Huawei ‘s 16-inch laptop is a new generation and we’ve tested it.
The outlook is tough for Huawei on mobile, but its line of PCs has always left a good impression on us. The MateBook D 16 is a model aimed at professionals with a generous keyboard and screen. This has been our experience testing it.
MateBook D16 design: Same paradigm, but with improvements
Size: 356.7mm x 248.7mm x 18.4mm
Weight: 1.7 kilos
Ports: 2 USB-C (also used for charging), 2 USB (2.0 and 3.2 Gen 1), 1 HDMI 2.0 and Jack of
Huawei maintains the design that reminds us of the MacBook . And that’s not bad, the finish on this laptop looks premium.
The MateBook D 16 brings us a screen with a 16:10 ratio, ideal for work, in addition to the numeric keyboard, quite practical for users who use Excel or constantly manage databases.
As for the size, it is what we can expect from a 16-inch laptop. We traded some convenience for greater comfort when working.
Of course, Huawei manages to pack everything in 1.7 kilos. Nothing bad.
An interesting change in this generation is the location of the webcam. It is no longer “hidden” under a key and maintains a more traditional place. While the webcam on the key was interesting, it did have one drawback: it showed an angle that is generally not in our favor. Yes… the double chin
Experience and performance of the MateBook D 16
16” screen with 1,920 x 1,200 resolution
Intel Core i7-12700H with 16GB of RAM
webcam 1080p
The 16-inch design gives Huawei room to offer a fairly comfortable experience on this laptop.
The keyboard is comfortable and will possibly require a little getting used to. Something that I think could be better is the touch pad. It doesn’t make sense for it to be smaller than a 13” MacBook Air .
The model we tested features the Intel Core i7-12700H , a powerful processor with 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency) and 20 process threads.
This can be a bit slowed down by temperatures. We checked it out by running two Cinebench R23 tests . This software puts maximum demands on the processor in a standardized rendering task.
Taken one pass, the MateBook D 16 scored 12,317. Pretty good, but if we run the test at 10 minutes, we drop to 11,344 points.
When opening the MateBook D 16 we find a detail. The system has only one fan, with an empty area that could have accommodated one more. It was possibly a choice to have less noise, but it does sacrifice performance a bit.
The storage is partitioned into a drive for Windows and another for data. Something good to avoid losing data if we decide to format the PC.
What I really like about Huawei laptops is the first contact since we don’t see bloatware . That is, pre-installed programs that we do not need. This is something that other brands should emulate.
The laptop comes with Windows 11 , which is necessary to take full advantage of Intel ‘s hybrid architecture . It is worth remembering: Huawei has no problem working with Microsoft , so the experience is the same as with another brand of computers.
Users with other Huawei devices will be able to use options such as Super Device, which provides a great connection in this ecosystem.
We have in the MateBook D 16 a laptop that provides a fairly smooth experience.
The battery can give us a working day away from the plug. Using UL Procyon, we achieved 7 hours and 37 minutes of uninterrupted video playback on the Balanced power management setting.
Huawei MateBook D 16: Is it worth it?
Huawei ‘s MateBook D 16 starts for 3,999 soles on the brand’s page in Peru. This, in its edition with the Core i5-12450H. This would be my go-to, but this setup drops the RAM down to 8GB.
With the MateBook D 16 with the Intel Core i7-12700H that we reviewed I feel that Huawei has given up a bit of performance with the choice of a fan. Seriously, this laptop could have been much more recommendable.
Even more so when for 4,000 soles or more we already enter the field of laptops with discrete graphics. Less light and thick, but with more possibilities, including gaming.
That said, we do have a fairly fast, comfortable device with the added bonus of a larger screen in the MateBook D 16 . If it suits your needs, Huawei has a good option.