A few months after launching a Huawei MateBook D 14 inch laptop with an AMD Ryzen 5 2500U processor, Radeon Vega 8 graphics, and a $630 price tag, Huwei is introducing two new models.
While the new versions look identical from the outside, under the hood they’re powered by 8th-gen Intel Core “Kaby Lake Refresh” processors and NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (2GB) graphics rather than AMD components.
The Intel/NVIIDA models are also considerably more expensive, with starting prices around $999 (although some stores are already offering discounts).
Like the AMD-powered laptop, the new Intel models feature 14 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel touschreen displays, 8GB of DDR4 memory, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, and 57.4 Wh batteries.
The laptops measure 12.7″ x 8.7″ x 0.6″ and weigh 3.5 pounds. Around the sides you’ll find a USB Type-C port, and USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Type-A ports, an HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. There’s a 1MP wecbam, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos audio, and dual digital microphones.
The laptop comes with a USB-C power adapter.
Huawei’s Intel models do have one feature that the AMD versions do not: a fingerprint reader. A top-of-the-line model also has twice as much storage as the entry-level AMD version.
Here’s a run-down of the prices/configurations/places to buy the new Intel/NVIDIA versions of the MateBook D:
Intel Core i5-8250U/NVIDIA GeForce MX150/8GB RAM/256GB storage
Intel Core i7-8550U/NVIDIA GeForce MX150/8GB RAM/512GB storage
I hope they make a notebook with their own SOC and also develop their own linux based OS. I really like their kirin SOC.
I understand no backlit keyboard on the Walmart AMD Ryzen Matebook D.
I’m interested in one of these Intel/NVIDIA models but at ~$1000 I expect a backlit keyboard – otherwise it will be a no-go for me.