Huawei MateBook D 16 is its latest all-around notebook

Last night Huawei held a global launch event for a handful of new devices, including the FreeClip open-ear wireless earphones and the MatePad Pro 13.2″ tablet. One of the other key announcements on the night was the MateBook D 16, which is the company’s latest addition to a growing notebook lineup.

The MateBook D 16 is billed as an all-around notebook aimed at enterprise customers in particular who are keen on a notebook with a large display, equally large battery, and lightweight body.

To that end, this newly unveiled notebook features a 16” FullView Display (16:10 aspect ratio), as well as a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio.

While the display is large at 16″, Huawei is also making a note of the fact that it boasts a lightweight body, particularly in comparison to some of the flagship 14″ offerings from the likes of Apple.

“Designed for maximum comfort and an optimised experience, the MateBook D 16 has a sleek and elegant design in a futuristic Space Grey and Mystic Silver. It weighs just 1.68kg with a chassis as thin as 17mm. The laptop uses the HUAWEI Metaline Antenna, enabling ultra-long-distance connections of up to 270 metres,” highlighted Huawei in a release shared with Hypertext.

The company will also be offering the new device in a bevy of processor options, although which ones will be made available in South Africa at this stage is yet to be determined.

“The MateBook D 16 delivers a breakthrough in performance with the 13th Gen Intel Core i9 High Performance Processor. This gives users the ability to easily handle heavy multitasking asks such as programming, illustrating, and video editing,” said Huawei.

Along with a lack of confirmation on the processors, Huawei Mobile South Africa is yet to confirm when this latest MateBook will land locally and at what price it will start selling at. For now, in Europe, the new notebook starts at €799 (~R16 394) for the i5-12450H model.

Huawei’s HarmonyOS to beat Apple’s iOS as the No. 2 smartphone operating system in China in 2024: TechInsights report

Huawei Technologies’ mobile platform HarmonyOS is projected to surpass Apple’s iOS as the second-biggest operating system in China this year driven by the US-sanctioned firm’s comeback with the Mate 60 series, according to a report by TechInsights.

While Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS will continue to dominate the global smartphone operating system sector, Huawei’s self-developed HarmonyOS will take some ground from both US giants in China, Canadian research firm TechInsights said in a report released on Wednesday.

Increased HarmonyOS adoption will be driven by Huawei’s return to the 5G smartphone segment, which started with the surprise launch in late August of its Mate 60 Pro, a handset equipped with an advanced, home-grown 5G chip despite US tech sanctions intended to block access to such technology.

TechInsights also expects Huawei to make a solid recovery in 2024, according to the report.

Huawei sees 9 per cent sales growth in 2023, boosted by Mate 60 Pro 5G comeback

TechInsights expects Huawei’s supply challenge, driven by shortages of Kirin 9000s chipsets, to ease in the next few months. Huawei’s product portfolio further expanded last week when it launched new smartphone models under its mid-range Nova series.

HarmonyOS is also projected to reach a milestone in 2024 with the launch of HarmonyOS Next, which will not support Android-based apps.

Huawei is expected to launch a developer preview version of HarmonyOS Next in the first quarter of 2024, and is already working with China’s major companies to develop native apps based on the system.

It remains to be seen whether these efforts will have a halo effect on other smartphone makers and make HarmonyOS a default operating system for not just smartphones but also laptops and cars in China, TechInsights said.

Portable productivity hits new heights with Huawei's latest smart office and audio products

Earlier this week, Huawei held a global launch event themed Creation of Beauty. Taking place in Dubai, the brand confirmed the rumours and released the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2'', Huawei MateBook D 16, and the Huawei FreeClip Open-ear earbuds. Each of the products are designed to help users to unleash their creativity with remarkable ease, producing a new level of portable productivity.

This latest product launch follows in the footsteps of October's 'Fashion Forward' event, which saw the unveiling of a new lineup of wearable products. Tuesday's launch built on this, signalling Huawei's intentions to develop high-end products that fuse fashion with technology and appeal to a broad global user base.

We were lucky enough to be on the ground in Dubai to bring you a first look at the latest from Huawei.

HUAWEI MatePad Pro 13.2''

The launch of a new MatePad was predicted before the event, but no one could anticipate the exceptional features that the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2" is due to bring. It furthers the legacy of Huawei tablets, especially due to its breathtaking design, powerful creative tools, immersive entertainment, and on-the-go mobile office features.

