Chuwi Hi10 Max 2-in-1 Tablet review

Why you tin spot TechRadar We walk hours testing each merchandise aliases work we review, truthful you tin beryllium judge you’re buying nan best. Find retired much astir really we test.

Chuwi Hi10 Max: 30-second review

Chuwi is simply a Chinese shaper that first entered nan marketplace pinch a action of Android tablets successful 2014 earlier diversifying into laptops and mini PCs.

The Hi10 Max is simply a large, astir 13-inch tablet that Chuwi is trading for a humble price. It includes a keyboard and stylus peripherals, and you tin bargain it pinch aliases without those.

The conception present is to connection thing akin successful features to nan Microsoft Surface Go, but importantly cheaper.

The level of prime is nan aforesaid arsenic nan Chuwi FreeBook N100, and it comes pinch nan aforesaid Intel Celeron N100 processor, 12GB of RAM and 512GB of soul storage.

We've antecedently mentioned that this silicon is borderline for Windows 11, since Microsoft's operating systems for illustration to motorboat caller threads irrespective of nan readiness of cores to work them.

When you first get this machine, it is mostly unusable until each nan updates person been applied, and you request to beryllium observant not to fto nan strategy updates stomp connected it during a play erstwhile you request to usage it.

The Hi10 Max is amended than nan FreeBook because it has a Type-A USB port, not conscionable USB-C. There isn't a immense action of ports, but it has a Micro HDMI if you request to thrust an outer monitor. It besides comes pinch a rear-facing camera, but nan solution of this is only 6MP, truthful don't expect overmuch from it.

Equally disappointing is nan artillery life, which, for illustration nan FreeBook, won't get you done a moving time astatine a afloat charge.

The tablet includes a magnetically attached kickstand that tin beryllium utilized for vertical and horizontal applications. The optional keyboard provided for nan reappraisal besides connects magnetically and has a US cardinal layout.

At nether $370 for nan tablet, keyboard and H7 pressure-sensitive stylus, nan Hi10 Max mightiness look for illustration a bargain. However, nan N100 isn't perfect for Windows, and this hardware mightiness person offered a amended acquisition moving ChromeOS.

Chuwi Hi10 Max: Price and availability

• How overmuch does it cost? From $349/£245.15/€320
• When is it out? Available now
• Where tin you get it? Direct from Chuwi

Chuwi has a direct-selling website wherever it sells nan HiMax 10 and its different products, wherever it tin beryllium bought. However, to confuse matters, it has abstracted Global, EU and US web locations, and nan quoted prices are somewhat different. They are moreover presented successful a different order, conscionable to make things worse.

The options are nan tablet alone, tablet pinch stylus, tablet pinch keyboard, and each 3 items combined. For US customers, nan prices successful that bid are $319, $339, $349 and $369.

For EU buyers, that translates into €319, €349, €349 and €369, pinch UK purchasers paying £245.15, £268.21, £260.52 and £283.58.

It is imaginable to bargain this instrumentality via Amazon, and it appears that nan type offered done that retailer is nan 1 pinch nan tablet and a keyboard but nary stylus. From Amazon.com successful nan USA costs $399, but a $50 voucher connection drops it to nan aforesaid value arsenic straight from Chuwi.

However, arsenic a typical woody from Chuwi, for a constricted period, utilizing this link and nan connection codification TECHRADAR will get you an other discount.

There are cheaper 2-in-1 designs available, but astir of them are Android-based and usage ARM SoC processors.

To get an Intel-powered tablet typically costs person to $500, for illustration nan Lenovo Yoga 500w.

The Hi10 Max seems a decent capable woody for nan hardware connected offer, but we'll screen caveats to this design in nan reappraisal that mightiness make it little compelling.

• Value: 4 / 5

Chuwi Hi10 Max: Specs

Chuwi Hi10 Max: Design

• Good build quality
• Poor rear camera
• Decent screen

The quoted weight for nan Hi10 Max is 780g, but we recovered it was really 771g minus nan kickstand (242g) aliases keyboard (375g). Combining each 3 gave america 1.387kg, almost doubly nan basal tablet's weight.

With some items onboard, nan tablet becomes nan filling of a sandwich of nan different magnetized parts, which doesn't supply overmuch assurance that they'll stay attached.

The kickstand, which flexes successful nan middle, tin descent astir connected its magnets erstwhile you slightest want it to. Some locating projections were needed to extremity it from moving and to make adjustments to nan perspective easier to perform.

The keyboard uses Pogo pins to talk to nan tablet, and 2 magnets connect it. The creation of this point is reminiscent of nan original Microsoft Surf keyboards that were promoted arsenic useable connected a lap, moreover erstwhile they are thing else.

You request a level array aliases different aboveground to type connected it, and location is zero springiness successful nan keyboard, truthful we wouldn't urge entering a dissertation aliases akin ample archive utilizing this. But it's faster than utilizing surface keyboards pinch a digit aliases a stylus.

Where nan Hi10 Max impresses is successful nan wide build quality, which is amazingly bully for what is simply a comparatively low-cost device. The sides are plastic, nan look is wholly glass, and nan rear is reassuringly metal.

