Leading Chinese electronics powerhouse Huawei has recently unveiled its first personal computer for businesses marking its foray into the premium business market currently dominated by Apple and Microsoft, Agence France-Presse reported.
Huawei launched the device on the eve of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. The event is regarded as the top global annual trade show for wireless devices.
The MateBook, a convertible tablet, weighs 640 grams without the keyboard and has a 12-inch display. The gadget also features a battery life that lasts 10 hours under standard use.
For Richard Yu, Huawei's consumer devices chief, the gadget will be helpful for the individuals in the said market as "business people need a long-lasting battery."
The MateBook also has a fingerprint reader and can be fastened to its keyboard case using magnets, the report added.
The gadget's entry-level model, which has 128 GB, is available for $890, while the top model is priced at $1,986.
"Huawei MateBook is a new style of design, mobility, and productivity and usability to bring you a new style of business," Yu said.
Earlier this year, Yu revealed Huawei's plan to overtake rivals Apple and Samsung to be the world's number one maker of smartphones. The Chinese giant eyes to realize this plan in three or four years.
As part of the firm's strategy, Huawei wants to shift its budget supplier image "to target higher-margin premium models."
Last year, Huawei broke records as it became the first Chinese smartphone seller to post a sales of over 100 million units in a year. Despite local market slowdown, the firm gained strong domestic and Western Europe sales.
Founded by former Chinese army engineer Ren Zhengfei, Huawei has transformed from being a local brand to a global powerhouse. The firm earned a 7.7-percent share in last year's third quarter, according to research group Gartner, coming behind U.S.'s Apple and Korea's Samsung.
Huawei first launched its Android device in 2009 to serve as a complement to its prime business of making networking facilities and equipment.