We have seen wireless routers with all kinds of designs. And they all tell us one thing: most wireless router brands seem to have given up trying to blend in. Some are as loud as they can be, with more antennas than you can count, while others are loaded with LEDs and RGB lighting.
Not Huawei, though. The Chinese tech giant thinks the best way is to hide the router in plain sight, such as disguising it as living room art with transparent antennas, and now, as a book. I kid you not. Its latest wireless router, the Huawei X2 Pro, is intentionally designed to look like a book. And it even has a customizable spine, but more on that in a bit.
Underneath its literary disguise is a Wi-Fi 7+ router powered by Huawei’s proprietary Lingxiao 760 series chipset, paired with four high-performance signal amplifiers and built-in antennas. Huawei claims the X2 Pro can maintain a strong signal through three walls, with signal gains of 3 dB on 2.4 GHz and 8 dB on 5 GHz. It also delivers theoretical combined wireless speeds of up to 3,570 Mbps across the two bands.
The router also supports Huawei’s NearLink technology, including a dedicated low-latency gaming connection for compatible Huawei devices. In addition, it can act as a smart home gateway supporting NearLink, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi devices.
Speaking of connectivity, the X2 Pro [CH] supports simultaneous connections across the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands for seamless roaming between mesh nodes. When moving from one router to another, it establishes a connection to an available band on the new node before disconnecting from the previous one. In theory, that means fewer interruptions while streaming or gaming as you wander around the house.
Then there’s the UU Game Accelerator, which selects optimized acceleration nodes worldwide to help reduce gaming latency. But there’s a catch. Huawei includes a complimentary 40-day membership benefit for eligible new users, after which continued membership requires payment. Anyhoo…
A single X2 Pro is recommended for homes up to 90 m² (969 sq ft), while the dual-router bundle is designed for spaces between 90 and 150 m² (969–1,615 sq ft). The two routers in the bundle are already paired at the factory, so they can connect automatically once powered up.
And here’s something pretty neat. With AI Mesh, you can upload your home’s floor plan to the Huawei Smart Life app, which analyzes the layout and recommends suitable router locations. You can also experiment with different placements in the app to visualize the expected Wi-Fi coverage. Because apparently, even finding a home for your router is now an AI-assisted affair.
For wired connections, the X2 Pro offers one 2.5 GbE port and three Gigabit Ethernet ports, all supporting automatic WAN/LAN detection. Other features include parental controls, guest Wi-Fi, and Huawei HomeSec security protection.
Now, back to that book disguise. The X2 Pro features removable magnetic decorative covers that can be swapped to suit your decor. Huawei offers different finishes, including brown, white, gray, and green. Better yet, you can download the official 3D model and design your own cover for 3D printing. So, technically, you could give your router the spine of your favorite novel. Just don’t try pulling it out to read.
The Huawei X2 Pro Wireless Router is available in China starting at 588 yuan [CH] (~US$88), while the factory-paired dual-router bundle costs 1,108 yuan (~US$166). International availability has not been announced.
Images: Huawei [CH].