Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 Comparison Review – Clash Of The High-Enders!

Windows notebooks versus Apple MacBooks has always been a tough battle. It’s too difficult which one should we pick. At one side we have the world’s most premium and expensive notebook series with an exclusive MacOS. Meanwhile, on the other side, we have the high variety of most affordable and high-end Windows notebooks. However, with the most recent comparison between Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018, we can finally conclude a winner. Finally, we have a premium Windows notebook at the level of Apple MacBook Pro series, and there’s the new MacBook Pro 2018 hitting the globe on July 12.

Before moving to the comparison, let us answer your most frequently asked questions regarding this comparison:

Q:Mac Vs Win, What’s the current market share? Is it changing recently?

Mac is recognized as a high-end notebook leader in the industry. It has captured more than 60% of the notebook industry’s profits with only 7% of the market share. However, the 2016 Touch Bar micro-innovation did not convince consumers that haven’t changed appearance in the past two years. Routine updates have also been criticized by users.

In contrast, the Windows, with the rapid advancement of industrial design levels of OEMs in recent years, major manufacturers have launched quite high-end products, such as Dell’s XPS series, HP Spectre series, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. These improvements in the Windows section have started to provide a tough time to the king of high-end notebook manufacturer, Apple. The share might and the profits may change till the fall of 2018 because Xiaomi and Huawei have also entered the global notebook market.

Q:Why is Huawei MateBook X Pro a Perfect Rival of Apple MacBook Pro 2018?

However,  this year’s most impressive Windows high-end notebook products are not the products of the old OEM manufacturers, but the MateBook X Pro brought by Chinese smartphone manufacturing giant ‘Huawei’. With 91% screen share, hidden camera, First power fingerprint, 3K touchscreen, and many innovative features bring a refreshing change to the high-end notebook market.

Huawei MateBook X Pro and MacBook Pro 2018 also have many similarities. Both of them lies between the 13-inch and 14-inch small-screen notebooks class. Both are equipped with eight generations of Intel Processors, are positioned in the high-end notebook market, both are smartphone manufacturer, and last but not the least, the design is also very similar. If we look for the best Windows notebook competitor for the new Apple MacBook Pro 2018, no doubt, Huawei Matebook X Pro is the most suitable choice of the year.

So, without wasting your precious time, let’s dive into the in-depth Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 comparison:

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Specs Comparison

Model	MateBook X Pro	MacBook Pro 2018
Display	13.9-inch, 3000x2000 LTPS Full-screen Display	13.3-inch 2560x1600 IPS Retina Display
CPU	Intel Core i5-8250U	Intel Core i5-8259U
GPU	Nvidia MX 150 (for Core i7 version), Intel UHD 620 for i5 version	Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655
RAM	8GB DDR3 2133MHz	8GB DDR3 2133MHz
ROM	256 PCIe SSD	256 PCIe SSD
Interface	Type-C interfaces (Thunderbolt 3 x 1), 1 x USB 3.0, 3.5mm audio jack	Type-C connectors (Thunderbolt 3 x 4), 1 headphone jack
OS	Windows 10	MacOS
Dimensions/Weight	304 x 217 x 14.6mm] 1.33 kg	304 x 212 x 14.9mm 1.37 kg
Material	Aluminium alloy	Aluminium alloy
Power	57.4Wh	58Wh
Pricing	1269 USD - 1897 USD, standard and higher version	2073 USD, standard version

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Design & Appearance Comparison

1) Size & Thickness

First, let us make something clear, you should not notice the size difference between both notebooks. The manufacturers say the Huawei MateBook X Pro is equipped with a 13.9-inch screen, while the MacBook Pro is a 13.3-inch screen, but if you put the MacBook Pro on the Huawei MateBook X Pro, you will find that Apple’s 13-inch notebook basically covers Huawei’s 14-inch notebook.

The reason for this is very simple. Although the screen size of the two notebooks is one-inch, but the body length is 304mm, the width of the Huawei MateBook X Pro is only 5mm longer than the 2018 Apple MacBook Pro.

Model	MateBook X Pro	MacBook Pro 2018
Length	304mm	304mm
Width	217mm	212mm
Thickness	14.6mm	14.9mm

Not only that, the 14-inch MateBook X Pro weighs 1.33kg and is 14.6mm thick, which is lighter and thinner than the one-inch 13-inch MacBook Pro (1.37kg/14.9mm).

In this way, the size difference isn’t that much, but the thinner Huawei MateBook X Pro has an advantage in terms of mobility.

The picture above shows the thickness of the body of Huawei MateBook X Pro. The picture below shows the thickness of the body of the 2018 MacBook Pro.

