14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is working on a brand-new iPad Pro model that would come with a bezel-less design and see daylight next month, and now Huawei is also getting ready to introduce an upgraded device that will compete against Microsoft’s Surface Pro lineup.
The new-generation Huawei MateBook will be unveiled on May 23 in Germany, which is a little bit ironic given that Microsoft is also holding a Surface press conference in Shanghai during the same day.
The first-generation MateBook hasn’t been quite a hit, though it sold in good numbers, but with the new model, Huawei is trying to offer more choices to customers by including three different configurations in the series.
Three MateBook configurations
Serial phone leaker Evan Blass says Huawei will launch three new models called MateBook E, MateBook X, and MateBook D, with codenames Pascal, Bell, and Watt.
Most likely, configurations will start from the lower-end M line of Intel processors and go all the way up to Intel Core i7, with the amount of RAM to also increase as you pick a better chip.
Of course, the new MateBook will stick with the 2-in-1 form factor, which means that it’ll feature a detachable keyboard that allows it to double as a laptop and a tablet whenever you want.
While Microsoft has remained more or less tight-lipped on what’s next for the Surface lineup, the company is expected to disclose more details next week in Shanghai.
A brand-new Surface model is very unlikely, though hardware upgrades to the existing generation are expected, including newer chips, probably Kaby Lake, more RAM and storage, plus a possible display refresh to 4K.
Panos Panay, the man behind the Surface project at Microsoft, has said the Surface Pro 5 is not ready just yet, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Redmond-based tech giant copes with the growing competition that it faces these days in the 2-in-1 market from more and more companies.