Laptops

HUAWEI MateBook X Pro 2024 review: Air Thin, Pro Build

With plenty of power to spare

Published

July 9, 2024

More Air than “Air”. More Pro than “Pro”. Non-verbatim, but this was the claim that Huawei boldly made during the regional launch of the MateBook X Pro (2024) held at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The “Air” and “Pro” here pertain to the laptops made by Apple — MacBooks.

I had the privilege of spending a couple of weeks with the latest MateBook X Pro. Does it live up to the lofty standards it set for itself? The answer isn’t a clear cut yes or no – especially for someone like myself who prefers Macs over Mates (or any other productivity-leaning Windows laptops). But what Huawei has here is pretty darn compelling.

Air thin, Pro build

I’m gonna come right out the gate and say I wish there was a MacBook built exactly like this.

Screen size-wise, it sits in that sweet spot between the 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook air while retaining a similar level of thinness. The 15-inch MacBook Air M3 measures at 11.5mm while the MateBook X Pro comes in at 13.5mm. That’s a negligible difference for most people.

But that minute difference let Huawei put a key component that the MacBook Air does not: Fans. Specifically, the Shark Fin Fans. The importance of cooling cannot be understated. And while it’s more of a necessity for the MateBook because of the nature of its processor, it’s still quite a feat to add fans to such a razor thin device.

In case you’re curious, Huawei claims that the cooling tech they applied boosts performance by 37%. You won’t even hear the fan unless you’re actually pushing the laptop. For us, it only happened while playing games. More on that later.

Stunning look and feel

In terms of build quality, I absolutely give the edge to the MateBook X Pro. They’re calling it the “Skyline Design: Sleek at first sight,” and it certainly lives up to that billing.

It’s a little hard to put into words but every single design decision – from its shape, to the hinge, and all the way down to its finish – just screams premium.

Huawei says it’s made with magnesium alloy that is less dense but is stronger than aluminum and steel. It’s likely not a material that’s cost-effective which is why you don’t see it in more laptops. But it’s key in giving the MateBook X Pro an ultra-light feel. Icannot stress ultra-light enough because it’s one of the most important things about this device.

You see, I personally have been on a mission to make my daily loadout as light as possible. I’ve primarily switched to foldables to be able to do light work on-the-go. But there are tasks that are just simply more efficient on a laptop. And the MateBook X Pro is hands-down the lightest I have ever carried without compromising on performance.

It also has a matte finish that just feels so damn good to touch. I’ve had this laptop for a while now but whenever I use it I still find myself gushing at its finish in between moments of typing and thinking. Also, the matte finish isn’t all for show. It’s also scratch and stain resistant.

“Premium” just doesn’t fully encapsulate what it’s like to touch, hold, and feel the MateBook X Pro. At the risk of hyping it too much, it’s an experience that’s akin to opening gifts during Christmas morning as a child. It offers a sense of awe and wonder that stays with you for a while.

An executive’s pro partner

I always felt like a million dollars whenever I used the MateBook X Pro. And that goes beyond its undeniably well-crafted design and build. For most work tasks, this won’t leave you wanting.

As the Managing Editor, I dabble into a little bit of everything. However, none of my tasks are particularly demanding in terms of my need for raw processing power from my laptop. On days that I’m out and about, I rely on my foldable smartphones for many of my coordination and liaison duties. With those, I can also do a little bit of light writing and editing.

However, many days require hunkering down and spending plenty of quality time in front of a laptop screen and with a keyboard that feels satisfying to type on. In the days when my partner was the MateBook X Pro, it felt like I’m breezing to many of my deliverables. If anything, I was the only one who was slow. Skill issue.

Split screen helps with the less than stellar multi-desktop switching

On regular laptop work days, I have a couple of browsers with multiple tabs open. Nothing too crazy, just around 15 to 20. On top of that, I also have around four to five messaging apps open. Through these, I do everything from email and message correspondence, assigning articles to writers, copy editing, transferring video and photo files for our video editors to process, signing documents, and more. Pretty standard stuff. But never did I experience a hiccup.

Oh and the keyboard feels incredibly good to type on despite having a thin profile. There’s enough travel and you feel every key press glide through. It makes you want to use the laptop even more.

Plenty of power for multiple tasks

In the event that I had to do some light photo and/or video editing, I found that the display is color accurate which is helpful for any media work. I didn’t expect the machine to struggle here because most of it is indeed just light work.

That’s about what I expected since the MateBook X Pro is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor. And despite its small body, it’s able to push up to a 40W TDP. Essentially, that’s what makes it easy for the machine to breeze through all the multi-tasking. I find myself lagging more than the laptop. Naturall, that’s a me problem.

