Earlier this week, Huawei held a global launch event themed Creation of Beauty. Taking place in Dubai, the brand confirmed the rumours and released the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2'', Huawei MateBook D 16, and the Huawei FreeClip Open-ear earbuds. Each of the products are designed to help users to unleash their creativity with remarkable ease, producing a new level of portable productivity.
This latest product launch follows in the footsteps of October's 'Fashion Forward' event, which saw the unveiling of a new lineup of wearable products. Tuesday's launch built on this, signalling Huawei's intentions to develop high-end products that fuse fashion with technology and appeal to a broad global user base.
We were lucky enough to be on the ground in Dubai to bring you a first look at the latest from Huawei.
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2''
The launch of a new MatePad was predicted before the event, but no one could anticipate the exceptional features that the Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2" is due to bring. It furthers the legacy of Huawei tablets, especially due to its breathtaking design, powerful creative tools, immersive entertainment, and on-the-go mobile office features.
The tablet's 13.2" OLED display is on the large side but comes wafer-thin, measuring in at 5.5 mm thick. This trend continues with a weight of just 580g, a whole 100g lighter than the iPad Pro 12.9" (sixth-gen). The new MatePad is one of the thinnest tablets ever made, with the narrowest bezels (3.4mm) and the highest screen-to-body ratio (94%). It boasts a 2800 x 1840 resolution.
There are also two accessories available to purchase, the Huawei M-Pencil (3rd generation) stylus and the Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard. The stylus connects to the tablet via NearLink and supports 10,000+ pressure sensing levels and highly touch-response strokes. During the launch, there was an incredible demonstration delivered by Sacha Jafri, who was asked by Huawei to create a piece of art using the MatePad Pro 13.2". Sacha couldn't rave about the tablet enough, particularly its touch-response strokes. He explained that he often stays away from digital composition, preferring to create pieces using a canvas and a paintbrush. However, the MatePad Pro 13.2" reacts to the pressure of M-Pencil stylus, allowing the paint strokes to spread when the stylus is pressed harder on the screen, just like a normal paintbrush would. The MatePad's Colour Capture feature also allows users to select a colour that catches their eye from another app, and create something directly with it.
The all-new detachable Huawei Smart Magnetic Keyboard comes with a full-area touchpad to offer a solid typing experience in 2-in-1 style.
Huawei FreeClip
In addition to the tablet, Huawei introduced its contender for the best wireless earbuds. The Huawei FreeClip earbuds boast a unique take on the popular open-ear design for comfort and uninterrupted use. The earbuds themselves represent a departure from Huawei’s existing FreeBuds earphone range, even though they too feature an open-back design.
The Huawei FreeClip has a unique 'C-bridge Design'. By sitting like a clip on the ear, a bit like running headphones, on-the-go listening becomes more snug, comfortable and fashionable than ever before. The device was designed based on the ear data of over 10,000 people with micron-level ergonomic craftsmanship and underwent 25,000+ reliability tests so should fit well. The C-bridge Design serves as both a clip and a connector for the earbuds, to enhance comfortability across the board.
When used with the charging case, the FreeClip supports up to 36 hours of listening. The earbuds can also auto-identify the wearer's left and right ears (so no more mix-ups) and feature Huawei's AI-powered call enhancement features as well as dual-device connections. These features make the Huawei FreeClip a compelling choice for fitness fans and regular travellers.
Huawei MateBook D
Lastly, Huawei introduced the new Huawei MateBook D 16 laptop. With its 16-inch Eye Comfort Huawei FullView Display and 1.7kg metallic body, the new model allows for a seamless mobile office experience across a vast display. This means it weighs the same as most 15.6-inch laptops, despite its larger screen.
The 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900H Processor packs in 14 cores, making multi-tasking efficient and hassle-free, and Intel Iris Xe Graphics mean it's capable of some light gaming too. Users can also open files faster and start apps right away, thanks to refined scenario load identification and smart performance scheduling as well as up to 16GB of RAM.
The Huawei MateBook D 16 is also a great home working option, particularly due to the model's AI-powered webcam. The camera can adjust the angle of view as you move, always keeping you within the frame and making clear eye contact. Users can also enable Virtual Background during online meetings, to obscure their surroundings and better protect their privacy.
The 65 W charger supports fast charging on a number of Huawei phone models, and is available with up to a 70 Wh battery which should see you through a working day easily.
Price and availability
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2”
Huawei MatePad Pro 13.2” comes in two options and will launch in Europe from 22nd January (with pre-order from 8th January). Prices are as follows:
MatePad Pro (12GB RAM, 256GB Storage): RRP €999
MatePad Pro (12GB RAM, 512GB Storage and inbox keyboard): RRP €1199
Smart Magnetic Keyboard: RRP €199
Huawei M-Pencil (3rd Generation): RRP €99
Huawei FreeClip
Huawei FreeClip will roll out to the UK and Europe from late December, priced RRP £179.99/€199. Customers who pre order/order from the UK Huawei Store between 12th December 2023 and 29th January 2024 will also be rewarded with a free HUAWEI Band 8.
Huawei MateBook D 16
Huawei MateBook D 16 will launch in the UK and Europe, and will be available in various configurations (dependent on territory), with pre-orders starting from 8th January and on sale from 22nd January 2024. Configurations as follows:
Intel Core i5 12th Gen, 8GB RAM, 512GB Storage: RRP €799
Intel Core i5 12th Gen, 16GB RAM, 512GB Storage: RRP €899
Intel Core i5 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €999
Intel Core i7 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €1299
Intel Core i9 13th Gen, 16GB RAM, 1TB Storage: RRP €1399
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