Battery Life and Pricing
In our Wi-Fi Web Browsing battery test, the Huawei MateBook E comes in at just under 5 hours and 15 minutes. almost identical to the previous MateBook. This isn't surprising considering they share the same chassis, with the same battery size, and the same power-level processor. However that being said, a battery life result of under 6 hours is underwhelming for a modern device. This is a reasonable standard for devices and tablets that are this thin, but I can't help feeling like a jump in this area would be worth some additional thickness.
Pricing
- Huawei MateBook E
- Microsoft Surface Pro with Type Cover
- Dell XPS 13 2-in-1
Pricing is one area where Huawei seems to be beating the rest of the PC tablet market. The lowest price point can be an advantageous place to be for a newcomer to the market, and that's where the MateBook E currently lies compared to the entry-level Surface Pro with a Core-M processor, as well as the XPS 13 2-in-1.
Additionally, Huawei has been smart to bundle their keyboard cover with every MateBook E. Compared to a product like the Surface Pro where you have to add-on the Type Cover, it's more consumer friendly to bundle every machine with it. It seems dubious that there is actually a market out there of Surface Pro owners who don't want a keyboard.
As with the Surface products, the Huawei MatePen is extra, although much cheaper at ($30) compared to the Surface Pen ($100).
Despite the minor issues we had with the touchpad and keyboard, the Huawei MateBook E is a well-polished version of the basic idea that the Surface products started back in 2012. I've never been a fan of detachable 2-in-1 devices, but it's undeniable that they add utility for certain users—especially users who are looking to use a stylus.
PC hardware enthusiasts might scoff at the use of a Core-M processor, but honestly, this device was plenty usable and even felt snappy at times for normal tasks such as web browsing and even light photo editing in Photoshop. For most users, the m3-7Y30 will be more than sufficient processing power.
The level of fit and finish of this MateBook E has made me very interested in the rest of the MateBook like, such as the MateBook X. Hopefully we can get our hands on some more of these devices in the future!
At an aggressive price point, the Huawei MateBook E is a compelling product for users who are looking for a detachable 2-in-1 device.
Huawei isnt well known…
Huawei isnt well known… except for the times when they got caught selling backdoored electronics since theyre an arm of the Chinese government.
To be fair, anyone selling
To be fair, anyone selling devices with modern x86 CPUs in them is selling you a device with back doors for US ‘intelligence’ agencies, their friends abroad and whoever those agencies are selling that access to.
From what I’ve read about US and Chinese intelligence agencies, the former seems to be engaged aggressively in industrial and political espionage while the latter seems mostly concerned with suppressing dissent at home. Not being a Chinese dissident, Chinese back doors don’t bother me as much.
Agreed. I’d rather the
Agreed. I’d rather the Chinese have eyes in my personal life than my own government.
What about linux drivers for
What about linux drivers for this machine ?
Or possibility to install ChromeOS ? – custom ChromeBook 😉