The Chuwi UBook is a Windows tablet with an 11.6 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixel touchscreen display, an Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor, 8GB of RAM, a detachable keyboard, and a pressure-sensitive pen.

Chuwi unveiled the tablet earlier this month and the company says the retail price will be $469 and up, but the company is offering discounts for customers who pre-order during a crowdfunding campaign that went live today.

Folks who got in on the Kickstarter action early may have been able to snag one for as little as $349, but that level is sold out, but the next 400 backers can pick one up for $379 and after that the price goes up to $398.

Those prices are for a model with 128GB of solid state storage. But if you’re looking for more storage you can also pledge $699 to get a model with a 1TB SSD. Only 30 of those units are available though.

The Chuwi UBook features a fanless design and under the hood it uses LPDDR3 memory and an M.2 slot for solid state storage. Chuwi says the tablet’s 30.4 Wh battery (which is actually two batteries) should offer up to 9.5 hours of run time, but I’d take that figure with a grain of salt.

On the back of the tablet there’s a U-shaped kickstand (that gives the computer its name), and the detachable keyboard features backlit keys and a touchpad. The pen supports 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and Chuwi says the tablet uses palm suppression so that you can place your hand on the tablet while writing or drawing without worrying that your palm will act as an input device.

There are a bunch of ports along the sides including a USB Type-C port, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack. It supports 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 and has front and rear cameras.

The tablet measures 11.6″ x 8″ x 0.35′ and weighs about 1.7 pounds, making it a bit bigger and heavier than a Microsoft Surface Go. But it also has a higher performance processor, a lower price tag, and a price that includes a keyboard and pen — both of which Microsoft sells separately as optional accessories for its tablets.

That said, Chuwi doesn’t exactly have Microsoft’s reputation for offering high-quality hardware (and support for that hardware), so it’s usually a good idea to proceed with caution when buying one of the company’s computers.

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12 replies on “Chuwi UBook Kickstarter campaign begins, 2-in-1 tablet ships in April”

  1. Just read someone says the 16:9 aspect ratio awkward, but obviously they do not watch a lot of Netflix or Youtube. And frankly that what I see this device as being. Perfect for the weekend or late-night binge-watching and an occasional spreadsheet or office email and workload. So a 16:9 aspect ratio is a big plus to me. Then you get a keyboard without having to pay extra for it as most other manufacturers would do, this to me is Chuwi’s way of tempting us to buy the product and I for one must say that it’s working.

  2. Yes, this is actually a great deal, I have looked at the Amazon and Newegg listing for similar spec devices and what I have found does not come within the price range for this device. Most just give you 4GB of Ram and 64GB storage and that’s it. So the fact that they are adding the keyboard and pen to the equation made this deal just right for me. I understand its Intel ^th Gen processor but when you get right down to the compute-power, There is not much of a difference.

  3. I know this is a budget device and they had to cut corners, but a 16:9 screen on this kind of computer feels really awkward. Like really awkward.

    1. It really depends on the market. I personally prefer a 3:2 ratio and can live with 16:10. However, people who watch lots of movies probably prefer 16:9. Are modern games set for 16:9? I don’t know.

      1. “It really depends on the market. I personally prefer a 3:2 ratio and can live with 16:10.”

        Something like this.

        “Are modern games set for 16:9? I don’t know.”

        This one doesn’t really looks like, or isn’t specced like a gaming PC as far as I’m concerned.

        “However, people who watch lots of movies probably prefer 16:9.”

        A personal computer is supposed to serve multiple other purposes. At least additionally to watching movies. At least I haven’t heard manufacturers spec certain machines from their lineup for this particular purpose in mind. I’ve heard the reasons of the proliferation of 16:9 screens are that they are somehow cheaper, though the reasons aren’t exactly clear to me.

        Heck, isn’t it obvious that this one wants to be an alternative to Microsoft’s Surface line? Fair enough, then who don’t you give it a 3:2 screen? Which, ironically the cheaper Chuwi has. If not the exact same panes that Microsoft uses.

        1. Best aspect ratio seems to be Root2 (1:1.41). Makes it squarish enough to work perfect with iPad-like tablets, and is tall enough for Excel/Word/Browser productivity, and can accommodate a 16:9 video/game.

          Heck you can possibly cut the bezels very short, and make the screen equal in size to an A4 sheet of paper.

          Screen resolutions can naturally double over time, with perfect alignment, and you can produce displays with half-size/quarter-size/double-sided/etc etc fairly simple.

    2. Come on.. 16:9 is perfect for Netflix and Youtube. I hate dragging my laptop to bed with me but this is just right for some late-night movies

  4. That is one hell of a deal, $470 with keyboard and pen included and 128 gb storage.

    Too bad the processor is outdated, should’ve been the 8th gen AmberLake Y series m3

    1. The common wisdom says Intel chips get 15% faster by each generation. The chip you suggest is 2 generations newer; it is supposed to be 1.15*1.15 faster. But does it really matter so much? I don’t think so, as far as Chuwi got a deal for these older processors for a budget device, I’m fine with it. I have much more pet peeves with the screen; see below!

      1. Yeah, it doesn’t work that way.

        There’s no performance or efficiency difference between the 6th-gen and the 9th-gen. Any difference you notice are from artificial software limitations on the SoC (base frequency, boost frequency, response curves, cache amounts, etc etc). Not to mention Spectre and Meltdown patches that equalise the playing field. Sustained performance is identical between these identical IPC chipsets running an identical 14nm lithography.

        I would be more concerned about the thermal constraints than anything, because that will make the most difference.

        1. Totally agree, plus we should not forget that this device is a tablet, If you need serious heavy work done, you would be doing so on a PC or Laptop. SO this is just perfect with enough screen real-estate to make watching Netflix a joy.

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