HUAWEI MateBook 14 (2024) long-term review: the best everyday laptop?

HUAWEI has released the newest version of the MateBook 14, a really nice upgrade over last year’s model. It comes in gray with Intel Core Ultra 5, 16 GB RAM and 512 GB of storage, or in green, like mine, with Intel Core Ultra 7, 16 GB RAM and 1 TB of storage. It is only topped by the likewise new MateBook X Pro. The short version: the MateBook 14 is for everyone who wants a current, powerful laptop but doesn’t need high-end performance for something like video editing.

Color, price and upselling

I’ve already criticized Apple for its upselling policy, and I have a faint feeling that something similar is happening at HUAWEI with color:

Model	Processor and storage	Color	RRP
MateBook 14	Core Ultra 5, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB	Gray	–
MateBook 14	Core Ultra 7, 16 GB RAM, 1 TB	Green	€1,399
MateBook X Pro	Core Ultra 9, 32 GB RAM, 2 TB (strongest configuration)	Black	smallest configuration €1,999

I like the green model, the color is nicely done and works at work, too. But if you don’t like green, you have to either reach for the MateBook X Pro, which costs at least €600 more and has the same specs in the smallest configuration as the green MateBook 14, but an ultra-light, thin design, a better display and nice extra features. Or you downgrade on the gray one in performance and storage and save €300. It would be nice to have a neutral color variant of each model.

Chassis and ports

The chassis is a slim 14.4 mm, and the device weighs 1.31 kg, making it 1.5 mm slimmer and 8 g lighter than its predecessor. It is built to a high standard, with no gaps, and nothing creaks. On the left there is HDMI, a headphone jack, a USB-A port and a USB-C port. On the right, unfortunately, instead of a second USB-C port there is a second USB-A port. I would have wished for USB-C, because everything is charged through it, and hard drives and card adapters run through it, too. Now I have to choose between charging and the hard drive, or buy an adapter. That is designed against the users’ needs.

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In the middle of the video, as an ad, I present the portable Bluetooth speaker Boom 2 Plus from soundcore. That isn’t part of the laptop test. You’ll find the links at the bottom of the article.

My three highlights

Place 3: keyboard and fingerprint scanner. The frameless keyboard is incredibly pleasant like on a MacBook, with a light keystroke, and just as quiet. The touchpad is optimally sized and responds without delay. In the power button sits a fingerprint scanner that didn’t fail a single time. I’ve rarely experienced something so accurate.

Place 2: the OLED display. It is no longer 14 inches but 14.2 inches, with 120 Hz and 2.8K resolution. It gets up to 450 nits bright, brighter than the predecessor with 300 nits. The screen-to-body ratio is 91%. For comparison: the MacBook Air 2024 has 82%, the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro 81%. That makes the MateBook 14 look very modern. The display has the TÜV Rheinland Eye Comfort 2.0 certification with 1,920 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, which avoids flickering in low light and is easy on the eyes. In addition, blue light is reduced. It is a touch display and supports the third-generation M-Pencil, which unfortunately isn’t included. A pity, because for signing or for notes that is an added value. I would have liked to be able to open the display flat on the table by 180°, because otherwise writing is difficult.

Place 1: the power. Inside are the Intel Core Ultra 7, Intel Arc graphics and 16 GB RAM. On top of that comes an NPU for AI, which, as with all laptops, is still modest: intelligent search, camera adjustment and intelligent fan control. In the Edge browser there is Copilot, and new features will surely come here soon.

HUAWEI gets the fan control really right. With browsing, emails, Office and even Teams meetings, the fan is barely to not at all audible. When exporting a video, it kicks in briefly and then gets quiet again.

Performance in daily use

I don’t come with benchmarks, because in my opinion they have nothing to do with reality. With standard applications like emails, browser, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, special software, video conferences with screen sharing and watching videos, the MateBook 14 runs smoothly, fast and quietly. It also edits smaller videos, such as an Instagram Story or a Short, without a problem, although the fan kicks in now and then. It reaches its limits when editing a whole YouTube video with many 4K files and multiple tracks. That is always the ultimate stress test for me. It then always takes a few seconds until the edit is processed, and that eventually becomes unbearable. For standard applications, the performance with the Core Ultra 7 is more than top. If you want to edit 4K videos, you should upgrade to at least the MateBook X Pro with Core Ultra 9 and 32 GB RAM.

Features: Link to Windows and HUAWEI

Like all Windows laptops, the MateBook 14 has Link to Windows. With it, you mirror your Android smartphone or iPhone to the laptop, control it from there and exchange photos and documents by drag and drop. I think it’s great, because you can quickly reply to a WhatsApp message without picking up the smartphone and getting distracted.

The HUAWEI PC Manager has its own functions: using a tablet as a second screen, searching across devices, and HUAWEI Share, analogous to Apple’s AirDrop and Samsung’s Quick Share. They only work with a HUAWEI tablet or smartphone that you’re signed in to with the same HUAWEI ID. We know that from Samsung and Apple, too, but very few people currently have HUAWEI devices. I read that some Honor smartphones are supposed to be compatible as well; I still have to look into that.

Independent of devices, there is the Super Hub, an always-visible clipboard for documents, photos or links. With another HUAWEI device, you could also paste the content there. It’s like the clipboard in the Samsung keyboard, just for the laptop.

Verdict

The 2024 version of the MateBook 14 is a very successful upgrade over its predecessor: more power, a better display with insanely thin bezels, and with 70 watt-hours a bigger battery. You have the choice between Core Ultra 5 and Core Ultra 7 for €1,399 RRP. I think it’s a pity that the Ultra 7 only comes in green and that the HUAWEI features only work within the HUAWEI universe. I assume the price will fall over time. When it’s then about €200 cheaper, you get really good value for money.

If I were looking for a Windows laptop for standard applications and occasionally a few photos and vacation videos, the MateBook 14 would make my shortlist. For comparison: the Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Pro in 14 inches with the same processor and RAM, but only 512 GB of storage, costs €500 more. It has a slightly better display resolution, but much thicker bezels and the Samsung features like Quick Share. Whether you use them and whether €500 more is worth it for that is something you have to ask yourself.