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This article was published on June 22, 2016

Huawei’s MateBook is a $699 cross between the Surface and iPad Pro


Huawei’s MateBook is a $699 cross between the Surface and iPad Pro

Huawei’s new MateBook is probably the closest we’ll get to an iPad Pro running Windows 10, and it actually looks pretty sweet.

Spec-wise, the 12-inc, 2-in-1 tablet is actually most reminiscent of Samsung’s TabPro S (which I quite liked). It’s ridiculously thin (6.9mm) and weight just 1.41 pounds without the keyboard. That’s thinner than an iPhone 6S.

At its base $699 price (which doesn’t include the keyboard or stylus), the tablets comes with 4 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, and a Core M3 processor. The screen is a comparable 2160 x 1440 resolution (much less than the Surface Pro 4 or 12-inch iPad pro, but enough).

Huawei outdoes Samsung, however, by offering a few higher end configurations with 8GB of RAM, a core m5 processor, and up to 512 GB of storage for $1,199. I suspect the $999 Core m5, 8 GB RAM, and 256 GB storage option will end up being the most popular option aside from the base model. You’ll then have to factor in $129 for the portfolio keyboard – which, to be fair, looks seriously classy -, and $59 for the stylus.

Lifestyle 1 - Woman + Watch

All configurations come with a Windows Hello compatible fingerprint reader on the tablet itself – a nice touch – as well as a Micro USB and USB-A adapter for the single USB-C port. There’s also a leather-bound dock with a couple of USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet, HDMI and VGA ports for $89.

Like the TabPro S, the MateBook is not meant to be quite as powerful as the Surface Pro line, but given it comes with Windows 10 Signature Edition – AKA, no bloatware – it should be fine for everyday use. Here’s to hoping that 9-hour battery life claim holds up in the long run.

The tablet goes on sale in the US on July 11, but you can pre-order one now.

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