For some reason, Apple still remains the reference point for top-notch gizmos. That is despite the fact Samsung toppled it as the leading device manufacturer in the world, for multiple consecutive years now. Chinese brand Huawei recently overtook Apple to take the number two position, second only to Samsung and relegating Apple to the third position in terms of international devices sales.
Introducing the Huawei MateBook 13
At CES 2019, Huawei unveiled the new MateBook 13. A device the company designed to take on the 2018 MacBook Air.
MateBook 13 comes in as a ‘middle-of-the-road’ between the already existing lineup between the premium MateBook X Pro and the cheaper MateBook D. The laptop is just perfect for users wishing to have the MateBook X Pro’s high-end design and features but don’t have the funds for its premium price tag.
MateBook 13 Specs and Features
The MateBook 13 like other MateBook laptops, comes with a 3:2 aspect ratio display, but with a 13-inched sized display and a 2160×1440 resolution. The MateBook X Pro comes has a 13.9-inch 3000×2000 resolution display.
However, the MateBook 13 is somewhat thicker than the MateBook X Pro, yet both laptops are thinner than the new (2018) Apple MacBook Air. The MateBook 13 also comes in two variants:
A base model that has the 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U Whiskey Lake chip, integrated graphics, and 256 GB local storage goes for $999.
The second variant is more powerful running on 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U chip, 512GB local storage, and a discrete Nvidia MX150 GPU. This one retails at $1,299.
Both variants have an 8GB RAM and two USB-C ports. One on the left-hand side and supports charging and data transfer, while the one on the right-hand side supporting data transfer and DisplayPort support.
It also has the fingerprinter reader embedded into the power button, just like the MateBook X and MateBook X Pro. Huawei has improved in the positioning of the webcam from the MateBook 13 predecessors that have at the bottom. MateBook 13 has it at the top bezel, which makes it have a rather thicker bezel than its predecessors.
The Huawei MateBook 13 is slated to start shipping in the U.S. on January 29 at Amazon, and Newegg among other retail stores.