Introduction and unboxing
Should you reside outdoors of China, then Huawei smartphones have develop into considerably of an afterthought for you in these previous couple of years. We cannot go over the explanations for this right here however we’ll add that it is a disgrace for many of us at GSMArena, as a result of Huawei makes a number of the most interesting {hardware} (and notably cameras) on the planet and we rightfully really feel like we’re lacking out as a result of software program’s limitations.
However none of that impacts the corporate’s PC enterprise and Huawei has stored on making wonderful laptops for almost each price range. At present, we’re in all probability the perfect all-rounder – the Huawei MateBook D16 2024.
It is a 16-inch laptop computer with two USB-A, one USB-C, and an HDMI port. There’s additionally a full-sized keyboard, a quantity pad, and Intel’s thirteenth Gen processors, all of which match into simply 1.72kg with the larger 70Wh battery.
The laptop computer ships with a 65W Huawei Tremendous Cost brick with a completely hooked up cable.
Ours is the totally loaded mannequin with 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD drive, the Intel i9-13900H processor, and the larger 70Wh battery. It prices €1,399/£1,199 however there are a couple of different choices – a collection of Core i5 processors and both 8/512GB or 16/512GB with a beginning worth of €649/£549 – lower than half of our assessment unit.
Design and construct high quality
The MateBook D16 2024 seems like just about each different Huawei laptop computer from a distance. It is available in both (Mystic) silver or (House) gray (our unit, which is trending towards purple at occasions) and also you get a cool steel physique and a HUAWEI brand on the lid.
Earlier than we transfer on, it is essential to notice the distinction between the Huawei MateBook D16 2024 and the Huawei MateBook D16 2023. They seems almost an identical and have the identical vary of processors and seemingly the identical show. However the 2023 mannequin has a unique and arguably higher port choice – two USB-A’s on one aspect, two USB-C’s, HDMI, and a 3.5mm audio jack on the opposite aspect. The 2023 model is now not offered by Huawei however sure retailers have it and it could be value a extra detailed look to make sure that you might be getting the right model.
The hinge may be very agency and opening the lid requires two fingers. We’ll deduct factors from Huawei for this as a result of each different laptop computer from the corporate can simply be opened with one finger – completely balanced as all issues needs to be.
Opening the laptops reveals the 16-inch 16:10 1200p show with comparatively skinny bodily bezels that rise above the show glass. The show is matte, has a webcam on high, and a model brand beneath.
The keyboard leaves loads of house in your palm on the underside case and there are three stickers for Huawei Share, Intel’s processor, and the graphics.
The MateBook D16 2024 may be very sturdy. There is no flex whenever you push down wherever on the chassis and the display screen lid would not budge whenever you press the corners.
Trackpad, keyboard, show, audio
The trackpad of the MateBook D16 2024 is regular-sized. Some would possibly name it small for the category, particularly in comparison with the same-sized MateBook 16S’.
The floor of the trackpad is clean and feels pure to carry out two and even three-finger gestures and faucets on. Should you insist on bodily pushing down the trackpad to faucet, you may discover the sides more durable than the middle. The underside of the trackpad is the simplest to press and it is divided into single and double presses – a press on the correct aspect is acknowledged for granted mouse click on.
The trackpad, in comparison with the MateBook 16S
The trackpad is barely off-center as a result of the keyboard is offset to the left to accommodate the Numpad. It takes some getting used to however we count on Numpad diehards to really feel completely at residence right here. The keyboard is totally backlit with a white backlight and two energy settings – half and full.
The keyboard has ample 1.5mm key journey and the keys are properly damped. You could have a two-row Enter key and an extended House key – one thing many will admire.
The operate row has Huawei’s now-standard set of keys and you’ll lock the Fn button to both have operate keys or the F1-F12 keys practical.
The Numpad has a basic format with an extra 4 shortcuts up high for the Calculator, Search, a button to reduce the at present displayed window, and a key to disable the digital camera.
The ability button is within the higher proper nook and incorporates a capacitive fingerprint reader on high. It is as much as Huawei’s typical nice customary and has caching, that means when the laptop computer’s turned off, you press it and it’ll energy on and log you in with out the necessity of a second contact.