2) Design & Aesthetic

Let’s now move to the aesthetic aspect of the two notebooks. The 2018 MacBook Pro continues the 2016 design, with few changes. This means that it inherits Apple’s proud unibody aluminum alloy chassis. It’s smooth and sleek metal body, with the sand-blasting done on it. Whether it the design, materials or process, you can’t find a fault.

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But the problem is also there. Carrying the same design and aesthetics for over two years is not credible. We have Here we have Apple deeply touched with the two years old design and on the other side, Windows notebooks are evolving with the new epic layout, designs, and aesthetics. Such is Huawei MateBook X Pro.

The Huawei MateBook X Pro adopts the integrated metal body and anodized aluminum technology. The notebook’s appearance and holding experience are enough to compete with MacBook Pro. Furthermore, MateBook X Pro has an upper hand with the CNC frame trimming process, which brings a very good metallic luster. This process is used in metal smartphones and MacBook Pro 2018 lacks this process.

Of course, there are some differences in the design style of the two notebooks. If you look closely, you will find that there are many arcs on the Huawei MateBook X Pro, which is the biggest difference between this and the MacBook Pro.

The MacBook Pro body line is more tough and square, the look is more like a rugged business machine. While the Huawei MateBook X Pro’s curved design is more soft and charming. These curved borders also give users a better grip.

3) Interface

Huawei MateBook X Pro is equipped with two Type-C interfaces (Thunderbolt 3 x 1), a USB 3.0 interface, and a headphone jack. The 2018 MacBook Pro features four Type-C connectors (Thunderbolt 3 x 4) + 1 headphone jack.

In terms of the number of interfaces, the MacBook Pro has one more Type-C interface, but the Huawei MateBook X Pro has a USB-A port. In many cases, it can save a connector, which is more convenient.

Concluding this lengthy design and appearance section, with a much better thickness, curved borders, CNC processed arcs, and an addition of USB-A port, Huawei MateBook X Pro is clearly the winner here.

Winner: Huawei MateBook Pro X

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Performance Comparison

Anyone familiar with PCs knows that the performance comparison of different system platforms does not have too much reference significance. This is because users of Mac platform pay more attention to office & productivity rather than performance. The comparison of running benchmarks on the Mac platform is not particularly popular.

However, for the 2018 MacBook Pro, performance is its biggest selling point. The biggest update of this Mac is to upgrade to the eight-generation Core processor. Apple also highlighted its performance upgrade on the promotion page and even compared to the previous generation. This means that Apple is very confident about the performance of the 2018 MacBook Pro, so let’s see what happens to the most powerful MacBook Pro ever.

Model	Matebook X Pro	MacBook Pro 2018
CPU	i5-8250U	i5-8259U
Generation	8th Gen Core i5	8th Gen Core i5
Frequency	1.6 - 3.4GHz	2.3 - 3.8GHz
Code name / Process	Kaby Lake 14nm	Kaby Lake 14nm
GPU (Integrated)	Intel UHD620 1050MHz	Intel UHD650 1100MHz
Cache	6M	6M
TPD	28W	15W

In terms of configuration, both notebooks are equipped with the latest 8-Gen Intel Core i5 processor. The frequency and the capacity of the RAM and the SSD are also the same. The only change is in the models of the eight generation Core i5 processors as follow:

It can be seen that the biggest difference between the two CPUs is that the TDP (thermal design power) of the i5-8259U is higher than the i5-8550U, and the highest frequency is increased by 0.4GHz. Meanwhile, the number of cache and process remains the same. The integrated GPU has been slightly upgraded in MacBook Pro 2018. However, that’s not something that MacBook Pro can brag about as in MateBook X Pro we have the much better Nvidia MX150 as dedicated GPU. Simply put these aspects as:

i5-8259U can be seen as the high-frequency version of the i5-8250U

In terms of battery life and heat, at present, there is no OEM manufacturer using 28W low-voltage U processor except for Apple. The 2018 Apple MacBook Pro is the first to feature this new Intel CPU.

In order to fully squeeze the extreme performance of the two notebooks, and also to look at the color of the 28W low-voltage U, we selected the Geekbench, CineBench R15 as benchmark software and the high-end stand-alone game “Rise of the Tomb Raider (2013)” for the Mac and Win platforms. The results are as follow:

Testing Environment

1) The notebook is plugged into the power cable and the power save mode is turned off.

2) After restarting the notebook, we cleaned up the background, and repeat the test for each software 3 times to get the highest value.

3) “Rise of the Tomb Raider (2013)” set to 1920×1200 resolution, the lowest special effects.

In general, relying on the advantages of high frequency, Apple MacBook Pro is slightly ahead of Huawei MateBook X Pro in CPU performance. The range is about 10%, but we may consider the power consumption also increases.

