XIDU PhilBook Max REVIEW In-Depth & Unboxing: Is It Really The BEST Budget Laptop?

Yeah, you have read the title of the article correctly; it is full hands-on review and unboxing of XIDU PhilBook Max laptop. We have already written many articles about this laptop, but now it is hands-on review.  As you know, official information and press releases may differ from the actual review.

Today we will learn all the details about XIDU PhilBook Max laptop, find out its advantages and disadvantages.

If you have not heard of XIDU brand yet, then I recommend you read our article about the history of the company. By the way, although it is the Chinese laptop, you can buy it not only on Aliexpress, but also on Amazon UK, US and official website with free shipping all over the world.

So, let’s take a look at XIDU PhilBook Max laptop.

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Unboxing

It is very nice that XIDU PhilBook Max comes is delivered in a protected package, as in the image above. It guarantees the safety of the laptop during delivery. As you know, sometimes delivery can be very unreliable, especially if it is free.

The box looks like this. It does not have any images, but only a company logo and a sticker with the model name and specifications.

The laptop inside the box is packed in another package. It is soft and also protects the laptop from damage.

The package contents also include documentation and charger. That’s all you will find inside the box.

Design

As you can see from the links above, XIDU PhilBook Max is a budget laptop. However, it has all the signs of a premium device, such as full metal body, backlit keyboard and Full HD touchscreen convertible display.

Actually, you can call XIDU PhilBook Max a tablet with built-in keyboard. The display is full touch-screen, fanless processor, and even power button on side, like any other tablet. If to remove the keyboard, it is a regular tablet! However, the keyboard is built-in, so it is a laptop, not a tablet.

The keyboard is the next feature of XIDU PhilBook Max. It is a full-size backlit keyboard. As you know, budget laptops do not have a backlit keyboard. This is a feature of premium notebooks. However, XIDU PhilBook Max is an exception. It is not expensive, but it has a backlit keyboard.

The keys are quite large, and there is a distance between them, so typing is quite convenient. On the other hand, the keyboard is a little flex when you type. That’s not a good thing, but it’s not a big problem.

Of course, XIDU PhilBook Max has a touchpad. I have nothing to say about touchpad; it is just good. Moreover, you are unlikely to use a touch. Even if you don’t have a computer mouse, you’re more likely to use a touch screen than a touchpad. I don’t think a touchpad is necessary in this laptop.

Now let’s take a look at available ports and connectors. Unlike the latest Apple laptop, XIDU PhilBook Max offers many ports. There is 3.5 mm audio jack, USB 2.0, microSD slot and power button on the right side. DC port, another USB 2.0 and HDMI are located on the left side.

By the way, 3.5 mm audio jack and DC port for charging look the same. The first time I plugged the charger into 3.5mm audio jack, I couldn’t understand why the laptop wasn’t charging. Then I found out that DC port is on the other side. Just remember, the charging port is on the left side.

The laptop stands on four rubberized legs so it does not slide on the surface. There are also two speakers at the bottom. We will talk about them a little later.

Of course, the highlight of XIDU PhilBook Max laptop is rotatable screen. The laptop can be used in three modes: laptop, tent and tablet. This is a very interesting and useful function.

On the other hand, because of the convertible design, the laptop screen wobbles. Even when you are just typing on the keyboard, the screen is a little shaky. It is annoying. Perhaps it would be better to make the hinge more rigid. However, then it would probably be hard to rotate the screen. I think the manufacturer was thinking about it, so they decided to stay on with the decision as it is.

I guess that’s all I can say about the design of XIDU PhilBook Max. Except the wobbly screen and flex keyboard, I have no complaints about it. It is a good laptop with excellent build quality, a full-size backlit keyboard and a rotating screen.

Display

The display deserves special attention. I already said that it is full touch screen. The display has a diagonal of 14.1-inches. It is interesting that the sticker on the box says the resolution is 2560 x 1440 pixels. However, that’s not true. The screen resolution is Full HD. The manufacturer probably made a mistake on the sticker.

Anyway, even Full HD resolution is very good for 14.1-inch display. It is clear and bright. You can use the laptop not only indoors, but even outdoors.

The official website says the following about display: 100% sRGB color gamut, 250 nits maximum brightness, 260 PPI. By the way, this is IPS panel and it has 178-degree viewing angles.

The display of XIDU PhilBook Max is very good for budget laptop. Don’t forget that it is touchscreen. I’m gonna say it again and again.

Performance

Taking of performance, you should understand that XIDU PhilBook Max is a budget laptop. As I already said, it’s even a tablet with a built-in keyboard. Thus, it is powered by processor that is often used in tablets or mini-PCs. You should not count on high performance.

On the other hand, it is great for everyday tasks. XIDU Company positions their laptops for students and office workers. XIDU PhilBook Max has good performance for running office programs, browser, presentations, videos, and other simple tasks.

By the way, the user interface is very fast. Folders are opened without delays. It is expected because the laptop runs on Windows 10 operating system.

You can select a desktop mode or tablet mode. As you know, they are a little different from each other, mostly the main screen. I always use the desktop mode even when using the laptop as a tablet.

Finally, let’s talk about hardware. XIDU PhilBook Max is powered by Intel Apollo Lake J3355 CPU. This is 14-nm processor with maximum clock speed of 2.5 GHz. The laptop is equipped with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage. As you know, eMMC memory is not as fast as SSD. However, 6GB of RAM is good for multitasking.

The laptop launches simple games such as Asphalt 8, Hill Climb Racing 2, Modern Combat 5.

Below you can see screenshots with the results from benchmarks.

Battery

XIDU PhilBook Max is equipped with 5000mAh battery. The manufacturer promises 4-6 hours of battery life, and I agree with those numbers. I have about 4 hours of battery life when actively testing the laptop, including installing programs, running benchmarks, games, videos, etc.

Of course, if you use your notebook for typing only, you can count on six or more hours of battery life. If you’re playing games, you’ll have three hours of battery life.

By the way, don’t forget to reduce the screen brightness if you need as much battery life as possible.

Speaker

I promised to talk about the speaker separately. There are two speakers at the bottom. They provide stereo sound. It’s not that easy with them. When you use XIDU PhilBook Max as a laptop and it is on the table, then the speakers are muted. The sound is not very good, and it is quiet.

However, if you turn the keyboard behind the screen, i.e. use the laptop as a tablet, the speakers will be directed right at you. As you can see, the sound is better in tablet mode.

Anyway, the speakers are missing the bass. I can compare the sound on the laptop with a budget smartphone. If I use XIDU PhilBook Max as my main laptop, I will buy external speakers or use headphones. Fortunately, there is a 3.5mm audio jack here.

Conclusion

XIDU PhilBook Max laptop fully met my expectations. I have only two complaints to the laptop that I already mentioned in my review: wobbly screen and flex keyboard.

In general, it is a very good laptop. First, it has an affordable price – about $350. Then it comes with full metal body, convertible design, backlit keyboard, 14.1-inch Full HD touch screen and good performance for everyday tasks.

I didn’t tell you about the size, but it’s a really thin and compact laptop. You can carry it with you to college or office. If you are looking for an affordable, compact, well-made, interesting and unusual laptop, then XIDU PhilBook Max is for you.

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Source: xidu-e