Honor MagicPad 2
Specifications
Secondary Camera: 9 MPix (f/2.2, video recording up to 4K@30fps)
Price comparison
Average of 13 scores (from 31 reviews)
Reviews for the Honor MagicPad 2
£600 is a lot of money for a tablet. The slim Honor MagicPad 2, however, gives you a lot in return: It is one of the most affordable 12-inch tablets with an OLED display. Its 144 Hz refresh rate, 3K resolution, 8 speakers and speedy Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 complete the first-rate spec sheet. But how does it fare IRL? We took a closer look in our review.
Source: Tech Advisor
The Honor Magic Pad 2 offers an impressive value-for-money proposition in the Android tablet market. Its 12.3-inch OLED display with 144Hz refresh rate is undoubtedly one of the best screens you’ll find in this price range, making it ideal for media consumption, gaming, and light productivity. The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and 12GB of RAM deliver smooth performance, ensuring that the tablet can handle multiple tasks without lag. While the lack of an IP rating and the absence of a trackpad in the keyboard case may limit its functionality for some users, the bundled Magic Pencil 3 and Smart Bluetooth Keyboard provide excellent value for those looking for a capable tablet at a reasonable price. Whether you’re a student, professional, or casual user, the Honor MagicPad 2 is a well-rounded option.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/15/2024
Source: GSM Arena
The Honor MagicPad 2 seems to be a jack of all trades. It's not cheap, but it brings a lot to the table too. The highlights are the gorgeous OLED screen and the amazing speakers. Additionally, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 provides plenty of horsepower for productivity, multi-tasking and maybe even gaming. The attachable keyboard and the stylus pen are excellent additions that help turn the tablet into a productivity-oriented device. Battery life and fast charging are both reliable enough and the neat software features complement the tablet's previously mentioned capabilities. There's one thing we don't get, though, and that's the absence of a fingerprint reader. This is a big omission in our books.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/11/2024
Rating: Total score: 84%
Source: Trusted Reviews
There’s a lot to like about the Honor MagicPad 2. A sleek design hosts a gorgeous OLED display, supports accessories that add meaningful value to the user experience and packs plenty of power for everyday tasks, with a flair for media consumption. MagicOS 8 is brimming with features, boasts some genuinely useful AI-backed experiences and is great for file sharing, especially across the Honor ecosystem. Some rough edges on the UX and disappointing long-term software support are all that really hold the MagicPad 2 back from true tablet greatness. It’s still easy enough to recommend, considering the price.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/07/2024
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: BGR
The Honor MagicPad 2 is an excellent tablet in its price range. It performs well, offers a stunning screen, and boasts premium build quality, all for less than an equivalent Samsung or Apple tablet. Of course, you have to live in a region where it’s available to get it, but if you do and you’re looking for a flagship-level Android tablet at less than a flagship price, the Honor MagicPad 2 is the way to go.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/29/2024
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Emkwan Reviews
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/09/2024
Source: Slashgear
This is a solid high-end tablet and I would recommend it to anyone. Honor seems to be going to war with the big boys in terms of design, quality, and pricing — so naturally there are options from both Apple and Samsung at the €599 (roughly $660) price point Honor has picked. Having used both an iPad Air and Honor's MagicPad 2 at home, and messed around with various Samsung Galaxy Tabs at trade shows, I genuinely prefer Honor's effort and could probably argue ways in which it can give an iPad Pro a run for its money. In summary, the display is beautiful, the speakers are superb, the office tools are class-leading, battery life is abundant, and the accessories enhance the experience — even if they do have their faults.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/24/2024
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Phone Arena
The Honor MagicPad 2 is a very serious contender in the flagship tablet market. It manages to do a lot of things right: it has a gorgeous OLED screen that can go up to 144Hz, the design is sleek and stylish, and the build quality is top-notch. The chipset inside is quite powerful, and even though it's not the regular 8 Gen 3, the "s" variant gets the job done. The software has some nice AI additions that won't leave you breathless, but what they'll do is help you get things actually done. The battery life is solid, and the price is competitive as well.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/18/2024
Rating: Total score: 85%
Source: The Tech Chap
Comparison, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/08/2024
Source: Tom's Guide
Honor’s MagicPad 2 navigates the Android tablet tribulations well to become one of the best slabs you can buy today — packing decent performance and battery life, alongside a mindblowing display and thoughtful AI smarts at a good price. Only real issue is there’s no getting around that disappointing lack of tablet apps in the face of the iPad.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/06/2024
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: ben's gadget reviews
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/05/2024
Source: TechTablets
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/05/2024
Source: Trusted Reviews
There’s a lot to like if you’re after a large, fairly affordable Android tablet and it could be a good rival to the OnePlus Pad 2. The display ticks all the boxes, the spec-sheet packed and the software features plentiful.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/05/2024
Foreign Reviews
Source: WinFuture
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/30/2024
Source: Tablet Blog
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Long, Date: 10/28/2024
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: WinFuture
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 10/07/2024
Source: Computerbild
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/23/2024
Rating: Total score: 92%
Source: Computerhoy
ES→ENSingle Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/17/2024
Rating: Total score: 79%
Source: 4G News
PT→ENSingle Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/25/2024
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: HDblog.it
IT→ENSingle Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/08/2024
Source: Andrea Galeazzi
