The $500 USD Chuwi CoreBook X is actually not a terrible Huawei MateBook X knockoff

Chuwi is no stranger to creating knockoff products. Its UBook Pro, for example, closely resembles the Microsoft Surface Pro while many of its laptops are "inspired" by the MacBook Air series. Its latest product is the CoreBook X designed to mimic the Huawei MateBook X Pro or Honor MagicBook 14 in both appearance and the 3:2 14-inch aspect ratio. 

In addition to simply looking like a Huawei or Honor laptop, Chuwi has even managed to source the same displays to more closely match the visual experience. The CoreBook X utilizes the same Chi Mei P140ZKA-BZ1 IPS panel and 2160 x 1440 native resolution as found on the Honor MagicBook 14. This particular panel is notable for its full sRGB coverage and high >1000:1 contrast ratio for potentially very accurate colors. It's quite impressive to see Chuwi deliver these same specifications for essentially half the price.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, cut corners abound on the CoreBook X. As nice as the display may be, it requires end-user calibration since its colors are inaccurate out of the box. Furthermore, the actual quality of the system leaves a lot to desired especially in terms of hinge rigidity. Users will also have to make do with an older 8th gen Core i5 CPU instead of a much-improved Tiger Lake option.

The CoreBook X definitely punches above its weight it comes to visual design and display quality. However, its longer list of shortcomings puts a huge asterisk to the longevity and reliability of the laptop over time.