In the past year, Huawei’s MateBook X Pro (2020) and MateBook D 15 (2020) have both received positive reviews (outside of the USA). However, there were a few caveats. This is more of an update than a complete redesign of the MateBook D 15.
Look elsewhere if you want to configure the specifications of the laptop when you buy it. The laptop in question is the Intel Core i5-1135G7 that comes with 8GB of RAM, a 512GB Solid State Drive, and a retail price of $749 (including VAT). In other territories, 256GB of SSD storage is available in addition to 16GB of RAM.
Structure of matebook D15
Space Gray is Huawei’s term for the dark grey chassis (I would call it slate). This would look great at work. Among its strengths is its small size and lightweight, which are key features of the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2021). An alloy chassis measures 343.7 mm wide by 229.9 mm deep by 16.9 mm thick and houses a 15.6-inch screen. This is identical to last year’s model, which had exactly the same dimensions. Weighing 1.56kg, it is three grams heavier than last year’s model. Despite the large screen, the weight and size of this laptop will be noticeable in a backpack, but the aluminum alloy chassis can help keep the weight low.
Huawei has said that the MateBook D 15 has passed a wide range of tests, including being able to withstand temperatures of up to 40°C and humidity levels of 90 percent. The Huawei matebook D 15 has also been tested for durability, including its USB-C port and fingerprint reader. Despite that, the device has not received MIL-STD certification.
There is a narrow 5.3mm bezel surrounding the 15.6-inch screen, but the bottom bezel is rather deep.
Taking this into account, we calculate 81.5% screen-to-body ratio. There isn’t enough room in the upper bezel to accommodate a camera, so the pop-up camera is located in the keyboard, under an Fn row key. It happened also to the MateBook D 15 (2010)) and MateBook X Pro (2020).
Cameras can be quickly activated when needed, but their placement is not ideal. Given that many of us will probably have to deal with video meetings in the future, the ‘up-the-nose’ camera angle delivered here does not suffice. Two things about this laptop might make it unsuitable for you.
With its 15.6-inch screen, it boasts an FHD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels, 141.2ppi). Due to its low brightness and poor responsiveness, outdoor use on sunny days may be compromised. Vertical and horizontal viewing angles are both relatively small. However, due to all those factors, the screen is still incredibly useful for everyday tasks such as writing and productivity at home and in the office.
Distortion can be heard near the top of the scale, while the bass tone could be stronger. On the other hand, the speakers are still located on the underside of the chassis, just like the previous version. The laptop is missing an important opportunity here since a better audio subsystem would make it a whole lot better. The speaker grilles could have been pushed up onto the keyboard area, where there is unused space to the left and right, rather than sticking with the same chassis as last year.
