Honor MagicPad 4 Review: Ultra-thin design comes to tablets

Design

• Thinnest and lightest tablet around
• Premium look and feel
• Optional keyboard and stylus accessories

Honor does have a flair for hardware design across its product range, with super-thin foldables like the Magic V6 to slimline laptops like the MagicBook Art 14 – but the MagicPad 4 might just be the most impressive bit of hardware yet.

The aluminium-backed tablet is seriously thin and light considering it has a 12.3-inch screen upfront – and I’m not just talking thin for the price point. The tablet measures at an almost impossible-to-believe 4.8mm thick, making it not only thinner than the top-end iPad Pro M5 (5.1mm), which Apple claims is its thinnest tablet ever, but also thinner than ultra-premium Android options like the 5.1mm-thick Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra.

Compared to similarly priced options like the 6mm-thick OnePlus Pad 3, it’s a massive achievement and a complete win for portability – especially when it weighs just 450g. Again, this is much lighter than the iPad Pro (579g) and OnePlus Pad 3 (675g), making it an absolute joy to hold, use and transport in a rucksack. 

As with ultra-thin phones like the iPhone Air, the MagicPad 4 feels refreshingly nice in day-to-day use, without that added heft and fatigue that usually comes with holding a tablet for longer periods of time, especially one-handed. 

However, unlike ultra-thin phone alternatives, the MagicPad 4 doesn’t compromise in other areas to achieve the goal. It still has a sizeable battery, a top-notch screen and great performance – just in a much thinner, lighter package than any other big-screen tablet in the market. 

Though the optional keyboard case increases the thickness and overall heft, weighing an additional 435g – 15g less than the tablet itself –, it’s a great accessory that essentially turns the tablet into a lightweight laptop alternative. 

The keyboard is full-size and easy to type on with a satisfying typing experience and short key travel, and the accompanying trackpad further helps emulate the laptop-style offering – especially when paired with a killer software feature that I’ll discuss a little later on. 

There’s also the Magic Pencil 4s stylus for those who want to use the 12-inch screen to take notes and draw with surprisingly low latency, with support for pressure and angles, and a built-in shortcut button to quickly toggle between pen and eraser, and doubles up as a remote camera shutter too. 

Like most other tablet styluses, it snaps onto the side of the tablet when not in use, and charges wirelessly. It’s not as much of a necessity as the keyboard case if you’re short on cash, but it’s invaluable for more creative work. 

Screen

• 12.3-inch 165Hz 3K screen
• OLED screen tech
• One of the best screens around for the price

That gloriously premium MagicPad 4 experience continues in the screen department with, simply put, one of the best tablet screens you’ll find at the £599 price point. 

The 12.3-inch panel may not be as large as competing options from Apple, Samsung and OnePlus, but it does have one major benefit: OLED screen tech. It was actually present on earlier models of the MagicPad collection before Honor ditched it on last year’s MagicPad 3 – a decision that it has thankfully reversed this year.

OLED tech is usually reserved for top-end tablets like the iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, making its appearance at the upper-mid-range market a welcome surprise. And, looking at the tablet, you just know it’s a good screen, even if you’re not clued up on the differences between OLED and LCD panels. The colours are bright and vivid, and the blacks are exactly that – black, not a light grey. 

It makes the MagicPad 4 ideal for watching movies and the like, further improved by the tablet’s 3:2 aspect ratio. It does mean it’s not quite as spacious for multi-app use compared to the boxy 7:5 aspect ratio of OnePlus’ Pad 3, but it sits in a nice middle ground between it and the 16:10 Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra for a nice mix of movie-watching and productivity. 

That’s paired with other screen niceties including a pixel-perfect 3K resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate that makes everything feel buttery smooth, even if it’s not an LTPO-enabled panel. It also means you can, in theory, hit up to 165fps in games – though finding a mobile game that’ll reach those lofty heights may be a challenge. 

It’s also nice on the eyes thanks to Honor’s 5280Hz PWM dimming tech that reduces flicker and eye-strain, along with a suite of eyecare-related features you can toggle on in the Settings menu. You can even change the colour palette of the screen overall – though I’m more than happy with Honor’s bright, vivid default approach. 

That’s paired with eight, yes eight, IMAX Enhanced speakers that deliver loud, detailed audio that makes it not only great for watching movies without headphones but also for more casual music and podcast listening. There’s a surprising amount of bass on offer here, especially considering the tablet’s ultra-thin dimensions. 

It won’t replace a Bluetooth speaker for parties and the like, but you may find yourself reaching for it less often. 

Performance

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 power
• 12- or 16GB of RAM
• Top-notch day-to-day performance

Honor’s decision to equip its flagship tablet with the not-quite-flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 may be a baffling decision, especially when OnePlus’ cheaper Pad 3 has the full-fat Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 – but it’s clear that Honor had to make a decision between performance and screen tech. It’s clear which won out, and with the exquisite OLED panel on offer, I think the brand made the right choice. 

Because, in day-to-day use, I couldn’t spot any differences between the 12GB/256GB MagicPad 4 and the OnePlus Pad 3, which I tend to use as my main tablet. 

Both tablets felt equally as responsive, opening apps without complaint, even with multiple on-screen at once, and rendering 4K video in CapCut was a breeze – and that’s just as true in the gaming department. 

Yes, the Pad 3’s Elite-level chipset does have a stronger GPU that could theoretically result in a higher frame rate, but in reality, both tablets offer a strong gaming experience with top-level graphics and very little in terms of throttling. 

Frustratingly, Honor has blocked benchmarking apps on my sample, but I’d expect the MagicPad 4 to fall behind the OnePlus Pad 3 and, of course, Apple’s M-series-powered iPads in both the CPU and GPU departments. That said, for the vast majority of users, the MagicPad 4 has ample power for what you’ll need – and a gorgeous OLED screen to view it all on.

