Honor MagicPad 3 review: Power, value for money and an odd omission

Greatest Costs At the moment: Honor MagicPad 3

The Android pill market is a aggressive area, with many manufacturers attempting to re-establish themselves to fulfill the surge in demand following the pandemic. Samsung dominates gross sales, as one of many manufacturers that caught to its pill plans via thick and skinny, rivalling Apple’s dedication to the iPad.

However the previous couple of years have seen an growing variety of Android tablets pushing into this area, seeing the pill market as a chance to supply an alternative choice to a laptop computer for gentle work, whereas delivering a handy and moveable leisure hub.

That’s the place we discover the Honor MagicPad 3, sitting on the juncture of labor and play, trying to supply all the things you want in a neat package deal.

Whereas it numerically replaces the Honor MagicPad 2, it’s been repositioned, dropping one of many MagicPad 2’s greatest options: its OLED show. So is Honor’s 2025 pill worthy of consideration?

Design & Construct

• 5.79mm thickness, 595g weight
• Slender bezel
• Equipment obtainable

The Honor MagicPad 3 is available in two colors – gray and white – with a neat steel body holding the composite rear in place. The pill’s again is textured, reminding me of some kinds of laminate kitchen counter.

Utilizing a plastic materials avoids each the burden of glass and the fingerprints it acquires, though some might really feel that the outcome isn’t as premium as some steel tablets which can be obtainable for much less, such because the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE+.

However there’s a strong really feel to this pill and it appears to be like good too, though I can’t assist feeling that the big digicam module on the again could possibly be smaller – however extra on that afterward.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

In direction of the underside of the pill there’s a set of pogo pins which connect with the MagicPad 3 Sensible Contact Keyboard which I used to put in writing this overview, as you’ll see in varied images. It provides a pleasant chiclet keyboard motion with trackpad, and has a full vary of shortcuts to make utilizing the pill a little bit extra fluid.

Honor additionally provides the Magic-Pencil 3, which permits drawing features and is supported by the pill’s AI options, one in all which replaces handwritten notes with AI-generated handwriting. I didn’t have the Magic-Pencil, so couldn’t check it, however I’d fortunately use the Sensible Contact Keyboard for gentle typing work and crunching via emails.

There’s no IP score on the Honor pill and, though that’s uncommon on tablets, it’s one thing we’re beginning to see from varied producers.

Display & Audio system

• 13.3-inch LCD show, 165Hz refresh price
• 1000 nits peak brightness
• Eight audio system with encompass sound virtualisation

Honor has moved from a 12.3-inch OLED show on the MagicPad 2 to a 13.3-inch LCD show on the MagicPad 3. Some would possibly see that as a downgrade, dropping the talents that OLED provides for an extra inch of area. With that comes solely 1000 nits peak brightness – down from 1600 nits beforehand – however with a 165Hz refresh and a bump to 3200 x 2136 pixel decision.

Adopting a 3:2 facet ratio, a shift from the prior 16:10 facet, the result’s extra space, extra element, a better refresh price and a side that’s a little bit taller in panorama. That makes it extra appropriate for shopping and doc work. In portrait, it makes an important system for studying too.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

The ratio facet shift brings a rise in letterboxing when watching typical films (lots of that are 16:9 or 21:9), however there’s a trick that Honor performs right here with IMAX Enhanced assist, permitting extra of the display screen for use. About the one place you’ll discover appropriate content material is on Disney+, the place some Marvel films supply the format. I watched Thor: Ragnarok and located among the motion sequences seamlessly moved over to the taller facet, which is meant (within the cinema) to present a extra immersive expertise for explosive scenes.

The show itself is definitely actually good. Even supposing it’s not OLED, it makes exhibiting for itself. It’s vibrant, vibrant and detailed, though I’m not completely offered on the necessity for 165Hz. Honor suggests that it’s going to clean out apps whenever you’re scrolling loads, however I can’t assist feeling that it’s a spec sheet play somewhat than a necessity.

There’s numerous tech crammed into this show that’s targeted on eye care, with enhanced dimming and a complete lot extra, designed to make this pill extra nice to make use of in altering gentle situations. That additionally contains Honor’s Movement Illness Aid, which places transferring dots on the display screen. I’ve discovered this to be extremely efficient, which means that working at the back of a taxi or on a bus is simpler on the abdomen.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

There’s no signal of Dolby Imaginative and prescient, however HDR10+ content material appears to be plentiful from varied streaming providers.

The 1000 nits peak brightness will give HDR a raise – it’s simply much less dramatic than numerous telephones as of late. I examined a number of photos in Google Pictures that use Google’s Extremely HDR and located a pleasant HDR pop, however highlights didn’t get the depth and brightness that they did on a cellphone with a better peak brightness.

