Honor MagicPad 4 Review
Honor MagicPad 4 pros and cons
Astonishingly thin 4.8mm design.
Gorgeous OLED display (finally!) with smooth 165Hz refresh rate.
Incredible eight-speaker audio system with IMAX support.
PC Mode software lends desktop-style productivity.
No eSIM options, Wi-Fi only.
No charging adapter included in the box.
Smart Keyboard and Magic Pencil 3 accessories sold separately (but available at a discount for early adopters).
While Apple has long dominated the premium tablet space with its iPad Pro line, Honor is throwing down a very serious gauntlet in 2026.
The MagicPad 4 aims to be the ultimate Android productivity slab, combining absurdly thin hardware with high-end processing power and genuine PC-level productivity ambitions.
Does this ultra-slim slate actually have the chops to serve as your primary computer?
Check out our comprehensive Honor MagicPad 4 review to find out.
Design and specifications
Picking up the MagicPad 4 is a genuinely startling experience - Honor has crafted a gorgeous device that immediately grabs your attention by taking the ultra-thin trend to its absolute physical limits.
Measuring an incredibly slim 4.8mm and weighing just 450g, it easily undercuts the svelte profiles of both the M4 iPad Pro and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra, making it incredibly easy to use one-handed while reading on the sofa.
It’s hard to convey just how impressive it is to have a tablet that’s thinner than the stylus you use on it…incredible engineering from Honor here.
Any initial anxiety about fragility quickly fades, as the device features an industry-leading Crescent Structure and aerospace-grade special fibre, reducing weight while increasing rigidity, ensuring it capably survives daily wear and tear without bending under pressure - both literally and figuratively.
The flat edges provide a solid anchor point for the magnetically attached Magic Pencil, which snaps on with reassuring force to charge.
Unsurprisingly for a device this slender, there is no 3.5mm headphone jack to be found, so you will be relying entirely on Bluetooth 6.0 for your audio.
Furthermore, it completely lacks any SIM functionality, meaning you are tied to Wi-Fi 7 networks (boasting a 700m coverage distance via a four-antenna design) or tethering to your phone when looking for connectivity on the go.
For this review, we received the understated Gray edition. Simple, understated, elegant - the MagicPad 4 boasts a smooth, matte back panel that provides excellent grip which is essential for a tablet this wafer-thin, and does a great job in avoiding unsightly fingerprint smudges.
A subtle camera module sits neatly in the corner, preventing the tablet from rocking violently when laid flat on a desk.
If you prefer a brighter look, Honor also offers a pristine White hue, though both do a superb job of complementing ultra-modern profile.
An important point to note is that at 12.3-inches for the display, and measuring 273.4mm by 178.8mm, this device is decisively smaller than the (relatively) portly MagicPad 3 - a potential drawback on the surface, but massively more practical in terms of handling and using the device.
Some tablets simply become unwieldy when trying to read articles in bed or watch content without it whacking you on the bridge of the nose due to sheer heft or weight distribution, but the more compact nature of the MagicPad 4 makes for an ideal bedtime accompaniment.
The super-flat side profile makes it incredibly comfortable to hold for longer periods, whether you are swiping through an e-book or sketching out ideas. We put this ruggedness to the test during a busy week of commuting, and the slate shrugged off the rigours of being hastily shoved into a crowded backpack - gently - without a single scratch.
The Smart Keyboard is a welcome attachment, despite losing the (slightly temperamental) trackpad found on the MagicPad 3’s accessory, it remains entirely useful to bump up the productivity credentials of this tablet sequel. Still no backlight means night owls like me need to maintain a bedside lamp, but the five rows are far from cramped and - paired with PC mode (more on that later) - makes for a decent workhorse.
The keyboard also boasts a very different hinge mechanism, no longer with infinite range of movement after folding back on itself in an admittedly odd fashion, but rather assuredly locking into place with strong magnets at two distinct angles. So less flexibility, but more stability - a fair compromise.
