Honor Magicpad2 Review A Surprise Alternative To Ipad Pro

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 4:43 PM

honor magicpad2 review a surprise alternative to ipad pro

Rounding off Honor's string of IFA 2024 releases is the MagicPad2 — a 12.3-inch, 3K, tablet with a wide range of AI features, solid hardware, and the sort of connectivity enhancements that can make... As with other Honor products you'll see reviewed on SlashGear in late Summer 2024 (all of which were provided by Honor for review), I intensively tested the MagicPad2 over several weeks. This testing involved trying out all of its features, comparing them to similar products, before making note of everything that went right and wrong. Unlike many other products, the tablet formed part of my kit for IFA 2024. So the testing was a bit more intense than usual, and involved a lot of travel and field-work related tests that we don't always have the opportunity for. This is also the first review I've written after attending Honor's press keynote in Berlin.

During that keynote, the company took some obvious swings at both Apple and Samsung. Two companies Honor sees as major competitors, and globally the two biggest tech brands in the mobile device world. Because of this, direct comparisons with Apple and Samsung's offerings were on my mind for a good chunk of the testing period. Is Honor's tablet capable of taking on the big boys? Or should the Chinese company have set its sights a little lower at this point? Here's what I found out.

Looks aren't everything when it comes to a tablet, but they do make a fairly huge difference. This may be why Honor has opted for a 12.3-inch, 3K, OLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate. Brightness peaks at 1,600 nits which is enough to allow for some pretty hefty outdoor use. There's also a 92% screen-to-body ratio thanks to a startlingly thin bezel. It's also capable of rendering 1.07 billion colors, which is hard to perceive in your brain. 4320 High-frequency PWM Dimming is also present, so you shouldn't notice any flickering when using the tablet.

The whole thing is just 5.8mm thick, and weighs around a pound. You may have some fragility concerns when looking at the dimensions, but according to Honor it has achieved a "SGS Five-star Anti-bending Certification." Which means you have to put some effort in if you... The size makes it perfect for those traveling light, and helps when you have to type something on an extremely small airline fold-down table. 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... Only real issue is there’s no getting around that disappointing lack of tablet apps in the face of the iPad. Android tablet app library still lacking

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. The Honor MagicPad 2 is something special – one of the best Android tablets you can buy right now. But it’s those words “Android tablet” that cause concern for a lot of potential punters. You probably already know the score by now. In terms of tablet app ecosystem, iPad lineage has a clear edge.

When it comes to being productive in many different ways, Apple has this war won in both hardware and software. However, the MagicPad 2 comes close enough to matching it that you could get away with using this and be just as happy. With all other mid-range tablets featuring LCD panels, the OLED-toting MagicPad 2 has a distinct advantage in this area. The rich colors and excellent contrast of the OLED panel make the tablet a delight when it comes to streaming TV shows and movies, and with eight audio drivers in total, you get powerful... The design itself is sleek considering the size of the tablet, and you get decent internals under the hood and great battery life. The only issue is that it will get a solitary software update, but even accounting for that, the MagicPad 2 is the best mid-range tablet around.

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test. Honor's resurgence in the last two years has been dominated by foldables like the Magic V3, but the brand is doing a good job in the tablet category as well. The budget Pad 9 delivered a massive 12.1-inch panel and standout battery life, and it was ideally suited for consuming content on the go. Honor followed it up with the Pad V9 last month, and it does a great job. The brand is building on that momentum with the MagicPad 2.

While you get a decent number of options these days if you want a good Android tablet, most products still come with an LCD panel. The MagicPad 2, meanwhile, has a 12.3-inch OLED panel, and that in itself is a huge differentiator. The switch to OLED means you get richer colors and excellent contrast levels, and the MagicPad 2 is an entertainment powerhouse. There's terrific built-in sound, powerful hardware, and the tablet has excellent battery life. If you need a device to consume media on the go, the MagicPad 2 is easily the best mid-range tablet currently available. Honor debuted the MagicPad 2 in July 2024, and the tablet is available in select global markets.

It is sold in a single 12GB/256GB model in the U.K., and it retails for £399 ($518) on Honor's website when you use the code APD2FE50. It costs £499 ($628) on Amazon U.K. as of writing. If you're looking to pick up the tablet, I'd suggest doing so from Honor. The brand exclusively sells the white variant of the tablet on its site, and the best part is that it bundles the MagicPad 2 Smart Bluetooth Keyboard and Magic Pencil 3 with all orders,... The MagicPad 2 looks and feels like a high-end tablet, and the white color option that I'm using is fantastic.

