What is Huawei? Just a Chinese company that could become the No. 1 phone maker in the world. Did you know the Google Nexus 6P is a Huawei? You do now. But the company's latest device isn't a phone -- it's a 12-inch Windows tablet that's as slim as an iPad Pro. It's just a shame Huawei couldn't match it by every other metric.

Why to buy

Starting at $699 in the US (roughly £524 or AU$949, though UK and Australian availability is TBD), the Huawei Matebook is one of the first full Windows 10 computers to fit inside an iPad-sized chassis. (Not the 9.7-inch iPad, mind you -- it's closer to the size of a 12.9-inch iPad Pro.) The secret sauce is Intel's new Core M processors, which don't require any noisy fans or other ornate, girthy mechanisms to keep cool.

Correction, 12:15pm PT: We mistakenly thought the Matebook was priced at $899 instead of $699, which positions it more favorably. We've updated this review and bumped our rating to a 7.0 (3.5 stars) accordingly.

Enlarge Image Sarah Tew/CNET

Yes, it's sleek -- and like an iPad Pro (or Microsoft's bulkier Surface Pro), you can attach a wrap-around keyboard folio to turn this tablet into a far more productive machine. I'm typing this entire review on the Matebook's leather-bound backlit keyboard right now, and while I wouldn't want to type a novel on these fairly stiff keys, they get the job done. The built-in touchpad is impressive too, with an extremely fine surface that makes for accurate mousing.

Meanwhile, the Matebook's ridiculously fast fingerprint sensor logs me into Windows with a snap -- seriously, watch our video above. And the Matebook's screen and speakers are among the best compared to other tablets on the market. I actually enjoy listening to music on these speakers, which CNET tablet expert and resident audiophile Xiomara Blanco assures me is a mighty fine compliment. Just don't expect any bass.

Sarah Tew/CNET

Why to avoid

Now that I've made the Huawei Matebook sound like a dream computer, it's time to bring that dream crashing down.

Caveat No. 1: Intel Core M-powered computers aren't all the same. A Core M in a thin tablet like this one is notably weaker than one in a laptop-sized chassis. I was able to get all my work done on the Matebook, but sometimes it would bog down. There'd be a huge pause before applications would launch or web pages would load. Thicker Core M machines haven't given us as much trouble.

Caveat No. 2: The Matebook doesn't actually come with the keyboard. $699 buys you a bare slate, with no way to control it except the touchscreen. That's right: The Matebook isn't even a "book" unless you pay an extra $129. The stylus pen costs $59, and the docking station you'll need in order to add a monitor, pair of USB ports and an Ethernet jack is $89.

Enlarge Image GIF by Sean Hollister/CNET

The reason you might want that docking station is because a single USB-C port and a 3.5 mm headset jack are the only sockets on this PC. The Matebook does come with a two-piece USB adapter cable if you want to add a traditional thumb drive or mouse, but since that adapter uses the USB-C port, you can't charge the Matebook if you plug in a peripheral.

Caveat No. 3: You may not want to trust that optional keyboard folio to protect your precious PC. When we first saw Huawei's tablet early this year, the keyboard only let you prop the screen up to a single viewing angle. Now, there are two angles -- but the magnets aren't strong enough to keep the screen in the second position if it gets bumped or jolted. I've had the entire computer fall apart in my lap after jostling it.

The solution

But look, the bottom line is this: if you liked the good parts of the Huawei Matebook, you should buy a Samsung Galaxy TabPro S instead. It's the same basic idea as the Matebook -- an iPad-thin Windows tablet with a detachable keyboard -- but it's better in practically every way.

For $899 (on sale now for $799), the TabPro S is even thinner, and yet it has two more hours (7.25 vs. 5.15 hours) of battery life in our streaming media test. It won't be any faster, but it has a richer AMOLED screen -- and all of those benefits cost around the same as a Matebook once you add the keyboard folio you'll need.

Sorry Huawei, you built a decent tablet -- but Samsung did it first, and better.

Multitasking Multimedia Test 3.0 (in seconds) Microsoft Surface Pro 4 519 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet 694 Apple MacBook (12-inch, 2016) 702 Huawei MateBook 825 Samsung Galaxy TabPro S 856 Lenovo Yoga 900S 930 Note: Shorter bars indicate better performance

Geekbench 3 Multi-Core Microsoft Surface Pro 4 6775 Apple MacBook (12-inch, 2016) 5879 Huawei MateBook 5293 Lenovo Yoga 900S 5218 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet 4804 Samsung Galaxy TabPro S 4722 Note: Longer bars equal better performance

Online Streaming Battery Drain test (in minutes) Apple MacBook (12-inch, 2016) 633 Lenovo Yoga 900S 571 Samsung Galaxy TabPro S 435 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Tablet 325 Huawei MateBook 309 Microsoft Surface Pro 4 298 Note: Longer bars equal better performance