So a strong, slender initial showing from Honor’s latest, but what about the screen?
Display and audio
The crown jewel of the MagicPad 4 is undeniably its 12.3-inch OLED display.
With a pin-sharp 3K resolution of 3000 x 1920 pixels, it offers crisp text, up to 1.07 billion colours, and the kind of infinite contrast that only a high-end OLED panel can provide, a facet sorely missed in the MagicPad 3.
The fully flat screen supports a blazing 165Hz maximum refresh rate, coupled with incredibly slim 4mm bezels that allow for a staggering 93% screen-to-body ratio. This high refresh rate makes stylus input feel practically analogue, eliminating the micro-lag often found on cheaper displays.
The panel reaches an impressive peak brightness of 2,400 nits, ensuring great visibility even in bright environments.
Even in the harsh glare of a sunlit open office, the screen remained highly legible, allowing for comfortable multi-window multitasking without squinting.
Honor has also heavily prioritised eye health; alongside industry-leading 5280Hz PWM dimming technology, the tablet features an industry-exclusive Chip-Level AI Defocus Display and DOT Eye Comfort Technology to drastically reduce eye strain during long working sessions.
Given that the LCD display was one well-documented drawback in the previous model, having this addressed so completely with a brilliant new screen makes Honor’s MagicPad 4 that much easier to view - and recommend.
Audio quality beautifully matches the elevated visual experience, and frankly defies the laws of physics.
Honor has managed to cram an astonishing eight-speaker system into this 4.8mm chassis.
Utilising IMAX Enhanced technology and HONOR Spatial Audio, it provides a remarkably wide, balanced output with a generous amount of clarity and depth.
Dialogue in films is crystal clear, and there is enough low-end rumble to make streaming movies or listening to music without headphones a genuine joy - making for an entirely cinematic small-screen experience.
Camera capabilities
When it comes to photography, the MagicPad 4 makes a few clear concessions, which is part-and-parcel of the tablet form factor.
The rear array relies on a simplified single-camera setup consisting of a 13-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and autofocus.
Honor sensibly angles its software towards productivity rather than portraiture.
When capturing photos of documents, whiteboards, or quick reference shots, it renders textures with acceptable detail.
The built-in document scanner automatically crops out desk edges and enhances text legibility, which is a fantastic touch for students and office workers.
The lack of an ultra-wide or telephoto lens is an obvious limitation, and zooming relies entirely on a digital crop that quickly gets noisy.
That said, using a 12.3-inch slate as your primary holiday camera is universally frowned upon anyway, so this is hardly a dealbreaker.
Conversely, the front-facing 9-megapixel, f/2.2 fixed-focus camera is perfectly executed for professional use.
It captures sharp details and natural skin tones, and crucially, it is positioned directly on the landscape edge of the tablet.
This makes it an absolutely ideal tool for high-quality video calls, online meetings, and virtual classrooms, ensuring you look directly at your colleagues rather than awkwardly off to the side, further aided by software that keeps you centred in the frame even if you move around.
Practical and effective, the MagicPad 4's cameras are more than capable for what's needed here.
Performance and software
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 chipset (albeit not the Elite variant), the MagicPad 4 delivers rapid, thoroughly reliable performance.
The processor - paired with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and between 256GB and 512GB of storage - ensures seamless power management and totally fluid multitasking.
Popular gaming titles like Where Winds Meet ran flawlessly at high settings, and the tablet's HONOR Ice Cooling System - which boasts an enormous heat-dissipation area using graphite and vapor-chamber technologies - pushing out warmth so effectively that the aluminium chassis never grew uncomfortably toasty, even after an hour of intense play.
The device runs on MagicOS 10, based on Android 16. While some might notice that the general software aesthetic feels a bit too liberally inspired by Apple's latest incarnation of iOS - the real star of the show here is 'PC Mode'.
