Huawei MateBook D14 (Ryzen 7) Review: 8 Months Later

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review

The Huawei MateBook D14 is the company's mid-range offering in its laptop portfolio. It's one of the most sought-after devices for home-schooling and work-from-home activities. Almost a year into the pandemic, the MateBook D14 still continues to capture users' preference due to its generous offering of premium-grade features in a very affordable price.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long-Term Review

We have so many reasons to love this laptop. After more or less eight months since its local release, I still think that it's a very compelling laptop for content creation and productivity. Let's find out why in this Huawei MateBook D14 long-term review.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review

Design

The Huawei MateBook D14 is a very sleek laptop. Its design is very pleasing in the eyes; rocking it in a coffeeshop or in a library would make heads turn. Our unit's Mystic Silver gives off a metallic appeal, it's something that you can't put down when you try to hold it the first time. Over time, it's worth-noting that this unit is easy to maintain, and its sparkling exterior does not age easily.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Design

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Design

The laptop only weighs 1.38 kilograms. I always enjoy using this laptop when I'm working from home since I can just work anywhere I want - may it be in the porch, the balcony or even in my dining area. This 15.4-mm thin laptop is a joy to carry around. Plus, sliding it inside a bag is much easier due to its finish, but be very careful since it's easy to pickup scratches.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Display

The Huawei MateBook D14 also features a 178-degree hinge on its display. To be honest, I can't find any use for this aside from "flexing" it to my friends in social media. But, it's still a cool feature to have.

Read also: Huawei Matebook D 14 Review (Ryzen 7): Power and Practicality

Interface

When it comes to ports and buttons, the Huawei MateBook D14 will not leave you craving for more. I usually work with multiple accessories and extra monitors, thus having a complete suite of interface with HDMI port, USB-C port, 3.5-mm audio jack, and USB Type A is a plus. 

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Ports

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Ports

The fingerprint reader embedded in the power button is a very convenient feature, and you will also be prompted to enroll a pin to be able to activate biometrics. This will be an alternate access code when you can't use your preferred biometric.

Display

Huawei MateBook D14's implementation of a matte display panel may not only be for hardware cuts after all. In fact, this matte surface can easily diffuse reflected light giving you a more legible display when used in a bright environment.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Display

For its price, the 14-inch FHD laptop is convincing enough for creating documents, web browsing, and home schooling. Of course, the bezels are also slim. This is due to the unconventional placement of the 1MP camera between the F6 and F7 function keys. 

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Camera

Though I love a wide display, I also find myself in an awkward camera angle. However, if you value security and privacy, you'll be glad that this camera can be recessed.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The chicklet keyboard is very convenient to use due to its wider frame. The keys have a fair travel distance which makes it comfortable to type on. You'll also be delighted with the backlit keys which can be activated in one function key press. The backlit keys are ample enough to make you work in a dark room. But it's not as defined as other models.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Keypad

The trackpad is wide enough to let you work without a mouse. But eventually, you would still prefer to have the latter to be more productive.

Processing Power

Under the hood, the Huawei MateBook D14 ticks with AMD Ryzen 7 3700U chipset. This powerful mobile processor is paired with 8GB of RAM. In my long-term use of the laptop, I have not experienced any considerable lag in opening an application.  

Over time, the laptop maintains its snappy performance in doing standard activities like social media browsing, light photo editing, and document creation. You can also do casual gaming on the side.

Opening multiple browser tabs does not take a toll on the laptop's speed. All in all, the Huawei MateBook D14 is worth the investment if you're looking for consistent long term performance.

Huawei MateBook D14 Long Term Review - Huawei Share

Using the MateBook D14 with other Huawei devices allows you to take advantage of exclusive features like Huawei Share wherein you can seamlessly transfer files from your smartphone to your MateBook.

Battery

The 56Whr battery life is more than enough for a day of use. The laptop is also fast enough to charge with the use of Huawei SuperCharge technology. For one, you can charge up to 50 percent in just half an hour.

Since I am mostly using the laptop for my work from home activities, plugging the USB-C charger once in a while is not an issue. However, if you wanted to work away from the wall outlet, the MateBook D14's battery won't disappoint.

Verdict: Should You Buy The Huawei MateBook D14 (Ryzen 7)?

The Huawei MateBook D14 was released in the Philippines in June 2020. More than half a year since its release, the device is still one of the best value-for-money laptops in the market. If you're looking for a device that's worth investing, the Huawei MateBook D14 is definitely a solid option.

For it's price, the Huawei MateBook D14 offers a premium-looking design, generous set of ports, slim bezels, and smaller footprint. You can also score great deals with the laptop on Huawei's on-going #LightUpTheMoments promotion.

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