Although slightly behind the CPU, but with a discrete graphics card, Huawei completely opened up the GPU performance of the only Apple MacBook Pro, where the performance benchmarks points are 2 times -2.5 times that of Apple. Obviously, on some large professional software that requires GPU participation, the discrete graphics card of Huawei MateBook X Pro will undoubtedly bring a better experience.

It can be seen from this that Huawei’s design ideas are more clear than that of Apple’s. We can sum the performance in one sentence which is:

I have to do it all!

Not only the new MateBook X Pro is equipped with eight generation of Dual Core i5, but also equipped with the dedicated Nvidia MX150 as well. The low powered 8th Gen dual cores and the mid-end dedicated graphics provide a perfect balance of performance and battery life, meeting the need of all users, the low-end and the high-end.

Now, MacBook Pro 2018 can beat the standard version of MateBook X Pro as it only has Intel UHD 620. However, that will be a bit unfair as we have to find one with almost the equal price tag as of MacBook Pro 2018. So, the higher version with the MX150 will be a better choice which is still $100 to $200 cheaper than the standard MacBook Pro (2018).

Winner: Huawei MateBook X Pro

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Screen & Display Comparison

We are half way in Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 battle. The screen and the display is my most favorite part regarding both notebooks, in this Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 comparison. Starting with Huawei MateBook X Pro, Huawei brings the full-screen idea from the smartphones to its fresh notebooks. And guess what, it’s a success. We must note that Huawei MateBook X Pro isn’t the first one, but Dell XPS series is the first to introduce such stupendous idea. Just open the lid, and we get surprised by the ultra-narrow bezel allowing the screen to be almost completely borderless and the user feels the full-screen of the entire 13.9 -inch display, all the time. Such a shocking a visual impact isn’t it?

Huawei extended the concept of the full screen on the mobile phone to the notebook for the first time. The screen frame was 4mm, and the screen ratio reached 91%. This is the narrowest notebook screen frame so far, which is consistent with the 2018 XPS 13. We should praise Huawei’s radical concept and industrial design strength. Shouldn’t we?

In contrast, although the Apple MacBook Pro 2018 has already the narrowest bezels in the history of Apple Mac, but in comparison to Huawei MateBook X Pro, that thickness is nothing.

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Huawei’s screen resolution is 3K (3000x2000K), MacBook Pro is the standard 2K resolution 2560×1600, but the screen fineness of these two has exceeded the recognition limit of the human eye, so it can bring the best visual perception. What’s more, Huawei’s MateBook X Pro’s screen also supports multi-touch. In case of a touch-enabled notebook screen, it allows you to replace the mouse with a mobile phone like experience, saving a lot of time.

The best thing about the Apple MacBook Pro 2018 is a new practical new feature which is the ‘True Tone’.  So what’s this True Tone feature? In different color temperature environments, the MacBook Pro can be adjusted to the corresponding warm/cold screen for more comfortable viewing.

If you look closely, you will find that the color temperature of the screens of the upper and lower photos is different. However, because the color temperature changes little, the effect on the photo is not obvious, but the actual observation will obviously differentiate the effect of this color temperature change.

In short, Huawei MateBook X Pro has the upper hand in this section of Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018, because of the better resolution, full-screen view, and multi-touch support. Though, the True Tone feature of MacBook Pro 2018 is worth praising but still the better aspects of the screen leads MateBook X Pro in this section.

Winner: Huawei MateBook X Pro

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Keyboard & TrackPad Comparison

The next section is the keyboard comparison of the two notebooks. Both keyboards are typical ultra-thin keyboards with short keystrokes, but thanks to the relatively loose C-face space, the keycaps of the two are wide and flat. The impact is accurate and the feedback is quick. In short, it is a keyboard that is very suitable for long-term code words.

In fact, Huawei MateBook X Pro keystrokes are 0.57mm more than the 2018 MacBook Pro keystrokes. Users who are sensitive to keystrokes need to pay attention.

On the left is the 2018 MacBook Pro keystroke, which is about 0.87mm. The right side is the Huawei MateBook X Pro keystroke, which is about 1.44mm.

However, in actual experience, Apple MacBook Pro’s keystroke is shorter than Huawei MateBook X Pro. For example, typing on Apple MacBook Pro is like typing on the desktop directly with the fingers, but thanks to the short keystroke, Apple MacBook Pro tapping rebound is tighter and the rhythm is stronger. Meanwhile, the MateBook Pro with longer keystrokes has longer in-depth rebound and slightly softer.

As far as the trackpad is concerned, Apple has a larger trackpad area than Huawei MateBook X Pro. The dragging and clicking experience of both notebooks is the same. Moreover, Mate X Pro’s trackpad looks elegant because of those CNC processed borders surrounding the trackpad.