The display screen is shiny, so reflections is usually a downside, however in full sunshine it can battle again, with simply sufficient brightness to make working open air potential.

Again to IMAX Enhanced, which is meant to incorporate DTS:X multi-channel audio. That’s one thing that does crop up on the Honor MagicPad 3 spec sheet, however it’s onerous to pin down. Honor’s eight speaker array can produce a virtualised spatial audio soundscape and it’s somewhat spectacular.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

It’s not the kind of encompass sound that you just get from a soundbar or dwelling cinema setup, however it makes the sound a little bit extra concerned via the audio system. Honor Spatial Audio is a world setting, so it impacts all audio that comes from the pill. You possibly can change to stereo, which is flatter and sounds prefer it’s coming from the centre of the display screen, whereas the spatial audio simply provides an even bigger efficiency, though bass general is missing.

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB storage

Efficiency will get a lift, with Honor turning to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 to energy this pill. That’s flagship-grade {hardware} from 2024 and located in lots of the greatest telephones of that period. It’s additionally a step above the 8s Gen 3, which powered the MagicPad 2. There’s an uplift in RAM to 16GB too, with Honor very a lot trying to make this a powerhouse.

There’s beneficiant onboard storage at 512GB too, though no assist for Micro-SD growth, which you’ll discover on another tablets. Nonetheless, it’ll probably go well with most customers’ wants and appears somewhat beneficiant when in comparison with Samsung’s tablets, contemplating the value and the {hardware} you get. It competes higher with the OnePlus Pad 3, though that pill has a more moderen processor for extra energy.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

Honor has expanded the cooling system on this system to raised address extra intensive duties and I discovered that longer classes enjoying Name of Obligation: Cell went off with no hitch. I’m not an enormous fan however, with critical energy on supply, pill gaming is a chance on the MagicPad 3.

Because it stands, this can be a highly effective pill and that comes via within the day-to-day expertise. It’s swift and quick and customarily clean in every day duties, however take into account that within the context of the software program earlier than making any shopping for choices.

As soon as piece of {hardware} that’s lacking is a fingerprint scanner. Honor solely provides face unlocking as a biometric technique and that’s one thing of a bind if you happen to use apps that want safety however don’t assist face unlocking. I exploit a third-party password supervisor and every time I opened it, I had to make use of the complete password. That’s good and safe, however actually inconvenient.

Honor MagicPad 3 benchmarks

Cameras

• 13Mp rear digicam
• 2Mp macro digicam
• 9Mp entrance digicam

There’s a twin digicam on the again of the Honor MagicPad 3, with a 13-megapixel primary digicam paired up with a 2-megapixel macro digicam, permitting photographs as shut as 4cm. The latter is pretty ignorable, seemingly simply bundled in in order that Honor can say there’s a twin digicam on this pill. The entrance digicam is a 9-megapixel effort, sitting within the bezel on one of many lengthy sides.

Most individuals don’t purchase a pill for its photographic expertise and that’s true of the MagicPad 3. Whereas the principle rear digicam will snap an honest sufficient picture in daylight, as quickly as the sunshine drops – even indoors in daylight – softness and noise come creeping in. That gained’t shock anybody, nevertheless. It’s par for the course for pill cameras.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

The entrance digicam is in place for video calls and once more there’s nothing thrilling about its high quality. It’s mounted focus, so can’t compete with the very best cameras on the market, however if you happen to’re simply leaping on Google Meet or a Zoom name, it does the job.

Video seize runs as much as 4K, on solely provides 30fps throughout the board. Once more, that’s unlikely to discourage anybody, as capturing video on a pill is prone to be advert hoc somewhat than one thing you need to do frequently.

There are doc scanning features to assist the cameras, nevertheless, which higher go well with the sunshine productiveness that you just would possibly throw at it. It means that you can autoscan paperwork that the digicam sees after which extract textual content you should use elsewhere. All of it works shortly and surprisingly nicely.

Battery Life & Charging

• 12,450mAh battery
• 66W wired charging
• Silicon carbon battery know-how

Honor has been one of many proponents of silicon carbon battery tech and the impression is felt on the Honor MagicPad 3. There’s an enormous 12,450mAh battery which interprets to days of battery life. The MagicPad 2 had a ten,050mAh battery, typical of bigger tablets, and the MagicPad 3 dominates all of them.

