Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS is powered by the AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor3, which accelerates and enhances performance. Fitted with a PCIe SSD, and packing up to 16GB in dual-channel architecture DDR4 RAM, its read and write speeds are blisteringly fast. With its Radeon™ RX Vega 10 Graphics, you can master daily work or enjoy entertainment with no effort. the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) certainly seems impressive, with a design that takes obvious cues from Apple. The Space Gray color and keyboard layout all owe a debt of gratitude to Apple’s design team, but the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) avoids feeling like a cheap knock-off. Instead, it ends up being one of the most stylishly designed laptops in its mid-range price bracket. Discover details in Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS review. Can you do Huawei MateBook D 15 RAM upgrade?
Pros & Cons – Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS
Pros
- Very good CPU performance without throttling
- Rigid chassis
- SATA slot provided
- Fast Wi-Fi
- Minimal-bezel screen
- Solid industrial design
Cons
- USB Type-C port is occupied while charging
- Home and end keys are missing
- No keyboard backlight
- Non-expandable RAM
- Average battery life
- Screen could be brighter
- Non-backlit keyboard
Specifications – Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS
| General | Brand: HUAWEI Model Number: MateBook D 15 Classification: Ultrabook Material of back cover: Metal Battery / Run Time (up to): 4 hours video playing time Battery Type: Lithium-ion Polymer Battery |
|---|---|
| Hardware | Core: 3.7GHz,Quad Core CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU Brand: AMD Graphics Type: Integrated Graphics Graphics Chipset: Radeon Vega 8 OS: Windows 10 Home Version Power Consumption: 10-15W Process Technology: 12nm Usage: Business,Office |
| Storage | External Memory: Not Supported RAM Type: DDR4 RAM: 16GB Largest RAM Capacity: 16GB (Can you do Huawei MateBook D 15 RAM upgrade?) ROM: 256GB SSD |
| Network | Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 Support Network: Dual WiFi 2.4GHz/5.0GHz |
| Display | Screen type: IPS Screen size: 15.6 inch Display Ratio: 16:9 Screen resolution: 1920 x 1080 (FHD) |
| Camera | Camera type: Single camera |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm Headphone Jack: Yes HDMI: Yes Type-C: Yes USB Host: Yes 1 x USB 3.0 + 2 x USB 2.0 |
| Media Formats | E-book format: DOC,PDF,TXT MS Office format: Excel,PPT,Word Music format: AAC,MP3,OGG Picture format: BMP,GIF,JPEG,JPG,PNG Video format: 1080P,H.264,MP4,WMV |
| Languages | Language: Chinese |
| Package Contents | Chinese Manual : 1 Notebook: 1 Power Adapter: 1 |
| Dimensions and Weight | Product weight: 1.6200 kg Package weight: 2.6500 kg Product size (L x W x H): 35.78 x 22.99 x 1.69 cm / 14.09 x 9.05 x 0.67 inches Package size (L x W x H): 40.00 x 26.00 x 8.00 cm / 15.75 x 10.24 x 3.15 inches |
Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 comparison
| Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 – 15.6 Inch Laptop with FullView | HP Pavilion 15-ec1001na 15.6 Inch Full HD Gaming Laptop | ASUS VivoBook X412DA 14 Inch Full HD Laptop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Memory Size | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Connectivity Technology | Bluetooth; Wi-Fi; USB | Bluetooth; USB; Wi-Fi | — |
| Processor (CPU) Model | Ryzen 5 3500U | None | R Series |
| Processor (CPU) Manufacturer | AMD | AMD | AMD |
| Processor (CPU) Speed | 3.4 | 3 GHz | 2.1 GHz |
| Display Size | 15.6 in | 15.6 in | 14 in |
| Hard disk Description | Flash Memory Solid State | Flash Memory Solid State | Mechanical Hard Drive |
| Hard Disk Size | 256 GB | — | 0 GB |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Home | Windows 10 | Windows 10 |
| Processor Count | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1080p | 1920 x 1080 |
| System RAM Type (Can you do Huawei MateBook D 15 RAM upgrade? | DDR4 SDRAM | DDR4 SDRAM | DDR4 SDRAM |
Price and availability
As you’d imagine, it’s a crowded market that can be difficult to stand out in – which is why Huawei is going all-out with the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020)’s design.
The Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) is available right now with a quad-core AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage for £599.99 (around $780, AU$1,200). This price puts the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) firmly in the mid-range camp. These are laptops that offer better performance than budget laptops, but don’t feature the most powerful components (or ultra-high prices) found with premium and high-end laptops. Can you do Huawei MateBook D 15 RAM upgrade?
There is also a 14-inch Huawei MateBook D 14 (2020) for people who want a more portable laptop, and rather interestingly, this smaller laptop is being sold for more than the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) – with a price tag of £649.99 (around $800, AU$1,300).
This comes with the same specs as the 15-inch model, but with a smaller screen and a larger 512GB SSD.
This puts potential buyers of the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) in a slightly weird position. If you want the cheapest model, you’ll have to go for the 15-inch model with a 256GB hard drive. However, if you want more storage (and that’s not out of the question, as 256GB is pretty low these days), then you’ll need to pay more and make do with a smaller screen.
