Huawei MateBook X Pro (late 2022) review

Huawei has already up to date its flagship MateBook X Professional as soon as for 2022, however it’s again once more with a second refresh to incorporate extra highly effective 12^th-gen Intel chips together with a brand new, lighter design. 

Not a lot else has modified, however because the final era earned 4.5 stars and a coveted Editor’s Selection Award from us simply six months in the past, a lighter and quicker model feels like no unhealthy factor. 

Design & construct 

• Tender-touch magnesium alloy 
• Slim and smooth 
• Solely USB-C ports 

When it comes to its dimensions and particulars, Huawei hasn’t modified the MateBook X Professional in any respect since its final iteration. That is nonetheless a slim, smooth laptop computer with an expansive trackpad, skinny bezel across the show, and premium design. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

It as soon as once more options 4 USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack, with no signal of USB-A, HDMI, or an SD card slot – good for minimalists, a bit annoying for these of us with peripherals and dongles to hold round. 

There have been adjustments although. For one there’s the color: the earlier glorious Emerald Inexperienced has sadly been retired, however I’m virtually as massive a fan of the deep Ink Blue this time round. That’s the one color on provide within the UK, although you’ll discover White and House Gray fashions elsewhere. 

There’s additionally the end. Whereas the gray model makes use of the identical aluminium alloy as earlier than, the blue and white fashions are constructed from a lighter magnesium alloy, dropping the laptop computer’s weight from 1.38kg right down to 1.26kg. 

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That new alloy is then completed with a “micro-arc oxidation coating.” I couldn’t presumably let you know what which means, however the finish result’s a clean, matt end that doesn’t really feel like steel. As an alternative it’s virtually tender and satin-y to the contact. I’m a fan, however suspect it could possibly be divisive – chances are you’ll discover it feels too much like plastic to suit the invoice on a laptop computer at this premium value. 

Keyboard, trackpad & webcam 

• Snug, edge-to-edge keyboard 
• Expansive haptic trackpad with gesture controls 
• 720p webcam in show bezel 

Huawei has just about all the time delivered glorious keyboards in its laptops, and that is no exception. Spanning virtually from edge to edge, it is a full-scale board with a very comfy, responsive typing motion and a two-stage backlight choice. 

The trackpad is simply as spectacular, however actually extra fascinating. For one factor, it’s massive, increasing all the best way to the underside fringe of the laptop computer. That offers you loads of room to scroll, and appears sharp too. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

See also  iPad Pro 12.9in (2022) review

As is the vogue nowadays, it is a haptic trackpad, which Huawei has used to allow a wide range of new shortcuts full with vibrational suggestions. You possibly can swipe up and down both edge to regulate quantity or show brightness, double-tap together with your knuckles to take screenshots or display screen document, and press into the corners to reduce or shut your home windows. 

That is all stuff you are able to do elsewhere in fact, principally together with with keyboard shortcuts, however it’s all the time useful to have further choices, particularly with the welcome haptic buzz the trackpad gives for suggestions. You possibly can flip every of them off individually too, in case there are any you end up triggering by mistake. 

Lastly, the webcam is a straightforward 720p quantity sitting within the prime bezel above the show. Huawei has lengthy since moved on from secret webcams hidden beneath pretend keys, and this extra conventional webcam is actually in a superior place. High quality is ok, however nothing to get enthusiastic about – it’s adequate for Zoom although. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

You get one further button past the keyboard: an influence button within the top-right, which additionally doubles as a fingerprint reader. The webcam consists of IR tech for Home windows Whats up facial recognition as properly, supplying you with a few biometric choices. 

Display screen & audio system 

• 14.2in 90Hz LCD touchscreen 
• 3:2 side ratio 
• Highly effective audio system 

Huawei continues to withstand the pull in direction of OLED shows, nonetheless utilizing LTPS LCD panels as an alternative. 

Don’t maintain that in opposition to the MateBook X Professional although – this is a superb show panel, and higher than many OLEDs. You possibly can anticipate spectacular viewing angles, a wealthy 3K decision, and strong distinction – and it’s a touchscreen too.  

Color vary stays nice when measured with our utilizing a Spyder X colorimeter, with 100% sRGB protection backed up by 97% DCI-P3 and 88% AdobeRGB, which must be sufficient to fulfill anybody besides the fussiest {of professional} color graders.

Dominic Preston / Foundry

You additionally get a pair extra uncommon advantages. One is assist for a quicker 90Hz refresh price – nice for gaming, and for clean, fluid animations the remainder of time. It’s not as massive a bonus on a laptop computer because it usually is on smartphones or gaming displays related to high-end desktops, however it’s a welcome perk.

There’s additionally the boxy, squared off 3:2 side ratio. This nets you some further vertical display screen actual property, good for productiveness – albeit not so properly fitted to Netflix and the like. 

No less than once you’re streaming your exhibits you’ll get highly effective audio system. The six audio system on board listed below are crisp, clear, and might even ship a little bit of bass. Throw in 4 microphones and also you’ve bought a reasonably potent setup for calls even and not using a headset too. 

Specs & efficiency 

• 12^th-gen Intel i7 processor 
• No discrete GPU choice 
• 16GB RAM and 1TB storage 

The worldwide launch of the MateBook X Professional is available in a single setup, which at the very least retains issues easy. You’ll get an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a beneficiant 1TB of storage. 

