Chinese manufacturer Huawei released its first Windows laptop last year, to fairly disappointing results. That hasn't stopped the company, and it looks to bounce back with the newest iterations of the MateBook laptops.
The X Factor
First, there's the MateBook X, which looks to address some of the issues found in the original MateBook. The clamshell laptop is a 13-inch Windows 10 computer that forgoes the approach of last year's MateBook, which took the 2-in-1 approach of the Microsoft Surface Pro. The laptop will also run on the Intel Core i5 or i7, which is a pretty standard option for laptops today.
The MateBook X is looking to jump in the laptop fray and challenge Apple's MacBook Air line. The design of the laptop is very reminiscent of the MacBook, with a very thin and low-weight design for ease of portability. Obviously, the difference here is that the MateBook is a Windows laptop, and that could be where the problem comes in.
With the MacBook Air starting to get a bit long in the tooth, multiple companies are looking to jump in and take a chunk of the market for themselves. That is where the real competition will lie, so Huawei has to make sure it sets the MateBook X up well to succeed.
Other Options
The other option will be the MateBook D, the larger of Huawei's new laptops. The MateBook D is a 15-inch laptop that will maintain the thin body design, keeping it in line with the Matebook X's design. Its specs also fall in line with the MateBook X, running on the Core i5 or i7, multiple options for RAM, and an Nvidia Geforce 940MX graphics card. These won't light the world up but will ensure that if someone is looking for a larger version of the MateBook X, they can get a competent laptop.
Huawei also looks to update its original MateBook hybrid from last year with the MateBook E. It still works the same as last year's model, using a leather, snap-on keyboard. It did get a bump in power, with a better 2K display from the previous 1080p. Its battery life has also been increased to up to nine hours, depending on activity. Last year's model didn't have the best battery life, so this is a welcome improvement.
Hopefully, the new laptops will help Huawei carve out a larger section of the market so it won't have to rely solely on its smartphones.
