Over the past couple of years, Huawei has proven that the company is able to launch some really impressive laptops such as the Huawei MateBook 14s which are able to stand toe-to-toe with some of the best models in the segment.
To take it’s success further, Huawei has recently announced a new model dubbed as the MateBook D 16 which is targeted more towards mid-range segment in the form of an affordable laptop with a spacious screen estate and aplenty power to perform everyday tasks.
So, how does Huawei’s latest addition stack up against other competing models in the market? Let’s find out in our full review of the new Huawei MateBook D 16!
Design That’s Attractive As Usual
Huawei’s laptops have always been among the best-looking ones and the new MateBook D 16 is certainly no exception in this aspect, featuring a sleek and minimalistic design that looks elegant from all angles. No doubt, it’s uncanny resemblance to Apple’s MacBook Pro 16 inevitably lead to some comparison between the two devices.
Here in Singapore, the MateBook D 16 is available in a single Mystic Silver colorway that comes with a Matte finish which does an excellent job in repelling those unsightly smudges or fingerprints which may build up on the surface of the lit every time you open up the laptop.
On the outside, the Huawei MateBook D 16 is an all-metal affair which not only makes it look more premium and exquisite. but also offers better durability thanks to it’s sturdy construction. Speaking of durability, the laptop is claimed to have passed through rigorous quality testing such as high-temperature & humidity test, USB-C port durability test as well as hinge life test, just to name a few.
One thing to note is that the MateBook D 16 is by no means a small device with an overall footprint measuring 356.7 x 248.7 x 18.4mm. Despite that, the laptop weighs merely 1.7kg which is pretty much the same weight as other smaller laptops with 15.6” screen.
Connectivity-wise, the MateBook D 16 brings along a good selection of ports including a pair of USB-C ports, HDMI 2.0 port and a 3.5mm headphone jack along the left side of the laptop, as well as a pair of USB-A ports (3.2 & 2.0) along the right side.
Perfect Screen Size For Work & Play
Flipping up the laptop cover will reveal a large 16” display which provides plenty of screen estate for multi-tasking. For instance, the larger-than-usual display has no issue putting up three of four windows on the screen while keeping the words legible. This makes it desirable for someone who needs to do cross-referencing regularly in their daily work.
Just like any other MateBook series laptops, the screen is flanked by super slim bezels which allows it to offer a near full-screen viewing experience with an impressive screen-to-body ratio of approximately 90%. That’s something we usually expect only among ultrabooks.
What really sets the MateBook D 16 apart from earlier MateBook series laptops is the departure from Huawei’s traditional style of embedding the webcam within a spring-loaded button that sits between the “F6 and “F7” keys.
Instead, it’s now situated along the upper bezel of the screen which in my opinion, is a much more ideal placement than having it hidden along the top row of the keyboard which often requires you to do some physical adjustments to the laptop’s position in order to put yourself inside the camera frame.
Coming back to the display, it’s an IPS LCD display which doesn’t support any touch-screen functionality. Nonetheless, it’s still a decent display featuring a sharp 1920 × 1200 pixels screen resolution, 300 nits peak brightness as well as 100% sRGB color gamut coverage.
Roomy & Comfortable Keyboard
Besides having a wide display, another advantage of a large laptop is perhaps the extra space around the keyboard deck which allows Huawei to squeeze in a number pad towards the right of the QWERTY keys.
Touching on this, the keyboard itself offers a pleasant typing experience with it’s ergonomic layout that provides a delectable amount of key space between each individual key. Also, each of these individual keys come with a comfortable amount of key travel that’s accompanied by good tactile feedback that make it ideal for extended typing session.
Most importantly, the overall construction of the keyboard also felt pretty sturdy – so it doesn’t actually flex when typing. Likewise, there’s also ample space below the keyboard deck for users to rest their palm when typing to alleviate wrist fatigue after spending long hours working on the laptop.
All The Power You Need Under The Hood
Coming to what matters most, the Huawei MateBook D 16 is powered by a 10nm Intel i7-12700H Processor based on Intel’s Alder Lake architecture. Featuring a grand total of 14 CPU cores, including 6 performance cores and 8 efficient cores, the i7-12700H Processor boasts a maximum turbo frequency of 4.7GHz.
Graphics-wise, there’s an integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics GPU which ensures the laptop has sufficient horsepower to work on graphics-demanding tasks. This will be rounded out by a hefty 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB storage (based on NVMe PCIe SSD) configuration which is actually quite a decent deal for a laptop of it’s price.
This impressive setup pan out well in day-to-day usage, offering a lag-free gaming and productivity experience. Of course, we’re not talking about gaming at maxed out graphics setting or editing a 4K video here as that would not do justice to it’s accessible price point.
However, having a reliable processing unit alone will not be sufficient for a seamless mobile office experience if the network connection is weak. That’s where Huawei Metaline Antenna comes into play. It’s a built-in technology which helps to improve signal conversion efficiency by 56%, and enhances network stability and speed in weak signal conditions.
To keep it’s lights on, the Huawei MateBook D 16 is also equipped with a high-capacity 60Wh battery which typically nets me around 5 to 6 hours of usage on a normal work day which include some video editing work as well as publishing of reviews with YouTube Music constantly running on the background.
Needless to say, the battery life may differ accordingly to your own usage pattern, but that will hopefully give you a rough idea in this aspect. As far as charging is concerned, the Huawei MateBook D 16 comes with a bundled 65W charger that’s roughly the size of a smartphone (yes, it’s really that portable!).
Extra Perks If You Own Other Huawei Devices
Huawei has been promoting the concept of a Super Device for quite some time. This in an intuitive feature which facilitates seamless cross-device collaboration, allowing a vast array of smart devices to function as one cohesive unit.
Once connected, you’ll be able to leverage exclusive features such as cross-device transfers which allows easy transfer of files between the laptop and connected devices in the blink of an eye, as well as cross-device searching which gives you the ability to search for files and images on a connected device, directly from the laptop itself.
Otherwise, you can also project the laptop’s screen easily to any Huawei monitors such as the Huawei MateView (Review) or smart screens like Huawei Vision S. Anyway, the embedded video above will give you a glimpse of Huawei Super Device in action.
Verdict
The Huawei MateBook D 16 is a perfect option for those who’re intending to get an affordable laptop for work and play. It’s spacious display is definitely the biggest highlight which not only makes it a fantastic workstation for multi-tasking, but is also fabulous for binge watching your favorite Netflix dramas. Most importantly, it’s also braced with more than sufficient power to handle any day-to-day workloads without breaking a sweat thanks to the adoption of a high-end Intel i7-12700H Processor paired with a generous amount of RAM.
Pricing & Availability
For those who’re interested, the Huawei MateBook D 16 is priced at $1,498 in Singapore for the Intel i7-12700H model (the one we tested in this review) and $1,298 for the Intel i5-12450H model.
It’ll be available for purchase at all Huawei Authorised Stores, Courts, Challenger, as well as Huawei official online stores in Lazada and Shopee.
