Established in 2004, Chuwi is a Chinese OEM based in Shenzhen, with a pretty neat lineup of Windows tablets and 2-in-1s since a while. Very popular on online retailers in China, the company is now trying to gain ground in other markets. Chuwi is also a global partner for Intel and Microsoft, which inspires a little confidence in this relatively unknown brand.
From their diverse lineup of devices in different form factors, I ordered the Chuwi Hi10 Pro, a Windows 10 2-in-1 with detachable keyboard. At less than $250, it’s an affordable laptop for casual users as well as a great tablet for just about anyone who’s looking for a Windows tablet.
CHUWI Hi10 Pro: Specification
Basic Information | Brand: CHUWI Type: Ultrabook OS: Android 5.1,Windows 10 CPU Brand: Intel CPU: Cherry Trail Z8300 GPU: Intel HD Graphic(Gen8) Core: 1.44GHz,Quad Core |
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Storage | RAM: 4GB ROM: 64GB External Memory: TF card up to 128GB (not included) |
Network | Support Network: WiFi WIFI: 802.11b/g/n wireless internet Bluetooth: Yes |
Display | Screen type: Capacitive,IPS Screen size: 10.1 inch Screen resolution: 1920 x 1200 (FHD) |
Camera | Camera type: Dual cameras (one front one back) Back camera: 2.0MP Front camera: 2.0MP |
Connectivity | TF card slot: Yes Type-C: Yes Micro USB Slot: Yes Micro HDMI: Yes 3.5mm Headphone Jack: Yes Docking Interface: Support |
General | Battery Capacity(mAh): 3.7V/6500mAh AC adapter: 100-240V 5V 3A G-sensor: Supported Skype: Supported Youtube: Supported Speaker: Supported MIC: Supported Google Play Store: Supported Notification LED: Supported Charging LED Light: Supported |
Media Formats | Picture format: BMP,GIF,JPEG,JPG,PNG Music format: MP3,WAV,WMA Video format: 1080P,3GP,4K (4096 x 2160 px),MP4 MS Office format: Excel,PPT,Word E-book format: PDF,PowerPoint,TXT,Word |
Languages | Pre-installed Language: Windows OS is built-in Chinese and English, and other languages need to be downloaded by WiFi. Android OS supports multi-language |
Additional Features | Additional Features: Bluetooth,Browser,Calculator,Gravity Sensing System,HDMI,MP3,MP4,Wi-Fi |
Dimensions | Product size: 26.18 x 16.73 x 0.85 cm / 10.31 x 6.59 x 0.33 inches Package size: 36.50 x 22.00 x 5.40 cm / 14.37 x 8.66 x 2.13 inches Product weight: 0.562 kg Package weight: 1.060 kg |
Package Contents | Tablet PC: 1 Charger: 1 |
Chuwi Hi10 Pro Design
The Hi10 Pro sports a full metal unibody design featuring an exquisite aluminum alloy chassis. The metallic finish gives it a premium look one would not expect from a budget device. It looks solid and the texture feels great in the hand — especially the curved edges which aid the grip — and can take casual everyday handling.
The bezel on the top is quite thick, and while on one side it is put to use with the Windows button, I didn’t really mind it since it offered me a little extra room to hold the tablet easily without my thumb or palm covering the display.
The Hi10 Pro offers a generous heaping of connectivity options, all lined up on one edge of the tablet There’s the TF card slot, USB Type-C for charging, Micro USB, Micro HDMI, and the 3.5mm headphone jack. The keyboard too includes a USB port. Chuwi has done well to pack all of these in its sleek form factor.
For the price, the Hi 10 Pro impresses in aesthetics. At 562 grams, it’s not very heavy – about 100 grams heavier than the much more expensive iPad Air 2. I carried it around casually through the day, without it getting overbearing on my arm or wrist anytime.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro Design
The design of this tablet is very well worked. It is true that it is not as thin as other tablets a little more expensive, but still not bad. It has a thickness of 8.5 mm and weighs 562 g.
The design of this tablet is very well worked. It is true that it is not as thin as other tablets but a little expensive, but still not bad. It has a thickness of 8.5 mm and weighs 562 g.
