Huawei just made the tablet I’ve been waiting for Apple to build

[onebyone]

From the moment you touch this convertible laptop, you immediately realize this is not your run of the mill Windows 10 machine. In fact, your mind will associate it with a tablet rather than a notebook, even though the MateBook is Huawei’s answer to Apple’s iPad Pro, the Retina MacBook and Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 line.

It’s so incredibly thin and light that it doesn’t have any connectors aside from the USB-C port, which you’ll need to charge it and to connect additional hardware. That means that, yes, you will need to buy a separate accessory to turn it into a full-fledged PC that can be connected to external peripherals. But this fantastic device is perfectly fine on its own, too.


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Starting at just $699, the tablet – I’ll keep calling it that because that’s what it feels like – packs 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A sixth-gen Intel Core m3 processor powers the device and there’s a 33.7Wh high-density battery inside that’s good for nine continuous hours of Internet browsing or 29 hours of music playback.

The MateBook also goes from empty to fully charged in 2.5 hours, and it reaches 60% in just one hour.

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There’s no fan cooling down this beast, as Huawei uses Intel’s latest chips and what it calls a “stacked hardware process” that doesn’t need air cooling.

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Buyers who want to spend a little extra on a fully loaded MateBook will be able to do so by going all the way up to a sixth-gen Intel Core m7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. That’s a configuration that’ll cost you $1,599.

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According to Huawei, the device does have some neat tricks under the hood, including Wi-Fi mobile hotspot support and a yet-to-be-explained method of transferring files seamlessly from an Android device to the MateBook and back. Also, the tablet comes with the world’s “first one-touch unlock” fingerprint sensor that should log you in faster than other solutions.

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No matter what kind of MateBook buyer you end up being, you should know that no accessories are included in the box.

The keyboard dock costs $129, but try it before you buy it because the keyboard does feel cheap, and you might want something a little better to handle your typing needs. The MatePen costs $59 while the MateDock retails for $89. Of these three, you’ll likely need the MateDock most since it features a couple of USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, HDMI, and even the dated VGA port that we hoped we would never see again.

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The stylus also feels rather unspectacular, but it still gets the job done. Of course, there are many other alternatives out there so artists will surely find an option that better suits their needs.

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[onebyone]

I saved the best for last: The screen.

The tablet’s most valuable asset is the gorgeous touchscreen display. We’re looking at a 12-inch IPS screen that has a slim bezel for a total screen-to-body ratio of 84%. And it’s a high-res display in there, packing a 2160 x 1440 resolution (2K).

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If you’re at MWC and want to get your hands on the MateBook as fast as possible, definitely check out Huawei’s booth. Not only will you be able to interact with the gorgeous device, but you’ll also see how slim it is compared to all the ultraportable and detachable 2-in-1 devices out there.

Huawei’s solution is the one that wins. The MateBook is just 6.9mm thick and weighs in at 640g.

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This is exactly the type of computer I’d willingly buy from Apple, and I wrote about this before. You might argue that the iPad Pro is practically a MateBook, but unfortunately it runs iOS, which isn’t always ready to offer the kind of computing experience I need.

As for the MateBook itself, the only issue – and I’m not seeing this as a problem that will affect consumers – is that it runs Windows. After working on OS X for so long, I’d have a hard time switching back.

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Huawei just made the tablet I’ve been waiting for Apple to build

 

[TaiShang]

Wow!

Thar's a must-buy.

Good job China's Huawei!

 

[sicsheep]

It is perfect for me, but who the heck named it Matebook, seriously, I can only imagine people making fun of the name.

 

[jhungary]

I don't understand what does this article want to say.

This is nothing new, and I don't personally see the different between a matebook or Microsoft Surface Pro. Maybe a bit smaller, thinner and lighter?

If the Article is saying Apple don't build "Hybrid" MacBook, then I can say they have patented a new docking and wireless recharge that would be incooperate in the next MacBook, and make a MacBook hybrid.

Apple patents convertible laptop with wireless charging | TechRadar

Or if Apple don't build hybrid without iOS? Well, duuh they are apple........

 

[+4vsgorillas-Apebane]

It is perfect for me, but who the heck named it Matebook, seriously, I can only imagine people making fun of the name.

Its going along the lines of the Huawei Mate phablets that have been running for quite a few years now. If the device is good, the name will catch on in time.

 

[Abacin]

I don't understand what does this article want to say.

This is nothing new, and I don't personally see the different between a matebook or Microsoft Surface Pro. Maybe a bit smaller, thinner and lighter?

If the Article is saying Apple don't build "Hybrid" MacBook, then I can say they have patented a new docking and wireless recharge that would be incooperate in the next MacBook, and make a MacBook hybrid.

Apple patents convertible laptop with wireless charging | TechRadar

Or if Apple don't build hybrid without iOS? Well, duuh they are apple........

$100-$200 cheaper. But Surface Pro is a well established brand. Huawei should sell it at $499 and then it would be a good deal.

Laptop 2 in 1 such as Surface Pro kills both tablets and regular laptops. Glad that Huawei is coming to this business. It will help undercut prices for Surface Pro and Lenovo Yoga.

