Huawei doesn't put a lot of effort into its current notebooks, and the Matebook D15 is no exception: the case has been taken over from earlier models one-to-one. After all, these have always been quite handsome. The latest Huawei Matebook D15 is simple, but not a visual flop. Classic shapes are paired with lots of metal. Only the plastic frame spoils the impression a bit.
There is little to complain about in terms of processing. The aluminum housing gives the hardware a safe home. Only the lid could be a bit more robust. Not only can it be twisted, it can also be pressed through so that waves form on the display. However, the weight of 1.53 kg and the height of 1.7 cm are still quite low for a notebook of this size. Thanks to the slim edges around the display, the footprint of 35.8 x 23 cm is reduced to the bare essentials.
Huawei Matebook D15: 15.6 inches, Full HD and 16:9
The Matebook D15 has been around for a while, so innovation is limited. This applies not least to the display, which offers a classic Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) with an aspect ratio of 16:9. The size is far from out of fashion, but higher pixel densities are on the rise, especially in high-priced laptops. At least the matte finish of the surface makes working comfortable.
Externally, nothing has changed with the Matebook D15 for a long time
AMD's Ryzen 5 5500U still delivers solid performance
With the Matebook D15, Huawei aims more at price-conscious buyers who want a solid overall package. The processor also fits in with this. AMD's Ryzen 5 5500u is no longer the latest breed. And you can see that in the single-core performance in particular. With just over 1,050 points, it clearly lags behind Intel's new i5-1240P. The performance difference is about a third. The gap is similar in multi-core applications. The performance is more in line with the i5-1135G7 that has just been replaced, and this also applies to the graphics performance.
Huawei Matebook D15
Display: 15.6 inches, IPS, Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels)
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 5500U
Graphics: AMD Radeon Vega 7
Memory: 8GB, LPDDR4X
Data storage512 GB, SSD
Connections: 1x USB Type-C, 3x USB 2.0 Type-A
Wireless: WiFi 5 , Bluetooth 5.0
Battery: 56Wh
Scope of delivery: power supply
Dimensions: 35.8 x 23 x 1.7 cm
Weight: 1.63kg
Operating system: Windows 11 Home
Price: 569 euros
The manufacturer could have been a little more generous with the working memory. With 8 GB RAM, the notebook is not too sparsely equipped, but with 16 GB you don't reach your limits quite as quickly when working.
SSD of the Huawei Matebook D15 with usable size
In contrast to the RAM, the data storage is properly dimensioned considering the selling price. The NVMe SSD from Phison has a storage capacity of 512 GB. With transfer speeds of around 2,500 MB/s when reading and almost 2,000 MB/s when writing data, it places itself in the lower midfield in terms of performance.
Keyboard limited by design
Keyboard and touchpad – the Huawei Matebook D15 has nothing more to offer. And even there, not all possibilities are used, because unlike many 15-inch competitors, there is no number pad for simplified input of columns of numbers. The keys themselves seem rickety. A little more travel and a not quite as soft stroke would look good on them.
The touchpad, on the other hand, gives no cause for complaint. The 12 x 7.2 cm area transfers the movement of the fingertips precisely to the screen. Clicking is neither too easy nor too difficult.
Tightly dimensioned power storage in the Huawei Matebook D15
You cannot expect long runtimes from the Huawei Matebook D15 when it is not connected to a wired power supply. A glance at the data sheet reveals this. With 56 Wh, the battery is not exactly large.
Wide bezels around the keyboard
USB 2.0 in 2022?
The fact that the Matebook D15 has been warmed up and updated with new components for a while can be seen not least in the connections. Three classic USB ports are not a bad thing at the desk, because many things that can be connected to computers still have the classic interface. However, it is not understandable why the interfaces correspond to the outdated 2.0 standard. Although the USB Type-C socket corresponds to specification 3.2 Gen 1, it is also used to charge the notebook and is sometimes blocked if necessary.
If peripherals are to be connected wirelessly, a Bluetooth module that works on the basis of the 5.0 standard takes over. Huawei relies on WLAN according to the ac specification for network access.
New WLAN standard: All information about Wi-Fi 6 or IEEE 802.11ax
Conclusion on the Huawei Matebook D15
The Huawei Matebook D15 is still a solid bench, even if not every component meets the latest standards. The design is not out of fashion yet, and there is little to complain about in terms of workmanship. Some classic components – such as the Full HD display – are still used in this price segment.
Design / Processing107
Display1511
Processor2010
Storage105
Battery and consumption105
Keyboard53
Connections105
Price / performance 2015
Total 10061
The processor's performance is no longer impressive, but completely appropriate for the intended purpose. The artificial limitation of the USB ports is less nice: The 2.0 standard simply has no place on a notebook in 2022.
Per
Good workmanship, large SSD, fair price
Against
USB type A sockets according to 2.0 standardKeyboard without number pad
