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MagyarThe new Huawei MateBook 16s with Intel CPU reveals some shortcomings compared to the previous AMD version and is just too expensive
The large MateBook 16 was an interesting 16-inch multimedia laptop if you did not need a dedicated graphics card (for gaming, for example). AMD's Ryzen processor offered plenty of performance and the overall price-performance ratio was very good. Huawei now switches to Intel's current Alder Lake CPU lineup for the new MateBook 16s, which also results in a significant price increase of 500 Euros to a starting price of 1699 Euros. This results in a couple of problems.
The chassis is basically the same and the quality is also still very good. There are only some minor changes like the slightly increased key travel, the wider bezel above the screen to make room for the improved 1080p camera as well as a Thunderbolt 4 port. The CPU performance is also better, but only for a few minutes, where the Intel processor Core i7-12700H benefits from the high power limit of almost 100 Watts. If you stress the CPU for longer periods, however, the performance is actually not that much better compared to the previous MateBook 16 with the Ryzen 7 5800H. The Core i7 also benefits from its new performance cores in single-core scenarios, but it comes at the price of high consumption values. This is also noticeable in terms of battery runtime, where the new MateBook 16s is noticeably worse than the old AMD model.
Despite the much higher price, Huawei only ships the i7 model of the MateBook 16s with a weaker 90W power adapter. It is very compact, but it just cannot deliver the required power. If you stress the processor, the system has to take up to 45W from the battery. Only the i9 SKU (1899 Euros) is still shipped with the 135W power adapter we know from the old MateBook 16. This is definitely the wrong place to save some money.
The display did not change, either. The picture quality of the high-resolution 3:2 IPS screen is still very good, but it is just not particularly bright at slightly more than 300 nits, especially considering the very glossy panel surface. It is pretty tricky to see the display contents outdoors. The panel does not offer any other features like wide color gamut (only sRGB), higher refresh rate like 90 or 120 Hz or even a simple brightness sensor. There is no HDR support, either.
The new MateBook 16s is not a bad multimedia laptop, but we do not think it can justify the increased price tag. If you are currently looking for such a device and you do not need a Thunderbolt port, we recommend you get the old MateBook 16, which is still available for less than 1000 Euros with the powerful Ryzen 7 5800H. Please see our comprehensive reviews for more information about the two devices:
