The newest Huawei MateBook X Professional and MacBook Air with M2 are each nice laptops, however which one is the most effective? That’s the query we’ll attempt to reply right here.
No matter you consider Huawei, Apple is definitely going through some steep competitors in what I beforehand known as the “XPS killer.” With two of the finest laptops you should buy proper now within the ring, this bout goes to get ugly.
The brand new MacBook Air builds on what labored with the fanless ultraportable from 2020 with a dramatic redesign. In the meantime, the MateBook X Professional bought a major redesign, too — each in and out. So, which one do you have to purchase? Let’s discover out.
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Worth and worth
These are each expensive machines, but it surely ought to come as completely no shock that when evaluating a MacBook to a Home windows laptop computer, the Huawei machine provides higher worth for cash once you take UK pricing into consideration (given it’s not obtainable within the US).
Certain, once you take a look at the entry value, the bottom MacBook Air M2 (opens in new tab) units you again £1,249, whereas the MateBook X Professional prices £1,799. However all you need to do is take a look at what every of those provide for the worth and also you’ll change your tune on the higher worth.
For the fee, the MateBook packs an Intel Core i7-1260P processor, 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. To get a equally specced MacBook Air, you will need to shell out £1,949 as a result of let’s be sincere: 256GB of storage inside the bottom mannequin will not be sufficient.
It’s additionally value noting that Huawei is working a helluva whole lot — £100 off the laptop computer (opens in new tab) and a free 28-inch 3:2 facet ratio MateView monitor.
Winner: Huawei MateBook X Professional
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Specs in contrast
| Spec | Huawei MateBook X Professional | MacBook Air M2 |
| Worth | £1,799 | £1,249 (beginning); £1,949 (as examined) |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-1260P | M2 |
| RAM | 16GB | 16GB |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe built-in | M2 built-in |
| Storage | 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD | 1TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD |
| Show | 14.2-inch, 3120 × 2080-pixel touchscreen | 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664p Liquid Retina |
| Ports | Thunderbolt 4 x2, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Sort-C x2, headset/mic jack | MagSafe, Thunderbolt/USB 4 x2, headset/mic jack |
| Dimensions | 12.2 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches | 12 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches |
| Weight | 2.9 kilos | 2.7 kilos |
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Design
Each of those are critically modern and attractive laptops. No matter you choose, you’re going to be proud of it, however that’s not the purpose of a face-off. I’ve to choose, and to me, the Huawei MateBook X Professional reigns supreme.
That’s to not say the MacBook isn’t a looker. Apple’s decisive transfer to make the Air appear to be a MacBook Professional offers it a uniform thickness and utilitarian aesthetic that I reasonably take pleasure in. Opening the lid, you’ll see the full-sized backlit keyboard on the prime of the Starlight keyboard deck in a slight recess. Straight under sits a reasonably massive trackpad.
As for the MateBook, Huawei took an enormous leap over the earlier era X Professional with a beautiful wanting (and feeling) system. From each angle, it’s unmistakably premium. The slender curvature and excellent steadiness of the inner weight distribution. The CNC-milled magnesium alloy body, adorned with a superb smooth contact coating that doesn’t present scuffs. All of it screams “luxurious.”
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out this Ink Blue end is my favourite implementation of my favourite colour, which doesn’t scuff just like the MacBook Air’s navy colorway does.
However whereas they each go for various seems, the specifics are very related. The MateBook is barely bigger and heavier at 12.2 x 8.7 x 0.6 inches 2.9 kilos (the MacBook Air has dimensions of 12 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches and weighs 2.7 kilos).
Each provide distinctly totally different aesthetics, and whereas they’re unmistakably premium in development, I do favor the vibe of the X Professional.
Winner: Huawei MateBook X Professional
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Ports
The M2 MacBook Air does enhance barely on its predecessor by transferring charging over to a devoted MagSafe port, which leaves two Thunderbolt/USB 4 ports free alongside the three.5mm headphone jack.
However by way of uncooked quantity, Huawei is working circles round Apple with a pair of USB-C ports along with its duo of Thunderbolt 4 ports and three.5mm headset jack. Want extra ports? Take a look at our finest USB Sort-C hubs and finest laptop computer docking stations pages.
Winner: Huawei MateBook X professional
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Show
In each the Huawei MateBook X Professional and MacBook Air, you’re getting attractive, spacious screens with small bezels. However let’s dive into the nitty-gritty particulars:on the subject of actual property and value, Huawei pulls forward.
The MacBook Air boasts a 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1664p Liquid Retina show in comparison with its predecessor’s 13.3-inch panel. The facet ratio is technically 3:2, however with the notch up prime forming a part of the duty bar, you really get one thing nearer to a 16:10 working space.
When put by way of our lab testing, the Air registered 75.9% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut alongside a formidable common brightness of 489 nits. In real-world use, as anticipated, the M2’s display screen is an explosion of colour with sharp particulars, which is enhanced with Apple’s proprietary TrueTone expertise.
