At a look
Professional’s Score
Execs
- Slender, light-weight design
- Nice keyboard & haptic trackpad
- Sturdy efficiency
- Quick charging
Cons
- No discrete GPU
- Sub-par battery life
- Solely USB-C ports
Our Verdict
The 2023 MateBook X Professional is nearly an identical to its final iteration, however an improve to a Thirteenth-gen Intel Core i7 unlocks superior efficiency – if solely lets say the identical for the battery life.
Value When Reviewed
Unavailable within the US
Huawei’s premium MateBook X Professional laptops have lengthy been among the many greatest high-end Home windows machines available on the market, and the 2023 version – whereas a minor revamp – does little to vary that.
The slender, light-weight design and exquisite 90Hz show of final 12 months’s laptop computer return, this time bolstered by an improve to extra highly effective Thirteenth-gen Intel chips.
With no discrete GPU possibility and solely USB-C ports, this gained’t work for artistic energy customers, and battery life stays a sticking level – however in the event you want a glossy machine for basic productiveness and might afford the steep asking value, this is among the few machines on the market to essentially rival Apple’s choices.
Design & construct
- Magnesium alloy or aluminium construct
- Smooth and light-weight
- Solely USB-C ports
Huawei hasn’t up to date the bodily design of the MateBook X Professional for this iteration, which stays an identical to its late 2022 counterpart.
The 2023 mannequin is accessible in three colors and finishes, although availability varies by market. I reviewed the White mannequin, which together with the Ink Blue model has a mushy, clean, virtually velvety end. Each of those are constructed from magnesium alloy, which helps maintain the laptop computer mild at 1.26kg.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
There’s additionally a less expensive ‘Core’ version of the laptop computer in some areas, which is accessible in Area Gray and constructed from an aluminium alloy, making it just a little heavier at 1.38kg.
The White mannequin has a mushy, clean, virtually velvet-y end
Both manner, the laptop computer is slim and glossy, with a slim, angled chassis, rounded edges, and a skinny bezel across the show while you open it up – simple to do one-handed because of a slight lip on the entrance edge.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Ports are, barely frustratingly, additionally unchanged. There are many them at the least: a headphone jack and 4 USB-C ports, with the 2 on the left additionally supporting Thunderbolt 4. Meaning in the event you nonetheless use USB-A equipment or SD playing cards then you definately’ll be dwelling that dongle life.
Keyboard, trackpad & webcam
- Wonderful, spacious keyboard
- Giant haptic trackpad
- 720p webcam
Additionally unaltered, the MateBook X Professional’s keyboard and trackpad are wonderful.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The keyboard is a pleasure to kind on, with a spacious, edge-to-edge design, responsive motion, and adjustable backlighting. It truly is among the many greatest round.
The trackpad can also be impeccable. It’s enormous for one, spanning all the best way to the very backside fringe of the chassis.
It helps multi-touch, however extra impressively it’s among the many trendy wave of haptic trackpads, which Huawei makes use of to implement a variety of further shortcuts.
The trackpad can also be impeccable
You possibly can take screenshots, regulate brightness and quantity, fast-forward or rewind video, and extra, all with a sequence of fast trackpad interactions. None of those are game-changers, however the further comfort is definitely welcome.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
As for the webcam, the 720p digicam discovered on the highest bezel right here is ok, however nothing particular. Different producers are working to enhance webcam high quality and determination, and this feels just a little beneath par for 2023.
It’s also possible to use the webcam for facial recognition to log in, together with the fingerprint reader constructed into the ability button. Each have labored properly for me.
Display screen & audio system
- 14.2in show
- 3K decision
- 90Hz refresh price
Cease me in the event you’ve heard this one earlier than: Huawei hasn’t modified the show from the final mannequin.
That’s undoubtedly not an issue right here although, the place the display stays one of many laptop computer’s key strengths. It’s not OLED, however with a 90Hz refresh price and 3K decision the tech is high tier in each different respect.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Deep colors and inky blacks make this an amazing display for all the pieces from work to watching films, and it impresses on color accuracy too – masking 98% of the DCI-P3 color vary in my testing – and it’s vibrant sufficient to make use of in most lighting too.
It’s a touchscreen too, so there’s an additional degree of comfort if you wish to faucet across the OS as you utilize the laptop computer.
The keyboard is flanked by the laptop computer’s six up-firing audio system, that are punchy sufficient for a Netflix session, although you wouldn’t need to depend on them an excessive amount of on your music.