The processor is the 12^th-gen Core i7-1260P – chipset fanatics might discover the brand new ‘P’ suffix, meant to mark chips that sit someplace between the fanatic degree H-series and the efficiency-focussed U-series. Primarily, it means that is meant to be a Goldilocks chip, delivering energy whereas nonetheless squeezing into compact type components. 

Along with the spectacular RAM and storage allocations, you get loads of energy for productiveness on the go. I’ve used the MateBook X Professional for web-based work, video calls, and lightweight picture modifying in Photoshop and Lightroom, often with a number of apps and an array of Chrome tabs operating concurrently, with out hitting bother. 

Benchmarks are strong, although curiously this lags behind its predecessor – maybe right down to the truth that this 12 months’s chip runs at a barely decrease wattage than the Eleventh-gen model. Nonetheless, efficiency is spectacular by any measure, broadly protecting tempo with different top-tier gadgets.

The shortage of a discrete GPU might bottleneck the X Professional in terms of sure use instances like severe video modifying, however wanting that there’s loads of efficiency on provide right here. Intel’s Xe graphics are additionally significantly better than they was, so it will maintain its personal in a pinch. 

The shortage of GPU can also be offset a little bit by the truth that two of the 4 USB-C ports assist Thunderbolt 4, supplying you with the choice of operating an eGPU if essential. Wi-fi connectivity consists of Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, in order that’s prime notch too. 

Battery & charging 

• All-day battery life 
• Extraordinarily quick 90W charging 

Huawei’s high-end laptops haven’t all the time delivered the nice in terms of battery life, however for essentially the most half the X Professional 2022 has held up okay.  

There’s sufficient energy right here to final a full day of sunshine work, although it gained’t go a lot past that. The 11 hours it lasted in our continuous video playback battery check falls a little bit wanting the competitors although, so this stays one space the place you in all probability can discover longer life elsewhere, although Huawei’s providing is nearly adequate. 

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What helps is that Huawei leads the best way in charging. The X Professional ships with a 90W USB-C charger (good in your telephone, too) which was highly effective sufficient to revive 57% of the laptop computer’s battery in simply half-hour throughout my testing – an distinctive consequence for a laptop computer. 

Even higher, Huawei has enabled charging on all 4 of the laptop computer’s USB-C ports, so it doesn’t matter what else you’ve bought plugged in or which facet of you the facility socket is. 

Software program & options 

• Home windows 11 
• Extra options with different Huawei gadgets 

The MateBook X Professional ships with Home windows 11 as customary. And in case you’re worrying that, like Huawei’s telephones, this can be compromised in a roundabout way, don’t be: that is the total, common Home windows 11 expertise with no limits. It even runs Google software program. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

It really comes with a little bit further in addition to. Huawei, like each main tech firm in 2022, is bullish about its {hardware} ecosystem. With that in thoughts, its laptops are designed to work easily with different bits of Huawei equipment. 

Which means you may wi-fi connect with a Huawei monitor, seamlessly share recordsdata from a Huawei pill, and even remotely management a Huawei telephone inside a window on the pc display screen. 

How helpful all that’s clearly is determined by whether or not you personal different Huawei equipment – or assume you may sooner or later. Whereas the corporate’s telephones are at the moment restricted, with out 5G or Google software program assist, Huawei tablets, wearables, and displays are principally glorious, so it’s at the very least one thing it’s best to take note. 

Value & availability 

The MateBook X Professional is out there now within the UK, Europe, and choose different markets. 

You should purchase it straight from Huawei, or from Amazon and another tech retailers, and it’ll value you £1,799/€2,199. 

That’s actually a premium value, however it is a premium product. It prices lower than any comparably specced MacBook (Air or Professional), and about the identical as a Dell XPS 13 Plus kitted out the identical means. You possibly can’t say a lot fairer than that. 

Dominic Preston / Foundry

For extra choices, be certain that to take a look at our rating of the most effective laptops round proper now. 

Verdict 

The MateBook X Professional has all the time been an awesome piece of equipment, and this late 2022 replace is not any completely different. 

Huawei hasn’t messed with the system an excessive amount of, however the brand new, lighter magnesium alloy is actually a welcome addition, and I’m a fan of the tender contact end even when I think not everybody might be. 

The additional energy afforded by the 12^th-gen Intel chips helps preserve this aggressive, and the remainder of the package deal is nearly as good because it’s ever been: smooth, easy, and an actual pleasure to make use of. We simply miss the USB-A ports. 

In case you can afford to spend this a lot in your subsequent laptop computer, the MateBook X Professional is one in all only a few fashions you ought to be critically contemplating. 

Specs 

• Home windows 11 Dwelling 
• 14.2in 3120×2080 LTPS touchscreen, 264ppi, 90Hz 
• Intel Core i7-1260P processor 
• Intel Iris Xe Graphics 
• 16GB LPDDR5 RAM 
• 1TB SSD storage 
• 720p webcam with Home windows Whats up 
• 4x USB-C (information, charging, DisplayPort, 2x Thunderbolt 4) 
• Headphone jack 
• Fingerprint Energy Button 2.0 
• Twin-band Wi-Fi 6E 
• Bluetooth 5.2 
• Six audio system 
• 4 microphones 
• 60Wh battery 
• 90W charger 
• 310x221x15.6mm 
• 1.26/1.38kg 
• House Gray, White, or Ink Blue