IT Pro Verdict
Pros
- +
Colourful
- +
Adjustable stand
- +
Easy setup
Cons
- -
Dim display
You may know Huawei more for its smartphones and networking technology, but it's worth keeping tabs on its computing products. Its MateView monitors, for instance, are particularly impressive.
IT Pro have the MateView SE in for review; the 'SE' is short for 'Standard Edition' as this is the little version of the more expansive MateView which costs £500. The SE is well under half that price, as it is a budget offering from the Chinese giant.
Huawei MateView SE review: Design
The MateView SE is made up of a 23.8in IPS Display and a slim black stand – it only comes in black. Unlike other Huawei hardware, the design of the MateView SE is rather understated; its monitor copies the style of the larger MateView, but its stand is more of a rod shape as opposed to the silver support on the larger model. There is also a five-way rubber joystick, with effortless click action, underneath the monitor for menu navigation.
The whole unit weighs 3.4kg, so nothing particularly backbreaking to contend with during the setup. The stand is simple to erect with a base that screws into a thin trunk and a bracket at the top which clicks into the back of the monitor. The cabling, however, is a little untidy; there's no compartment or channel to feed the wires through, though there aren't many connection options, so isn't that big an issue.
What will please those that purchase the MateView SE is the adjustability of the monitor; it can be tilted back and forth between -5 and 18 degrees and raised up 110mm. This is in addition to having it set up in either landscape or portrait mode, which just requires some fiddling about with four screws, though it is worth the hassle if you like that orientation.
We had the MateView SE in portrait as an external display for a laptop and found it to be a great addition. It gave us that extra screen estate without blocking out the whole desk. Even with our tiny desk, there would still be room to include an external keyboard or mouse.
Huawei MateView SE review: Image quality
The display is very good for a budget device. It is a 23.8in IPS screen with a 16:9 aspect ratio. It offers a 178-degree viewing angle and has a 92% screen-to-body ratio. And there is also a smooth 75Hz refresh rate.
The first thing to get out of the way with the Huawei MateView SE is the fact it isn't very bright. With our calibrator the monitor only produced a peak brightness of 266cd/m2, which is dim, to say the least. Certainly too low for any HDR-quality movies or video playback. For a little bit extra, you can get the LG Gram +view, which produced a peak brightness of 351cd/m2.
However, when it comes to colour production, this budget monitor goes above and beyond expectations. It showcased 99.5% sRGB gamut colour space (109.7% for volume) under its P3 colour mode (more on that later). This budget display matched the thousand-pound-plus Samsung Odyssey Neo G8 for colour accuracy, though that has a much higher refresh rate.
It's not one for the colour professionals, however, and even pro photographers might want something with more Adobe prowess – it only produced 73.3% for Adobe RGB, which is too low for any colourist to even consider.
Huawei MateView SE review: Ports and features
When it comes to ports, you only get two on the MateView SE; one HDMI and one DisplayPort which is a little limiting, but nothing an external connection hub can't fix. There is also a 24W power adaptor with a skinny wire, though this is white so it still stands out as everything else is black.
For the display, there are six modes to choose from, as mentioned above the P3 option is best for colour, but there are also modes for sRGB, gaming, and a custom setting. There is also an HDR mode, but given the poor backlighting here it isn't worth talking about.
'eBook mode' is perhaps the most unusual, as it's designed to give the display a paper-like look, which is meant to help your eyes. It essentially gives you a black and grey screen or, in our opinion, the look of a vintage newspaper. Regardless, it's not really all that useful and we didn't notice much difference after a few hours in ebook mode.
To change the screen modes, Huawei has added a five-way joy stick underneath the monitor. This is really easy to use and similar to what one would find on an LG Monitor. However, there aren't actually enough configuration options to warrant a five-way joy stick as 'Picture mode' and 'Menu' both take you to the same place.
Huawei MateView SE review: Verdict
The MateView SE is a cheap and cheerful monitor that's surprisingly good at producing rich colours. Its small size makes it an ideal choice for the home worker, particularly those that are short on desk space. But it might be something for some smaller businesses to consider if they also have limited workspace.
It lacks brightness and isn't particularly abundant when it comes to connectivity, but for £150 (exc VAT) it still offers plenty of value for money. While it has had its international issues with smartphones and 5G, Huawei has quietly gone about building an impressive PC range, and this budget MateView monitor is another good addition to that portfolio.
Huawei MateView SE specifications
| Screen size | 23.8in |
| Screen resolution | 1920 x 1080 |
| Screen technology | IPS LCD |
| Refresh rate | 75Hz |
| Video inputs | HDMI, DisplayPort |
| Adjustability | -5° to 18° tilt; 110mm height adjustment |
| Dimensions | 538.5 mm × 413 mm × 174 mm |
| Weight | 3.4Kg |