It’s extra capacious than the OnePlus Pad 3 and, like that system, the result’s that you could put in critical hours of labor on a number of days earlier than it wants a cost – realistically, it’ll offer you 11 hours of intensive use. In lighter use, you’ll in all probability get via every week. What I like most of all, nevertheless, is that in standby it simply hangs onto cost. After I returned to the pill after every week of not utilizing it, I nonetheless had 85% within the tank.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

That is backed up by 66W charging which is, once more, sooner than most rivals. That’s actually helpful – due to its velocity you may recharge if you end up racing out of the door and it’s not absolutely topped up. I discovered that half-hour on a charger at peak 66W charging restored 45% of battery life. Absolutely charging takes about an hour and a half, as issues decelerate because the pill fills up.

You’ll want a appropriate charger, nevertheless, and I discovered {that a} 90W charger I exploit for my laptop computer was completely comfortable to feed the MagicPad 3 at 66W.

Software program & Apps

• MagicOS 9 with Android 15
• Honor bloatware
• Minimal updates

The Honor MagicPad 3 launches on Android 15 with MagicOS 9 layered excessive. When you would possibly count on new telephones to launch with the most recent from Google, only a few tablets have Android 16 but, apart from the Google Pixel Pill, so it might probably’t be judged too harshly in that regard.

What you do get, nevertheless, is the complete Honor software program expertise. Meaning a great deal of customisation, a hefty wedge of pre-installed bloatware and an entire transforming of Android. On a pill, nevertheless, I don’t discover these software program modifications as annoying as I do on a cellphone, as a result of I exploit a pill in a less complicated manner.

Key to the expertise here’s a desktop-like dock so you may shortly get to apps. It’s simple so as to add frequent apps right here so that you don’t should swipe into the apps tray. Honor additionally provides an AI suggestion field that’s consistently altering and mainly provides you apps used lately – in actuality, there’s not an enormous quantity of AI occurring there.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

There’s easy splitscreen working, so you may show apps side-by-side. With a display screen this huge, I’ve been in a position to have a Phrase doc open on one aspect and a reference PDF on the opposite and nonetheless be capable to see all the things. The break up between these apps will be simply dragged to fit your wants; typically it’d take a few makes an attempt to get the 2 apps you need side-by-side, however I at all times bought there ultimately.

Honor pushes its personal workplace apps, in addition to its personal electronic mail, gallery, app retailer and extra, with the latter providing updates to apps that you just would possibly set up from Google’s Play Retailer, which solely provides to consumer confusion. In actuality, it’s simple to skip over most of what Honor provides and use inventory Google apps as an alternative, whereas Microsoft Workplace additionally runs properly for these invested in productiveness with 365.

Honor AI is imbued in lots of points of the MagicPad, so that you’ll discover choices to dive into AI writing when copy and pasting, utilizing AI to assist your composition. I’ve by no means discovered that to be very helpful, however it’s typical of the AI providers that the majority manufacturers now supply.

Chris Corridor / Foundry

Whereas I’m not the largest fan of Honor’s telephones, as a result of I believe they detract an excessive amount of from how Android is designed to work, I don’t have an issue with Honor’s providing on a pill: all the things works the way in which I would like it to. There’s a draw back although: Honor confirmed to me that the MagicPad 3 would get “not less than” one OS replace and two years of safety updates, which is nicely behind anticipated ranges.

Value & Availability

The Honor MagicPad 3 launches on 28 August with a retail worth of £599.99 within the UK, though at launch there’s a £100 low cost, so you may get it for £499.99 direct from Honor. It additionally comes bundled with the MagicPad 3 Sensible Keyboard and the Magic-Pencil 3, though that’s stated to be unique to the UK, so not all areas will profit from that supply.

There’s simply the one model obtainable, as detailed, with 512GB storage.

It’s not obtainable within the US.

Must you purchase the Honor MagicPad 3?

The Honor MagicPad 3 provides good worth for cash contemplating the display screen dimension, energy and the formidable battery. Bundled in with that keyboard and pencil it’s an important supply: as soon as these provides expire and this pill returns to full worth, it can face powerful competitors from the OnePlus Pad 3.

I’ve loved working and watching on the MagicPad 3 and whereas the lack of an OLED show is a disgrace, I believe there’s sufficient to compensate for that. On the identical time, Honor was a budget OLED pill of alternative with the MagicPad 2; that distinction has now gone and there’s rather less to assist Honor’s pill stand out among the many greatest tablets on supply.

Specs

• Android 15 with MagicOS
• 13.3-inch, 3200 x 2136, LCD, 165Hz
• Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 16GB RAM
• 512GB storage
• 13Mp, f/2.0 primary digicam
• As much as 4K @ 30fps rear video
• 9Mp front-facing digicam
• Eight audio system with spatial audio
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 12,450mAh battery
• 66W charging
• 293.88 x 201.38 x 5.79mm
• 595g
• Colors: Gray, White