 

[jhungary]

$100-$200 cheaper. But Surface Pro is a well established brand. Huawei should sell it at $499 and then it would be a good deal.

Laptop 2 in 1 such as Surface Pro kills both tablets and regular laptops. Glad that Huawei is coming to this business. It will help undercut prices for Surface Pro and Lenovo Yoga.

quite depends. Some people will think Phablet (like Samsung Note Edge) is the one that kills tablet.....I think there are market for both.

I don't know, but for 699 for a standard model, and whopping $1599 for a decent model, It won't do much to the MacBook market I would suggest......

 

[Abacin]

quite depends. Some people will think Phablet (like Samsung Note Edge) is the one that kills tablet.....I think there are market for both.

I don't know, but for 699 for a standard model, and whopping $1599 for a decent model, It won't do much to the MacBook market I would suggest......

Yes. Tablet is awkward to be sandwiched between Phablet and 2 in 1 Laptop. Windows laptop and Android Phablet will be dominant. Apple will face the same fate as it was in 1980s, especially with Steve Jobs gone. Too greedy for short term profits.

 

[TaiShang]

Huawei MateBook is an ultra-thin, 12-inch tablet/laptop hybrid

BARCELONA — In the weeks leading to the Mobile World Congress — which officially kicks off Monday, Feb. 22 — Huawei teased a stylus-themed announcement.

Turns out, the company brought one of the most versatile styli we've seen, together with a gorgeous, ultra-thin 12-inch Windows tablet, the largest Huawei has ever launched.

The Huawei MateBook is a tablet with a detachable, faux-leather cover/keyboard hybrid, which positions it as a direct Surface/Surface Pro competitor. But, at 6.9mm, it's so incredibly thin that it's much more a tablet than any of the Surfaces we've seen.

It has a gorgeous, 2K screen that takes up 84% of the device's front side. It's made of aluminum, weighs 640 grams, and has a battery that provides up to 9 hours of full HD playback, according to Huawei. There's a fingerprint scanner on the device's side; I haven't had a chance to test it out myself, but Huawei claims it's very fast and reliable.

The Huawei MateBook is just 6.9mm thin.

The detachable cover has huge keyboard keys — much bigger than the ones on my MacBook air — and a glass trackpad. It bends a little when you type, but Huawei claims they'll iron that issue out before the device hits the market.

Now, about that stylus, called the MatePen. Besides operating as a regular stylus, it also has a built-in laser pointer for presentations on the rear side, and two additional buttons on the front, which can be used to perform additional operations, such as launching a particular application. Thanks to built-in sensors, you don't even have to touch the screen to do stuff — just bring it close to the screen, and the pointer will show up, and you can then use the button to perform tasks. Finally, it senses 2,048 levels of pressure, meaning you'll get different results in certain apps depending on how hard you press.

The MatePen has a built-in laser pointer on the back. Remove the cap, and you'll find a micro-USB charger port, which, Huawei tells us, you won't need to use very often.

The MateBook will come in a variety of configurations, starting with a $699 variant, which has an Intel Core m3 processor, 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The top configuration will have an Intel Core m7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, but it will cost a far more prohibitive $1,599.

The Huawei MateBook will be available in Asia, Europe, and North America in the "coming months," in two colors: grey and gold.

 

[scherz]

For that price i would go for Surface Pro rather than Matebook.

 

[Ewok6102]

Apple will face the same fate as it was in 1980s, especially with Steve Jobs gone. Too greedy for short term profits.

They are already caught in a battle between the US goverment and its clients/users. They will have to snub and face the wrath of its own goverment, or risk the potential backlash on market shares and future sales, both domestic and abroad.

Customer Letter - Apple

February 16, 2016A Message to Our Customers
The United States government has demanded that Apple take an unprecedented step which threatens the security of our customers. We oppose this order, which has implications far beyond the legal case at hand.

This moment calls for public discussion, and we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake.

We have great respect for the professionals at the FBI, and we believe their intentions are good. Up to this point, we have done everything that is both within our power and within the law to help them. But now the U.S. government has asked us for something we simply do not have, and something we consider too dangerous to create. They have asked us to build a backdoor to the iPhone.

Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.

The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.

The Threat to Data Security
Some would argue that building a backdoor for just one iPhone is a simple, clean-cut solution. But it ignores both the basics of digital security and the significance of what the government is demanding in this case.

In today’s digital world, the “key” to an encrypted system is a piece of information that unlocks the data, and it is only as secure as the protections around it. Once the information is known, or a way to bypass the code is revealed, the encryption can be defeated by anyone with that knowledge.

The government suggests this tool could only be used once, on one phone. But that’s simply not true. Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks — from restaurants and banks to stores and homes. No reasonable person would find that acceptable.

The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers — including tens of millions of American citizens — from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe.

 

[nang2]

For that price i would go for Surface Pro rather than Matebook.

Check the spec before you decide. The Surface Proc with the same spec as $700 Matebook would cost $800. Of course, depending on where you buy them

Can it run Ubuntu?