Impressive. That's how to describe the Huawei Matebook 14s in one word. This latest addition to the MateBook series has a stunning design, powerful features, and outstanding performance that made me decide to upgrade my previous Matebook to 14s.
Cross-device experience
One of the best features of the older Huawei Matebook is the multi-screen collaboration that allows users to project their phone's screen to the laptop virtually. Users can then control the phone apps using the computer, drag and drop files, copy documents, move videos, and do virtually anything between the two devices. All these without needing a data cable or third-party apps. This feature has made working more efficient for people using multiple devices like me.
With the latest version of the Huawei Matebook, the multi-screen collaboration is enhanced further. Now called cross-device experience, it now supports a smartphone, a tablet, a display, earphones, a mouse, speakers, and printers all together for an even more innovative experience. Users can now easily manage all these connected devices using the updated PC Manager.
I have regretfully experienced having a file only on my phone when I need it immediately on my laptop. I email or use messenger to send it to myself or send it via Bluetooth to my computer, a workable but slow solution.
My Huawei Matebook 14s allows me to send and receive files across all my devices, including my phone, my tablet, and of course, my laptop.
Here's how I use it
I go to meetings with my Huawei Matepad Pro and my Huawei Nova 9. With the MatePad's keyboard and M-Pencil, I could easily take notes, type information, and quickly input my ideas. When I want to share my ideas with my colleague via Viber or other messaging apps on my phone, I click the file on my tablet, drag it on my phone, type my message and send it using my Nova 9. After the meeting, I drag and drop everything I need to my Matebook 14s, including photos I've taken from the meeting and photos I took before and after the session using my Huawei GT3 watch as a remote shutter button. It's like using one device because everything could be available on my tablet, laptop, and phone, all the time and anytime I need them. Contents that I may need when I bring only one device.
Also, with the multi-screen collaboration feature, you can now access the apps on your phone from your Matebook. You can view notifications from your phone, such as SMS messages, on the notification panel on your computer or answer calls in the small phone window that appears on the top of the screen.
It made my life a lot easier, and I find it amazingly convenient. Not only that, but I could also use one set of earphones, stream music to any of my connected devices, and send print jobs to my printer from the MatePad, Nova 9, or the Matebook. Work-from-home employees and online-learning students would appreciate all those enhancements.
Mobile app engine
Another feature unique to the Matebook 14s (and 13s) is the built-in mobile app engine that allows users to install and run Android applications. This feature enables the computer running on Windows 10 to run Android apps. You can download your favorite mobile apps through the Huawei App Gallery, which offers a wide range of mobile applications from every category, such as instant messaging, video-sharing platforms, games, education, health care, and many more. You can download your favorite apps and enjoy them on the Matebook. While many apps have desktop versions, some games and apps that you like may not have it, running the android app on your Matebook 14s will give you a unique experience where you could use the laptop's speakers and mouse to play the games, listen to music or communicate with friends. I tried it, and it's a new and fun experience.
Full view display plus more
While other laptop manufacturers have fought over the bragging rights of having the thinnest bezel on the side and top of the display, Huawei introduced a display feature in 2018 to bring the thin bezel to the bottom of the screen. Calling it the FullView Display feature, it redefined the meaning of borderless display. The Huawei MateBook 14s, aside from having FullView Display technology, also has the following features making it a cut over the rest of the laptops released in 2021, a 90% screen-to-body ratio, 2.5K resolution, 10-point multi-touch sensitive screen, 1500:1, 178 degrees viewing angle, and 90-hertz refresh rate.
My favorite feature of the Huawei Matebook 14s is its capability to give users a cross-device experience. With it, I could copy files to and from any of my screens, mirror my laptop, and extend my display to my MatePad Pro.
Work from home parents and online learners will benefit much from this. Many of us have at least two screens, a phone plus a laptop or a tablet. With cross-device experience, students could easily download files from their phones to their laptops or share content on their tablets to any of their screens: no messy wires or complicated setups. Users only need to tap or perform a few clicks to connect the devices. Those doing work from home or hybrid work arrangements like me will enjoy the convenience it brings when creating, editing, and sharing files.
After using it for more than a month, I could now confidently recommend the Huawei Matebook 14s to my friends. It's more than a laptop, it's a laptop+.