Huawei MateBook E

This stylish and speedy rival to the Surface range has much to offer anyone who seeks a detachable laptop

- TIM DANTON

PRICE £833 (£1,000 inc VAT) from consumer.huawei.com/uk

In our iconic PCs feature this month we give praise to Microsoft for its Surface design. It’s no coincidence that every other major laptop maker has since copied its design in one form or other, with Huawei the latest to join in the fun.

One area where Huawei differs from Microsoft is that it doesn’t charge extra for the keyboard. This attaches magnetically to the rear of the MateBook E, with a fold-down rear to lend support. It isn’t as elegant as Microsoft’s kickstand, but you can still choose pretty much any angle of repose. The keys have a pleasant 1.3mm of travel and are well spaced, but don’t expect luxuries such as backlighting. The trackpad is narrow and wide, and it took me some time to get used to it, but that width provides ample space for gestures.

Officially the £100 M-Pencil stylus isn’t included in the price, but there’s a good chance you’ll find it bundled if you buy direct from Huawei. The M-Pencil clings to the top of the chassis via a strong magnet, which is great when you get the position right, but there’s no marking to show the correct position so trial and error is your friend. It’s a nicely sized pen that draws well – it’s a hard plastic nib with good pressure sensitivity – but lacks buttons. You can double-tap on the side to take a screenshot, but that’s it.