Machinist 14 Ultra hands-on: Intel Core Ultra X7 358H, 70Wh battery, and a chassis under 1.2kg

Chinese laptop maker Machinet (Machenike) brought a working model of its 14 Ultra to the BW2026 expo in Shanghai this week, and the numbers are worth a closer look.

The 14 Ultra packs Intel’s Core Ultra X7 358H — the higher-end chip in Intel’s latest mobile lineup — paired with 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. That combination alone puts it in a specific lane: powerful enough for real work, but not chasing the desktop-replacement crowd that wants a 16-inch chassis and a 200W power brick.

What makes it interesting is the weight. At roughly 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs), the 14 Ultra sits in the same ultraportable territory as an LG Gram or a Fujitsu Lifebook. The all-metal unibody construction is a nice touch at this price tier — magnesium alloy is common in sub-1.2kg laptops, but full metal is harder to find without the price climbing toward ¥10,000.

The display is a 14-inch 2.8K (2880 × 1800) panel running at 120 Hz, which covers both productivity and the occasional gaming session if the integrated Arc graphics can handle it. Battery capacity is 70 Wh, with Machinet quoting 17 hours of runtime. Real-world numbers will almost certainly be lower — no manufacturer’s test scenario matches actual use — but 70 Wh in a 1.1 kg chassis is a solid ratio.

Biometric options include both facial recognition (via IR camera) and a fingerprint reader, so you get a fallback if lighting conditions are poor. Port selection was not detailed in the display materials, but ultraportables in this class typically offer Thunderbolt 4, USB-A, and HDMI.

Machinet hasn’t announced pricing or a ship date yet. The company is best known in China for its gaming-focused laptops under the “Machenike” brand — think larger machines with RGB keyboards and aggressive cooling — so the 14 Ultra represents a push into the thin-and-light segment where brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, and Honor have been gaining ground.