14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft’s Surface devices remain the best-sellers of the 2-in-1 category, but more and more companies are looking to tackle the growing demand for such models with their very own products.
And Huawei is one of them, as the company launched the so-called MateBook 12-inch 2-in-1 tablet earlier this year at MWC and is now planning to bring it in the United States to compete directly against Microsoft’s Surface lineup.
As reported by Liliputing, the Huawei MateBook will be unveiled in North America this week and will go on sale in the coming weeks, with pricing to start at $699 for the entry-level model that features an Intel Core M3 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of storage.
Surface still brings better value for the money
But while the price seems to bring it a big advantage in the fight against the Surface Pro 4, it’s worth noting that the entry-level version does not come with the detachable keyboard case and the stylus included in the package, so you have to purchase them separately. As a result, the MateBook can reach almost the same price as the Surface, so in the end, it’s all just a matter of options.
The MateBook comes with a 12-inch screen that has a resolution of 2160x1440 pixels and offers a choice of three different Intel m chipsets, namely Intel Core m3-6Y30 (4.5W), Intel Core m5 (4.5W), and Intel Core m7-6Y75 (4.5W). You can choose between 4 and 8 GB of RAM, and storage can go all the way up to 512 GB. Pricing starts at $699 for the entry-level version while the top configuration costs $1,599.
In the case of the Surface Pro 4, which is positioned as its direct competitor, pricing starts at $899 and reaches $2,699 for the high-end version. The Surface, however, brings better value for the money and also includes a Surface Pen and a keyboard.