The only characteristic connected nan backmost is simply a rear-facing camera successful nan apical correct corner, and nan kickstand has a information spread trim successful it truthful as not to obscure nan position erstwhile folded flat.

On nan near apical separator are 2 USB-C ports, 1 of which is required for charging, and a Micro HDMI port.

Besides nan PSU, Chuwi doesn't supply immoderate accessories pinch this machine, truthful those who want to link to an outer surface request to root a Micro HDMI to HDMI cable.

On nan correct broadside is simply a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones and a USB-A port, and nan powerfulness fastener and measurement rocker are connected nan apical left, wherever they are typically placed connected Android tablets.

For this reviewer, nan stand-out characteristic is nan display, an IPS sheet pinch a decent brightness level. My only rumor pinch this astir 13-inch sheet is that its horizontal viewing angles are overmuch amended than nan vertical one, and nan earthy solution doesn't activity good for apps that usage hardcoded resolutions, for illustration games.

But for wide use, it is better than anticipated, which is thing that we tin besides opportunity astir nan wide build quality.

What it lacks, for illustration nan FreeBook, is immoderate information biometrics.

• Design: 3 / 5

Chuwi Hi10 Max: Hardware

• Intel Celeron N100
• UHD graphics
• Low spec camera

We've antecedently discussed nan Celeron N100, which is utilized successful galore laptops and tablets, for illustration nan Chuwi FreeBook N100 and Meenhong P8.

I won't rehash things I've said astir this level successful nan Freebook N100 review, but nan 4 cores of this silicon look retired of their extent pinch nan measurement that Windows 11 operates.

It is possible, pinch patience, to get this instrumentality to a constituent wherever it operates nicely, but that's pinch apps that aren't particularly demanding. Switching to moreover a Core i3 laptop aft utilizing this seems for illustration a monolithic progression, arsenic those systems aren't chasing each rhythm successful an effort to extremity it from grinding to a complete stop.

This powerfulness mismatch is astir evident erstwhile utilizing immoderate devices aliases apps that usage nan UHD Graphics GPU, hardware that is simply a state mile down nan Iris Xe, and nan Arc-integrated video that Intel is now including pinch its Core Ultra series.

Because of nan Celeron N100 and UHD graphics performance, utilizing nan H7 Stylus is not ever arsenic soft arsenic would beryllium ideal, pinch coating applications somewhat lagging nan input.

This is besides evident pinch nan camera application, wherever look search is ponderous and doesn't refocus astatine nan speeds we'd expect from a phone.

Chuwi didn't item nan specifications of nan camera, but a seizure gives distant that it is simply a Galaxycore Microelectronics GC8034, a sensor that only saw work successful 3 phones we're alert of. That's an 8MP sensor, and wherever it was used, it mostly saw work arsenic a secondary ultrawide sensor, and present it captures 8MP 3264 x 2448 images.

It has nary typical modes via nan Windows Camera exertion isolated from for timelapse. These days, this sensor wouldn't beryllium utilized successful moreover a fund telephone arsenic nan superior camera sensor.

• Hardware: 3 / 5

Chuwi Hi10 Max: Performance

Most benchmark scores comparing this to its FreeBook relative are adjacent capable to beryllium classed arsenic trial variance. The only existent separation is that nan Hi10 Max didn't get arsenic bully an SSD arsenic nan FreeBook, but this is still a comparatively mini difference.

In astir respects, nan Hi10 Max tin support gait pinch nan FreeBook N100, which is good, but these machines besides stock immoderate little desirable capacity traits.

The astir striking consequence is nan artillery life, which isn't perfect for those utilizing this for activity aliases a student. With a somewhat smaller artillery than nan FreeBook, nan Hi10 Max managed a fewer other minutes of moving time, taking it supra 5 hours. But that won't person into a afloat moving day, nevertheless overmuch you move the screen brightness down.

With respective laptops arriving precocious built astir nan Snapdragon X silicon having moving times of complete 20 hours, nan operating life of this strategy is improbable to beryllium a characteristic astir owners will admire.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Chuwi Hi10 Max: Verdict

Paralleling nan Chuwi FreeBook, nan Hi10 Max demonstrates immoderate fantabulous engineering from nan maker, who built an inexpensive 2-in-1 that feels for illustration it should beryllium doubly its asking price.

The problem pinch this hardware is that it's connected nan first rung of nan Windows 11 capacity ladder and successful threat of falling off.

As reviewers, we find it annoying capable to request to unbox a instrumentality and occurrence it up, only to not touch it for immoderate hours while it completes nan update cycle. However, failing to do truthful pinch this hardware will lead to a mediocre acquisition that mightiness person nan purchaser questioning their purchase.

This hardware would beryllium truthful overmuch amended pinch Linux aliases ChromeOS, which does not expect an service of cores to negociate nan excessive thread postulation that Windows generates.

If you conscionable want a comparatively lightweight 2-in-1 for immoderate occasional surfing aliases emails, past this instrumentality will beryllium adequate, but it isn't thing you would prime if you person time-critical tasks.

Should you bargain a Chuwi Hi10 Max?

Buy it if...

Don't Buy it if...