Meanwhile, when it comes to availability, things are also a bit complex. The Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) (along with the MateBook D 14) are readily available in the UK from a range of retailers including Amazon, Argos and Very.
Huawei contacted with a list of regions the new MateBook D range is available in: Europe, Asia Pacific, Russia, Latin America, Japan, and the Middle East. If you don’t reside in those locations, then you’ll find getting hold of one tricky.
However, it doesn’t look like it is available in the US and Australia at the time of writing. We’re following up with Huawei to get a better idea of worldwide availability. However, considering the US government’s complicated relationship with Huawei products, there may be a good chance that the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020) will never be available there.
Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS review
Design and features
Huawei even keeps the weight of the power adapter down to 159g, and it’s a slimline affair that’s more akin to a phone power plug. Even the top prong of the UK plug slides down to make it easier to stow. You’ll probably want to sling it into your bag, too, as the MateBook D 15 only lasted for 5hrs 50mins in our video-rundown test.
For a start, it’s made from an all-metal chassis rather than the plastic you would expect for £600. This gives the MateBook a solidity most of its rivals can’t match. When you consider that metallic build and a 15.6in screen, it’s light at 1.53kg; match that to a sleek 16.9mm height and this machine is surprisingly portable.
The downside to the charging mechanism is that it consumes the single USB-C 3.1 socket, with the other three USB ports being Type-A. There’s also a full-size HDMI port and 3.5mm combo jack, but there’s no SD card slot or RJ-45 Ethernet adapter. This means you’re reliant on the 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
If you own an Honor or Huawei phone, you can also take advantage of Huawei Share. The idea is to tap your phone against the Huawei Share sticker and create a bond between the two devices; you can then quickly transfer files from one to the other. This all ties into the quietly impressive PC Manager, which is worth using simply to keep drivers up to date.
Can you do Huawei MateBook D 15 RAM upgrade? One oddity is that Huawei sets up the 256GB SSD as a C and D partition, which I recommend you convert into a single partition via Windows’ Disk Management feature (first delete the D partition and then extend the C partition). There’s space in the chassis for a 2.5in SATA drive too, but adding that is a job for a professional. You can’t upgrade the MateBook’s core spec, but that’s not a problem.
Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS performance review
Then there’s the screen. As test results of 56.6% sRGB gamut coverage and a pretty appalling Delta E of 5.2 indicate, the MateBook wouldn’t be our go-to choice for colour accuracy. Compared to pricier models, its colours are drab, an impression that isn’t helped by a matte finish. In short, it isn’t a great choice for watching a film (nor is it helped by the tinny speakers). Also note the lack of a touchscreen. However, I don’t want to be too critical of Huawei saving money here; the screen is acceptable for a budget laptop.Huawei Hasn’t Abandoned Smartwatches, But Wants To Make Them Better
AMD’s Ryzen 3500U processor is a fine choice for a laptop of this price and, in combination with 8GB of RAM, provides plenty of everyday speed, along with occasional 3D acceleration when you need it. The MateBook D 15 scored 112 in our benchmarks, outpacing Intel’s Core processors in both video-encoding and multitasking tasks. You can expect to play older games at the screen’s native 1080p resolution, but AAA titles are likely to be beyond its scope.
While Huawei doesn’t offer many configurations of the D 15 – this is it for now – if you’d prefer a 14in model, the £649 MateBook D 14 is available with an identical spec, aside from a 512GB SSD (as well as a smaller footprint and lower 1.45kg weight). I haven’t tested the D 14, but I’m confident it will have a similar set of results.
You also can’t expect the last word in keyboard quality at this price, and the keys offer little in the way of tactile feedback. But three factors come to its aid, including generously sized keys, quiet operation and a spacious precision trackpad. The Full HD webcam hides away between the F6 and F7 keys; it pops up when you press down on it. This has the benefit of privacy – and the drawback of offering people a view of your nostril hair. Nor is this the best-quality camera, with compression obvious to the eye. It also means that Windows Hello facial recognition is out of the question, but Huawei integrates the fingerprint reader into the power button – an approach that works well.
Huawei MateBook D 15 2020 PC portable 15.6 AVIS customer review
A couple of minor niggles but otherwise I am impressed!
I rather like this Huawei Matebook – despite a couple of minor but annoying issues.
Indeed, I used to have 2 laptops – an HP Pavilion for serious home-office work (15.6″ display) and a small Lenovo Yoga 300 (11″) for my travels. This Matebook has now replaced them both.
Alas, the Yoga, despite, an upgrade with an SSD was showing its age. Also, battery life was deteriorating rapidly. Rather than go to the expense of a new battery, I decided to get a new notebook and this came highly recommended. I opted for the 512 GB SSD and AMD processor version as that seemed the most cost effective replacement.
I was immediately impressed – this Huawei Matebook is compact, well made and very quick. Battery life is brilliant, charging is rapid and the fingerprint sensor very convenient. The display is crisp, the keyboard precise and the sound quality excellent. For the price, this is a surprisingly good laptop. The Amazon option of 5 interest free payments also appealed!
