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We all know that Honor is the affordable sub-brand of Huawei, the Honor V30 Pro is a superb alternative to the Huawei Mate 30 Pro for example. Sometimes they both release identical phones though, with the Huawei Nova 5T and Honor 20 being the notable recent example.
With the recent launch of the affordable Huawei MateBook D series which comes in 14 and 15-inch models, how similar are they to the just-announced Honor MagicBook 14 & 15.6?
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HONOR MagicBook 14 - 14 Inch Laptop w/ FullView 1080P... | Buy on Amazon |
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUAWEI MateBook D 14 2020-14 Inch Laptop with FullView 1080P... | Buy on Amazon |
Size and weight
The two size variants of the Honor laptops are 1.38kg and 1.53kg, respectively and measure 322.5 x 214.8 x 15.9 for the 14-inch model
The Mate D has dimensions of 357.8×229.9×16.9mm (15.6”) and 322.5mm x214.8mm x15.9mm (14”) with the 14-inch model weighing 1.38 kg and the 15-inch model weighing 1.53kg.
Suspiciously similar dimensions and weight there.
Display
For Honor, both laptops feature 1080p IPS panels with 16:9 aspect ratio
The MateBook D features the same and the exact spec from the website states:
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Screen Type: IPS
- Resolution: 1920 x 1080
- Screen-To-Body Ratio: 87%
- Contrast Ratio: 800:1
- Brightness: 250 nits
- Viewing Angle: 178° degrees
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
CPU, RAM, Storage
Apart from the display, the main thing that defines a laptop is the processor, the Honor has options for AMD Ryzen 3500U or 3700U. Both are based on AMD’s Zen+ architecture and built on a 12nm process. They come with the integrated AMD Vega 8 and Vega 10 graphics, respectively.
You can choose either 8GB or 16GB of DDR4 RAM and 256GB or 512GB of PCIe SSD storage.
There is actually less choice with Huawei as this comes with just an AMD Ryzen 3500U
Battery
The MateBook D 15 has 42 Wh and the 14 has 56 Wh.
Unsurprisingly, the Honor has the same with the MagicBook 14 using the larger 56Wh battery, while its bigger sibling settles for a 42W one. Charging is done via USB PD at 65W, through the single Type-C port, with a promised 0% to 46% charge in 30 minutes.
Ports
Both laptops have:
- USB-A 3.0 x 1
- USB-A 2.0 x 1
- USB-C x 1
- HDMI x 1
- 3.5 mm headset and microphone 2-in-1 jack x 1
Price
So it is safe to assume, these are literally the same laptops, just with different badges, they even have the same Space Gray colour.
Annoyingly, Honor has been very vague about their pricing, but MagicBook 14/15 will be available to buy in the UK, France, Germany, Czech Republic and other markets at the end of March, with pricing from €599 – UK price and availability updated at the bottom of the post.
For Huawei the pricing is:
- Huawei MateBook D 14 (2020), Space Grey, 512GB storage – £649.99 RRP
- Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020), Space Grey, 256GB storage – £599.99 RRP
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUAWEI MateBook D 15 - 15.6 Inch Laptop with FullView 1080P... |
£699.99 | Buy on Amazon |
With the Honor pricing being in Euros, I would hope it will land in the UK for under £599.99 while having an identical specification to the Huawei MateBook D 15 (2020).
It is worth noting that when the Huawei MateBook D launched if your pre-ordered you got a free pair of Huawei FreeBuds 3 (White) which are worth £115 based on today prices. Hopefully, Honor will have a pre-order bonus too.
Overall, this is good for consumers, you have two identical laptops which allow you to show around and pick whatever is cheapest. Honor does have more hardware choice too, so if you want something with a little more oomph then the Ryzen 3700U based models should make an excellent choice.
[Update] The Honor MagicBook 14 now has a confirmed launch date and price. The laptop will be available from Amazon and Argos on the 7th of April with a base price of £550 – This gets you an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U CPU, Radeon Vega 8 GPU, 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB PCIe SSD storage.
The Matebook D linked above that costs £650 comes with a 512GB drive vs 256GB in the MagicBook. The Matebook comes with a free Huawei Watch GT (the original model not the GT2), this sells for £97 on Amazon, so if you wanted the GT in the first place, this is a great deal, but you could also easily sell for £50.
Overall, they are both good deals, but if you want the option with the best cash price then the MagicBook 14 is your best bet.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| HONOR MagicBook 14 - 14 Inch Laptop w/ FullView 1080P... | Buy on Amazon |
[Original post 25-February-2020]
I am James, a UK-based tech enthusiast and the Editor and Owner of Mighty Gadget, which I’ve proudly run since 2007. Passionate about all things technology, my expertise spans from computers and networking to mobile, wearables, and smart home devices.
As a fitness fanatic who loves running and cycling, I also have a keen interest in fitness-related technology, and I take every opportunity to cover this niche on my blog. My diverse interests allow me to bring a unique perspective to tech blogging, merging lifestyle, fitness, and the latest tech trends.
In my academic pursuits, I earned a BSc in Information Systems Design from UCLAN, before advancing my learning with a Master’s Degree in Computing. This advanced study also included Cisco CCNA accreditation, further demonstrating my commitment to understanding and staying ahead of the technology curve.
I’m proud to share that Vuelio has consistently ranked Mighty Gadget as one of the top technology blogs in the UK. With my dedication to technology and drive to share my insights, I aim to continue providing my readers with engaging and informative content.
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
