Two years ago, the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 received a commendable yet modest Active Use Score of 9 hours and 42 minutes, primarily impacted by a lackluster web browsing score of 7 hours and 56 minutes. Today, we are evaluating a newer model: the Honor MagicPad4.
The MagicPad4 features a 12.3-inch OLED display with a resolution of 3,000 x 1,920 pixels and packs a 10,100mAh battery. While it maintains the same screen size as its predecessor, it offers a higher refresh rate (165Hz compared to 144Hz) and increased peak brightness (2,400 nits versus 1,600 nits). The battery capacity is almost identical, with the prior model only having 50mAh more, and both models support 66W Honor SuperCharge for charging.
The Honor MagicPad4 has a 10,100mAh battery and comes with a 66W chargerThe newer tablet shows an improvement, achieving an Active Use Score of 10 hours and 31 minutes, nearly an hour longer than its predecessor. It also shows significant enhancement in video playback time, with nearly an additional 2 hours, as well as slight improvements in gaming. Call time has also improved, utilizing WhatsApp calls for testing due to the absence of cellular connectivity.
However, web browsing remains a challenge for the MagicPad4, despite being equipped with a more powerful 3nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset, as compared to the 4nm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in the MagicPad 2. Additionally, it features upgraded connectivity with Wi-Fi 7 (be) support, an upgrade from Wi-Fi 6 (ax). We measure performance at calibrated brightness, ensuring that the extra nits on the new panel do not influence our scores.
In contrast, the Honor Pad X9 is a more budget-friendly option, featuring an 11.5-inch LCD (120Hz, 2,000 x 1,200 pixels) and a smaller 7,250mAh battery. Despite these limitations, it achieved an impressive Active Use Score of 13 hours and 17 minutes, with nearly 12 hours of web browsing time.
On the premium side, the Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro includes an 11.2-inch IPS LCD (144Hz, 3,200 x 2,136 pixels) and a Snapdragon 8 Elite alongside a 9,200mAh battery, reaching an Active Use Score of 13 hours and 39 minutes. The OnePlus Pad 3 employs a similar Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, featuring a 13.2-inch IPS LCD (144Hz, 3,392 x 2,400 pixels) and a 12,140mAh battery. Although its capacity is greater, it only managed an Active Use Score of 10 hours and 49 minutes, slightly surpassing the MagicPad4 despite its 2,040mAh advantage.
The widget above allows users to adjust the usage pattern according to their preferences, for instance, reducing calling percentage or increasing video playback time.
As previously mentioned, the Honor MagicPad4's 10,100mAh battery is supported by 66W SuperCharge. Although there are several tablets on the market with higher power ratings, such as the OnePlus Pad 3 and Pad 4, the MagicPad4 still holds its own in this aspect.
However, charging results were somewhat disappointing. At the 15-minute mark, it was marginally ahead of the Redmi Pad 2 Pro, which has a mismatched configuration with a 12,000mAh battery and slower 33W charging capability. This trend continued during the 30-minute charging test.
Things improved by the end of the 100% charge test, where the MagicPad4 completed charging in 1 hour and 40 minutes. While this is good, it’s not remarkable, especially since it matches the performance of the OnePlus Pad 4, which has a larger 13,380mAh battery but benefits from a faster 80W charger. Overall, the MagicPad4 outperformed only the lower-end Honor Pad X9 and Redmi Pad 2 Pro. The Pad X9 took an additional 24 minutes, but it is crucial to note that a full charge in the X9 lasts longer than that in the MagicPad 4.
Charging Speed Summary
- in 15 min
- in 30 min
- Time to full charge (from 0%)
Xiaomi Pad 8 Pro
Honor MagicPad 2 12.3
OnePlus Pad 3
OnePlus Pad 4
Honor Pad X9
Honor MagicPad4
Redmi Pad 2 ProXiaomi Pad 8 ProOnePlus Pad 3OnePlus Pad 4Honor MagicPad 2 12.3Honor Pad X9Honor MagicPad4Redmi Pad 2 ProIn conclusion, the Honor MagicPad4 demonstrates significant improvements in battery life but still struggles with web browsing performance. With Honor's capability in high-watt charging demonstrated in their smartphones, it is time for the company to elevate its tablet charging rates above 66W. As we move forward, we will continue working on the full review.