When you attach the optional Smart Keyboard - but also available via a home screen icon - the MagicPad 4 instantly transforms. The interface shifts to a true desktop-style layout without manual switching, complete with a traditional taskbar, an intuitive PC-Class file management system, and fully resizable, overlapping windows.
You can drag and drop images directly from a web browser into a document, just as you would on Windows or macOS. It is an absolute revelation for Android tablets, bringing the productivity experience incredibly close to that of a genuine laptop.
It’s not a complete slamdunk here, as that layout is traditionally far more suited to pinching and scrolling via a mouse or trackpad…the latter of which is absent in the new keyboard. However, grab a Bluetooth mouse and it’s far closer to the traditional desktop experience, making for impressive usability from the diminutive tablet.
Also, the keyboard - unlike those from the likes of OnePlus - isn’t Bluetooth either, meaning it only works when physically connected to the Magicpad 4. Those looking to create slightly more avant-garde setups with the two unattached will have to look elsewhere - but still a stellar effort from Honor to deliver a real masterclass in productivity and portability.
Honor also wins massive points for its ecosystem integration. With Connect, the MagicPad 4 can act as a seamless extended screen for a Mac, and can easily share files across iPhones and iPads via OneTap, entirely eliminating cross-brand barriers. Further AI additions like AI Memo (which automatically generates detailed meeting minutes) make it a formidable office companion.
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Battery life and charging
Despite the insanely thin 4.8mm profile, Honor has managed to pack a massive 10,100mAh typical capacity battery inside the MagicPad 4 - a little smaller than that found in the MagicPad 3, but an understandable trade-off given the changes in stature.
It easily dwarfs the capacities found in much thicker tablets, proving the immense space-saving benefits of the latest battery chemistry without adding unnecessary heft.
In practice, this ensures the tablet handles a full day of demanding use with absolute ease.
Despite a heavy testing schedule involving hours of word processing, heavy web browsing, and 4K media streaming, we regularly finished our workday with plenty of battery remaining for that evening’s entertainment.
Standby time is equally impressive; leaving the tablet dormant on a coffee table for a couple of days - Pencil attached and wi-fi enabled - barely dented the battery percentage.
When the need to charge eventually arises, the MagicPad 4 supports up to 66W wired HONOR SuperCharge via its Type-C port, getting you back to 100% in just over an hour.
However, in keeping with industry trends, the charging adapter itself is absent from the box.
You will need to purchase a high-wattage wall plug separately to achieve the fastest top-up speeds.
Honor MagicPad 4 UK pricing and availability
Pricing remains the MagicPad 4's undeniable strong suit in the fiercely competitive premium tablet market, with the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant of the MagicPad 4 retailing for a very affordable £599.99 on the Honor website.
Honor frequently offers generous promotional discounts on its official UK store - including a voucher (AMP4UK100) shaving £100 off the headline price, making the MagicPad 4 an incredible £499.99 at launch.
Buyers can also add the highly recommended Smart Keyboard and Pencil accessories at the checkout to complete the mobile office setup for just £50 more, another £170 saving on the RRP.
This combination of a strong entry price point and affordable first-party peripherals delivers a premium, lightweight productivity experience at a tier that aggressively undercuts the competition.
Final verdict
The Honor MagicPad 4 stands as a brilliant execution of mobile engineering - addressing all of the criticisms levelled at the previous model with a laser-guided focus to deliver improvements across the board.
It delivers exceptional comfort to hold through its smaller size, levels up to a genuinely stunning 165Hz OLED display, and surprising battery endurance that puts many heavier slates to shame.
You do have to accept the strict lack of cellular options and a few iOS-imitating software quirks within MagicOS, but these are fleeting.
If you are looking for an incredibly thin, durable Android tablet that can legitimately mimic a desktop environment for serious work and plays nicely with your current ecosystem - whether Mac or PC - the Honor MagicPad 4 is a seriously phenomenal piece of kit, and one we can recommend without reservation.
