The MateBook D might be the least remarkable computer Huawei launched in mid-2017. It’s not a 2-in-1 tablet or a an ultraportable laptop like its siblings. But the 4.2 pound, 15.6 inch Huawei MateBook D does offer decent specs for a decent price of around $700 (or less, these days).
Now Huawei is giving the laptop a hardware refresh. As spotted by LaptopMain, Chinese retailers are selling models with 8th-gen Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce 10 series graphics.
That’s a modest, and obvious upgrade from the 7th-gen Intel Core and NVIDIA GeForce 940MX graphics the original model shipped with.
The new model looks a lot like its predecessor, but it features NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics and either an Intel Core i5-8250U or Core i7-8550U quad-core processor.
Prices start at about $790 for a Core i5 model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and go up to $1000 or more for a version with a Core i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of solid state storage and a 1TB hard drive.
Each model has a 1920 x 1080 pixel display with 178 degree viewing angles, a 43.3 Wh battery, 802.11ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, HDMI, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and audio jacks. The laptop measures about 0.7 inches thick and weighs about 4.2 pounds.
Last year’s model didn’t have a backlit keyboard, as far as I can tell from reviews. That’s a feature I find helpful as I get older (and my eyesight gets worse!); I now pretty much rule out any laptop that doesn’t have it, especially if it costs more than $500. This Matebook D is intriguing, but if it still lacks the backlit keyboard I’ll certainly skip it.
Looks great except for the 15.6 inch screen and 4.2 lb weight. I’d rather see a 13.3 inch under 4 lbs at this price. You know, like a MacBook Air. In fact, the more I look at these so-called ‘Ultrabooks’, the MacBook Air looks better and better.
Where is the RAM update?