In the meantime, the MateBook X Professional comes with a 14.2-inch, 3120 × 2080-pixel touchscreen show with a 90Hz refresh price and three:2 facet ratio. Huawei claims the system emanates 500 nits of brightness and provides twin color-gamut compatibility: DCI-P3 and sRGB.
With an LTPS panel (an LCD expertise), I anticipated first rate colour copy with a comparatively missing distinction ratio. Nonetheless, whereas I’m positive there might be a noticeable distinction within the numbers, to the common human eye, you’d wrestle to inform the distinction between this and an OLED show — the colours actually pop.
Winner: Huawei MateBook X Professional
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Keyboard and touchpad
Each provide robust typing and clicking experiences, however selecting between them is extremely tough. You see, the MateBook X Professional has a superior trackpad, however the MacBook Air packs a greater keyboard.
The Magic keyboard within the Air is simply that –– magic. The backlit keyboard (with full-size operate keys) is agency with springy suggestions. It’s additionally gloriously quiet, which positively is useful in an workplace or espresso store. The backlighting allowed me to work in nearly any surroundings, whether or not I used to be in my darkened bed room or outdoors in my yard pop-up cover at evening.
The glass stable state trackpad is, predictably, large. It’s barely smaller in peak, however wider than the one you discover within the M1 Air at 4.8 x 3.1 inches. It gave me loads of room, permitting me to navigate internet pages and paperwork with ease in addition to carry out multitouch gestures.The underside corners of the pad gave a sturdy click on when pressed.
However the MateBook X Professional’s touchpad is larger nonetheless. Sporting dimensions of 4.8 x 3.4 inches, extending out to the very fringe of the underside deck, permitting loads of house for swiping and tapping. I examined Home windows 11 gestures, together with two-finger scrolling and three-finger tabbing — they have been all effectively responsive, and the haptic suggestions of every click on had a crisp response.
In the meantime, the keyboard has full-sized keys the place it issues, however the operate keys are solely half-size. The island-style keyboard sports activities first rate backlighting that’s adjustable. It’s uncommon that you simply see any chiclet keyboards and touchpads beat out the prowess of Apple. However opposite to the norm, Huawei does beat the corporate on the touchpad entrance, which implies it is a tie.
Winner: Tie
Huawei MateBook X Professional vs MacBook Air M2: Efficiency
Now for the part that a few of you’ll have in all probability scrolled to first. How does the notebook-centric M2 chipset match as much as related competitors just like the Intel Core i7-1260P? The reply might shock you — until you learn the Acer Swift 5 vs MacBook Air M2 face-off.
On the Geekbench 5.4 total efficiency take a look at, the MateBook completely stormed forward with an enormous multi-core rating of 11,142, rocketing previous the common premium laptop computer (5,956). In the meantime, the M2 Air additionally carried out nice throughout our artificial benchmarks, however fell behind in uncooked energy with a Geekbench results of 8,919.
It’s not constant, although, as might be seen with our HandBrake benchmark. The Matebook transcoded 4K video to 1080p in 8 minutes and 33 seconds whereas the Air took 7 minutes and 52 seconds.
Taking a look at graphics, each have built-in GPUs, which isn’t as unhealthy as you could concern. We don’t have like-for-like testing to check the 2, however I can verify that the Air is ready to run the Sid Meier’s Civilization VI benchmark at 40 frames per second. In the meantime, the MateBook is ready to play Two Level Campus working at a gradual 70 frames per second (fps) with graphics settings turned to medium.
In real-world use, each of those are stellar methods for work and informal play — dealing with multitasking with ease. However whereas the MacBook Air performs higher in sure areas like content material creation, now we have to check every system as a complete, by which the MateBook goes to be that little bit quicker on your productiveness wants.
Winner: Huawei MateBook X Professional
Acer Swift 5 vs MacBook Air M2: Battery Life
The ultimate spherical sees the M2 MacBook Air come out of the nook with some critical heavy hits to the MateBook X Professional. As you could have already got predicted by Apple’s legendary laptop computer battery life with any system that includes its personal silicon, the Air is a stamina king.
It could be barely shorter than the M1 MacBook Air, however at 14 hours and 6 minutes, it provides excellent longevity for any commutes and even lengthy haul flights. In the meantime, whereas we haven’t put the X Professional by way of this lab testing, based mostly by myself expertise, it doesn’t have the identical stamina for all-day utilization.
Winner: MacBook Air M2
Total winner
Simply to remind you, none of that is to say one laptop computer is sweet and the opposite is unhealthy. As you possibly can see from our opinions, you’ll take pleasure in utilizing both the MacBook Air or the Matebook X Professional, so when you do have a selected OS allegiance, you’ll be glad whichever approach you go.
Nonetheless, it’s clear that for all the nice packed into Apple’s laptop computer Air, Huawei has created one thing actually particular within the MateBook X Professional. The notebook-centric P processors within the twelfth Gen Intel lineup are efficiency beasts with some first rate stamina too — made even higher by way of sustained efficiency with correct thermal administration.
However whereas the MacBook Air pulls forward with stronger battery life and a superior keyboard, Huawei takes the crown with an improved port array, show, and (unsurprisingly) worth for cash.
