Huawei Launches 16-Inch MacBook Pro Challenger Called MagicBook Pro

Huawei beat Apple to the punch and launched what it claims to be the first full-size 16.1-inch laptop.

Every person reading up on tech news is likely familiar with reports that Apple will be releasing an all-new 16-inch MacBook Pro sometime later this year. While everyone is waiting for updates and leaks about the said powerful device, Chinese tech giant Huawei, via subsidiary Honor, has already released its 16-inch MacBook Pro competitor, interestingly named “MagicBook Pro.”

9To5Mac reported that the MacBook Pro lookalike may appear similar to the MacBook Pro in terms of aesthetics, but the two are nowhere near each other when it comes to specs. Here’s what the newly-launched MagicBook Pro has over and under the hood, according to GizChina:

Ultraportable

The Honor MagicBook Pro has a 16.1-inch borderless display -- but not really borderless as it has thin bezels still. Honor reduced the bezels on either side of the display to a small 4.9mm, allowing the laptop to have a form factor closer to a 15.6-inch laptop.

Aside from its small size and slim chassis, the Honor MagicBook Pro is ultraportable thanks to a weight of 3.75 lbs (1.7 kg). This makes it smaller and 130g lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Performance

The MagicBook Pro’s top of the line version is powered with an eighth-gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor, which performs way better than the earlier version. This is backed by 8 GB of RAM, 512 GB SSD and NVIDIA GeForce MX250 graphics card. There’s also a 16 GB RAM/1TB storage version, but it’s still in development.

The specs might sound good, but it’s worth noting that the MagicBook Pro uses a 15W TDP Intel CPU, which makes it pale in comparison to the 45W-rated Intel i9 CPUs powering the high-end MacBook Pro models. The MagicBook Pro is closer to the MacBook Air in terms of performance.

Other specs

The MagicBook Pro features seven temperature sensors monitoring the device’s temperature levels, and adjusts between air volume and fan noise accordingly. The device is packed with a 56Wh battery capable of supplying the MagicBook Pro with up to 14 hours of battery life.

The Honor MagicBook Pro i5 version is sold for 5,499 yuan ($799), while the i7 version is sold for 6,199 yuan ($901). Both devices will be released on July 28. The 16GB/1TB version will be released in August for 7,999 yuan ($1,162).