Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 review: great high-end laptop

Huawei’s high-end MateBook X Pro computers have been some of the best high-end Windows machines on the market for a long time, and the 2023 version doesn’t do much to change that, even though it has a few new features. The laptop from last year is back with the same slim, light design and beautiful 90Hz display, but now it has more powerful 13th-gen Intel chips.

Creative power users won’t be able to use this because it only has USB-C ports and no discrete GPU option. The battery life is also still a problem, but if you need a sleek machine for general productivity and can afford the high price, this is one of the few machines that can really compete with Apple’s options.

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 Specifications

The most recent iteration of Huawei’s premium laptop carries with it a strong sense of déjà vu. The ultraportable MateBook X Pro from Huawei looks virtually identical to the model from the previous year in its 2023 iteration.

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024: Design and Connectivity

The body of the new Matebook X Pro is the same as it was last year, so it is still a satisfyingly slim laptop. It weighs just 1.26kg if you get the Ink Blue or White version we tried, or a little more if you get the Space Gray aluminum version that is available in some places. During our tests, the smooth, ceramic-like finish on every panel of the white machine kept fingerprints and dirt from sticking to it.

Its thickest point is only 15.6mm, which means that you can only connect to it through four USB-C ports and a 3.5mm audio port. Two of the four are also Thunderbolt 4 ports, which promise to move data even faster between devices that can use them. Still, we’d like to see an SD card slot. Apple learned that lesson with the new 14-inch MacBook Pro, which doesn’t cost that much more.

Display and Sound Quality

One of the best things about the laptop is still the screen. Even though it’s not OLED, everything else about the technology is top-notch. It has a frame rate of 90Hz and a resolution of 3K. This screen is great for both work and watching movies. It has true colors and is bright enough to use in most lighting. It also has a touch screen, so you can tap around the laptop’s operating system as you use it.

On each side of the keyboard, there are two sets of six speakers that face up. They are loud enough to watch Netflix with, but you shouldn’t rely on them too much for music. Huawei has taken all of its Matebook X Pro models off the market for 2023 except for one. It updates the old 12th-generation Intel Core i7 CPU with the newer 13th-generation i7-1360P, which is paired with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of very fast NVMe storage. The twelve-core, sixteen-thread CPU has a slightly faster base clock speed, and its performance cores can speed up even more, to a very fast 5GHz, when temperature limits allow.

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024: Keyboard and Touchpad

Because of its roomy layout, edge-to-edge design, rapid action, and fully adjustable illumination, the keyboard makes typing an absolute pleasure. It truly is up there with the best available. The trackpad is also perfect in every way. It is quite large for one, reaching all the way down to the very edge of the chassis where it is attached.

It is impressive because not only does it handle multiple touches, but it is also part of the new generation of haptic trackpads, which Huawei employs to implement a variety of additional shortcuts. You may capture screenshots, alter the brightness and volume, move the video playback forward or backward, and do a variety of other operations with a sequence of simple trackpad gestures. None of them will significantly alter the course of events, but the additional convenience is very much appreciated.

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024: Performance and Graphics

This year, Huawei has kept things simple with the MateBook X Pro, as there is only one major version available. However, the CPU upgrade is the primary reason to purchase the 2023 model rather than an older one. Huawei has kept things simple.

This is because it is powered by Intel’s 13th-generation Core i7-1360P processor, which delivers a decent generational jump in performance. This is especially true when considering that the previous year’s X Pro scored unusually low in Geekbench. It is comparable to the standard M2 chip that is found in Apple’s most recent MacBooks and is on par with other compact Windows devices such as the Dell XPS 13 Plus, despite the fact that the latter has a 12th-generation Intel processor.

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024: Price and Availability

The 2023 MateBook X Pro can now be bought in the UK and Europe for £1799 (€2,199) from Amazon or Huawei’s online store. The laptop can’t be gotten in the US. You can’t argue that this laptop isn’t expensive, but Huawei started with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of disk space, which is why it costs so much. The Dell XPS 15 and MacBook Air 15in have lower starting prices than the Huawei, even though their screens are a bit bigger.

Final Words

The MateBook X Pro is another great high-end laptop from Huawei. It is almost exactly the same as the model from late 2022, except that it has the newest Intel chip. This gives the hardware a small speed boost, but it doesn’t really help the battery life, which is still its biggest flaw.

If you don’t mind keeping your charger close by and don’t mind paying more for a lot of storage space, this is the best lightweight laptop you can get. It’s sleek, looks as good as anything else on the market, and performs just as well.

Huawei MateBook X Pro 2023 review: The Good and The Bad

The battery life of the MateBook X Pro 2023 is exceptional. It has support for rapid charging and clever software optimization, both of which contribute to increased efficiency.

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