Specs & efficiency
- Thirteenth-gen Intel Core i7
- No devoted GPU possibility
- 16GB RAM and 1TB storage
Huawei has stored issues easy with the MateBook X Professional this 12 months, which is available in only one most important model, however the processor soar right here can also be the primary cause to purchase the 2023 mannequin over an older one.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
That is powered by Intel’s Thirteenth-gen Core i7-1360P processor, delivering a decent generational soar in efficiency – particularly as final 12 months’s X Professional scored oddly low in Geekbench. It’s a match for Apple’s commonplace M2 chip in its newest MacBooks, and on a par with related compact Home windows gadgets just like the Dell XPS 13 Plus, although that’s operating Twelfth-gen Intel.
Along with 16GB of RAM there’s sufficient energy to drive net shopping and Excel sheets with ease, and this will even be an amazing machine for mild artistic work together with Photoshop or just a little video enhancing.
If you happen to’re a extra demanding consumer – whether or not that’s enhancing 4K footage, creating 3D belongings, or simply taking part in the most recent video games – you’ll probably be restricted by the power-efficient P-series chip and the shortage of a discrete GPU, however for the remainder of us there’s greater than sufficient oomph right here.
The processor soar is the primary cause to purchase the 2023 mannequin over an older one
Storage is a beneficiant 1TB as commonplace, and Bluetooth 5.2 and Wi-Fi 6E cowl the wi-fi networking choices.
Battery & charging
- Under-average battery life
- Quick USB-C charging
I’ve reviewed fairly a couple of of Huawei’s MateBook laptops in the previous few years, and one of many frequent threads has been disappointing battery life.
Regardless of effectivity positive aspects from the 13th-gen processor, that’s true once more right here. Battery life isn’t dangerous per se – the laptop computer lasted just a little over ten hours in our fixed HD video playback check – however it’s undoubtedly beneath par, and an space the place rivals are unequivocally higher.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
There’s sufficient energy to simply about final a full workday as long as you aren’t doing something too demanding, however I admit I’d be hesitant to depart the home and not using a charger in tow simply in case.
Not less than that aspect of issues is straightforward: charging is by way of USB-C, and any of the laptop computer’s 4 ports will work. It’s quick, too: the included compact 90W charger delivered 53% of the battery capability in simply half an hour in my check, among the many quickest available on the market.
Software program & options
- Runs Home windows 11
- Huawei PC Supervisor with a couple of further options
The MateBook X Professional ships with Home windows 11 as commonplace, and the core Home windows expertise is fairly unadulterated.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
To its credit score, Huawei provides little or no further software program to its laptop computer, so that you gained’t need to fend off undesirable anti-virus or pre-installed video games.
The one further is the Huawei PC Supervisor, a comparatively unobtrusive program that handles driver updates together with connectivity options in the event you additionally personal different Huawei {hardware}.
You possibly can share your display or recordsdata with Huawei telephones or tablets, or wi-fi connect with a supported monitor. It’s all surprisingly slick, however in fact you may solely get the profit if personal different Huawei package.
Value & availability
The 2023 MateBook X Professional is out now within the UK and Europe from Huawei’s official retailer or Amazon, however it’ll set you again £1799/€2,199.
The laptop computer will not be out there in any respect within the US.
It may possibly’t be denied that that is an costly laptop computer, although that’s partly because of Huawei’s alternative to start out from beneficiant 16GB RAM and 1TB storage allocations.
The likes of the Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Air 15in each have decrease beginning costs (regardless of barely bigger screens), however spec them out equally and the Huawei truly comes out extra inexpensive.
Nonetheless, different producers offer you extra flexibility to construct a machine to your tastes, so be sure to want all that RAM and storage earlier than you commit.
Take a look at our full rating of the perfect laptops for extra choices.
Verdict
The MateBook X Professional is one other wonderful high-end laptop computer from Huawei, albeit primarily unchanged from the late 2022 mannequin aside from a bump as much as the most recent Intel chip.
That brings with it a modest efficiency enchancment, however no actual positive aspects to battery life, which stays the {hardware}’s most important weak level.
If you happen to can stay with maintaining your charger shut at hand and don’t thoughts paying a premium for loads of storage then that is as premium as light-weight laptops get, a slick gadget that appears pretty much as good as something on the market and packs the efficiency to match.
Specs
- Home windows 11 Residence
- 14.2in 3120×2080 LTPS touchscreen, 264ppi, 90Hz
- Intel Core i7-1360P processor
- Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- 16GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 1TB SSD storage
- 720p webcam with Home windows Howdy
- 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
- Area Gray, White, or Ink Blue