That’s backed up by top-notch connectivity support, including Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, though there isn’t a cellular option available – it’s Wi-Fi-only across the range. If that is a priority, Apple’s iPad range (and even budget options like the OnePlus Pad Go 2) will better serve your needs.

Software

• MagicOS 10 based on Android 16
• PC Mode is a game-changer for productivity
• Plenty of AI features

Of all the various flavours of Android skin you can get, Honor’s MagicOS, traditionally, isn’t one of my favourites – on smartphones at least. I love the hardware that Honor produces, from the Magic 8 Pro to the foldable Magic V5, but there’s something about the software that I just can’t get along with.

That makes the fact that I’ve rather enjoyed the software experience on offer from the MagicPad 4 all the more impressive. Honor’s MagicOS 10, based on Android 16, is full of tablet-specific tricks that really elevate the experience.

Front and centre is, of course, the PC Mode. When connected to the MagicPad 4’s keyboard case, the tablet automatically shifts into a more Windows-esque PC mode with support for floating, resizable windows. 

The UI, loosely based on Microsoft’s windowing system, feels instantly familiar and makes using multiple apps an absolute doddle. It feels much more fluid than the standard split-screen multitasking, with resizable windows for a surprising number of apps – not just Honor’s own first-party apps. 

Speaking of, Honor’s Notes app has had a proper glow-up in MagicOS 10, making it one of the more fully-featured note-taking apps available on Android. It bundles its audio recorder directly into the app, allowing you to record and transcribe a meeting in real-time while still taking notes in the same window. Once done, you can use AI to polish the document, or even create a mind map, if that’s your kind of thing.

Honor has also made a massive push into Mac compatibility, offering a similar level of connectivity to Macs as Apple’s own iPads – though you’ll need the Honor Workstation app to take advantage. Once installed, you can access your tablet on your Mac and vice versa, share documents and files and even use the MagicPad 4 as a second Mac screen for boosted productivity. 

Though much of the marketing focus is on the Mac side of things, it’s worth noting that the tech also plays nicely with Windows 11.

More generally, it’s a polished OS with clear iOS inspiration – that liquid glass-esque UI effect is a dead giveaway – with plenty of customisation options available to make the tablet look and feel more personal to you.

There’s also a huge range of AI features, both Honor-branded and Google-powered, ranging from Honor’s Magic Portal to support for Google Circle to Search, but how often you’ll actually use the features will depend entirely on your workflow. I didn’t find myself using them all that often.  

And, while not quite up to the lofty standards set by Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra and its seven years of OS upgrades, Honor’s promise of six years is still a pretty great offering that’ll carry it all the way through to Android 22. 

Cameras

• 13MP rear-facing camera with flash
• 9MP selfie camera
• Fine for the occasional snap, but nothing more

I’ve never seen a tablet with cameras that can come close to what’s offered on the smartphone in your pocket – even if you’re not rocking the latest iPhone or Pixel – and the MagicPad 4 doesn’t change things in this regard. 

The single 13MP rear-facing camera is fine for more productivity-related tasks like scanning documents, further aided by its LED flash, but it won’t be winning any photography competitions anytime soon. Don’t get me wrong, it’ll do in a pinch if you want to get a snap of your dog looking particularly cute snoozing in the sunshine, but I wouldn’t use it for much else.

It’s a similar story with the 9MP selfie camera; it’s fine for video calls and the like, but I wouldn’t ditch your smartphone for filming vlogging content or snapping memorable selfies. It also lacks the automatic centring tech found on Apple’s popular alternative, which helps keep you in the shot if you’re moving around – great for presentations and the like. 

Instead, more of the focus is on the ability to edit photos on the tablet, with a range of AI-powered editing features available via the native Gallery app. Powered by AI, you’ve got the option to remove reflections, improve overall quality and even change the background of shots – though none of this is particularly new in the tech scene at this stage. 

Battery life

• 10,100mAh battery
• Full day of use, or longer with sporadic use
• Fast charging, but only with an Honor-branded charger

With a battery-friendly OLED panel that’s a smidge smaller than those from the likes of the OnePlus Pad 3 and iPad Pro 13 and a pretty large 10,100mAh cell within its slim chassis, the MagicPad 4 offers pretty solid battery life for day-to-day use. 

Using it sporadically for browsing, binging and the occasional big-screen gaming session, the MagicPad 4 made it through an entire week of use before reaching for a charger. Of course, with more sustained use, you won’t see such longevity, but it’ll still get you through a full day – even in the multi-app PC mode – making it a great laptop alternative for work.

Charging is a bit of a conundrum however; while the tablet supports rapid 66W wired charging, you’ll need an Honor-branded charger to hit those speeds – something that doesn’t come in the box. That’s usually fine as manufacturers tend to support some level of USB-C PD fast charging alongside their rapid alternative, but that doesn’t seem to be the case in my testing.

When connected to the same Anker Prime 250W Desktop charger I use for most of my charging tests, the tablet barely drew 10W of power, usually sitting somewhere between 5-8W. I don’t think you need me to tell you how slow that is in 2026, especially when paired with a large battery. 

In 15 minutes, I got a single percentage point of charge. I assumed that there was some kind of slow charging toggle enabled to protect the battery health over time, but there was no such setting. It just charges that slowly when not using an Honor charger apparently. 

Thankfully, digging out an old 120W Honor charger from a drawer, things were much more positive. It managed 28% in 15 minutes, 53% in half an hour, and a full charge in a little over an hour, but the fact that it’s not included in the box makes it all the more frustrating.

Should you buy it?