Huawei at MWC 2018: Matebook X Pro and Mediapad M5 // Update 26/02/2018
25.2.2018
Huawei presented a new laptop and a new tablet at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a few minutes ago. We are there live and have initial information about the devices.
The press conference in Barcelona begins with piano music. The Mobile World Congress doesn't start until tomorrow, but some brands are keen to get through their press conferences before the competition. Among them is Huawei.
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, takes to the stage. The Chinese reports a good year for the brand. They have sent 153 million smartphones out of their factories and sales have risen by 30 per cent. He is proud of Huawei's Mate series.
More than just smartphones
The Mate series, Yu knows, is more than just a smartphone. The Matebook series is one of the lightest and fastest laptops on the market. It seems as if a new notebook is being introduced.
One woman, who is only called "Editor" on the slide, is 30 years old and wants a big screen. Video producer Stephanie Tresch and I smile. It looks like a stock photo. This is followed by more stock photos of marketing personas with claims to devices. Marketing personas are fictitious and abstract characters who have certain needs for devices. Engineers and designers then design devices according to their wishes.
Of course, the screen is a touchscreen. This is because the world has learnt from the apparent failure of tablets and has incorporated technologies from devices that simply don't really want to bring productivity gains into laptops. But touchscreens on laptops are a blessing.
The battery is supposed to last 12 hours of video playback, 14 hours in the office and I certainly hope you never need the latter. The boot times are impressive:
- From standby to login: 1.9 seconds
- From hibernation to login: 6.6 seconds
- From off to login: 9 seconds
In terms of security, Huawei relies on two-factor authentication. The power button is also a fingerprint scanner. Plus the normal Windows password. The keyboard appears to be modelled on the Apple keyboard and should therefore offer comfort and style. The keyboard is also said to be waterproof and you can spill your coffee on it.
The special feature of the Matebook X Pro is the camera. It is hidden under the F6 button, as there is simply no room for it at the top of the screen.
Connections:
- One USB-A port
- Two USB-C ports
- One 3.5 millimetre headphone jack
The Matebook X Pro supports Thunderbolt 3, which means it supports the GeForce GTX 1080 series and fast data throughput. Nice.
The charger offers a system runtime of six hours within 30 minutes of charging time.
The attempted integration into the Internet of Things
The Huawei Matebook X Pro incorporates the beginnings of a Huawei ecosystem. With Huawei Share, data can be exchanged between Huawei devices without borders. The ecosystem is fully compatible with Windows 10.
Windows 10 naturally comes with Cortana, live translation and all the features you are hopefully used to from your Win10.
The tablet is dead, long live the tablet
Richard Yu takes a short break. He comes back, clears his throat and shows the MediaPad M5. Here, too, Huawei has applied the same design and technology principles as with the Mate smartphone and the Matebook X Pro. However, unlike the other devices, the Mediapad has rounded edges onto which the screen continues. Just like the Samsung Galaxy S8.
A demo of the new Mission Impossible film doesn't really impress, however. Because sound from the hall is not really sound from the tablet. But loud is loud. The Mediapad should be allowed to do that.
With LTE Cat 6, i.e. up to 300 megabits per second, the data throughput can easily keep up with the competition. Richard Yu is also addressing gamers here. And the productive ones. This hits a nerve with people who like to argue about tablets. It can be turned into a laptop with an attached keyboard. A stylus, i.e. a pen that works on the screen, is also supported.
The Mediapad will be available in Switzerland in March. Thank you, Huawei, for making us part of the first wave.
Richard Yu goes on to talk about his new modem. It slightly exceeds the requirements of the 5G standard. Then Yu goes off script for the first time. He can't find the modem, which is the size of a chip, in his inside jacket pocket. He laughs and apologises. The audience laughs and Yu has gained a lot of sympathy from the audience.
And now: Time for a hands-on. Stephanie and I pack up our laptops and cameras and head towards the testing area.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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