Honor MagicPad 2 Review: A Stunning Tablet with a Few Software Shortcomings
The Honor MagicPad 2 is a breath of fresh air in the Android tablet market, offering premium audiovisual capabilities at a fraction of the cost of its high-end competitors. With a gorgeous OLED display, impressive speaker arrangement, and stylish design, it has a lot to offer. However, its limited software support and a few hardware compromises may give potential buyers pause. Here's everything you need to know about the Honor MagicPad 2.
Pros
- Gorgeous OLED display
- Excellent 8-speaker arrangement
- Stylish and eye-catching design
Cons
- Limited software support roadmap
- MagicOS can feel overcomplicated
- Keyboard and stylus accessories are sold separately
Key Features
- 12.3-inch OLED display with 1600 nits of brightness
- Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset with 12GB RAM
- AI features like Magic Portal and MagicRing for seamless device integration
Design
The Honor MagicPad 2 is a lightweight and stylish tablet, weighing just 555g and measuring 5.8mm thick. It comes in two colors: Moonlight White and black. The back of the tablet is made from an “aerospace-grade” fiber material that is both lighter and stronger than its predecessor, offering a bit more grip compared to the all-metal designs of its rivals.
Accessories
Honor offers two key accessories for the MagicPad 2: the Honor MagicPad 2 Smart Bluetooth Keyboard and the Honor Magic-Pencil 3. Both are sold separately but are essential if you're looking to unlock the full potential of the tablet.
- Honor MagicPad 2 Smart Bluetooth Keyboard: This keyboard is priced at £75.99 in the UK and offers 1.6mm key travel and a range of shortcuts for quick access to apps and UI elements. However, it lacks flexibility in viewing angles and doesn't have a trackpad or backlit keys.
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Honor Magic-Pencil 3: Priced at £85.99 in the UK, the stylus offers 2ms latency, 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and tilt functionality. It attaches magnetically to the tablet and charges wirelessly.
Screen
The 12.3-inch OLED display is one of the standout features of the MagicPad 2. With a resolution of 1920 x 3000 and a peak brightness of 1600 nits, the screen is perfect for both media consumption and productivity. The 144Hz refresh rate ensures smooth visuals, making it ideal for gaming and high-frame-rate content.
Honor has also included multiple eye-comfort features, such as AI Defocus to reduce eye strain and 4320Hz PWM dimming to minimize flickering. These features make the screen comfortable to use for extended periods.
Audio
The MagicPad 2 boasts an 8-speaker arrangement, providing a rich and immersive audio experience. Compared to competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, the MagicPad 2 offers better stereo separation and a wider soundstage. The tablet also supports IMAX Enhanced certification, ensuring that you can enjoy compatible content in all its glory.
Camera
The MagicPad 2 comes with a 13MP rear camera and a 9MP front-facing camera. While the cameras are not the main focus of the device, they are perfectly adequate for video calls and document scanning. Video recording is supported up to 4K/30fps.
Performance
Powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and 12GB of RAM, the MagicPad 2 performs well in everyday tasks and multitasking scenarios. While it's not the most powerful chipset available, it's more than capable of handling most tablet use cases, including light gaming and media consumption.
For those who need extra performance, Honor offers RAM Turbo, which allocates some of the device's storage as additional RAM. However, this feature is not customizable, unlike similar features on other devices.
Software
This is where the MagicPad 2 stumbles. It runs MagicOS 8.0 atop Android 14, but Honor has only committed to one OS update and three years of security updates. This is a significant drawback compared to competitors like Samsung, which offers up to seven years of updates for its tablets.
Despite the limited software support, MagicOS comes with a variety of useful features, including MagicRing for seamless device integration and Magic Portal for easy file sharing. However, the user experience can feel overcomplicated at times, and there are some rough edges in the UI.
Battery Life
The MagicPad 2 is equipped with a 10050mAh battery that offers excellent longevity. In our tests, the tablet consumed just 5% battery during an hour of Netflix streaming at 50% brightness. It also supports 66W fast charging, which can bring the battery to 35% in 30 minutes and fully charge it in just under two hours.
Final Thoughts
The Honor MagicPad 2 is a compelling tablet for those looking for a premium audiovisual experience without breaking the bank. Its OLED display, 8-speaker setup, and stylish design make it a fantastic device for media consumption and light productivity. However, the limited software support and a few hardware compromises may make it less appealing for long-term users.
If you're looking for a tablet with a stunning display and excellent audio, the MagicPad 2 is hard to beat at its price point. However, if long-term software support is a priority, you might want to consider alternatives like the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 or OnePlus Pad 2.
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FAQs
Does the Honor MagicPad 2 come with accessories?
No, the Honor MagicPad 2 Smart Bluetooth Keyboard and Honor Magic-Pencil 3 are sold separately.
How many updates will the Honor MagicPad 2 get?
The tablet will receive one OS update and three years of security updates.
Is there a cellular version of the Honor MagicPad 2?
No, the MagicPad 2 is Wi-Fi only.
With its sleek design and powerful audiovisual features, the Honor MagicPad 2 is a strong contender in the tablet market. However, the lack of long-term software support may make it a less attractive option for users who plan to keep their tablet for several years.
