Huawei’s first-ever Windows 10 hybrid tablet, the MateBook, is expected to be released in Malaysia sometime in the second half of 2016. This means the tablet could arrive on our shores as early as June 2016.
This bit of information came directly from the Chief Operating Officer of Huawei Consumer Business Group South Pacific Region, Henry Hsu. According to him, the company is “targeting to bring at least one variant” of the MateBook into Malaysia. This variant could very well be the base model of the tablet, which goes for 799 euro (about RM3,700).
Henry Hsu, COO of Huawei Consumer Business Group South Pacific Region
Although a direct conversion of the MateBook’s price in Europe comes up to about RM3,700 for the most affordable model, Hsu mentioned that Huawei Malaysia is looking to price this variant at approximately RM4,000. He elaborated that there are various reasons for this, such as the fluctuation of our currency.
“Our benchmarks is always Apple and Samsung,” Hsu said. “Whatever we (Huawei) compare, it’s always against Apple and Samsung, because we want to create the best products.” More likely than not, this will influence how much the MateBook will be priced in Malaysia.
In terms of specification, it is without a doubt that the MateBook is a well-equipped productivity machine. The base model of the tablet is packed with 128GB of SSD storage and 4GB of RAM; it also has a 12-inch 2160 x 1440 IPS display, an Intel Core m3 processor, a 4,430mAh battery that will supposedly provide up to 10 hours of usage on average, as well as a stylus – dubbed the MatePen – which features 2,048 levels of pressure. Other than that, the optional keyboard cover, which goes for 149 euro (about RM690), is spill-resistant and features a curved key design for ergonomic purposes.
It remains to be seen just when exactly the Huawei MateBook will be brought into Malaysia. Regardless, it’s good to at least have an estimate of when it will be available, which will be sometime in the second half of the year.
