Chuwi SurBook Mini hands-on: A compact workhorse that ticks all the boxes
Chuwi SurBook Mini
Very good- Laminated 10.8 inch screen
- 8000mAh battery
- Windows 10 Creators update
- Poor definition from 2-megapixel rear camera
- Screen-to-body ratio could be better
I have been using the Surbook Mini for several weeks now as my main work machine -- initially as a tablet PC with a stylus, but for the last week, as a PC with the additional keyboard.
At first glance, the Chuwi SurBook Mini looks exactly like its big brother, Surbook, which I reviewed in September 2017. But there are some subtle differences in this mighty mini.
Obviously, it is a smaller device overall. The product size is 268.9mm x 183.9mm, and it is 8.7-mm thick. The SurBook's aluminium body has dimensions of 297.8mm x 203.3mm and 9.4mm thick. The Mini weighs 686g.
Inside this Windows 10 tablet PC, there is an Intel Apollo Lake N3450 quad core 64-bit CPU with a ninth-generation Intel HD 500 graphics card at 700Mhz frequency. Its 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage should be more than enough for the road warrior or commuter.
Read also: Windows 10 on MacBook Air clone? Latest Chuwi budget laptop is Apple lookalike | Chuwi Hi13 review: The tablet that thinks it's a laptop | Windows 10 laptops: Chuwi prices its new hi-res display Lapbook 12.3 at $350
The screen is an impressive 10.8 inches, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The side borders of the screen are quite wide at almost an inch. I do feel that Chuwi could have reduced the bezels and increased the screen real estate. Like the SurBook, the kickstand extends up to 125 degrees.
Top ZDNet Reviews
The SurBook Mini has a simplified array of ports on the side of the housing. There are two USB 3.0 ports and a USB-C for video, audio, and device charging. It also has a 3.5mm audio jack. Its 8000mAh battery is more than adequate for several hours work
I was disappointed with the camera on the SurBook Mini. It has a 2-megapixel front camera and 2-megapixel rear camera. This resolution is perfectly adequate for video calls, but it lacked on still image quality. The larger SurBook managed to squeeze a 5-megapixel rear camera into its body.
Read also: Chuwi's Hi13 13.5-inch convertible tablet is $369 Surface Book alternative | Chuwi Hi 10 plus tablet review-a low cost dual boot tablet with great performance | Elephone S8 hands-on: A solid, no-nonsense phone for business use
I noticed the difference between images taken with each device. However, this was not a showstopper for me, as I take most of my pictures from my mobile phone.
Installing Windows 10 was a breeze on this Windows 10 Creators Update 15063 build. Cortana voice prompts let you do most of the install by voice. After many, many Windows 10 installs, I really enjoyed this one.
Cortana is also ready as soon as the PC has finished building. Previously, I had to manually download the speech and language modules for UK English before I could use this feature. This version just works well. I was impressed.
Performance is good for such a compact device -- faster than a lot of Android tablets I have tried -- and the smaller format keyboard (additional purchase) is well laid out and has good key travel.
The additional stylus is very responsive. Overall, this is a very nice mini Windows 10 device, and for around $250, you cannot go far wrong.
Previous and related coverage
Chuwi SurBook hands-on: A high-performing Surface clone
The Chuwi SurBook is an affordable, high-performing alternative to the Microsoft Surface and the Apple iPad Pro.
Windows 10 Surface Pro 4 lookalike: Chuwi's Surbook goes the budget route
Chuwi has unveiled a Surface Pro 4 clone, but one that features Intel's lower-end Apollo Lake processor.
Chuwi Lapbook Air hands on: A slim, beautiful PC -- but no touching
Chuwi's Lapbook Air is slim and lovely, and it looks like a laptop costing twice as much.