As the Matebook seemed so quick, I ran a Nova Bench benchmark and was surprised to find it is 30%+ quicker than my HP Pavilion (Intel i5 processor and Samsung EVO SSD)! As such, the HP laptop was also sent rapidly to the ‘auction’ site – as this single device now meets all of my needs – both in terms of portability and processing power.
I have shown the Nova Bench results. For comparison with other devices, visit the Nova comparison site as shown (bottom RH corner of the photo). Alas, Amazon won’t let me post an external URL in a review.
I initially thought the disk results were a tad slower than anticipated – when compared with the specifications for the installed SSD. However, I think that Nova does a ‘real world’ test. Indeed, CrystalBenchMark shows the SSD meets its advertised results for sequential reads and writes (3400/2700 MB/s). It certainly seems to be very quick.
Oddly, the SSD comes with 2 data partitions (C and D drives). I immediately merged the empty D drive into the C partition – as a small C drive is annoying. Should you want to do this, I recommend that it’s done as soon as possible and before any data or applications get loaded to the D drive – otherwise a simple operation becomes much more complex. The Huawei website has a easy to follow instructions for merging the drives.
I removed Office 365 and replaced it with the more cost effective MS Office 2019 Pro (which cost me just £4.99 including product key on the ‘auction’ site). There is little bloatware (thank you Huawei) and the Huawei Share function is brilliant (as I have a Huawei P30 mobile).
The camera is rather weirdly located under a key on the keyboard and can be popped up when required. The image quality is fine but the camera’s positioning means that on a Skype call, viewers tend to just see your chin and nostrils unless you sit back and look towards the bottom half of the screen – then its fine.
I had previously discovered the installed SSD to be from Western Digital (WDC PC SN730-SDBPNTY-512G). I downloaded their useful “SSD Dashboard” to keep an eye on things. Its strange that this wasn’t included by default with the notebook though, perhaps Huawei tend to use whichever SSD is available at the time.
The pre-installed Huawei PC Manager is a useful utility – particularly if you own a Huawei mobile. I added VLC Media Player as its my favourite player. It allows home network access (we have a home NAS), it supports a plethora of media formats and its also available on Android with a similar look and feel. I also installed Paragon Hard Drive Manager 17 – which I primarily use for backups.
I detest touchpads with a passion, so I opted for a Microsoft Bluetooth wireless mouse (which doesn’t need a ‘dongle’ that would occupy a USB port). In ‘Settings’ I was able to disable the touchpad – but only when a mouse is present. That’s an excellent feature! That said, my daughter had a play with the touchpad and was more than happy – but she’s an ‘expert’ and did have a good poke about with the settings to get things how she likes them!
In the UK the notebook doesn’t come with a touch screen – which may be a requirement for some. However, for me it’s a blessing as on the Yoga I was continually accidentally touching the screen while typing and things would go haywire!
I have seen better displays in terms of brightness and colour – but not in this price range. Indeed, it is better than the display on my HP Pavilion and more than adequate for me. I don’t miss the HP’s 15.6″ display size at all. The Huawei’s narrow bezel keeps things looking compact and neat.
I have found the supplied 90cm USB C power cable to be a tad short in some situations. So, I have purchased an Amazon Basics 3m USB C cable (3A) which does the job admirably. Being double braided, it is also a bit more robust than the white plastic Huawei original.
I have an occasional requirement to read and write DVDs. I had a slim salvaged DVD Re-writer in my cupboard from an old laptop. So, I purchased a USB 3 DVD caddy for just £10 on Amazon (see photo) and popped the old drive into it. That works a treat on the Matebook and saves me having to transfer files between devices.
I have also just purchased a convenient docking station – now that I just use one laptop at home and on my travels. The docking station gives me the connectivity I need at home and I usually leave it behind when travelling. I chose a ‘Fitfort’ USB 3 docking station as there was a £10 discount voucher. However, there are plenty of similar devices on Amazon for £20+. It really depends on how much connectivity you actually need.
Alas, here IMHO, is this notebook’s Achilles heel – the USB C port only supports USB 2.0 transfer rates. I thought it was a fault but discussion with Huawei support (who were easy to contact and pleasant to chat to) confirms this to be a feature! That’s disappointing and should be stated in the Amazon listing and the Huawei product specifications. It is also a consideration if you want to add a docking station – if you connect it to the USB C port, any device attached to it will only run at USB 2.0 speeds….
The issue is easy enough to work around – I use a USB 3 type A to C adapter and plug the docking station into the USB 3.0 port instead (see photo). Otherwise, my backups etc would take 10 times longer. Everything is fine other than I now have 2 cables plugged into the laptop rather than one – as pass through PD charging is not possible via a USB A type port. So, please be aware.
So, in summary, this is a good value for money laptop that offers performance comparable with more expensive offerings. A top-notch gaming laptop, it is not. But it’s a great everyday device.
It has a couple of annoying niggles but it more than meets my albeit simple home and away requirements. Given the USB C issue, I was tempted to give 4 stars but, to be fair, I am still very pleased with my purchase and remain suitably impressed….