HUAWEI MATEBOOK X LAPTOP REVIEW: MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN USEFUL

When I first laid eyes on Huawei’s MateBook X, I was smitten. Lust at first sight. This Windows 10 laptop wastes no space around its 13-inch screen and full-width keyboard. It weighs almost nothing, and is barely thick enough to fit a headphone jack. If beauty is defined by efficiency, which I think it is, then the MateBook X is the most beautiful computer I’ve seen this year.

Looks are just one aspect of what makes a good computer, however, and Huawei still has to prove that it can be as good at making laptops as it has shown itself to be with smartphones. To demonstrate its value, the Chinese company has matched a comprehensive spec sheet with an attractive price on the MateBook X. The laptop starts at $1,099 with an Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB of fast storage, 8GB of RAM, a high-resolution display, and Dolby Atmos sound. The Prestige Gold variant I am reviewing today costs $1,299 and upgrades the CPU to a Core i7 and doubles the SSD storage to half a terabyte. Both options are priced competitively and look absolutely stunning.

It’s almost too good to be true.

The exterior of the MateBook X is all sturdy, handsome aluminum. It has a demure matte finish that contrasts nicely with eye-catching chamfers along the edges of the machine and around the touchpad, keyboard, and power button. I doubt everyone will love the extra touch of bling from Huawei — the edge highlights on the MateBook are polished to a mirror finish — but it does give the laptop’s design some intrigue and character. The overall build quality of the MateBook X is worthy of this laptop’s flagship status. It is tough and rigid, the display is very well protected, and I’m especially impressed by the total absence of keyboard flex from such an exceedingly thin device.