In case you’re curious, that processor is complemented by 32GB of RAM and 2TB of on-device storage.

I should also mention that this does come with support for Copilot. That means you’re free to dabble with AI thingamajigs.

Helpful Huawei additions

The one thing holding the MateBook X Bro back is Windows. I briefly spoke about it with our Modern Creatures friend, Vikka and she hit the nail on the head: Windows’ File System, its general trackpad feel, and its sleep-to-wake function just isn’t as smooth and seamless as it should be. But Huawei included some helpful things to help mitigate some of these.

First, the sleep-to-wake function is certainly faster than most Windows laptops I’ve used in the past. Still not faster than Macbooks, but that’s an advantage the Apple has for developing both the hardware and software in-house – which really, is their advantage over all Windows laptops.

To help mitigate some of what I find to be horrendous implementations by Windows, Huawei has the FreeTouch feature which are additional gestures you can use for quick controls.

It was turned on by the default on Huawe’s PC Manager, but if you wish to check if these gestures are indeed turned on, use two fingers and swipe inwards from the right edge of the touchpad. That should launch the PC manager.

That already tells you that the gestures are turned on. But to check what else you can do, go to My Devices and select FreeTouch. There you’ll be able to toggle the FreeTouch gestures you want to use.

Some of the ones I found really helpful and used regularly are the following:

Screenshot: Knock twice with a single knuckle.
Screen recording: Knock twice with two knuckles.
Brightness adjustment: Swipe one finger along the left edge of the touchpad.
Volume adjustment: Swipe one finger along the left edge of the touchpad.

The last two I found really helpful and amusing. I’m coming from a MacBook Pro with a broken touch bar and the only way for me to make these adjustments there now is to go into settings.

These two FreeTouch gestures are so intuitive that I strongly believe every laptop maker should copy it. Also, those edge touches have haptic feedback so you will feel something as you slide your finger along the edges.

Other gestures are:

Minimizing a window: Press the upper left corner of the touchpad.
Closing a window: Press the upper right corner of the touchpad.

I prefer working on multiple desktops and swiping from left to right to jump through these just doesn’t feel as smooth on Windows. And while that will likely remain a paint point, I’m thankful for these added gestures that make certain little tasks more efficient.

P.S. Hopefully they add a gesture to quickly access the emoji keyboard. I use that a lot.

Camera cover

Another tiny but helpful addition is the camera cover slider on the right side of the laptop right next to a USB-C port.

Simply slide as needed to cover the camera when not in use or when you don’t want to show your beautiful face during conference calls.

Gaming???

Didn’t see this coming, did you? I’m actually a pretty big gamer. I primarily play on a PS5 but have dabbled into PC gaming of late. PC Game Pass is a godsend and guess what, I was able to use it on the Huawei MateBook X Pro.

The combination of the specs already mentioned along with the Intel Arc Graphics and a 3:2 aspect ratio display that supports 120Hz refresh rate and 1 ms response speed means I can sneak in some play time when I bring this machine to out of town trips.

In fact, I played a bit of the opening minutes of Lies of P, while I’m in Paris, France for a coverage. This was the only time that I heard the fans buzzing. Playing a title like this will push the machine. And even if the Graphics Settings were only set to medium, it was still more than good enough to look at and get a little bit of progress on your playthrough.

Works extremely with Freebuds

Oh and if you happen to use Huawei’s own Freebuds Pro, they pair perfectly with the MateBook X Pro offering fantastic audio for gaming and other media consumption. You also get high-quality noise cancelling whose effect is improved when these two are in tandem. Perfect combination? Most definitely.

Is the Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024 your GadgetMatch?

There’s not enough talk about how HUAWEI hardware is so expertly crafted. They prove their proficiency once more in this regard with the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro 2024.

It’s a machine that will have you waxing poetic like how Andrew Garfield once described Emma Stone so endearingly: “She was like a shot of espresso. She’s like being bathed in the sunlight. She’s incredibly energetic and enthusiastic and she had this sense of play and fun which was incredibly exciting”.

It just has that overall effect despite being held back by certain implementations of its operating system. And you should want that kind of effect since it’s a machine that will ask a lot from you monetarily. It retails for a staggering PhP 129,999 with massive pre-order bonuses (details down below).

There are plenty of other options at that price point depending on your needs. However, I’m fairly confident there’s only a handful that can compete against the unique experience that the Huawei MateBook X Pro brings due its combination of look, feel, performance, and build.

