The Huawei MateBook 14 (2024) isn’t here to make a flashy entrance, but it doesn’t need to. This unassuming ultrabook delivers a harmonious blend of style, affordability, and performance that makes it a compelling choice for those seeking a reliable productivity workhorse.

A Design That Charms

Huawei has mastered the art of crafting elegant Windows laptops, and the MateBook 14 is no exception. Drawing inspiration from Apple’s sleek aesthetics, this laptop boasts a slender black bezel surrounding a vibrant 14.2-inch screen, all housed under a single sheet of glass. The gorgeous green color option (though a classic Space Grey is also available) adds a touch of personality that sets it apart from the sea of silver laptops.

While the magnesium-alloy construction of its sibling, the MateBook X Pro, makes it incredibly light, the MateBook 14 opts for the more conventional aluminum, ensuring a sturdy and durable feel without sacrificing portability. At just 1.31 kg, it’s easy to carry around, though not quite as featherlight as the X Pro.

The keyboard offers a comfortable typing experience with ample key travel, although some might find the feedback a bit mushy compared to the precision of a MacBook. The integrated fingerprint sensor in the power button adds a layer of convenience and security, but the lack of a full-size number pad and the halved up/down arrow keys might irk some users. The keyboard backlight could also be brighter, especially in well-lit environments.

The trackpad is responsive and smooth, and the port selection is surprisingly generous for a compact laptop, including HDMI, USB-A, USB-C, and a headphone jack. However, an extra USB-C port would have been a welcome addition.

A Visual Feast: The OLED Display

The HUAWEI MateBook 14’s display is a masterpiece of technology and design, elevating the visual experience to new heights. The laptop boasts a 2.8K OLED touchscreen, a feature typically reserved for flagship models, showcasing Huawei’s commitment to providing top-tier technology to its users. This display is not just about high resolution; it’s about delivering an immersive and comfortable viewing experience.

The 2880 x 1920 resolution ensures that every detail is rendered with stunning clarity, whether you’re working on intricate designs, editing high-resolution photos, or enjoying a movie in its full glory. The 3:2 aspect ratio is a productivity powerhouse, offering more vertical real estate than traditional 16:9 displays. This means less scrolling and more content on the screen, making it ideal for tasks like coding, document editing, and web browsing.

But the MateBook 14’s display doesn’t stop at resolution and aspect ratio. It also boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, which translates to incredibly smooth visuals. Scrolling through documents, web pages, or even action-packed games becomes a fluid and enjoyable experience. The high refresh rate minimizes motion blur, making fast-moving content appear crisp and clear.

Huawei understands that eye comfort is paramount, especially in today’s digital age where screen time is a significant part of our lives. The MateBook 14’s display has earned the prestigious TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort 2.0 Certification, a testament to its ability to reduce eye strain. This certification is not just a marketing gimmick; it signifies that the display has undergone rigorous testing and meets stringent standards for minimizing harmful blue light emissions and flicker.

The display’s hardware-level low blue light technology filters out a significant portion of the blue light spectrum, which is known to contribute to eye fatigue and sleep disruption. Additionally, the 1920Hz high-frequency PWM dimming ensures a flicker-free experience, even at lower brightness levels. This combination of technologies creates a display that is not only visually stunning but also gentle on your eyes, allowing you to work or play for extended periods without discomfort.

Performance That Delivers

The HUAWEI MateBook 14 is not merely a stylish laptop; it’s a powerhouse designed to handle the most demanding tasks. At its heart lies the high-performance Intel® Core™ Ultra processor, a cutting-edge chip built on Intel’s innovative Meteor Lake architecture. This processor isn’t just about raw power; it’s about intelligent performance. It incorporates an NPU (Neural Network Processor), a specialized unit designed to accelerate AI tasks. This means that whether you’re a content creator using AI-powered editing tools, a data scientist training complex models, or a business professional utilizing AI for data analysis, the MateBook 14’s NPU ensures a smooth and responsive experience. The NPU’s ability to offload AI workloads from the CPU and GPU not only speeds up AI tasks but also improves overall system efficiency.

Huawei’s commitment to performance doesn’t stop at the processor. The MateBook 14 is equipped with Super Turbo technology, an intelligent system that optimizes performance by dynamically allocating resources based on your real-time needs. This means that whether you’re launching a demanding application, multitasking between multiple programs, or simply browsing the web, the MateBook 14 will adapt to deliver the best possible performance. Super Turbo intelligently manages CPU and GPU performance, ensuring that resources are allocated where they’re needed most. This results in faster application launches, smoother multitasking, and improved overall responsiveness.

The MateBook 14 doesn’t just focus on processing power; it also prioritizes a smooth and responsive user experience. The laptop comes with a generous 32GB of memory, which is more than enough for most users. This ample memory ensures that you can seamlessly switch between tasks, run multiple applications simultaneously, and handle large files without any lag or slowdown. Whether you’re editing high-resolution videos, compiling code, or working on complex spreadsheets, the MateBook 14’s memory capacity ensures that your workflow remains uninterrupted.

But high performance often comes with the challenge of heat management. Huawei has addressed this with an upgraded Dual Shark Fin heat dissipation system. This innovative cooling solution features dual fans with ultra-thin 0.15mm blades, each boasting 102 high-intensity blades. This design significantly increases air volume by 40% compared to previous generations, ensuring efficient heat removal without generating additional noise. The dot-patterned air vents on the bottom cover further aid in heat dissipation, allowing for a total of 5000 air holes, each strategically placed 0.4mm apart. This comprehensive cooling system ensures that the MateBook 14 remains cool and quiet, even during extended periods of intensive use. Whether you’re rendering complex 3D models, editing 4K videos, or running demanding simulations, you can trust the MateBook 14 to stay cool under pressure.

Software: A Seamless Huawei Ecosystem

While the Huawei MateBook 14 (2024) shines in terms of hardware, its software offerings are equally noteworthy, contributing to a streamlined and efficient user experience. Huawei has thoughtfully integrated a suite of proprietary apps and software designed to enhance productivity, connectivity, and overall usability. The Huawei Control Panel serves as the central hub for managing various settings and functions on your MateBook 14. This intuitive interface provides quick access to essential features, eliminating the need to navigate through multiple menus or settings windows.

One of the standout software features of the MateBook 14 is the AI Search function. This intelligent search engine leverages artificial intelligence to quickly locate any app or file on your laptop. Simply type in a keyword or phrase, and AI Search will scour your entire system, including documents, emails, and even cloud storage, to find what you’re looking for.

The AI Search algorithm learns from your usage patterns over time, adapting to your preferences and search habits. This means that the more you use it, the more accurate and efficient it becomes at finding the files you need, saving you valuable time and effort.

Battery Life: A Full Day’s Work

The MateBook 14’s 70Wh battery delivers a respectable 10 hours of runtime in our productivity benchmark test, enough to get you through a workday. The included 65W charger replenishes the battery in about 90 minutes, and a quick 30-minute charge provides a 20% boost.

The Verdict: A Value-Packed Powerhouse

The HUAWEI MateBook 14 (2024) is a well-rounded laptop that excels in productivity and portability. Its sleek design, highlighted by the refreshing green color and minimalist aesthetic, is a testament to Huawei’s commitment to craftsmanship. The laptop’s thinness and lightweight nature make it an ideal companion for professionals on the go, while the robust build quality ensures durability.

Overall, the HUAWEI MateBook 14 (2024) is a compelling choice for students, professionals, and anyone seeking a reliable, stylish, and high-performing laptop for everyday use. Its combination of sleek design, a gorgeous OLED display, ample performance, and generous RAM and storage make it an excellent value proposition.