks to its Windows 10 Home operating system.
However, you may not want to play an intense game like PUBG (PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds) and Fortnite which require higher processing power. Videos and photo editing and light games are fine.
I like that it uses a USB Type-C charger that is compact and clean without the bulky cord like other laptop chargers. It is also able to charge other Type-C devices.
OTHER FUNCTIONS
With the ever-evolving technology, a lot of data transfer work can be done wirelessly and fast.
For Huawei smartphone users, having a MateBook D can be handy. The laptop is equipped with the Huawei Share feature, whereby a user can transfer files, photos and videos from his phone to the notebook (and vice-versa) in the blink of an eye.
This wireless transfer not only saves time but energy as well as the user does not need to have a cable to connect both devices.
In terms of security, Huawei MateBook D is equipped with Windows Hello.
For Windows Hello integration, this laptop uses a built-in fingerprint scanner on its power button. The scanner also unlocks the notebook in an instant.
Other features and functions that make this laptop interesting to use is its “PC Manager” function.
This function checks the condition of the laptop, software updates and connection with smartphones for data transfer work.
CONCLUSION
Huawei MateBook D is without doubt a good and satisfactory laptop for daily use. The bright and beautiful screen quality provides a great viewing experience. The screen brightness is also satisfactory when used outside the office or home.
The speakers are good and while one may need a longer time to familiarise oneself with the keypads, it is still acceptable.
Its light weight makes it easy to carry anywhere and the compact charger can also be popped into a handbag. Practical!
This is a solid choice for students who need a laptop for assignments and some entertainment in between.
At RM2,999, it’s also affordable.