It is a tablet with a very current design and good finishes. Also we can not fail to mention that it can be connected to external keyboards thanks to its connectors. From this you can transform this tablet into a laptop quickly.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro Screen
The screen is one of the most important things in a Tablet. At the end of the day, we want a tablet because its screen is bigger, which allows us to work or enjoy multimedia elements in a more comfortable way.
10.1 “FHD screen
This tablet has a 10.1 “display with an FHD resolution. It does not have a Super AMOLED screen like the Samsung Tabs, nor is it Retina Display like the iPad, but still, it looks great.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro Hardware
Operating System | Android 5.1 and Windows 10 Home |
Processor | Intel Z8300 Quad Core, 1.44GHz |
RAM | 4GB |
Internal Storage | 64GB; expandable up to 128GB via TF card |
Display | 10.1-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 10-Point capacitive IPS display |
Ports | TF card slot, USB Type-C, Micro USB, Micro HDMI, 3.5mm Headphone Jack |
Camera | 2MP front camera | 2MP rear camera |
Dimensions | 26.18 x 16.73 x 0.85 cm |
Weight | 562 grams (without keyboard) |
Powered by Intel’s 14nm X5 Series Cherry Trail CPU (up to 1.84GHz) with a generous 4GB RAM, the Hi10 Pro is able to offer enough grunt for most apps and basic games. You shouldn’t really stretch this hardware for graphic-intensive games or anything extraordinary, because then it shows its weakness.
The Hi10 Pro packs in 64GB of internal storage, which can be extended up to 128GB. It’s eMMC, not SSD, mind you. Even though it’s flash storage, eMMC typically is slower than SSD and boot times and large file operations are slower.
The new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon looks fantastic: silver, Intel Kaby Lake and Thunderbolt 3
For a basic professional or student with a light workload – typically multi-tabbed browsing, Office apps, and some multimedia – the Hi10 Pro works quite well, and suffices without breaking a sweat. Anything more, is not what it is meant for, and that shows.
Both the front and rear cameras on the Hi 10 Pro are pretty average. There’s always a little blur, and the front camera shots are usually dark. For those Skype calls, you might want to pick a well-lit spot, lest your face disappear into the darkness.
The battery life on the Hi10 Pro is pretty good. The 6500mAh battery allows for about 6 to 7 hours of normal usage. While Chuwi advertises quick charging, it’s not quick enough. Using the supplied 5V/3A charger, it takes 3 to 4 hours to charge the Hi10 Pro to 100%.
It’s quite nifty that the device uses USB 3.0 Type-C for charging — if you carry one of the latest smartphones you won’t need to carry a separate chargers. Also, it also charges using any of the newer power banks.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro Performance
In the Chuwi Hi10 Pro 2 we have an Intel Cherry processor capable of moving both operating systems in a fluid way, 4 GB of RAM and even 64 GB of internal storage that can be expanded using microSD cards. Finding these same specs on another 150 € tablet is a complicated or impossible task.
It also has a 6,500 mAh battery that can last up to 8 hours of use. In addition, it incorporates USB Type-C, which allows to load the tablet and send data more quickly.
You can buy some of the original accessories for this tablet, such as your stylus or the original Chuwi keyboard that also has a trackpad and a USB connection.
Chuwi Hi10 Pro Software
I’ve kept this unsaid till now because I was least interested in this pitch. The Chuwi Hi 10 Pro is a dual-boot device and includes Windows 10 Home as well as Android 5.1. I really don’t care about the latter, and only logged in once to set it up and check if all works fine (yes, it does). Also, it’s two-year-old Android Lollipop and not likely to get an update to 6.0 or the just-released Android 7.0 Nougat, so unless you really need it, you can just ignore it.
The Bottom Line
The Chuwi Hi10 Pro has a lot going for it. There’s the beautiful display and the stylish aluminum chassis. At $179 for the tablet, and another $40 for the keyboard, it’s a terrific deal, really. More value, than money.
Apart from the wonky touchpad, I struggled to find a showstopper. The performance, while only average, is what one expects at this price and with the internals it packs. That said, the Intel Cherry Trail processor and 4GB of RAM do keep it going for an average user. Buy it from the links below and make sure to visit Techno Insta