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Honor MagicPad 4: Two-minute evaluation
With the Honor MagicPad 4, it’s exhausting to not suppose that the Chinese language tech model learn my Honor MagicPad 3 evaluation final yr and got down to tackle each single criticism that I raised.
Honor advertises the MagicPad 4 because the slimmest pill in the marketplace — and for our cash, that’s true. At simply 4.8mm, it is extremely skinny (beating the already impressively slim 5.1mm iPad Professional by a slight margin), which, mixed with its gentle 450g weight, means the MagicPad 4 is an enormous 12.3-inch pill that’s straightforward to journey with and even maintain comfortably in a single hand.
Though being the thinnest pill makes for a good advert marketing campaign, it’s really the wealth of different upgrades that put the Honor MagicPad 4 among the many greatest Android tablets proper now. Critically, Honor fastened all the things adverse that I identified final yr — it’s nearly a little bit uncanny.
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The show is a beautiful 3K OLED with a butter-smooth 164Hz OLED (in comparison with final yr’s much less vibrant LCD) and an excellent 2,400-nit peak brightness. Paired with an extremely punchy eight-speaker stereo setup, this has develop into my go-to pill for media consumption each at dwelling and whereas travelling.
With a viewing expertise this good, it’s nearly no shock that this is likely one of the few IMAX Enhanced-certified tablets in the marketplace. An OLED panel isn’t any small feat at this worth vary, too, and the colourful colours alone put the MagicPad 4 lightyears forward of equally priced rivals just like the OnePlus Pad 3.
(Picture credit score: Future)
The divisive plastic materials of the MagicPad 3 can also be out, changed with a full metallic unibody chassis that appears very premium and is so a lot better to the contact.
This design refresh has been paired with a delicate spec improve below the hood. The MagicPad 4 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 SoC, which isn’t fairly the newest flagship chip, however a high-end providing that powers by means of productiveness and holds its personal in demanding video games. You additionally get a beefy 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (upgraded to 16GB and 512GB, respectively, should you splash out for the costlier mannequin that I examined).
Even this pill’s software program has obtained a noticeable improve. MagicOS 10 is extra Apple-like than ever (full with its personal model of Liquid Glass), however that’s not essentially a foul factor.
As an ex-Apple consumer, I actually recognize the familiarity of MagicOS, and discover that it’s completely easy-to-use whereas nonetheless providing a good degree of customization. Importantly, although, this newest incarnation lastly introduces a correct desktop mode with taskbar and apps in resizable home windows, and it’s exhausting to overstate how a lot of a distinction this makes to productiveness.
(Picture credit score: Future)
I nearly managed a full day of labor with the MagicPad 3, but it surely was a little bit fiddly and awkward at instances. Now, I can pack the MagicPad 4 for any enterprise journey and, having already introduced it with me on a pair, I haven’t discovered myself lacking my laptop computer but.
Clearly, your mileage will differ relying in your particular duties and software program, however for my day-to-day work of responding to emails, updating spreadsheets, and typing away in Google Docs (with the non-obligatory keyboard add-on), I can’t complain.
The one potential flaw right here is the battery, which is smaller than that of the MagicPad 3. Nonetheless, the MagicPad 4’s battery life stays glorious, and this pill will simply put up with hours and hours of video playback in a single sitting.
Honor MagicPad 4 evaluation: worth and availability
- Begins at £599.99
- Anticipate common reductions and freebies
- Not out there within the US or Australia
The Honor MagicPad 4 is offered by way of Honor’s web site, the place it begins at £599.99 for a 12GB + 256GB mannequin. You’ll be able to improve to the 16GB + 512GB mannequin that I examined for an additional £100. That’s already superb worth for the specs (you’d battle to search out something on this worth vary with an OLED display alone), however as with different Honor merchandise, you may count on a deluge of reductions and freebies to crop up all year long.
On the time of writing, you may nab £100 off both model, and pay an additional £50 so as to add in a suitable keyboard case and the newest Honor Magic Pencil 3 stylus. I wouldn’t be shocked if we see free smartwatches, earbuds, chargers, and extra thrown in over the approaching months, so you’ll want to purchase with at the least a couple of freebies out there to maximise worth. Even should you pay the complete asking worth, you’re nonetheless getting an excellent deal, although.
As with different Honor gadgets, the MagicPad 4 isn’t formally offered within the US, so it is very difficult to get there. Australian availability additionally appears restricted.
