Huawei Matebook

TheMateBook 14 has all the power of the newMateBook X Pro, at a much lower price

VERDICT

TheMateBook 14 has all the power of the newMateBook X Pro, at a much lower price

IT WOULD HAVE been easy to overlook the MateBook 14 when Huawei unveiled it at MWC 2019 in Barcelona in February. With both the Mate X foldable smartphone and a new version of the top-of-the-line MateBook X Pro also making their debuts, the less flashy MateBook 14 had to contend for attention with its own stablemates, let alone everything else at the show.

And yet, actually using this laptop has revealed it to not just be an excellent ultraportable, but quite possibly better than the MateBook X Pro itself, at least in terms of how worthy it is of your cash.

PORT REPORT

The MateBook 14 isn’t as sleek as the MateBook X Pro nor as compact as the MateBook 13, but it’s still a lightweight laptop with slim screen bezels. Its 1.5kg weight is acceptable for a 14in machine, especially one with dedicated graphics, and it’s well crafted in general, with minimal screen flex and a solid-feeling, all-metal chassis.

This is also the only one of the three new MateBooks to have two full-size USB ports (one USB2, one USB3), in addition to a single USB Type-C port, full-size HDMI output and 3.5mm headphone jack. This makes it the best-equipped model of the three if you want to use multiple USB peripherals and devices without adaptors, although the MateBook X Pro has the advantage of a Thunderbolt 3 port.

The MateBook 14’s Type-C port can handle data transfers and DisplayPort video output, but will likely most often be filled by the charging cable.

The speakers are situated on the underside of the chassis, with small grilles on the left and right sides, and a longer grille at the rear. These are Dolby Atmos-branded, and sound slightly better than the average laptop speakers, but not transcendently so. Headphones will still be the better option for listening to music.