It doesn't have a glass back, with Honor instead going with a fiber material that brings down the weight. The white model has a distinct pattern that evokes memories of the OnePlus 11 Marble Odyssey, and the satin texture is great to hold. The Honor MagicPad 2 is a versatile and affordable Android tablet perfect for media Consumption, light productivity, and gaming. Its vibrant 12.3-inch OLED display and solid performance make it an excellent option for users who need a large-screen tablet without spending a fortune. With bundled accessories and extensive AI features, it offers excellent value at this price point. This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined

The Honor MagicPad 2 is a versatile and affordable Android tablet perfect for media consumption, light productivity, and gaming. Available starting at £499 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage model, it’s slightly more expensive than the Google Pixel Tablet, but for good reason. Honor manages to deliver one of the closest iPad experiences I’ve seen, which is even more impressive at this price point. And it’s much cheaper than the base-model iPad (10th-gen). But how does it fare in real-world usage? I spent a few weeks with the MagicPad 2 to find out.

The Honor MagicPad 2 was announced at IFA this year and we have been eyeing it for a while. It is an intriguing tablet with flagship specs all around, and you might get the Smart Keyboard and Magic Pencil 3 for free if you catch the right retail promo bundle. The Honor Magic Pad 2 brings a large OLED display, a great update over the previous model. The screen has high resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, up to 4320Hz PWM dimming, and HDR10 and IMAX Enhanced certifications. Then we have the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip, which may not be the fastest on the market, but it offers plenty of oomph even for gaming. There are a total of eight super loud speakers, also IMAX certified, for a completely immersive experience with compatible content.

The tablet also has a large 10,050mAh battery with support for 66W Honor SuperCharge. Until now, the MagicPad 2 was officially only available in China. Now, Honor has presented a European version of the 12.3-inch tablet - and made it available at an attractive price. In the UK, the MagicPad 2 is priced at £450. Granted, that's still a lot of money. But the MagicPad 2 is actually one of the most affordable 12.x-inch tablets that come equipped with an OLED screen.

It also features a refresh rate of 144 Hz and 3K resolution (3000 x 1920 pixels). The display, according to Honor, has a brightness of up to 1600 nits. The MagicPad 2 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and 12 GB of RAM, which should ensure good performance. Overall, these specs place the tablet among the best of its class, coming up close to strong competitors such as the Apple iPad Pro 12.9. The Apple tablet, meanwhile, has a lower resolution and is limited to 120 Hz. And it's twice as expensive.

Please note: We updated our rating system, which means that the results of Version 8 cannot be compared to Version 7. Find out more about this change here. Despite its size, the MagicPad 2 is wrapped in a very slim unibody case and its 555 grams make it easy for users to hold the tablet in one hand for extended periods without... At 5.8 mm, the 12.3-inch tablet is also very slim. You may notice that the tablet doesn't lie entirely flat on a hard surface, which is because of the rear camera module, which stands out of the chassis by about a millimeter. Look past its maker's lacklustre software commitment and the Honor MagicPad 2 proves to be a stunning and capable slate, with premium audiovisual abilities for a fraction of the cost of its biggest rivals.

For the longest time, the Android tablet space felt bland and baron. Save for the odd worthwhile offering from Samsung, few rivals were up to stepping into the ring against the likes of the Galaxy Tab range and, in the wider tablet space, the ever-present iPad. Thankfully, there’s been in shift over the last year or so and now we have fresh competition from the likes of the OnePlus Pad 2 and now, the latest Honor MagicPad 2. Unveiled for international audiences in early September this year, the MagicPad 2 sets its sights on the biggest best tablets around, with the intent of meeting or beating them on a spec-for-spec basis, while... As tablets go, the MagicPad 2 is a thing of beauty. In place of the predominantly metal form of the latest Galaxy Tab, iPad or OnePlus Pad, Honor has dressed the back of its newest slate with what it claims is an “aerospace-grade” fibre material...

Android tablets are often a bit of a tricky sell. While Apple has largely nailed tablet software (setting aside its laptop-replacement ambitions on the iPad), the experience of using Android on a tablet has been mediocre at best. Honor, however, thinks it might have the solution — and has released the Honor MagicPad 2, which, at least on paper, is clearly built to eat the iPad's lunch. But Honor itself struggles a little in the software department. Does the Honor MagicPad 2 do enough to overcome the hurdles associated with Android on a tablet? The Honor MagicPad 2 is clearly built for a premium experience.

Honor Magicpad2 Review A Surprise Alternative To Ipad Pro

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