Huawei’s MateBooks disrupted the local laptop scene with hard-to-resist offerings that balance good performance, design, and price. The MateBook 14s is the latest featuring such, powered by up to an Intel Core i7 processor, up 16GB RAM, and up 1TB SSD, along with a touchscreen display.
Starting at Php 68,999, is it worth the price? Let’s find out.
Design and Display
The Huawei MateBook 14s Laptop+ features a slim design with chamfered edges and an aluminum frame. It has a premium aesthetic that looks sleek.
The display measures 14.2-inches across with a sharp 2.5K resolution (2520 by 1680) and a smooth 90Hz refresh rate. It has a 3:2 aspect ratio, providing a more screen height that’s comfortable and more efficient for work and other tasks. You do get black bars on some videos, but it’s great for viewing web pages and working on documents.
Huawei fits the laptop with a touch screen IPS panel. It’s not an OLED, but it look great with vibrant colors and decent brightness.
The display also comes with a 10-point multi-touch support. It was very responsive in use and adds further functionality to productivity with gestures such as swiping, pinch to zoom, and quick tapping when affirming options.
As for I/O ports, there are two USB-C ports that support data transfers, charging and DisplayPort. For this model, the second USB-C also has Thunderbolt 4 support. There’s also an HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, and a USB-A 3.2.
The laptop has four speakers, four microphones, a 720P front camera, and a power button with an embedded fingerprint scanner that supports Windows Hello. The speakers are downward-firing, which means you’ll get a fuller sound if the laptop is placed on a flat surface. Sound quality is quite good with decent volume. While the fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable.
Performance
Our review unit is equipped with an 11th generation Intel Core i7 chip with Intel EVO Platform (Php 89,999), Iris Xe Graphics, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD storage. Other variants include Core i7 512GB model for Php 79,999, and a Core i5 512GB for Php 68,999. All models come with Windows 10 Home, but I have since updated this to Windows 11.
As a Laptop+ device, one of its more interesting features is Huawei’s Mobile App Engine. The Mobile App Engine lets you install Android applications and games via the AppGallery. Currently in Beta, you can choose from 20 available apps, including TikTok, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Snapchat, Garena Free Fire, Kumu, Viber, and more. In addition, the feature pairs perfectly with the 2.5K display as most apps work best with a multi-touch interface.
Also Read: Huawei MateBook 14s Laptop+ vs MacBook Pro 13-inch M1; How do they differ?
Suffice to say, the MateBook 14s breezes through any challenge (save for gaming). Its fast and can handle heavy programs such as Photoshop and even multiple tabs on Chrome and Edge.
Meanwhile, the keyboard is a joy to use. It’s full-sized and backlit, although I did find its brightness to be lower than what I would have liked. The typing experience is great, thanks to the 1.5mm travel and the soft-landing design. The touchpad is large and responsive as well.
Battery
The MateBook 14s has a 60Wh lithium-polymer battery with a small (for laptop standards) 65W Huawei SuperCharge Adapter. Battery life is quite good. I was able to get anywhere between 7 to 9 hours of use, depending on my activities. Charging time is great, achieving a full charge in about an hour.
Final Thoughts
The Huawei MateBook 14s is a solid premium laptop for the price. Its a great companion for those on the go. It comes with powerful features that boost productivity, including the Mobile App Engine, which allows mobile apps to be used on the laptop, a touch screen display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, decent battery life, and fast charging.
Price
| Unit | Price |
| Huawei MateBook 14s Intel Core i7, 1TB | Php 89,999 |
| Huawei MateBook 14s Intel Core i7, 512GB | Php 79,999 |
| Huawei MateBook 14s Intel Core i5, 512GB | Php 68,999 |
Huawei MateBook 14s specs
| Display | 14.2-inch 2.5K IPS Display, 2520 x 1680, Touchscreen, 3:2 Aspect Ratio, 90Hz Refresh Rate, 90% Screen-to-body Ratio, 100% sRGB |
| Processor | Intel Evo Core i7-11370H, 3.3GHz Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
| RAM | 16GB RAM, LPDDR4x |
| Storage | 512GB NVMe SSD Storage |
| Cameras | 1MP (720P HD) Camera |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi AX Dual Band, 2×2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.1 |
| Ports | USB-C x 2 USB 3.2 Gen1 x 1 HDMI x 1 3.5mm Combo Jack x 1 |
| Others | Fingerprint Power Button Backlit Chiclet Keyboard Touchpad with Multi-touch Speakers x 4 Microphone x 4 |
| OS | Windows 11 Home |
| Size and Weight | Height: 1.67 cm Width: 31.38 cm Depth: 22.97 cm Weight: 1.43 kg |
| Battery | 60Wh Lithium Polymer 65W Huawei SuperCharge Adapter |
| Price | Php 89,999 |
