Huawei has been rolling out a slew of new gadgets including smart watches, earphones (the FreeBuds 4 is really good), tablets, and laptops; but the one that got our attention is the computer monitor. The MateView is Huawei’s first flagship monitor screen with smart features (more on that below).

DESIGN

Above: The huawei Mateview (image courtesy huawei).

The design of the monitor is minimalistic and sleek. The bezels around the top, left and right sides of the screen are only 6mm-wide, and 9.3mm for the bottom. The case of the unit is crafted from aluminium and has been polished to give the body a “fine sandy” finish, which looks premium and expensive; needless to say, this is a beautifully-designed product that elevates the aesthetics of any desk.

Above: The screen’s height can be adjusted along the bar, and its angle is just a simple tilt forward or backward in the direction you need.

DISPLAY

It has a gorgeous 28.2″ edge-to-edge display with 4K+ ultra-HD capabilities. Huawei calls it a “real colour” monitor, which really means that the visuals are crystal clear and stunning, and colour accuracy is high. What you see on the screen is calibrated to be as true to “real life” colour as possible.

Above: The mateview has a bright and clear screen, that is impressive the minute you start it up.

SMART FEATURES

There’s a Huawei “Smart Bar” just below the monitor, and replaces traditional buttons for adjusting the device’s settings. It’s designed into the bezel so appears hidden, but it’s easily accessible by just swiping the finger across it from the bottom.

Above: setting up the huawei smart bar.

Above: learning the gesture controls on the smart bar.

Twin speakers are crafted into the stand, and support an impressive maximum volume of 78dB (although you won’t go that loud). There’s a built-in 20V high voltage power amplifier that pumps out a good bass, and makes use of front-firing speakers (many monitors put the speakers at the back of the display) to fully optimise the sound experience for the user. Audio hits you at the right angle, and it sounds balanced.

CONNECTIVITY

Perhaps the most impressive feature after the incredible display, is the ability to connect to other Huawei devices wirelessly. The screen on a Huawei MateBook, MatePad or smart phone can be wirelessly projected onto the MateView monitor, and synching the tablet or phone is easily done by tapping it and connecting them through NFC.

Above: The base of the monitor’s stand has nfc built-in, so you can easily connect other huawei devices wirelessly.

Above: setting up screen projection.

Above: wirelessly projecting the screen from the matebook 14 to the mateview.

The monitor can of course be used to connect other brands of computers, like Lenovo and Apple, and these are connected to the MateView through the various ports (USB-C, HDMI 2.0, Mini Display).

Above:
(LEFT) On the side of the stand, there are two USB-A ports, one USB-C port, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
(right) On the back of the stand, there’s one usb-c power port, a mini display port, and an hdmi port.

FINAL THOUGHTS

For most of us who are working from home, a good computer monitor for our desktop — and even laptop — is becoming essential. We want screens that look good and are comfortable, and won’t hurt our eyes. Most users also appreciate extra ports, especially for connecting and powering peripherals. The MateView has all these and in a sleek package that is a joy to use. At the same time, bonus features like built-in front-facing speakers and wireless projection from other Huawei devices is incredibly convenient, which will make this a hot seller to existing Huawei users. But for a computer monitor, it is rather pricey (at RRP $998), but then again, it’s Huawei’s new flagship high-end screen, and it delivers on both style and performance — and that’s the premium you’re paying for.

The Huawei MateView is priced at $998, and available from september 1, 2021 on SHOPEE. There’s also a promo where you Get $140 off when you purchase the voucher for $1 on Shopee between 1 to 8 September.