Personally, I can certainly say the MateBook X Pro is MY GadgetMatch. Whether it’s yours or not depends entirely on the kind of work you do and the system you want to operate in. But despite my preferences, I still opted to carry this laptop because its positives are unique and heavily outweigh my disdain for how parts of its OS feels.

The Huawei MateBook X Pro 2024 launched alongside the MateBook 14 Pro. Pre-order period is from July 12-31. Price and first-sale freebies are as follows:

MateBook X Pro 2024 – PhP 129,999
Freebies: Huawei Vision S 65″ TV (worth PhP 45,999) + Backpack (worth PhP 1,899)

MateBook 14 Pro – Starts at PhP 59,999
Freebies: MateView SE Monitor (worth PhP 7,999) + Backpack (worth PhP 1,899)

Pre-order here.

Accessories

OBSBOT’s Meet Flip is your next best pocketable 4K webcam

Fold the Flip for further protection

Published

July 29, 2026

Vincenz

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Several months ago, you might remember that OBSBOT revealed the Tiny 3 series of web cameras.

Six months after, they also unveil the all-new Meet Flip. From the name itself, it’s the company’s latest foldable 4K webcam that puts hardware privacy front and center.

Foldable and pocketable

Despite weighing just 37.7 grams, the Meet Flip aims to deliver premium webcam features for all types of users. Be it remote workers, professionals, or content creators.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Undoubtedly, the biggest highlight has got to be the webcam’s folding design. Not only it’s portable, it protects your privacy too.

Closing the device physically blocks the lens, giving users a visual confirmation that the camera is no longer active. When it’s time for a meeting, simply unfold it and it’s ready to go.

That lightweight body also features a built-in mounting clip that works with laptops, monitors, and tripods. Users can mount it in landscape, portrait, or even upside-down orientations depending on their setup.

Despite that absurd amount of lightweightness, the OBSBOT Meet Flip is still able to house a 1/2-inch Exmor RS stacked CMOS sensor with Quad Bayer technology. That’s something more commonly found among bigger and higher-end web cameras.

Other camera features include:

4K video recording / 30fps
1080p recording / up to 60fps
HDR support for challenging lighting
Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF)
4x digital zoom
f/1.8 aperture with ISO 100-6400 support for low-light environments

Beyond just video calls

The OBSBOT Meet Flip isn’t just packed with serious camera hardware, it’s seriously intelligent as well.

The Meet Flip supports AI Auto Framing. This automatically keeps users centered during meetings — regardless if they are presenting alone or with a group. Gesture controls also let users activate framing or adjust zoom without touching the keyboard or mouse.

Another standout feature is AI Magic Notes which provides real-time meeting transcription and automatically generates summaries, action items, and key discussion points.

The feature works with Google Meet, Zoom, and Microsoft Teams through OBSBOT Center. Every webcam includes complimentary transcription of 120 minutes.

With that being mentioned, OBSBOT Center also makes users gain access to software features such as background blur, virtual backgrounds, beauty mode, and picture-in-picture overlays for presentations.

Those who want more advanced controls can enable Smart Eye Tracking, teleprompter support, and manual image adjustments.

Audio also gets an upgrade through an intelligent dual-microphone system that offers four recording modes:

Directional Mode / solo calls
Dual-Directional Mode / interviews
Smart Omni Mode / group meetings
Pure Audio Mode / unprocessed stereo recording

AI Noise Reduction and Automatic Gain Control are also available across most modes to help improve voice clarity.

OBSBOT’s Meet Flip is also compatible with mobile devices through the OBSBOT Live app and supports integrations with accessories including Elgato Stream Deck, Nintendo Switch 2, and UVC-to-NDI/HDMI adapters.

Pricing and Availability

The OBSBOT Meet Flip is available starting today for US$119 through OBSBOT’s online store, Amazon US, and select retailers worldwide. Regional pricing may vary.

Laptops

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra wins you over

The laptop sneaks up on you

Published

July 3, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

This is coming from someone who has done countless unboxings and has touched a wide variety of devices — the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra was… alright.

My first impression was that it certainly didn’t wow me as much as I expected it to after having read the brief, nor even after attending the tech seminar where ASUS laid out its vision for the laptop.

That’s probably the strangest thing about the ExpertBook Ultra. Because after having spent more time with it, the laptop grew on me.

Put cheekily, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra wasn’t the laptop that made my head turn. Instead, it was the laptop that kept showing up consistently. Before I realized it, it’s become the one I wanted to keep coming back to.

And I think that’s the best way to describe my experience with ASUS’ flagship business notebook.

The laptop sneaks up on you.

