Huawei is better known for their smartphones and tablets rather than their notebooks. This year, the brand is aiming to expand their range of notebooks to better suit the needs of their customers. Their latest endeavor is the Huwei MateBook D 15. Instead of an Intel-based system, Huawei is tapping AMD and their Ryzen processors to bring additional performance without breaking the bank.
Huawei MateBook D 15
| CPU | AMD Ryzen 5 3500U |
| GPU | Radeon Vega 8 |
| RAM | 8GB DDR4 |
| Display | 15.6-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080, 250nits |
| Storage | 25GB PCIe NVMe SSD/ 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD |
| I/O Ports | 1x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm combo jack |
| Connection | Dual-Band 802.11ac WiFi, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Weight | 1.62kg (SSD+HDD), 1.53kg (SSD Only) |
| Dimensions | 322.5mm x 214.8 x 15.9mm (WxHxD) |
| Battery | 42Wh |
| Audio | 2x 2W Speakers, 2 Microphones |
| Others | Hall Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor, 1MP Webcam |
An aluminum shell for a mid-range notebook
Though the Huawei MateBook D 15 can be classified as a mid-range notebook by some, the brand hasn’t skimped on some of the features that made the previous MateBook 13 great.
The notebook is encased in an aluminum shell that lends to a more premium look and feel. The shell also has a minimalist look that channels an ultrabook feel even though the notebook is actually larger than your usual ultrabook.
The notebook has a 15.6-inch IPS display that provides wide viewing angles without much color shift. Huawei is also able to keep the shell quite thin by reducing the bezels. The webcam is nowhere to be found in order for the bezels to keep a consistent thinness around the sides and at the top.
Huawei taps AMD for power
Most Huawei notebooks in the past has relied on Intel processors to deliver processing power. But since AMD is slowly clawing their way back to the hearts of notebook users, Huawei has decided it’s time to give the Red Team a chance to power one of their notebooks.
The Huawei MateBook D 15 comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4-core/8-thread processor with a base clock of 2.1GHz and can boost up to 3.7GHz. Graphics performance is provided by the chip as well with Vega 8 graphics.
Alongside the Ryzen processor is 8GB of DDR4 RAM running at 2400MHz as well as 256GB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. The device can also be decked with an additional 1TB HDD for additional storage if you feel that 256GB is a bit limiting in drive space.
Weird webcam placement
Since Huawei has decided to remove the webcam from the display area of the notebook, they have relegated the camera to the middle of the F keys on the keyboard.
The webcam can activated with just a press although its odd position means that the camera is probably going to be looking at your nose when you’re using it does not bode well for most video calls.
Keyboard and Touchpad
Aside from the split F keys at the top, the Huawei MateBook D comes with a pretty bog standard 75% layout keyboard. Since Huawei did not forcefully cram the number pad onto the device, the keys are sized normally allowing for almost no familiarization at all when using the keyboard.
The touchpad on the notebook is smooth as it can be without much friction or texture. As is standard for most touchpads nowadays, it supports gesture controls in order for you to become more efficient while using the notebook.
The Huawei MateBook D 15 does come with a fingerprint scanner intelligently integrated with the power button. The addition of a fingerprint scanner adds a layer of security when you are trying to login to your account.
Input and Output Ports
Fortunately, Huawei has decided to include the usual choice of ports on the MateBook D 15 instead of relegating to a dongle environment. The right-hand side of the notebook comes with two USB 2.0 Type-A ports as well as a 3.5mm audio jack.
The other side houses a USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A connection and an HDMI port. Surprisingly, the brand has also included a USB Type-C port for both data and charging. This means that the notebook is compatible with USB Power Delivery-compatible power banks if you ever need to get more juice while on-the-go.
The Huawei MateBook D 15 looks like a great mid-range notebook
The Huawei MateBook D 15 has the trappings of a competitive mid-range notebook for Php37,990. Its aluminum shell makes it look more premium than it actually while its specifications are nothing to scoff at.
We’re already putting the Huawei MateBook D 15 through its paces to see if the notebook could be a great alternative to some of the more established notebook brands in the market. We should have our review of Huawei’s latest AMD-powered notebook published in the next few days.
You can also watch our Video Unboxing Here