Tecno Megabook S1 (2024) Review

Last week, we flew to Computex 2024 to check Tecno‘s latest offering. Among the new lineup, we took a closer look at their newest flagship laptop, the Tecno Megabook S1 (2024), to see what it can offer.

Design and Construction

At first glance, you might actually mistake this device for a Huawei 21 Matebook laptop with a vibe of a MacBook Air, but with additional ports. The build and design are minimalist, with only the Tecno logo prominently displayed on the lid cover.

At the bottom, there are large speaker-like grills, which are actually vents for the dual fan. It weighs approximately 1.35 kg, making it really light and easy to lift with just one hand. The chassis is made out of polycarbonate material but feels like an aluminum build because of the texture and finish.

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You’ll also notice that the form factor is very similar to a MacBook Air with its tapered edges. It starts thicker at the hinge section and gradually narrows towards the front edge, giving it a sleek, wedge-like profile.

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In terms of ports, the left side has a regular USB Type-C, HDMI 2.0, and USB Type-C 4.0. On the right, we get a TF Card Slot (MicroSD), 3.5mm Audio Jack, and two USB-A 3.1 ports.

Display and Multimedia

Opening the laptop, you’ll be greeted by the huge 15.6-inch IPS Super-vision screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3.2K high-resolution screen in a 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio. Capable of bringing 450 nits brightness and 100% sRGB Color Gamut, it even has a TUV Eye Comfort Certification which is a big plus. At the top, you’ll notice the 2-megapixel 1080p Smart AI Camera.

Inside, you’ll be greeted by the large keyboard and trackpad surrounded by a perforated speaker grill. It also includes a fingerprint security button to easily unlock the device when configured properly.

The keyboard has built-in backlighting and has great key travel, but it does feel a bit smudgy and on the silent side of being tactile. However, it took me a while to get used to the keyboard layout, but the great news is it has good spacing between keys and will feel natural when typing. The layout of the keyboard includes function keys and directional arrow keys.

Thanks to its minimalist and modern design, they were able to add a large trackpad that has gesture features, although no haptic motor is not present

Overall, the design and construction are well thought out and will surely be best suited for any workstation setup either in the office or home studios.

OS, UI, and Apps

Booting up the device, you’ll be greeted by the Windows 11 Home software. With the usual pre-built software from Windows.

However, they have added a built-in feature developed by Tecno, the OneLeap software. Basically, what it does is if you have a Tecno compatible device like the Tecno Camon 30 Premier, you’ll be able to mirror your devices to the laptop and transfer files seamlessly. It uses the capabilities of NFC plus Bluetooth to make the file transfer faster and more efficient.

By simply scanning for available Tecno devices and pairing, you can transfer large files immediately without any other configuration needed. Plus, the great thing is it can be done both ways, either from laptop to phone or from your phone pushing files to the laptop.

There are also optimizations in the OneLeap software, but we will have a separate dedicated deep dive into it soon.

This is not really new. We’ve seen the likes of Huawei SuperDevice and OPPO connect integrating this tech feature, but I’m glad to see that companies like Tecno, which is quite new in the Philippines, are stepping in and adapting this into their ecosystem as early as now.

Moreover, in terms of the webcam, it has a 2-megapixel full-HD high-resolution and includes some smart AI beauty algorithm features, which are pretty handy, and it even has a privacy protection sliding button.

The TECNO VOC Plus system really stands out here, with its 6-speaker sound setup and two AI ENC microphones. This setup provides a surround-like sound experience and can pick up voices accurately from up to 6 meters away. The mix of four woofers and two tweeters delivers great sound quality, whether you’re watching a movie or on a video call. Plus, the mic audio quality gets a nice boost thanks to the TECNO VOC Plus.

Performance and Benchmarks

When it comes to performance, the Tecno Megabook S1 is no slouch. This year it’s packed with either an Intel Core 15 1240P and it uses an Intel Iris Xe Graphics Alder Lake 10nm.

It has a huge 1TB PCIe 4.0 and 16GB LPDDR5 for those speedy boot-up times. Most of the productivity apps we used were handled by this laptop very well, from our creative suite to editing software. The Megabook S1 can handle it.