Built to be carried

I got the laptop right after Computex 2026 coverage. That meant my days were closer to how they normally are. That also meant I had to be more intentional about going out and bringing it with me as I tackled my day-to-day duties.

I normally carried it using my trusted EDC — the Alpaka Bravo Tote — and I have to say it definitely felt lighter than my usual laptop, which is the MacBook Pro M4.

The Apple laptop I regularly carry is, I have to admit, chunkier than I would prefer. So having the ExpertBook Ultra for about a week or so literally felt like some load was taken off my shoulders.

Did I ever forget it was there? I wouldn’t go that far.

But if you’re asking me which one I’d rather carry based on build and weight alone, I would, with no hesitation, reach for the ExpertBook Ultra.

That says a lot considering how attached I am to my usual setup.

ASUS likes talking about how light the ExpertBook Ultra is. Normally, that’s the sort of marketing line I acknowledge and quickly move past.

This time, I actually felt it.

The Nano Ceramic effect

One of the first things ASUS will tell you about the ExpertBook Ultra is its Nano Ceramic finish. I’ll admit, it felt like one of those things that sounds good on a slide presentation.

It’s one of those things that look gimmicky at first but actually feels incredible once you come across it on a daily basis.

It’s still early, so you can consider this very much part of the honeymoon phase with the laptop. Even so, the Nano Ceramic finish continues to inspire a bit of awe every time I pick it up.

I do feel like a little weirdo caressing the laptop ever so gently before I begin the day’s work wherever I may be. But that’s just a testament to how good it feels to touch.

And yes, it does reinforce the feeling that, “Hey, I’m working on a pretty fancy piece of machinery.”

It’s easy to underrate the effects of that feeling, but it’s those little intangible things that can sometimes help unlock perspectives and possibilities.

That’s not something you’ll find on a spec sheet. But it’s absolutely part of the experience.

A display that’s difficult to stop staring at

It also helps if STAYC Isa is on screen.

The display is magnificent.

As Captain America would say, “I can look at this all day.” Not the exact phrase, but you’re smart. You get it.

The OLED and matte coating is just a killer combo. Kind of like the Chaewon and Yeji “That’s a No No” challenge collab. Pardon the months-old K-pop reference. I’ve been so busy I haven’t really kept up with what’s new.

Anyway, the combination just comes at you unapologetically and you have no recourse but to bask in it. Maintaining the deep blacks and crisp colors is such a gift to your eyes.

I often sit right next to big windows when I’m out in cafés and the light did nothing to dull the effect of the display.

Two love, two love. I’m falling.

It was so good I often found myself fully diving into STAYC’s 2 LOVE music video in between writing this very review and coordinating with my team.

The matte coating deserves special mention here.

OLED panels already look fantastic. Pairing one with a matte finish that helps cut reflections without sacrificing the strengths of OLED makes for one of my favorite laptop displays in recent memory.

Typing just clicked

This is one of my favorite keyboard experiences. Things just clicked right from the start. No awkward feeling-out phase whatsoever.

I was touch typing like I was Doctor Strange trying to look into over 14 million possible outcomes and still landing on the right key every single time.

The keys feel closer to chiclet-style keyboards than anything else. Even so, the spacing is perfect and the travel satisfying.

Then there’s the haptic touchpad.

I typically don’t like using mice, especially when I’m out and about. With most Windows laptops I’ve used in the past, that eventually becomes a necessity.

That wasn’t the case with the ExpertBook Ultra. It’s easily one of the best-feeling touchpads I’ve used in recent memory.

My standard for touchpads has always been MacBooks. While the software is also doing some heavy lifting in that particular setup, the ExpertBook’s own comes pretty close.

That’s not praise I hand out lightly.

Performance that feels like overkill

Performance is one area where I cannot claim I fully pushed the capabilities of the ExpertBook Ultra.

Most of my tasks are browser-based. Plenty of tabs open, sure, but I don’t think I ever came close to really testing the capabilities of this business notebook. I imagine that would be the case for most of ASUS’ target audience.

Upon seeing the specs, I already knew this was going to be a bit of an overkill for my own use case. My time with it only proved that assessment.

The most I did with it was jump between browser tabs and chat apps, letting ChatGPT help me process unresolved feelings and questionable timing while I dealt with coordinating shoots, writing scripts and reviews, and dealing with external forces that leave me feeling drained.

Never once did the laptop feel slow. Never once did I find myself waiting.

What noise?

Speaking of things I didn’t notice, let’s talk about fan noise.

Again, since I didn’t really push this thing to its absolute limits, the fan never really kicked into high gear at any point during my time with it.

The same goes for thermals.

