Huawei launches MateBook to take on iPad Pro and Surface Book

Huawei announced its debut in the PC market with the launch of a 2-in-1 Windows 10 laptop hybrid at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona. Huawei's new MateBook, a convertible laptop, is powered by Intel’s Core m-series processor and touts a stylus with a built-in laser pointer and eraser.

“With this landmark device, Huawei is demonstrating our industry-leading design and manufacturing expertise by bringing a beautifully crafted flagship product to market that is redefining the new style of business – connected computing across all devices in almost every scenario,” said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group in a press release.

The Huawei MateBook features a 12-inch LCD multi-touch screen display 2160x1440 pixel resolution. The device also offers 160-degree wide angle for an immersive experience.

The laptop hybrid is just 6.9 mm thin, similar to that of Apple’s iPad Pro. Weighing 640 grams, the Huawei MateBook is lighter than Microsoft’s Surface Book and Apple’s iPad Pro.

The convertible MateBook runs both Windows 10 and features its best business productivity tools, including Microsoft Office. The laptop hybrid also features Microsoft Edge and digital assistant Cortana.

Customers will have the choice of selecting from an Intel Core m3, m5 or m7 processor. The Huawei MateBook offers either 4GB or 8GB of RAM with up to 512GB of native memory.

The top end model of the MateBook is equipped with a 6th Gen Intel Core M7 processor clocked at 3.1 GHz as compared to the iPad Pro, which is powered by Apple A9X clocked at 2.26 GHz.

Targeted at business users, the all-metal MateBook comes with the MatePen which sports a sensor that detects 2048 levels of sensitivity. The MatePen also sports an easy access eraser mode and contains a rechargeable lithium battery which lasts for up to 100 hours.

However, the MatePen has to be purchased separately at $59 (AU$82).

Huawei has also equipped the convertible device with an innovative power saving mode which helps optimise power usage. The company says the 33.7Wh high-density Lithium battery will stay alive with 29 hours of music, nine hours of video playback or up to nine hours of work.

The base model with a Intel Core M3 processor paired with 4GB of RAM starts at $699 (AU$975), while the top-end model with a Intel Core M7 chip and 8GB of RAM comes with a price tag of $1,599 (AU$2230).

Customers can also add two more accessories including the Mate Keyboard at $129 (AU$180) along with Mate Dock at $89 (AU$124).