Featuring a Super-Large VC heat dissipation module and dual fan design, the MEGABOOK S1’s Ice Storm Cooling System delivers 60% more heat dissipation efficiency than conventional products, giving it better performance. It is even capable of achieving a 35W MEGA performance boost when operating at full load.

If you are curious about the benchmarks, here are the results:

CrystalDisk
Read: 899.45 | Write 879.62
Geekbench 6
– CPU | Single – 2176 | Multi – 8680

Audio and Sound Quality

The audio quality of the Tecno Megabook S1 is decent. Having two speakers on both sides is a big plus, making the audio clearer and less muffled.

You’ll also appreciate the TECNO VOC Plus with DTS:X Ultra Cinematic Sound Effects, which provide a more immersive listening experience by accurately locating every sound detail around you.

In terms of calls, the long-distance AI ENC feature really shines. It uses an optimized algorithm to separate human voices from background noise in real-time, ensuring clear call experiences even from up to 6 meters away.

The enhanced microphones help with this too, making it easy to enjoy clear calls anywhere.

With the added AI capabilities, it definitely improved the sound experience of this laptop.

Connectivity and Battery Life

The Tecno Megabook S1 uses a 65W GaN Fast Charger. Yup! Just a simple small adapter can charge up this laptop. During our test, we were able to manage almost 16 hours of battery life, give or take, on just simple tasks like browsing, watching YouTube videos, and using productivity tools.

Since it already uses WiFi 6, we didn’t have any issues connecting to different WiFi hotspots, and during the time of the review in our hotel, which was actually buggy, it still managed to provide us stable connectivity.

Conclusion

Tecno in the Philippines has been known for their budget-friendly smartphones, but most consumers actually don’t know that Tecno offers a wide variety of products from TWS, Smartwatches, Mini PCs, VR, Robotic AI Dogs, and a huge collection of laptops.

The Tecno Megabook S1 is just one of the few laptops they will bring into the Philippine market in the next couple of months.

During our visit to Computex 2024 in Taipei, Taiwan, the company showcased all the new technologies we can expect from them. It is something to look into since, for a company that is new in the Philippines but with over 20 years running in this industry, Tecno is setting the bar high for affordable laptops like the Megabook S1.

As of writing, Tecno hasn’t revealed the price yet for the Philippine market but will update this article once we have the official PH price.

Overall, the Tecno Megabook S1 is a promising laptops that can head-to-head with the likes of Huawei’s Matebook, OPPO or HONOR devices. If the price will be lower than the current market offering. With its large immersive display, backlit keyboards, minimalist design, lightweight build, common ports, and long-lasting battery life. We can’t complain much but, yes, the laptop is not perfect. However, for what it offers, the Tecno Megabook S1 must be on your list if you are looking for a day-to-day productivity tool, hopefully at a much affordable price.

What we liked about it:
* Minimalist and Premium
* Lighweight
* Good Performance

What we did not like:
* Absence of Ethernet Port
* Audio Quality can be improve
* Keyboard Layout familiarity
* Maybe too large for some?

TECNO MEGABOOK S1 specs:
15.6inch IPS 3.2K Super-vision Screen 120Hz
3.2K High Resolution 16:10 Widescreen
450nits Brightness 100% sRGB Color Gamut
TUV Eye Comfort Certification
Intel Core i5 1240P
1TB PCIe 4.0
16GB LPDDR5
2MP 1080p Smart AI Camera With Multi-functions
Camera Privacy Shutter
Dual-band WiFi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2
1 x HDMI 2.0
2 x USB 3.1
1 x USB 4.0
1 x USB-C
1 x TF Card Reader
1 x Audio Jack 3.5mm
TECNO VOC Plus Sound System ( DTS:X Ultra / Smart AI Camera)
6-Speaker Matrix(4 Woofer / 2 Tweeter)
Dual-mic AI ENC
Fingerprint Security Button
70Wh / 11.4V lithium-polymer battery
Windows 11 Home
1.35kg
13.5mm Thickness
Galaxy Silver / Space Grey