Honor MagicPad 4 evaluation: specs
Right here’s a have a look at the Honor MagicPad 4’s key specs:
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Dimensions:
273.4 x 178.8 x 4.8mm
Working system:
MagicOS 10 (Android 16)
Chipset:
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Weight:
450g
Reminiscence (RAM):
12GB / 16GB
Storage:
256GB / 512GB
Show:
12.3 inch 1920 x 3000 165Hz OLED
Cameras:
12MP broad, 9MP selfie
Battery:
10,100 mAh silicon carbon
Connectivity:
USB Sort-C 3.2
Honor MagicPad 4 evaluation: Design
(Picture credit score: Future)
- iPad Professional-beating thinness
- Premium metallic chassis
- Small bezels
Probably the most spectacular facet of the MagicPad 4’s design is, in fact, its thinness. That is at the moment the slimmest pill you should buy, beating even the high-end iPad Professional, and it appears to be like significantly skinny in particular person. In actual fact, there appears to have been barely sufficient room to cram within the USB Sort-C charging port. You may suppose that this slight profile would make the MagicPad 4 really feel low cost or flimsy, however that is not the case.
The pill has a completely metallic physique, consisting of a single piece with no seen manufacturing seams. There’s completely no flex should you attempt to bend it, and my unit has picked up no noticeable scratches or marks in my use up to now. The MagicPad 4’s thinness isn’t only for present both — on high of being straightforward to chuck into your backpack, I discovered that it made the pill very straightforward to carry in a single hand.
I performed an hour and twenty-minute-long interview with the MagicPad 4 gripped in my left hand for notes, and skilled no noticeable fatigue. The interviewee even requested what model the pill was after we wrapped up, and remarked on how skinny and lightweight it appeared. The display is massive and spacious, with roughly 4mm bezels for a really fashionable look. There’s really a little bit 9MP selfie cam nestled in there on the high, but it surely’s exhausting to see exterior of direct daylight.
This digital camera isn’t superb, but it surely will get the job carried out for video calls and could be on the higher finish of most laptop computer webcams. It’s an identical story with the rear 12MP shooter, present in a sq. digital camera module alongside the flash. It’s adequate to scan paperwork, however you clearly shouldn’t be utilizing (and even count on to make use of) an enormous pill like this on your vacation snaps. Please, simply take a couple of further seconds to tug out your cellphone like a traditional particular person.
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(Picture credit score: Future)(Picture credit score: Future)
For sound, you’re getting an eight-speaker stereo setup that’s impressively clear and crisp. The bass isn’t as robust as that of thicker tablets, but it surely nonetheless affords an in depth and well-rounded listening expertise.
As somebody who routinely makes use of tablets to look at total live performance recordings with the sound blasting at full quantity, I actually worth speaker setup, and the MagicPad 4 is up there as the most effective I’ve examined at this worth. Simply just remember to go into the settings and switch off all the Honor sound options which are, for some motive, enabled by default, as they’ll make all the things sound artificially tinny.
The pill has all of the anticipated buttons, specifically an influence button and quantity rocker. There’s additionally a little bit magnetic strip for attaching the suitable Magic Pencil 3 stylus if in case you have one. And sure, Honor’s stylus will mechanically cost and pair when caught onto the pill. Take notes, Lenovo.
I examined the Honor MagicPad 4 along with the white Honor MagicPad 4 Good Contact Keyboard. It appears similar to the keyboard I used to be despatched with the Honor MagicPad 3, and it is as soon as once more incredible.
It attaches to the pill by way of a magnetic accent port on its rear and pairs mechanically. The touchpad is fast and responsive, the keys have degree of journey, and it’s not too cumbersome to be sensible. I do additionally nonetheless love the folding design of the stand, which folds down to reveal the highest half of the pill and exhibit its slimness.
Honor MagicPad 4 evaluation: Show
(Picture credit score: Future)
- Stunning OLED colours
- Incredible refresh charge
- Excellent for media consumption
On the show aspect of issues, I can’t fault the Honor MagicPad 4 in any manner. That is an absurdly good display for the worth, merely decimating what OnePlus, Lenovo, and particularly Apple offers you for below £600. This 12.3-inch 1920 x 3000 (3K) OLED panel is pin-sharp and delightfully crisp, with vibrant colours and wealthy black shades.
I’ve been on a little bit of an anime binge, having not too long ago renewed my Crunchyroll subscription, and each present that I’ve dipped into has been completely stunning to look at. Video games look pretty too; the high-fidelity visuals of the not too long ago launched Neverness to Everness, as an illustration, actually blew me away. And opening the Kindle app, the 3K decision results in great-looking textual content in books and detailed panels in comics.
