The laptop’s battery capacity
remains unchanged year over year,
so we chalk this up to the (slightly)
more powerful Nvidia graphics.
Inversely, the slightly upgraded
Intel processor looks to sip a little
less power over time than the
previous, judging by these local
video playback numbers, where
only the processor is used.Features
The only true MateBook X Pro
hardware feature to mention is the
fingerprint reader integrated into
the laptop’s power button. This is
an extremely fast and convenient
method of biometric login via
Windows Hello. Logging into the
MateBook X Pro via fingerprint is
accurate and quick.Summary
The new Huawei MateBook X Pro
is a fine laptop that manages to
outperform its predecessor... but
not nearly enough to make it worth
the upgrade, much less the outright
purchase for newcomers. To get 95
percent of the performance from
this model in exactly the same
frame with identical features, you
could save hundreds opting for the
2018 model wherever it’s available.
Even the new MateBook 13 will
deliver largely the same level of
performance for less cash – albeit
with a smaller display. This is a real
shame, especially considering last
year’s MateBook X Pro was more
affordable for similar hardware. QThe 2019 MateBook X Pro is a
fine laptop that outperforms its
precedecessor – but only just.stats, however we’d love for a matte
display option to offset glare.
The display is gorgeous, with rich
and vibrant colour, but it’s designed
more with productivity in mind
than entertainment. The 3:2
aspect ratio reveals more content
vertically, which is a boon for digital
pros, but makes videos and photos
appear smaller than they really are.
Audio on the MateBook X Pro is
seriously impressive for a laptop of
its size. This is thanks to Huawei’s
decision to include top-firing
speakers on the keyboard deck.
Yes, they produce sound that’s still
a bit thin on the whole, but it’s far
fuller than any laptop we’ve heard
with bottom-firing speakers, and
it’s on a par with the MacBook Pro.
Performance
The MateBook X Pro for 2019 is
more powerful than the last.
However, as it’s only marginally
stronger, you should probably
hold off upgrading for now.
The performance profile
between both old and new
versions of the MateBook X Pro is
similar enough that you likely
wouldn’t notice the difference in
real-world use. Buy last year’s
model – either still in box or
refurbished – and you’ll get a
largely identical experience.
To put these marginal gains in
perspective, the 2019 MateBook X
Pro delivers less than a five percent
better result in our 3DMark Sky
Diver benchmark test than the
previous model, with a score of
8,975. This is with Nvidia’s GeForce
MX250 graphics.
The story doesn’t get any rosier
when it comes to computing tasks,
either. This new MateBook X Pro
produces a PCMark 8 score that’s
just 8.95 percent better than the
previous model, with a score of
3,188 points.These single-digit percentage
performance gains are not worth
the price of upgrading much less
choosing to buy this version of the
MateBook X Pro over the cheaper
previous model. This is especially
considering that these benchmark
figures are the only remotely
tangible changes to the laptop.Battery life
When it comes to longevity, the
2019 MateBook X Pro is largely
consistent with the previous model.
While the laptop lasts two hours
and 15 minutes less in our PCMark 8
battery test than last year’s version,
lasting three hours and 57 minutes,
it managed a better time in our
video playback test, where it ran for
ten hours and eight minutes.“The 2019 MateBook X Pro delivers less than a five
percent better result in our 3D Mark Sky Diver test”
Upgrade
Huawei MateBook X Pro (2019)
May 2019 | |^81
KEYFEATURES
Huawei MateBook X Pro
CPU 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8565U
(quad-core, 8MB cache, up to 4.6GHz)
Graphics Intel UHD Graphics 620;
Nvidia GeForce MX250 (2GB GDDR5)
RAM 16GB DDR3 (2,133MHz)
Display 13.9-inch, 3,000x2,000, LTPS
touch display (260ppi, 450cd/m^2 , 1,500:1
contrast, 100% sRGB, 3:2 aspect ratio)
Storage 1TB SSD (NVMe PCIe)
Connectivity 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Bluetooth
4.1; 1x USB-C Thunderbolt 3; 1x USB-C 3.1;
1x USB 3.0; 1x headphone socket
Camera HD (720p, 0.9MP) webcam
Weight 1. 33kg
Size 304x217x14.6mm