Introduction

From the Chuwi website:

Adhering to the concept of HI-TECH, SMART LIFE, we strive for perfect spirit of craftsman, creating digital electronic products with ultimate user experience, providing INTELLIGENT LIFE to millions and millions families, and bringing technical fun to everyone.

We gather insightful talents from all over the world with different cultures, beliefs and perspectives, We are hard-liner and persisting in one common dream.

We believe professional strength. Over past decades, we insist on creating products that go beyond competitors' with the craftsman's spirit to accelarate promoting Chinese brand international influence.

Formed all the way back in 2004, Chuwi started to rapidly grow in 2010 when they partnered with Huawei, Google, and others. In 2013, they became strategic partners with Microsoft and Intel, furthering their continued growth. However, it wasn't until 2015 when they finally entered the international market. Having now stepped on to the world stage, they started by crowdfunding the SurBook via Indiegogo, where it was extremely successful by raising over a million US dollars.

In today's review, I take a look at what the Chuwi SurBook has to offer. Using an all too familiar Apollo Lake SOC, this unit makes use of the N3450, which is a quad-core design rather than the more common N3350 that is a dual core. With double the cores and 6 GB of DDR3 in dual channel, it will be rather interesting to see just how well it performs compared to the more common N3350. However, before we see what this hybrid tablet/PC can do, let's take a closer look at its specifications.

Packaging and Contents

The boxes for all components offer very little protection, which is rather concerning. Not only that but information on these boxes is pretty much nonexistent with just the Chuwi brand and a few logos to brake up the plain brown cardboard exterior.


Everything is placed in plastic bags, while the HiPen Stylus is placed in foam. I was surprised to see a battery was in fact included, which is a nice touch to say the least.


Overall, the bundle is very much bare bones, but does include everything necessary to power up the system and use it as a fully functional laptop. Of course, if you only want the tablet, you can purchase just it for a bit less.

• SurBook
• Power brick
• Keyboard with built-in trackpad
• HiPen stylus
• Manual

A Closer Look

Looking at the screen, it has a large black bezel around its edges with a web camera front and center at the top. Flipping the unit over, we can see the Chuwi logo and rear-facing camera. At the bottom of the tablet are a couple of ports for the keyboard to dock with.


Along the top-right of the unit are the volume and power buttons for the SurBook. Meanwhile, in the same region, but on the side are two USB 2.0/3.0 ports, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and the USB Type C port used for charging, video, etc.


The bottom of the unit features a 125° kickstand that also hides a micro SD card slot for expanded storage. In general, the system feels strong and sturdy due in part to its aluminum shell which, while not only rigid, has a premium feel to it you usually find only with Apple or similarly styled products. The use of aluminum is a very nice touch overall. While it certainly adds to the cost, it certainly delivers for those wanting a durable device.


The keyboard with a built-in trackpad is a separate purchase, but will also be available as an optional bundle. The chicklet-style keyboard was expected, but the inclusion of backlighting was not. Its legends are easily readable even in dark environments. A small LED indicator on the right side is visible when the unit first boots up.

As for how it all works, the unit has a magnetized mount that slides into the tablet and honestly feels quite good. The magnets have enough force to pull the two together and hold them there securely. Another set of magnets hidden in the cloth covering further secures the keyboard to the tablet and holds it at an angle for a more comfortable typing experience. The fabric covering, however, easily attracts dust or pet hair, for instance, and is not to my liking considering how clean the tablet and its aluminum shell are.


Finally, there is the HiPen stylus, which is available separately or as part of a bundle. It matches the Chuwi SurBook with its silver color and generally solid feel. The inclusion of a battery is a nice touch and allows for its immediate use. It feels a bit better than the keyboard and trackpad in terms of build quality, offers 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity, and supports Windows Ink and Manga Studio, which are prominently featured by the manufacturer. I will be testing it with Photoshop.