The 720p digital camera is on the highest of the show. It is within the excellent spot for video calls – we do not like “up-the-nose cameras” hidden within the keyboard – however that is about as a lot reward as we’re prepared to present this unit. It is low decision and the picture from it’s downright unhealthy.
Huawei’s AI Digicam software program can put a digital background behind you and apply a magnificence filter in your face (with choices to melt and brighten), but it surely seems unhealthy and the poor 720p feed seems slapped over the uninspired pretend background.
The show is a 16-inch IPS LCD with a taller-than-standard 16:10 side ratio and a decision of 1920x1200px, which rounds off at 142ppi. Huawei says the panel covers 100% of the sRGB gamut and 45% of the NTSC one – and that it has a 1200:1 distinction ratio. There isn’t a touchscreen choice on the MateBook D16 2024, and the panel is proscribed to the usual 60Hz.
The show is rated at as much as 300 nits. We measured 311 nits within the middle as excessive as 330 on the high left edge, however solely 280 nits on the backside proper one. That is a uniformity of round 84%, which is not unhealthy, however not superb both.
Colours are fairly saturated and there is a good quantity of distinction right here. Huawei’s Show Supervisor app is right here but it surely lacks any kind of significant show controls apart from adjusting the colour temperature.
The show is matte, which we admire, particularly in comparison with the shiny MateBook 16S. Huawei’s shiny panels are very reflective and they should compensate with a lot increased brightness, which in flip requires increased battery use. A matte panel is solely extra sensible and it really works within the MateBook D16 2024.
The MateBook D16 2024 subsequent to the MateBook 16S (matte beats shiny, struggle me)
There are two microphones on the entrance of the MateBook D16 2024 that produce good sound high quality. Huawei’s PC Supervisor suite provides a strong quantity of choices. You may select between Noise Cancelling, which tries to remove exterior noise, and Sound TrueHD, which does the other, attempting to convey your surroundings to callers in a pure manner. It sounds digital and a bit harsh, we left the Noise Cancelling on.
There are two audio system on the underside proper and left of the MateBook D16 2024. They’re louder than your common laptop computer audio system and a nice, midrange sound. Nonetheless, there isn’t any bass to talk of. Huawei’s PC Supervisor provides you three choices to amplify the speaker’s output – Sensible Optimization is on by default and makes the tiny audio system sound just a little bit higher. We would keep away from Extremely-Bass and Sound Turbo as they make little to no significant distinction and none in a optimistic path.
Lastly, a phrase on upgradeability. To open the MateBook D16 2024, it is advisable to unscrew ten Torx T4s after which use a pry instrument to unsnap the underside panel from the highest one – begin from across the heating vents on the again and gently work your manner round, unclasping the panel. You may swap the Wi-Fi card, the battery, and the NVME SSD on this laptop computer. The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard and isn’t upgradeable.
Software program, efficiency and battery life
Being a Huawei laptop computer, it comes with smartphone connectivity out of the field. You may hyperlink your Android telephone (not simply Huawei) and management its show from the laptop computer, again up its images and movies to the laptop computer and have the telephone’s knowledge connection accessible by On the spot Hotspot.
Huawei’s SuperHub lives on the high of the display screen. Simply drag a file up and just a little digital drawer pops up and you’ll deposit it there. It is a handy option to share recordsdata, images, movies, in addition to textual content and share it throughout apps and home windows.
Huawei SuperHub
You too can entry the telephone’s recordsdata and share recordsdata throughout your laptop computer and telephone.
Huawei’s PC Supervisor app is superb. It provides recommendations on the laptop computer and options its management panel with fast toggles to leap to Notes shortly, Huawei Share, AI Search, allow the hotspot, or the show’s eye consolation mode.
It is also a one-stop store for the entire laptop computer’s drivers, and it is the place you select the efficiency mode. You get a selection of Balanced and Efficiency.
We’ve got the MateBook D16 2024 with the thirteenth Gen Intel i9-13900H and 16GB of 3733MHz DDR4 RAM, that is not upgradeable so you may’t add extra or get speedier RAM.
The processor is Intel’s thirteenth Gen i9 (Raptor Lake) and it is essentially the most highly effective you might’ve gotten in a laptop computer final 12 months. We’re now at Intel’s 14th Gen and its new line of Core processors, so whereas the crown has been misplaced it is nonetheless a beast of a CPU.