With HDR help and a peak brightness of roughly 2,400 nits, the MagicPad 4’s show can get jaw-droppingly shiny and stays seen in even the strongest potential daylight outside. Honor additionally deserves some kudos for making use of a 5,280Hz PWM dimming charge to this display. This delicate spec isn’t going to matter for most individuals, however could possibly be a game-changer for these with delicate eyes and massively reduces the prospect of eye pressure or fatigue over prolonged intervals of use.
Even should you’re simply looking the online or flicking by means of the system menus, movement is significantly {smooth}, too, because of the pill’s 165Hz refresh charge. The marginally pricier Huawei MatePad Professional 13.2 is the one mannequin I can consider that comes near this degree of show efficiency with out asking that you just pay an enormous quantity extra, however that machine has a decrease refresh charge and is dimmer, so it loses to the MagicPad 4 total in my ebook.
In different phrases, no matter you’re watching, enjoying, or studying on the MagicPad 4, this pill is solely good.
Honor MagicPad 3 evaluation: software program
(Picture credit score: Future)
- Apple-inspired UI
- Six entire years of help within the EU
- degree of customization
Replace help is considered one of my largest considerations when shopping for an Android pill. There are too many manufacturers on the market that can cost iPad costs whereas providing solely two or three years of replace help. Honor was really responsible of this final yr with the MagicPad 3, which solely got here with one Android model improve and two years of safety patches (one thing I described because the machine’s “deadly flaw”).
This time round, Honor has promised six years of main Android updates for shoppers within the EU. That’s no doubt the perfect degree of help I’ve seen for an Android pill below £600, placing principally each different model to disgrace. There’s no telling how common these updates can be, however at the least customers aren’t forking out for a pill with a looming expiration date proper out of the field.
As for MagicOS 10 (which is predicated on Android 15), the largest change this time round, except for the brand new Liquid-Glass-like design language, is the addition of an upgraded desktop mode. It options the choice of a persistent taskbar (eventually!) and shows apps in simply resizable home windows you could snap to completely different components of the display. It’s a lot much less fiddly than the equal ‘Floating Window mode’ of MagicOS 9 and makes critical productiveness on the MagicPad 4 a lot simpler.
In any other case, my phrases from final yr nonetheless ring true. In my eyes, MagicOS is the very best center floor between the engaging look of iOS and the customization supplied by Android.
Former Apple customers will discover the design of menus acquainted, however with a couple of fascinating twists right here and there. Quirky customization options just like the 3D Avatar — a little bit particular person you could create and set as an animated wallpaper — are nonetheless current and simply as charming as earlier than.
Honor MagicPad 4 evaluation: efficiency
(Picture credit score: Future)
- Powers by means of productiveness duties
- Additionally a succesful gaming pill
- Stays cool below heavy hundreds
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 isn’t the newest and biggest flagship chipset, but it surely’s nonetheless a succesful SoC that delivers nice all-round efficiency when paired with 12GB (or 16GB) of RAM. The MagicPad 4’s interface is all the time fast and responsive, with no noticeable slowdown or reloading when flicking between streams on the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube.
Efficient multitasking is a bit of cake, too, and I’ve not had any points working Gmail, Slack, Google Docs, and Chrome concurrently as I work.
The MagicPad 4 can also be a succesful gaming pill. It helps each WiFi 7 for fast recreation downloads and holds its personal in even probably the most demanding titles. Delta Pressure and Zenless Zone Zero each run very easily at their default graphics presets, and I’ve been notably impressed with how effectively the Honor MagicPad 4 handles the extraordinarily graphically intensive Neverness to Everness. It defaulted to the intense graphics preset with 60fps cap and, regardless of the odd stutter in probably the most built-up areas of town, was greater than playable for driving round and tackling missions.
(Picture credit score: Future)
This specific title appears to be like completely breathtaking, and paired with a suitable gaming controller, you’re simply getting a console-quality expertise when enjoying it on the MagicPad 4.
The pill’s cooling system is remarkably efficient as effectively. I used to be a little bit frightened that such a skinny pill would get extremely popular, but it’s not really a giant drawback. You’ll really feel it getting barely hotter to the contact throughout sustained play, but it surely doesn’t develop into uncomfortably sizzling or thermal throttle to the extent that it noticeably impacts efficiency. Honor says that is all because of the MagicPad 4’s dual-direction vapor chamber, which has by some means been crammed in alongside all the things else.
