Hard to find a real fault a Huawei MateBook 13. The notebook of the Chinese giant, which has accompanied me practically everywhere in the last two weeks, has revealed itself reliable, easy to handle and capable of giving me all the power I usually need. Sure, it's not exactly for everyone, but I'll explain why in this review.
Solid and elegant
The design, I admit, is certainly not very original. The resemblance to Apple's laptops is pretty obvious, but that's hardly a problem. In reality the lines are soft, elegant and essential, the build quality is really excellent and the materials are undoubtedly premium. In short, just hold it in your hand for a few seconds to start appreciating it.
You will find this pleasant feeling even after opening it: the keyboard is in fact of an absolutely adequate size, with defined keys and enough travel to make typing comfortable. The touchpad is not bad either, solid and capable of taking advantage of the typical Windows gestures.
On the bottom we then have two speakers, of good quality and with an absolutely adequate volume, while on the sides we have two USB Type-C ports and a 3,5 mm jack. In short, the entrances are really reduced to the bone. I would have appreciated the presence of a traditional USB port, especially useful for connecting a mouse and flash drive, but for this you will need a dedicated adapter. Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac and Huawei Share technology complete the connectivity sector.
And the power button? You can find it just above the keyboard and no, it is not only used to start this MateBook 13. The button in fact integrates a very useful fingerprint reader, so you just have to place your finger to access Windows 10. No passwords to remember or no easily hackable PIN.
Finally, we come to 13-inch display. 2K resolution - specifically 2160 × 1440 pixels - And 3 format: 2 for this screen that has given me a lot of satisfaction. The brightness is in fact absolutely good, it behaves excellently with artificial light while it loses a few points if used outdoors. Excellent then the color rendering, the anti-reflective finish and the oleophobic treatment. I also point out the possibility to choose the color temperature and to activate the blue light filter.
Performing but not for everyone
Under the shell our MateBook 13 hides a 7 GHz Intel Core i8565-1,80U processor, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal memory, which comes with an NVMe SSD from Samsung. These three elements will help you to perform most of the peacefully daily operations: you can manage any kind of file, browse, watch streaming movies and work with Office 365. You will not have difficulty even with the most popular Adobe programs: the Huawei notebook in fact allowed me to use Photoshop in an extremely fluid way, but also to edit some videos.
But be careful: MateBook 13 is equipped with an integrated video card, an Intel UHD Graphics 620 which naturally cannot bear too heavy tasks. No 4K video editing and no heavy gaming. You will therefore have to settle for less graphically demanding games. For example, I used it for a few games at good old Hearthstone without encountering any problems, but things quickly plummet in the face of more full-bodied titles like Overwatch.
I also leave you a second warning, this time regarding the storage space. The SSD is divided into two partitions: C and D. C is made up of about 80 GB of space, while D is made up of 400 GB. The problem is that C is designed to contain Windows and, ideally, all programs, but you just need a couple of heavy software - those from Adobe in my case - to completely saturate the partition. My advice is to change the size of C and D right away, so you will avoid having to move files and programs later.
Let's talk about autonomy
Finally, we come to 41,8 Wh battery, battery that uses one of the USB-C ports for charging. On balance, considering a rather standard use of the PC, you should be able to cover about half a business day. This means that in the early afternoon you will probably have to give a shot of life to this Huawei MateBook 13. Obviously the 4/5 hours of autonomy increase when it comes to mere streaming and come down in the face of more demanding tasks: a traditional video editing is enough to halve the autonomy of this notebook.
To be particularly comfortable is the power supply by MateBook 13. It is compact, almost pocket-sized and above all it can also be used to recharge your smartphone. Don't worry, don't risk setting the phone on fire: in fact, on board we find a technology that doses the power delivered based on the connected device.
Perfect for on-the-go use
I used the Huawei MateBook 13 to go to Zurich, a journey that lasted just over 24 hours but allowed me to put this notebook to the test in its natural environment. Yes, because the Chinese laptop was clearly born for mobility. Let me explain why.
1. Lightweight
First of all MateBook 13 is a really lightweight device. Her 1,3 kg they allow you to keep it in your bag or backpack without risking the destruction of your shoulders. An essential feature for those who, like me, often find themselves working on the train, on the plane, in a bar or even outdoors.
2. Compact
Don't underestimate its compact size. The 3: 2 aspect ratio screen maximizes the display-to-body ratio without affecting too much length and width. All of this allows you to have a device that it adapts to small spaces offered by means of transport and allows you to place it on your lap to work even when you are sitting at a conference, on a bench or on your sofa.
Among other things, the small size does not affect those of the keyboard, so you will not have to compromise.
3. Good autonomy and small charger
The 4/5 hours of autonomy offered by this notebook allow you to work even when you are away without worrying too much about the battery. Running out of energy? The compact size of the power supply allows you to easily charge it almost anywhere.
4. Huawei Share
Huawei Share it is a feature that the Asian giant introduced last year to coincide with the launch of EMUI 8.1. It is about a sharing system based on the SMB protocol (Server Message Block) and allows users to exchange any files. This technology is particularly useful for those who own a Huawei or Honor smartphone: just place the device on the MateBook 13 NFC detection area to connect the two terminals and transfer photos and videos in a few seconds.
A real godsend for those who, like me, work a lot with images.
Huawei MateBook 13: buy it or not?
The time has come to draw some conclusions and thus answer the question that you are all asking yourself: is it worth spending money on the Huawei MateBook 13? The answer is yes, as long as you don't intend to play it or use it for extremely demanding tasks. If you have to play or edit videos in 4K, it is not the device for you and you should probably bet on the big brother, the MateBook X Pro. perfect for those who often travel, for those who work on the move, for those looking for a high-performance but lightweight and compact device and for those who don't want to give up a bit of style.
All of this, of course, has a price. The version I tested, with Intel Core i7 and traditional display, costs 1199 €. We go down to 999 for the version with Intel Core i5 while we get to 1299 euros for the variant with i7 and touchscreen display.
Huawei MateBook 13
Pro 
- Clean and elegant design
- Excellent build quality
- Bel display
- Performance good
- Good battery
- Hugely popular Huawei Share
Cons 
- Reduced entrances to the bone