The Core i9-13900H is a 45W processor with 14 complete cores, divided between 6 efficiency cores and eight environment friendly cores. The overall variety of threads is 20.
The processor posted a stellar single-core rating in Geekbench 6 and a formidable multi-core rating, beating laptops with the identical chipset however extra spectacular cooling. The Geekbench 6 OpenCL rating is about what you’d count on for built-in Intel graphics – a lot decrease than simply about any up to date discrete GPU on the market.
Geekbench 6
Diving just a little deeper into the graphics efficiency of the Intel Iris Xe built-in graphics, we ran GFXBench’s suite of exams. Within the high-level exams, the MateBook D16 2024 aced the 1080p Aztec Ruins based mostly on the Vulkan API with round 160fps. The GPU stored round 60fps within the 1440p take a look at and round 25fps within the 4K take a look at.
GFXBench graphic exams
The 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD contained in the MateBook D16 2024 is a 321JN1024GB-TX01 mannequin quantity and that is about all we find out about it. No phrase on the producer but it surely’s a quick unit with wonderful speeds throughout the board.
We did a 1-hour stress take a look at on the CPU to see how the MateBook D16 2024 would deal with its potent processor and have been pleasantly shocked. The laptop computer stored the processor at its peak 3.4GHz for round 10 seconds after which shortly throttled right down to 2.7GHz. It went again as much as 2.8GHz in about quarter-hour after which settled at 2.6GHz for the rest of the take a look at.
Impressively, the ‘Shark fin’ followers, whereas continuously working, weren’t audible throughout our take a look at. Huawei claims the twin fan answer is designed to spice up airflow by 55% and generate as little as 22 dB of noise, and we’ve to say it really works nice. For comparability’s sake, the MateBook 16S and its Core i7-12700H throttled to 1.3GHz and stayed there in the course of the stress take a look at – an enormous distinction in similarly-sized and cooled laptops.
Battery life
Maintaining with the spectacular streak, the MateBook D16 2024 managed strong numbers in our battery life take a look at. It entails working an 11-hour YouTube video at most brightness and most quantity till the laptop computer dies.
The MateBook D16 2024 managed an outrageous 7 hours and 34 minutes. That is in comparison with the MateBook 16S’ little over 6-hour consequence. Keep in mind that that laptop computer has an 84Wh battery to this one’s 70Wh, although it has a barely larger, higher-resolution show.
Conclusion
The Huawei MateBook D16 2024 prices €1,399/£1,199 on the time of writing and that nets you the very best attainable configuration of a Core i9-13900H processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of storage and a 70Wh battery. You possibly can save €100 and go for the Core i7-13700H mannequin however we would not. It is a downgrade we would worth at round €200.
At €1,399, the MateBook D16 2024 is not low cost however a fast take a look at the present market yields far more costly choices or very barely cheaper ones with two-year-old processors. We would say this laptop computer is a superb choice to have immediately but it surely by no means hurts to attend a couple of months for a reduction. Huawei runs promos on a regular basis on its web site and typically the offers are onerous to withstand.
We preferred the MateBook D16 2024. it is a kind of working-class-hero sort gadgets – it would not look fancy or flashy, however it may possibly do all of it, and it is completely fitted to the whole lot. The show is superb, the efficiency is spectacular, and the battery life would not go away you wanting. What extra is there to say – that is pretty much as good as a 16-inch laptop computer may be.
If you need higher, you could search for a extra premium construct, a brighter show that is additionally touch-enabled, and maybe for a discrete GPU – however all of that may value you additional, fairly a bit, and that proper there’s a complete different sort of laptop computer.
Professionals
- Good, matte show with a taller 16:10 side ratio
- Nice backlit keyboard, has a Numpad
- Sturdy construct, good port choice
- Very loud audio system
- Lengthy battery life
- Highly effective processor that is effectively dealt with
- Considerate Huawei software program enhances the laptop computer
Cons
- The show is barely 300 nits, is not a touchscreen
- Trackpad might be a bit larger, is off-center
- No bass to talk off
- No choice for a discrete GPU
- Whereas fairly priced, it is not low cost
