This year’s Huawei ban has forced the former dominant manufacturer of smartphones to shift its efforts to different products. While they produced phones, few of them received a favorable reception on the international market due to the absence of Google services.
However, since Microsoft is among the few companies based in the United States which can collaborate with Huawei, We’ve seen some Windows laptops manufactured by Huawei. The laptops typically have decent specifications, but they’re similar to Apple Macbook devices, which are frequently criticized.
Here’s the review of the Huawei Matebook 15, a comprehensive option from Huawei. The sturdy aluminum frame, the intelligent fingerprint scanner, and the Full HD display paired with the 11th generation i5 processor make it a highly desirable laptop, especially if you’re already part of Huawei’s Huawei ecosystem. However, some significant drawbacks make this laptop challenging to recommend. Let’s discuss these issues during this test.
Its Design & Body
Its Matebook D15 is a well-built laptop that feels solid and luxurious due to its aluminum body. It can fit a 15.6-inch display inside the dimensions of 16.9mm and weighs 1.56kg, and is easy to carry around. Huawei’s emphasis on portability is more apparent when you examine the slim 65W Type-C charger they supply. Overall, portability and quality shouldn’t be a problem.
Similar to the keypad that comes with the Matebook, this D15 is also large and can get the job completed. Although it’s not a Macbook keyboard, The soft keys are surprisingly comfortable. But, the lack of backlighting for the keyboard could be a problem for many users.
It’s 15.6 Inches FHD Display
The display of the Matebook D15 is a bit dismal in terms of it’s price. Furthermore, the quality of the reproduction of colors is not the greatest; it can be as dim as 250 nits. This makes it challenging for me to use it in brighter areas. However, the matte finish on the screen helped lessen reflections and increase the usability.
The bottom bezel is thick, and the display has an aspect ratio that is 16:9. However, I would’ve preferred the resolution of a larger 16:10 display on this at the same price.
For anyone who wants to be a Macbook, Huawei should’ve also looked into replicating its excellent audio system. The laptop comes with two speakers with bottom-firing that give an average sound at the highest level. The speakers produce the best sound when placed on a solid surface.
8GB of RAM and Intel Core i5-1135G7
Performance-wise, this MateBook D 15 with an Intel Core i5-1135G7, paired with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB of NVMe PCIe SSD. You can efficiently complete basic tasks such as document processing, consumption of media, and web browsing. I’ve yet to experience any delays in daily usage situations.
If you’re a music producer, rest confident that FL Studio will run well in this case. To cool it, it has only one fan and heat pipe. The laptop is quiet under daily chores. The cooling system can keep the temperature in check. But, the fan starts to crank up when you work at high speed.
42Wh Type C Battery that has Type C 65W
Battery options, including the 42Wh battery that is relatively small for a device with 15 inches display and also displays. If your day-to-day use was text editing, and watching videos in full-screen on YouTube for less than an hour, then it’s OK with the Matebook D15.
Its Ports and Connectivity Cables
The Matebook D15’s port range is sufficient, with 3 Type-A USB ports and a Type-C 3.1 port. It also has an HDMI 2.1 port and a 3.5mm audio connector. The Type-C port will charge laptops, but it cannot deliver DisplayPort and Thunderbolt.
Verdict
Huawei Matebook D 15 is an excellent laptop for all purposes, but not worth the cost as it mentioned. Another problem is the lack of availability and aftermarket support. It is much more challenging to locate parts for Huawei laptops than those from established players such as Dell or Asus.
The closest competitor for the Huawei Matebook D15 is another similar laptop to the Macbook. It’s the Xiaomi’s Mi Notebook Pro. It’s priced similarly. However, it beats the D15 out of the water.
The first and most important thing is that the 2.5K display of the Notebook Pro is the most important thing. The 2.5K display on Notebook Pro has a much better quality of color and an aspect ratio of 16:10.
Additionally, it is equipped with an 11th-gen H-series processor. It is a minor improvement from its predecessor, the G7 in the Matebook D15. In addition, the traditional camera’s location allows it to be used for video conferencing.
It’s finally here! The Huawei Matebook D15 would be a viable option if its price were in line with its worldwide price. However, for the moment, it’s just another Windows laptop with an Apple-like shell, and it’s not able to match what other companies offer in this price range.