Review Summary
Expert Rating
Tecno, a subsidiary of Transsion Holdings is known for its popular lineup of smartphones. Recently, the company ventured into the laptop market with the launch of its first-ever laptop, the Megabook T1. While smartphones are Tecno’s forte, the laptop market presents different challenges. So, how does the Tecno Megabook T1 stack up against the competition? Here’s a comprehensive review of Tecno’s debut laptop.
This device was originally reviewed by Florence George, and this article is based on his evaluation.
Here is a video review of the Tecno Megabook T1 16GB/TB model:
Table of Contents
Design
The Tecno Megabook T1 comes with a surprisingly well-built body. It weighs 1.54kg and is quite lightweight and portable. The machine is made of aluminium, and there is no flex on its lid and the keyboard deck. You can open the lid with a single finger with absolutely no problems, and it opens up to a full 180 degrees too.
Display
The display is a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS LCD panel with 350 nits of peak brightness and 100 percent sRGB colour gamut coverage. The speakers are also fairly decent, so if you want to watch shows on Netflix, it does its job pretty well.
Keyboard, Trackpad and I/O
The Megabook T1 has a full-size keyboard with backlighting and a decent trackpad. The keys are tactile and satisfying to type on. Almost all the Windows gestures we have tested work well with the trackpad. The laptop also has a fingerprint sensor for quick unlock and increased security.
In terms of I/O, you get quite a few ports. This machine has two USB-C ports, three USB-A ports with USB 3.1 speeds, one HDMI port, a Kensington lock port, an audio combo jack and a microSD card reader. So, for connecting basic peripherals, you are covered. The laptop charges via the USB-C port, which is convenient for users.
Performance
When talking about performance, you get three variants of the Megabook T1. The variants have different processors from the Intel Core 11th generation series that is i3, i5 and i7. The unit we are testing comes with the Intel Core i7 1165G7 processor which has a Quad Core CPU and 8 threads. In terms of RAM, you get 16GB of DDR4 RAM with a high frequency of 4267MHz. In terms of storage, our variant had 1TB of PCIe Gen 3.0 SSD.
There is one downside though: upgradability. This machine comes with soldered RAM and a single slot of SSD which can be replaced. Hence, if you are looking for a laptop that can be upgraded down the line, the Megabook T1 doesn’t qualify. What you see is what you will get at the time of purchase.
In terms of thermals, this laptop has dual fans and a vapour chamber that helps with heat dissipation. The addition of a vapour chamber shows its difference in our testing. We tested the laptop at an ambient room temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and ran GTA 5, and the laptop did not cross 60 degrees at any point in time. This laptop has a very well-managed thermal system. The laptop is very also snappy, as it wakes up from sleep in around 1 second, which is the benchmark for Evo certification of the laptops.
We did some synthetic benchmark testing, here are the results:
Battery
The Megabook T1 has a massive 70 Wh battery, and coupling that with a low-power CPU and an efficient cooling system, you get a laptop that sips power. This laptop scored around 11 hours and 38 minutes in our PC Mark 10 video playback test, which is a crazy feat to achieve in the world of Windows laptops. The laptop also comes with a 65W charger out of the box.
Verdict
At a time when laptop brands choose to go with the latest generation CPUs and compromise on the basics such as build quality and display in the affordable segment, Tecno did the opposite. It chose older generation CPUs and worked on bringing exceptional build quality at this price range. However, Tecno missed its mark on the higher-end variant, as the i7 model costs around Rs 57,999, which is a tad bit higher than we expected. In contrast, the i5 variant is aptly priced at around Rs 47,999 and has similar specifications for a much palatable price tag.
The battery life is amazing, the display is very good, and the laptop wakes up from sleep in less than 1 second along with a biometric unlock system: all the hallmarks of an Intel Evo-certified laptop, but it is not certified. So, if these aspects appeal to you, the Tecno Megabook T1 laptop deserves a look.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Pros
- Sturdy Aluminium construction
- Impressive thermals with vapour chamber
- Ample I/O ports
- Excellent battery backup
Cons
- Overpriced for 11th Gen chip
- No scope to upgrade RAM and storage