IT→ENPositive: Bright OLED display; slim size; light weight; modern design; stereo speakers; smart stylus pen; powerful hardware; high performance; large battery capacity; quick 66W charging. Negative: Unsupported LTE connectivity; no ultra-wide angle camera.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 10/21/2024
Source: Quotidiano Hardware Upgrade
IT→ENPositive: Excellent OLED 3K display; slim size; light weight; stereo speakers; powerful hardware; high performance; large 256GB ROM; impressive battery life; quick 66W charging; affordable price. Negative: No MicroSD card slot; no charger included.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/17/2024
Source: Presse Citron
FR→ENPositive: Beautiful OLED display; powerful hardware; high gaming performance; large battery capacity; comfortable keyboard; affordable price.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/17/2024
Source: Phonandroid
FR→ENPositive: High performance; large battery capacity; quick 66W charging; slim size; light weight; impressive speakers; smart Magic Pencil. Negative: Poor selfie camera; poor display.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/07/2024
Source: Frandroid
FR→ENPositive: Slim size; light weight; elegant design; big screen; nice OLED display; high performance; high autonomy; quick charging. Negative: Poor cameras; relatively high price.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 09/07/2024
Source: Ferra.ru
RU→ENSingle Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/24/2024
Rating: Total score: 85%
Source: DGL.ru
RU→ENSingle Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/23/2024
Rating: Total score: 90%
Source: Mega Obzor
RU→ENPositive: Big screen; nice OLED display; slim size; light weight; premium design; high performance; impressive battery life.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 10/20/2024
Source: Ixbt
RU→ENPositive: Beautiful OLED display; high performance; slim size; light weight; nice cameras; long battery life. Negative: Without GPS module; no MicroSD card and SIM slot.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/24/2024
Source: Hi-Tech Mail
RU→ENPositive: Beautiful OLED display; high performance; stereo speakers; slim size; light weight; affordable price. Negative: Hard to buy in Russia market.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/24/2024
Source: 3DNews.ru
RU→ENPositive: Sharp display; beautiful design;; smart AI features; great speakers. Negative: Relatively high price.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/24/2024
Source: Cell Phones
VN→ENPositive: Big screen; nice display; decent hardware; affordable price.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/05/2024
Comment
Model:
The latest from the Honor family, MagicPad 2 combines sleek design and premium materials in a thin, lightweight package. Measuring just 5.8mm in thickness and weighing 555 grams, it is lighter than many competitors with similar-sized screens, like the iPad Pro 13 and Galaxy Tab S9+. Its 92% screen-to-body ratio and thin bezels highlight its stunning 12.3-inch OLED display, which boasts a high-resolution of 1920 x 3000 pixels for vibrant visuals. With 144Hz refresh rate and advanced display features like AI Defocus, PWM dimming, and Circadian Night Display, the tablet delivers smooth motion, flicker-free performance, and better eye comfort, especially at night. The back of the tablet is made from feather fibre materials with a unique mother-of-pearl finish which not only looks elegant but also resists fingerprints, adding to its premium feel. The MagicPad 2 also features an IPX5 rating for added durability, making it resistant to splashes and dust. Powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, the MagicPad 2 offers robust performance thanks to its specialized architecture. This version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 features 8 cores, including a fast Cortex-X4 at 3 GHz and a mix of Cortex-720 and Cortex-520 cores, ensuring efficiency and impressive power. This chip, built on a 4nm node, is paired with 12GB of RAM and storage options ranging from 256GB to 1TB, providing ample space for multitasking and content creation.
In terms of cameras, the 13MP rear camera and 9MP front camera perform well for video calls, document scanning, and occasional photos, though they are not the tablet’s standout features. The Honor MagicPad 2 excels in productivity with the MagicPad 2 Smart Bluetooth keyboard and the Magic Pencil (both sold separately), enhancing its capabilities for note-taking, drawing, and document editing. The keyboard, while useful, lacks a trackpad and cannot be detached from the tablet, which limits its ergonomics as compared to other options like the OnePlus Pad. For battery life, the 10,050mAh battery lasts a solid 7 to 8 hours of moderate use, including video streaming and browsing. This performance is enhanced by the efficient Snapdragon chipset and OLED screen, which doesn’t require a backlight, improving energy consumption. Charging is quick thanks to 66W fast charging, making it easy to power up in a hurry. In conclusion, the Honor MagicPad 2 is a feature-rich tablet that impresses with its OLED display, powerful processor, and premium design. Its long battery life and solid performance make it an excellent choice for those seeking a high-end tablet for work or entertainment, though the accessories, like the keyboard and stylus, are additional costs.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Qualcomm Adreno 735: Graphics chip for smartphones and tablets, integrated in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC.
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
SD 8s Gen 3: High-end SoC (System on a Chip) for smartphones which was introduced in 2024. Among other things, it integrates a fast Cortex-X4 "Prime Core" with up to 3 GHz and 4 additional fast Cortex-A720 2.8 GHz cores. To save power, 3 additional ARM Cortex-A520 cores with 2.3 GHz were also installed. A 5G modem, WiFi 7 and a significantly faster AI engine are integrated.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
12.30":
This range of display format is largely the upper limit for tablets and the lower limit for subnotebooks.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small in size and therefore easily portable. The tiny display has the added advantage of requiring little power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is exhausting for the eyes. High resolutions, which one is used to from a standard laptop, are almost not usable.
The same applies to tablets in this size range.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Honor:
In 2014 Huawei created the sub brand Honor and offers certain smartphone series under this name. Occasionally the products are also called Huawei Honor.
The market share of Honor products is manageable, but there are several reviews on Honor smartphones with average ratings (as of 2016).
84.6%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
