Sebastian Anthony Ars at MWC 2016

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Huawei's MateBook is a convertible PC to take on Microsoft's Surface

View all… BARCELONA, Spain—Where Microsoft's Surface is all about sharp edges and a monolithic look, Huawei's new MateBook—a convertible tablet powered by Intel's Core m processors—is a far more svelte affair. And make no mistake, Huawei is going after Microsoft's premium hardware with the Windows 10 MateBook, as evidenced by the numerous comparisons the company made between the two devices during its MWC press conference.

The good news for Huawei is that its new hardware is more than good enough to take on the Surface. In some ways, it's actually better. The MateBook's slender 6.9mm profile makes it the same thickness as Apple's iPad Pro, while its 640 gram weight makes it lighter than both the the iPad Pro and the Surface. The soft, curved edges also make it much more comfortable to hold, while the all-metal unibody chassis with its sharp chamfered buttons gives it a premium feel. Huawei's been knocking it out of the park of late when it comes to hardware design and construction, thanks in part to devices like the Nexus 6P and Mate S, and the MateBook is no exception.

That extends to the lovely 12-inch IPS LCD that sports a sharp resolution of 2160x1440 pixels, 400 nits of brightness, and covers 85 percent NTSC colour gamut. While I couldn't test Huawei's colour gamut or brightness claims here on the show floor, I can say that the screen is very nice indeed, and easily as good as anything Apple or Microsoft has to offer. Even better is that the MateBook's screen has a far slimmer bezel than both at just 10mm. That helps reduce the overall size, and helps keeps the tablet from feeling unweildly. Indeed, it felt just as comfortable to hold as Apple's iPad Air, which sports a smaller 9.7-inch screen.

The $129/€149 water resistant keyboard/portfolio case is less convincing, if only only because I don't think anyone's managed to stick a keyboard into a tablet case without making it feel cramped. That said, it is one of the better examples of a keyboard case, with large keys and a decent amount of travel. Huawei boasts a key travel figure of 1.5 mm, which is more than the 1.3mm of the Surface—not that you'd really be able to tell the difference between the two side-by-side I'd wager. The issue with the MateBook's keyboard is that there isn't any spacing between the keys. I'd actually prefer slightly smaller keys in order to allow for more space, which would help massively with typing. Still, I could see being able to type at a reasonable speed on the MateBook with practice.

Video shot by Mark Walton, edited by Jennifer Hahn.

The keyboard case's other features fare better. The trackpad is suprisingly large and responsive, while the two angles of tilt (67 and 54 degrees) are sensible choices. However, because the stand mechanism is essentially the same as Apple's (you fold up a part of the case to use as a stand), there's little hope of using the MateBook on your lap, or in bed as a laptop—even less so than Microsoft's Surface. I do like the way the case folds up entirely around the MateBook, protecting it from bumps and scratches. It also has a lovely leather finish that feels suitably expensive. Buisiness types should have no problem bringing the MateBook along to meetings.

If you're more creatively inclined, you can make use of the MateBook's $59/€69 MatePen, a stylus that sports 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity and an elastomer tip. It even doubles up as clicker for Powerpoint presentations and as a laser pointer—the latter of which a certain Sebastian Anthony had far too much fun pointing at various other people trying out the MateBook. Despite its cost, the MatePen felt surprisingly lightweight, a little cheap even, thanks to its plastic construction. I'm no artist, so perhaps a lighter weight is desirable for prolonged use, but those used to the reassuring heft of a fine Montblanc will be left wanting.

Enlarge / The MateDock. Sebastian Anthony

It does, however, work well, at least during my terrible attempts to draw on the MateBook's screen. There was a nice resistance to the tip of the stylus while dragging it across the glass screen, while the pressure sensitivity picked up how hard or soft I was pressing on the screen. I'd have to get the stylus into the hands of one of my artist friends before making a final judgement on the MatePen, but so far, so good for Huawei.

The MateBook's other accessory, the $89/€99 MateDock, might not be the most exciting accessory, but it's small, light, and well constructed. With HDMI, VGA, Ethernet, and two USB ports, it's practical too. I just wish it was included with the MateBook, particularly as it only features a single USB Type-C port.

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

The MateDock.

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

That's but a small gripe with what is an impressive device, though, one that I'd take over the Surface or iPad Pro any day. It even promises good battery life thanks to a 33.7Wh battery that's good for around 10 hours of standard use. With prices starting at $699/€799 (~£620) for a 128GB model with 4GB of RAM and a Core m3 processor, it's even cheaper than the competition too.

The MateBook is due to launch in Asia, Europe, and North America "in the coming months." (We hear it's sometime in March.)

This post originated on Ars Technica UK