We can’t simply choose a winner because both have totally different keyboard styles. It depends on the user’s choice that with which one he is more comfortable. So let’s give this section a tie.

Winner: None (Tied)

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Camera Comparison

There’s a large difference in both of the notebooks when it comes to the camera. First, the camera positioning is entirely different. MacBook Pro 2018 has the traditional location of the camera which is on the forehead of the notebook screen. Meanwhile, Huawei cleverly hides the camera between the F6 and F7 of the keyboard and presses it to open and close. The reason for the unique camera placement is the ultra-thin bezels of the screen which leaves no space for placing a camera.

The location of the webcam might interest you. But, it also serves as one of the disadvantages of the MateBook X. Due to the low-level positioning, the camera points straight at your chin.

Apple MacBook Pro does not have this problem because the camera is at the top of the screen. In terms of image quality, Huawei MateBook X has a slight upper hand because the picture is clear with adequate brightness. Whereas, MacBook Pro 2018 has a slightly dullish effect in the picture.

Due to the bad positioning, one might say hello to those big nostrils of yours rather than you. 😀

Winner: Apple MacBook Pro 2018

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Sound & Speakers Comparison

Huawei brings a little surprise in this section. The MateBook X Pro is equipped with a dual stereo speaker supporting Dolby Atmos 2.0 on the left and right side. Both the flagships have the top speakers positioning, the sound can easily travel more distance and is relatively louder than the bottom-faced speakers.

Both notebooks played the ‘Wake me up by Avicii’ song and here’s the test conducted to see which has a better sound.

As you can see, Huawei MateBook X Pro has the upper hand here. The sound is loud yet clear and soft when equalized with Dolby Atmos 2.0. Meanwhile, Apple MacBook Pro 2018 has a slightly lower sound than MateBook X Pro with a difference of 4.3 dB. Moreover, we have recently heard a complaint from the MacBook Pro users about the crackling sound coming from the speakers. So, let’s be on the safe side for now.

Winner: Huawei MateBook X Pro

Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 – Price & Availability Comparison

When Huawei launched MateBook X Pro the availability was an issue. At the start, it was only available in China. But Huawei quickly managed to solve the issue and now the MateBook X Pro is available on Amazon, Aliexpress, Gearbest and other global stores.

Huawei MateBook X Pro has a starting price of around 1269 USD (1112 euros/8688 yuan) and can go as high as 1897 USD (1663 euro/12988 yuan) which is the highest version with Core i7 SoC+16GB memory +512GB SSD+MX150. Meanwhile, MacBook Pro 2018 is priced at 2073 USD (1816 euro/14188 yuan) with the same specs as of the standard version of MateBook X Pro.

 

Note: The standard version is without dedicated Nvidia MX150 2GB but instead has Intel HD620.

Moreover, the MateBook X Signature Edition is also on a great sale.

Update: The latest Intel Core i5 8th Gen + MX150 version is now available.

So, as you can witness, even the highest version of Huawei MateBook X Pro is way cheaper than MacBook Pro 2018. You can buy an iPhone 8 for the price difference between both notebooks’ price difference.

Winner: Huawei MateBook X Pro

High Points of Matebook X Pro Over MateBook Pro 2018

• 2.5x better GPU performance (dedicated graphics for i7 version only)
• Use of CNC process
• Is slightly thinner and more curved than MacBook
• 3K resolution with multi-touch
• Better Sound
• Cheaper than the new MateBook Pro 2018

High Points of MateBook Pro 2018 Over MateBook X Pro

• Slightly better CPU performance
• The first 28W SoC powered notebook
• Great camera positioning
• The display is much pleasing with True Tone Technology
• The name of Apple, the logo, Dedicated OS (Mac) and the 2016 trend of MacBook design 😀

Our Verdict

In this battle of Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018, there were some points where both notebooks tied such as the keyboard and trackpad experience. However, in some sections, there were some wins such as the sound and speaker quality for Huawei and the camera placement of MacBook.

However, in terms of appearance, performance, and price, Huawei MateBook X Pro has a win over the 2018 Apple MacBook Pro. The performance is better thanks to dedicated graphics. The appearance is better because of the curved looks and CNC process, the screen follows the trending full-screen design in smartphones, and the price is much cheaper than the MacBook Pro 2018. In a prominent way, the performance of Huawei MateBook X Pro is indeed better than the 2018 MacBook Pro.

Huawei MateBook X Pro Wins (5) | Apple MacBook Pro 2018 Wins (1) | Tied (1)

Overall Winner: Huawei MateBook X Pro

Hope you loved our Huawei MateBook X Pro Vs Apple MacBook Pro 2018 comparison review. Did we leave anything? Want to know anything about these two notebooks? Let us know in the comment section below.