Chuwi SurBook Mini Design
Chuwi SurBook Mini uses magnesium alloy material in the case, and the port layout is like that of an older brother, the tablet-laptop is very similar to Microsoft Surface 3.
Engineers from Chuwi decided not to bother with the introduction of new material and use part of the components of their competitors, or components of their own production. The screen is a laminated 10.8-inch panel with a 3: 2 aspect ratio and a resolution of 1920 × 1280 pixels.
The case contains 2 USB 3.0 ports and a Type-C connector, the latter, unfortunately, has problems with standard Type-C connectors (for example, from adapters), which may not connect or remain in the port properly.
In addition to the audio connector and the microSD slot, there are no other I / O ports. This means that you will have to sacrifice the Type-C connector when charging. Together with the keyboard, the size of the tablet is 268 × 190 × 14 mm with a weight of 979 grams.
The frame around the screen is quite wide, but this is normal and allows you to conveniently hold the tablet without accidentally clicking on the panel.
Surround Mini Features
The new Chuwi SurBook Mini is equipped with the same components as its older brother: Intel Celeron N3450 processor, DDR3 memory (one third smaller than the original) and SanDisk eMMC 5.1 drive for data storage.
Tablet Specifications Tablet Notebook
Accessories | Description |
CPU | 4-core Intel Celeron N3450 with a frequency of 2.2 GHz |
Graphic arts | Intel HD Graphics 500 |
RAM | 4 GB DDR3 |
Inner memory | 64 GB eMMC Sandisk DF4064 |
Screen | 10.8-inch with a resolution of 1920 × 1080 |
Ports and connectors | 2 × USB Type-A, 2 × USB Type-C, audio connector, card reader |
Connectivity options | 802.11 ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 |
Camera | 2-megapixel front webcam, 2-megapixel rear camera |
Dimensions and weight | 268 × 190 × 14,979 grams (with a keyboard) |
Battery | 35 W |
The N3450 chipset is a new generation processor compared to the X7-Z8700, which is installed on Surface 3. With the same number of cores (but with a lower frequency) and with the same amount of cache, these two processors will work comparatively the same way.
The Superbook Mini from Chuwi is equipped with a pair of 2-megapixel cameras that are perfect for fast pictures and video calls, there is a 35-volt battery with a 12V, 2A / 24W, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4 and a pair of speakers. Active pen (stylus) is not included in the kit, but it can be purchased separately for $ 17 (970 rubles).
Tablet performance
Transformer Chuwi SurBook Mini outperforms its older brother in most tests, despite having the same processor and a smaller amount of RAM. A screen with a higher resolution requires much more work from the graphics subsystem.
SurBook Mini is a medium-sized gadget, in single-core and multi-core tests. The battery life is just over 4 hours, which is not much better than the original.
Chuwi claims that the brightness of the IPS display can reach 450 nits. I have not tested it, but one thing I can say for sure – the screen provides a pretty good performance with deep black and bright colors.
The small size of the tablet and keyboard mean that the SurBook Mini is less prone to buckling when pressed. The touchpad turned out to be better here than I expected, despite its small size – it accurately and well reacted to my touch.
Chuwi SurBook Mini test results
Alternatives to Chuwi SurBook Mini
The original SurBook is considered the main rival of the Chuwi SurBook Mini, it has twice the size of the screen pixels and twice the system and internal memory, but it is much more expensive and less mobile.
Alldocube KNote 2 in 1 is slightly larger than the Chuwi tablet, with a lower screen resolution and a 16: 9 aspect ratio. It has system memory and built-in storage of 6 GB and 128 GB, respectively.
Another product Chuwi, Hi13 can also become an alternative. It is much larger and has a 13.5-inch screen with a resolution of 3000 × 2000, as well as a docking station for the keyboard, which turns it into a full-fledged laptop. Hi13 is equipped with the same basic components as the SurBook Mini, although it costs more than 20%.
The Jumper EZpad 6 Plus costs less than the SurBook Mini from Chuwi (14%), has more RAM (6 GB) and a keyboard bundled.
Lenovo Mix 310 received a similar display and the amount of built-in storage, but only half of the system memory and a slower processor. It costs only $ 280 (16,000 rubles), the package includes a guarantee.
The result
Surface 3 was one of the most popular projects in 2014, having collected more than one million dollars during the campaign. So it’s no wonder that Chuwi released SurBook Mini and plans to release Surface Book Pro in the future.
If you ever dreamed of Surface 3, but could not buy it, then Chuwi SurBook Mini will be able to replace it. It has a decent price and comes with a very balanced configuration. When choosing a screen, design, and hardware, manufacturers hit the very spot, especially in this price range.
It’s safe to say that the release of SurBook Mini has strengthened the reputation of Chuwi as one of the best Chinese manufacturers of tablet notebooks on the market. Only Jumper EZPad 6 Plus does not allow the SurBook Mini to take the first place in the market of convertible tablets 2-in-1 entry level.
Advantages of Chuwi SurBook Mini
- Great form factor.
- A decent set of components.
- The price is maintained at a low level.
- An excellent display.
Disadvantages SurBook Mini
- Problems with USB Type-C ports.
- Average battery life.