No task I did ever raised the temperature to uncomfortable levels. The laptop simply went about its business. Which, come to think of it, is probably the most business-laptop thing I can say about it.

Battery life that simply works

I was very impressed with its overall efficiency.

When I go out to work, I typically don’t stay out longer than five to six hours. Most of the time that’s five to six hours of really focused work—with some K-pop loving in between.

Being generally risk-averse, I still always brought my usual charger with me. Not once during my time with the device did I feel the need to plug in while working outside.

I would typically end my café work days somewhere between 30 to 40 percent and only juice the thing up once I got home while it was closed and not in use.

That’s exactly the kind of battery experience I want from a business laptop.

The AI question

The thing I struggle with when it comes to AI features on this machine is that a lot of them are Windows-based and that’s just not the AI I find reliable.

Right now, many of these features are nice-to-have.

I’m sure one of ASUS’ target users will likely find a use case for them.

As for me personally, this is one area I’d have to dig deeper into to actually find ways to integrate them into my workflow and general usage.

And honestly, that’s okay. The AI features weren’t the reason I kept reaching for the laptop.

Who is this actually for?

That’s a loaded question. Really, it’s built for anyone who can afford it.

With a starting price of PhP 129,995, this device comfortably sits in aspirational territory.

What I know for sure is that this is a machine for someone who’s already built some momentum in their chosen field and would like to level up.

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra gives you a machine that can handle your business now and inspire you to dream bigger about your future.

Is the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra your GadgetMatch?

The thing I kept coming back to with the ExpertBook Ultra is that there is no one thing that made me turn to it.

Instead, it’s the combination of everything that it brings to the table. The premium-feeling build, lightweight design, wonderful display, excellent keyboard and touchpad. efficient performance, and the thoughtful extras. Together, they make it a laptop that’s easy to recommend to anyone who’s ready for it.

But what does ready for it actually mean?

It means it’s for people who have leveled up quite a bit in their grind and want a machine that matches their current status and future aspirations.

That’s what the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra represents. A modern classic that’s ready for now and whatever comes next.

That’s why it didn’t wow me. But it certainly won me over.

Laptops

ASUS launches the ExpertBook Ultra

Flagship AI business laptop

Published

July 2, 2026

GadgetMatch

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is now available in the Philippines. It is ASUS’ latest AI-powered business laptop for professionals who want a lightweight machine without sacrificing performance.

Positioned as the flagship of the ASUS ExpertBook lineup, it combines a sub-1kg chassis with Intel Core Ultra processors, enterprise-grade security, and AI features. ASUS is targeting executives, business users, and creators with the new laptop.

Built for portability and performance

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra weighs as little as 0.99kg. It measures just 10.9mm thick. The laptop uses an aerospace-grade magnesium-aluminum chassis with ASUS Nano Ceramic Technology. ASUS says the finish delivers five times greater scratch resistance than the industry standard.

Despite its slim profile, the laptop packs a 70Wh battery. ASUS rates it for up to 26 hours of battery life.

Power comes from Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors. The lineup is topped by the Intel Core Ultra X9-388H. Buyers can configure the laptop with up to 64GB of LPDDR5X memory running at 9600 MT/s and up to a 2TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD.

ASUS also highlights its ExpertCool Pro thermal system. It allows the processor to sustain up to 50W of CPU performance while keeping fan noise low.

Tandem OLED display and premium hardware

The ExpertBook Ultra features a 14-inch 3K Tandem OLED touchscreen. It offers a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1,400 nits of HDR brightness. Corning Gorilla Glass Matte helps reduce reflections while preserving image quality.

Other hardware highlights include:

1.5mm travel spill-resistant keyboard
Edge-to-edge haptic touchpad
Six-speaker Dolby Atmos audio system
Dual Thunderbolt 4 ports
Two USB-A ports
HDMI 2.1
3.5mm audio jack

AI and enterprise security

As a Copilot+ PC, the ASUS ExpertBook Ultra includes AI-powered tools through the MyExpert suite. These include AI ExpertMeet and a local Knowledge Hub.

The laptop also focuses on enterprise security. Features include dual biometric authentication, a physical webcam shutter, self-healing BIOS, TPM 2.0, Microsoft Pluton, and compliance with the NIST SP 800-193 firmware security standard.

Price and availability

The ASUS ExpertBook Ultra is now available through ASUS authorized stores and select retailers nationwide.

Pricing starts at PhP 129,995. Higher-end configurations go up to PhP 215,995.

ASUS is also offering an Early Bird Bundle until July 31, 2026. Eligible purchases include an ASUS 100W GaN charger and PhP 10,000 worth of SSI gift vouchers.