The tablet's 13.2" OLED display is on the large side but comes wafer-thin, measuring in at 5.5 mm thick. This trend continues with a weight of just 580g, a whole 100g lighter than the iPad Pro 12.9" (sixth-gen). The new MatePad is one of the thinnest tablets ever made, with the narrowest bezels (3.4mm) and the highest screen-to-body ratio (94%). It boasts a 2800 x 1840 resolution.

There are also two accessories available to purchase, the Huawei M-Pencil (3rd generation) stylus and the Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard. The stylus connects to the tablet via NearLink and supports 10,000+ pressure sensing levels and highly touch-response strokes. During the launch, there was an incredible demonstration delivered by Sacha Jafri, who was asked by Huawei to create a piece of art using the MatePad Pro 13.2". Sacha couldn't rave about the tablet enough, particularly its touch-response strokes. He explained that he often stays away from digital composition, preferring to create pieces using a canvas and a paintbrush. However, the MatePad Pro 13.2" reacts to the pressure of M-Pencil stylus, allowing the paint strokes to spread when the stylus is pressed harder on the screen, just like a normal paintbrush would. The MatePad's Colour Capture feature also allows users to select a colour that catches their eye from another app, and create something directly with it.

The all-new detachable Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard comes with a full-area touchpad to offer a solid typing experience in 2-in-1 style.

Huawei Creation of Beauty Launch

Huawei FreeClip

In addition to the tablet, Huawei introduced its contender for the best wireless earbuds. The Huawei FreeClip earbuds boast a unique take on the popular open-ear design for comfort and uninterrupted use. The earbuds themselves represent a departure from Huawei’s existing FreeBuds earphone range, even though they too feature an open-back design.

The Huawei FreeClip has a unique 'C-bridge Design'. By sitting like a clip on the ear, a bit like running headphones, on-the-go listening becomes more snug, comfortable and fashionable than ever before. The device was designed based on the ear data of over 10,000 people with micron-level ergonomic craftsmanship and underwent  25,000+ reliability tests so should fit well. The C-bridge Design serves as both a clip and a connector for the earbuds, to enhance comfortability across the board.

When used with the charging case, the FreeClip supports up to 36 hours of listening. The earbuds can also auto-identify the wearer's left and right ears (so no more mix-ups) and feature Huawei's AI-powered call enhancement features as well as dual-device connections. These features make the Huawei FreeClip a compelling choice for fitness fans and regular travellers.

Huawei Creation of Beauty Launch

Huawei MateBook D

Lastly, Huawei introduced the new Huawei MateBook D 16 laptop. With its 16-inch Eye Comfort Huawei FullView Display and 1.7kg metallic body, the new model allows for a seamless mobile office experience across a vast display. This means it weighs the same as most 15.6-inch laptops, despite its larger screen.

The 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H Processor packs in 14 cores, making multi-tasking efficient and hassle-free, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics mean it's capable of some light gaming too. Users can also open files faster and start apps right away, thanks to refined scenario load identification and smart performance scheduling as well as up to 16GB of RAM.

The Huawei MateBook D 16 is also a great home working option, particularly due to the model's AI-powered webcam. The camera can adjust the angle of view as you move, always keeping you within the frame and making clear eye contact. Users can also enable Virtual Background during online meetings, to obscure their surroundings and better protect their privacy.

The 65 W charger supports fast charging on a number of Huawei phone models, and is available with up to a 70 Wh battery which should see you through a working day easily.

Huawei Creation of Beauty Launch

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2”

Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2” comes in two options and will launch in Europe from 22nd January (with pre-order from 8th January). Prices are as follows:

MatePad Pro (12GB RAM, 256GB Storage): RRP €999

MatePad Pro (12GB RAM, 512GB Storage and inbox keyboard): RRP €1199

Smart Magnetic Keyboard: RRP €199

Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Generation): RRP €99

Huawei FreeClip

Huawei FreeClip will roll out to the UK and Europe from late December, priced RRP £179.99/€199. Customers who pre order/order from the UK Huawei Store between 12th December 2023 and 29th January 2024 will also be rewarded with a free HUAWEI Band 8.

Huawei MateBook D 16

Huawei MateBook D 16 will launch in the UK and Europe, and will be available in various configurations (dependent on territory), with pre-orders starting from 8th January and on sale from 22nd January 2024. Configurations as follows:

Intel Core i5 12th Gen, 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage: RRP €799 

Intel Core i5 12th Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage: RRP €899

Intel Core i5 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €999

Intel Core i7 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €1299 

Intel Core i9 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €1399