Honor MagicPad 4 evaluation: battery
(Picture credit score: Future)
- Nice battery life
- Simply lasts greater than sooner or later
- A small downgrade in comparison with final yr
The battery is the one space the place the Honor MagicPad 4 falls quick compared to the MagicPad 3. This yr’s pill is powered by a barely smaller 10,100mAh silicon-carbon cell, which shaves a couple of hours off the whole working time. Fortunately, you’ll possible not discover a dramatic distinction, because the MagicPad 4 nonetheless packs a really large battery, and its battery life remains to be fairly spectacular consequently.
This pill will simply final for a full day of use, with a mixture of looking the online, watching movies, and even a couple of hours of gaming thrown in there. I packed the pill for a 14-hour flight and completed with greater than 70% left within the tank after finishing some decently heavy duties with brightness cranked up and an intermittent WiFi connection.
You’ll be able to count on effectively over every week of juice from the MagicPad 4 should you solely use it for an hour or two a day, which makes this an excellent selection should you’re searching for a pill to maintain round the home. When it does run low, charging instances are refreshingly fast as effectively, with 66W wired speeds that ought to see it again as much as full from zero in below an hour and a half with a suitable charger.
Must you purchase the Honor MagicPad 4?
Swipe to scroll horizontallyHonor MagicPad 4 scorecard
Attributes
Notes
Ranking
Worth
Sturdy specs, a stunning OLED display, premium construct high quality, and 6 years of software program help. You’re not going to discover a higher worth pill at this worth.
5 / 5
Design
File-breaking slimness apart, the brand new metallic physique is a big improve in comparison with final yr’s plastic and results in a pill that feels nearly as good because it appears to be like.
5 / 5
Show
A shiny and colourful 3K OLED panel with a excessive refresh charge, HDR help, and IMAX Enhanced certification. What extra may you need?
5 / 5
Software program
The Apple-inspired UI is acquainted and sensible with some quirky options thrown in.
4.5 / 5
Efficiency
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset powers by means of normal use and gaming.
5 / 5
Battery
A small downgrade in comparison with the Honor MagicPad 3, however nonetheless greater than sufficient juice to final by means of days of heavy use.
4 / 5
Purchase it if…
Don’t purchase it if…
Additionally take into account
After some Honor MagicPad 4 alternate options? The older OnePlus Pad 3 is offered at a cheaper price, whereas the iPad Air 13-inch is an efficient (albeit way more costly) possibility for individuals who favor the Apple ecosystem.
Swipe to scroll horizontallyRow 0 – Cell 0
Honor MagicPad 4
OnePlus Pad 3
iPad Air 13-inch (2024)
Beginning worth
£599.99
£529
$799 / £799 / AU$1,299
Working system
MagicOS 10 (Android 16)
OxygenOS (Android 15)
iPadOS 17
Chipset
Snapdragon 8 Gen 5
Snapdragon 8 Elite
Apple M2
Reminiscence (RAM)
12GB / 16GB
12GB / 16GB
8GB / 16GB
Storage
256GB / 512GB
256GB / 512GB
128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
Show
12.3 inch 1920 x 3000 165Hz OLED
13.2-inch 3.4k LCD, 144Hz
13-inch Liquid Retina Show
Cameras
12MP broad, 9MP entrance
13MP broad, 8MP entrance
12MP broad (rear), 12MP ultra-wide (entrance)
Battery
10,100mAh
12,140mAh
c. 10,000mAh
Connectivity
USB Sort-C 3.2
USB Sort-C 3.2
USB-C (Thunderbolt/USB 4)
Weight
450g
675g
617g
Dimensions
273.4 x 178.8 x 4.8mm
289.61 x 209.66 x 5.97mm
280.6 x 214.9 x 6.1mm
How I examined the Honor MagicPad 4
I examined the 16GB + 512GB model of the Honor MagicPad 4 for a number of months, utilizing it on an nearly every day foundation as my go-to pill for work and play.
I watched an unlimited quantity of video content material on it, learn some digital books and comics, and spent loads of time looking the online and gaming. I additionally took it with me on a number of enterprise journeys rather than my laptop computer, the place I used it to edit paperwork and reply to emails.
All through my time with the pill, I regularly in contrast it to different fashions I’ve examined, together with a number of iPads and each the Honor MagicPad 3 and Honor MagicPad 2.
First reviewed Might 2026
Honor MagicPad 4: Worth Comparability
