If you ask me, Apple has the reign when it comes to tablets, mostly thanks to its comprehensive ecosystem that makes the iPad actually useful instead of just a bigger screen to scroll TikTok on. The iPad Air, in particular, sits well between the entry model iPad and the professional iPad Pro, and no other Android tablet has come close to pulling them down from their thrones.
This year, HONOR is putting forth a challenge—the HONOR Magic Pad 2 presents itself as a high-performing and versatile device, but does it actually live up to iPad’s standards? Let’s find out.
Editor
Jennifer chevron_right
Table of Contents
Design & Build
Right off the bat, I have to admit that the HONOR Magic Pad 2 is pretty sleek and premium when it comes to design. Without the keyboard folio, it’s actually pretty lightweight—only 555 grams and 5.8mm thick, perfectly balanced and just the right size.
That is without the keyboard, though. The keyboard cover, while a generous inclusion to the Magic Pad 2, is just as heavy as the tablet itself, meaning you’re doubling the weight if you put it on. That makes the tablet, ridiculously, heavier than even a laptop—especially if you compare it with the HONOR MagicBook Art 14.
This begs the question: why would I bring such a heavy tablet out and about if a laptop’s lighter than it and can do more?
Along with the keyboard cover, HONOR included the MagicPen 3, which is also another touching addition as styluses and tablets should come together. You won’t need to purchase the Pen separately, which is great.
Display
The Magic Pad 2 has a 12.3-inch OLED display. This is something that triumphs over the iPad Air, which only sports an LCD display. The brilliant display can recreate vibrant colour and deep blacks and comes with a 144Hz refresh rate, ensuring smooth transitions.
Overall, it’s a great tablet for media consumption if you’re particular about colour accuracy and contrast. At a peak brightness of 1600 nits, visibility remains excellent even in bright environments.
Like all other HONOR products, the display is also equipped with a range of eye-comfort and eye-protection features, including eBook mode and 4320Hz Risk-free PWM Dimming.
Performance
Under the hood, the HONOR MagicPad 2 comes with the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and 12GB of RAM. That’s the flagship processor for Android devices and can be found in many flagships this year.
The Magic Pad 2 delivers solid performance for everyday tasks—whether you’re multitasking, streaming videos, or browsing the web, it handles everything with ease. However, when it comes to more demanding tasks, such as high-resolution video editing or running graphically intensive apps, the MagicPad 2 starts to feel the strain.
While it’s more than capable of handling everyday tasks and light productivity, those looking for a powerhouse device for intensive work might find the MagicPad 2 a bit underwhelming.
I have never been impressed with HONOR’s MagicOS before, but this time, I think the software on the Magic Pad 2 is quite commendable. Not quite up to the iPad Air’s standards, mind, but it’s still intuitive and user-friendly enough if you’re used to Android devices.
Plus, there are also AI features like the Magic Portal, which is HONOR’s version of a comprehensive ecosystem. We’ll be doing a full review on this soon, but basically, the Magic Portal is able to connect all devices logged into the same HONOR ID for ease of use across devices.
The thing about tablets is that they’re arguably useless unless connected to an ecosystem, and HONOR has made a valiant effort in emulating the Apple ecosystem with their recent launches of the Magic V3, MagicBook Art 14, and the Magic Pad 2. However, the worst part of their ecosystem is that it doesn’t connect to older devices like the Magic5 Pro, unlike Apple’s ecosystem, which caters to all of their existing devices no matter their age.
Paired with the MagicPen 3, the Magic Pad 2 also has the handwriting recognition feature. This is a feature that was only recently announced for the iPad OS 18 update, so iPad users will only be getting it after the update.
Cameras
Let’s be honest: tablets aren’t known for their cameras, and the HONOR MagicPad 2 is no different. The front camera is more than sufficient for video calls, but beyond that, it’s not a standout feature. The rear camera is adequate for quick snapshots or document scanning, but if you’re looking to take high-quality photos, this isn’t the device for it.
The cameras feel like an afterthought here, which is fine if you don’t plan on using your tablet for serious photography. And trust me, don’t. You’ll be better off getting a decent camera smartphone.
Battery
The 10,050mAh battery is one of the MagicPad 2’s strong points. Despite being lighter and slimmer, it has a much larger battery than the iPad Air, and battery life is pretty impressive too.
During our testing, we easily got over 10 hours of usage, whether for work, media consumption, or light gaming. This makes it a reliable device for long work sessions or travel. However, the charging speed isn’t particularly fast, taking more 2 hours to get to 100%.
Verdict
Is the HONOR Magic Pad 2 a good tablet? Yes, definitely, in the realm of Androids, at least. Will I be switching out my iPad for the Magic Pad 2? Probably not. The display is a showstopper, the design is premium, and the AI features make the user experience smarter and more intuitive. However, when it comes to raw performance, it falls short of Apple’s M-series chips, and the cameras are nothing to write home about.
If you’re looking for a tablet that can handle everyday productivity and media consumption with a stunning display, the HONOR MagicPad 2 is a solid choice. But for those needing top-tier performance for demanding tasks, you might want to look elsewhere. Ultimately, the MagicPad 2 is an excellent all-rounder, but it’s not quite the iPad killer HONOR might hope it to be.