Huawei MateBook D review: Inexpensive muscle package?
A TEST REPORT from David Haydl 
on April 30, 2019, 11:00 p.m. | Write a comment
When I had the opportunity to test the Huawei MateBook D, a mid-range notebook, I was a bit skeptical about the reliability of the device, as I have high demands on my laptops. Did i get disappointed? My test.
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Unboxing and initial setup
The packaging of the Huawei MateBook D is mostly white and has some labels and a picture of the notebook. There are only common things in it. The Huawei notebook itself, some instructions and the charger. This charges the MateBook with 19 volts at 3,4 amps. The connection is Huawei's own.
This is in the packaging (picture: TechnikNews)
The device runs Windows 10, which means initial setup is very easy. After the notebook boots for the first time, a dialog appears for setting the region and language. Afterwards it is optionally possible to store an alternative keyboard layout. This is followed by entering the Microsoft account. That Prozedere should take no more than 20 minutes if all goes well.
Design and workmanship
Even if the MateBook D is not the most expensive notebook on the market, it is surprisingly well made. I didn't notice a single flaw. Nor was it Proproblem to pack the device in backpacks and bags. Same as that MateBook 13, which I also tested, Huawei only offers the MateBook D in Space Gray.
Picture: TechnikNews
On the other hand, the variety of connections is greater than on the smaller MateBook. You get a total of three USB-A ports and an HDMI and jack port. It's a bit of a shame that USB-C was not used. Some of you might miss that.
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- Picture: TechnikNews
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- Picture: TechnikNews
The speakers with Dolby Atmos can be found on the underside of the device. I have that here too Proproblem that they start to jingle even at low volumes. Nevertheless, it is commendable that the manufacturer even thought of Atmos speakers for a mid-range device.
Display
The screen diagonal of the display of the MateBook D is 15,6 inches, which is very pleasant to work with. The resolution is 1920 × 1080 pixels. And even if the maximum brightness is not that high, you can still work reasonably well in direct sunlight because the display glass is matt. The aspect ratio is 16: 9.
Thanks to the matte display, you can work outdoors without any discomfort (picture: TechnikNews)
I was consistently satisfied with the display, as mine is Zenbook UX530UX has exactly the same specs and I was already thrilled there. The colors are pretty true to life and the displayed image is comfortably sharp. You may already notice: So far, the low price of the MateBook D has not made itself felt in the package that you get.
Keyboard and trackpad
However, you then notice a little with the keyboard that you had to save somewhere with the D in order to be able to achieve the low purchase price. The typing feel is very good and I can type fairly quickly, but I don't really like the texture of the individual keys. In addition, the right SHIFT key is too narrow for my taste.
The trackpad convinced me (Image: TechnikNews)
The trackpad with Windows Precision drivers is again very good for me. The size is just right, the click is very pleasant and inputs are always recognized and implemented quickly and correctly.
Performance
When it comes to the performance of the MateBook D, I have a split opinion.
Let's start with the basics: Huawei installed an eighth Core i5-8250U in my test device Proprocessor generation from Intel. There is also eight gigabytes of RAM and a 256 gigabyte SSD. There is also an option with a Core i7, 512 gigabytes of memory and an MX150 from Nvidia. This is then correspondingly more expensive, more on that at the end of my test report.
Basically, the Huawei MateBook D is a notebook that cannot be brought to its knees that easily. The everyday operating speed is therefore sufficiently high, so that you never have to struggle with waiting times for simple tasks. Editing photos with Photoshop and Lightroom is more of a joke, with VS Code programming, on the other hand, is still possible without stuttering. The only thing that I found strange was that the native Slack app crashed the device completely twice.
The battery life isn't great, but it's not bad either. When working almost continuously, the MateBook had to be plugged in again after about nine hours. Then it will be fully charged again within three hours.
The operating system running on the D is obviously Windows 10. More specifically, version 1803, which was released last April. 1809 doesn't appear in my settings yet, which is a shame, as the May update should come soon.
Prices and availability
The Huawei MateBook D is available from Amazon, Saturn and MediaMarkt. The RRP of the mid-range notebook is 699 euros.
Huawei MateBook D: Conclusion
I was surprised how well I got on with the Huawei MateBook D. Even if gaming and working in Photoshop and Lightroom don't work so well, writing code, editing emails and surfing the Internet is very good. Sure, no premium materials were used for the case, but you can cope with that quite well.
Thank you for providing the Huawei MateBook D.
