This can be used to keep all your drivers up to date and to put the D15 into a special Performance mode, which runs the cooling fans faster and the processor harder.
If Huawei opened this up to all Android phones – assuming that is technically possible – it would surely boost its laptop sales.Īnother bit of bespoke Huawei software is the PC Manager. That’s a shame, because using it to instantly connect your phone and mirror its display on your Windows desktop is really useful.
The Intel AX201 Wi-Fi module supports Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 and there’s an NFC chip to facilitate Huawei’s handy Share phone-linking system, though sadly it only works with Huawei’s own Android/EMUI 11 devices. One thing to note is that the Type-C port doesn’t offer DisplayPort or Thunderbolt video output. Video output is handled by an HDMI 2.1 port and there’s a 3.5mm audio jack as well. The array of ports hasn’t changed from 2020, so you get three Type-A USB ports – two 2.0 and one 3.2 Gen 1 – and one Type-C 3.1 port, which also doubles as a charging socket. More considerately placed is the combined power button and fingerprint scanner, which is well separated from the actual keyboard. It’s a daft design whose only merit is to give other people an unimpeded view up your nostrils during Zoom chats. There’s no backlight, however, which at the price is a bit miserly, but the 120 x 73mm Precision trackpad has no wayward tendencies and the click-action at each corner is satisfyingly positive.Īnother damp note is that, as is typical of Huawei’s notebooks, the webcam is a pop-up affair hidden below a fake key between F6 and F7. The keyboard does its job well enough: it’s spacious and quiet, though the action feels just a little dead and lacking in feedback. At 1.8kg, it’s even heavier than the HP Pavilion if size and weight are your main concerns rather than screen size, then the excellent 14in Acer Swift 5 is well worth a look as an alternative.
The Ryzen 7 model has a Full HD screen and a 1TB SSD but it costs £799. For that, you get a touchscreen, but it is heavier than the MateBook and has a lower-capacity battery.Īcer’s entry-level i5-powered Aspire 5 is best ignored despite the tempting price of £699 because it only has a 1,366 x 768 resolution display. HP, meanwhile, is currently offering its 15.6in Pavilion notebook with a Ryzen 5 4500U processor, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for just £650.
If you want a 512GB drive you need to opt for the i7/16GB model, which costs £909. It runs on the same processor as the new D15, though you only get a 256GB SSD. If you fancy a 2-in-1 15.6in laptop with a touchscreen, then Dell’s foldable Inspiron 15 can be picked up for £729. The Core i3 version with a 256GB SSD and 8GB of RAM is available now for £499 while the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U-powered version is even better value at £449.īest laptop for students UK 2022: Fast, reliable student laptops for school, college and university The most obvious competition comes from last year’s D15.
At the time of writing, Huawei is also bundling a free Bluetooth mouse worth £40 and a Sound X speaker worth £150, which is pretty generous. For that money, you get an 11th gen Core i5 processor, a 512GB SSD, 8GB of RAM and a Full HD IPS display. There’s only one version of the new MateBook D15 on sale in the UK and it costs £750.
READ NEXT: The best laptop stand you can buy Huawei MateBook D15 review: Price and competition Quite the opposite, in fact: the 2020 model of the D15 has long been a favourite here at Expert Reviews, and it’s been sitting in our best laptops list for quite some time as well. Now, don’t go thinking that decency is another word for dull. It’s a straightforward no-frills laptop with decent dimensions, decent build quality, a decent specification and decent design, and it’s all yours for a decent price. The good news is that Huawei’s 2021 MateBook D15 seemingly fits these stringent requirements. Huawei MateBook D15 review: What you need to know Crucially, it should also have a price tag that doesn’t make you wince when you tap the “Buy” button. In fact, there’s a bit of a gap in the market for something with a 15.6in screen that doesn’t weigh a ton, has enough power to perform everyday tasks with reasonable dispatch but lacks fancy-pants features like a 360-degree hinge. In this age of ultrabooks, ultraportables, 2-in-1 convertibles, hybrid gaming notebooks and tablets masquerading as laptops, is there much to be said for a traditional bog-standard laptop?