It’s a Sunday morning, and I’m sitting here staring at something that shouldn’t, by the laws of physics or common sense, actually exist. It’s the Honor MagicPad 4.

Now, if you’ve been following my ramblings on Coolsmartphone for a while, you’ll know I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with tablets. Mostly because they usually end up being expensive trays for my morning tea or glorified Netflix machines for the kids.

But Honor has been on a bit of a tear lately, and after the MagicPad 3—which was “alright” but swapped out a lovely OLED for an LCD (a move that went down badly with the purists)—they’ve come back with this.

The Honor MagicPad 4 isn’t just a tablet; it’s a 4.8mm thick slice of “how did they fit a battery in there?” tech. It’s thinner than a biscuit and lighter than a pint of lager (450g, to be precise). If you dropped it edgewise, you’d probably slice your floorboards.

So, let’s get into it. I’ve lived with this thing for a week, taken it to the pub, tried to do actual work on it,  and pushed that Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 until it nearly begged for mercy. Is it worth your hard-earned 600 quid, or is it just another pretty face in a crowded market?

Design: Thinner than my patience on a Monday morning

Let’s start with the obvious. This thing is thin. Like, “I’m scared I might snap it if I sit on my bag” thin. At 4.8mm, Honor is claiming it’s the world’s thinnest tablet, and honestly, I believe them.

Holding it feels like holding a piece of very expensive, very stiff cardboard.

It comes in Grey or White. I’ve got the Grey one, which is basically “Executive Chic.” It doesn’t scream for attention, which I like. The back has this matte finish that does a decent job of hiding my greasy fingerprint marks after I’ve been eating crisps, and the camera module in the corner is a neat little rounded square that doesn’t wobble too much when it’s flat on a table.

But the real magic is the weight. At 450g, it’s properly portable. I tucked it into the pocket of my hoodie once just to see if I could, and while I looked like I was shoplifting a cafeteria tray, it didn’t weigh me down. If you’re a commuter (my condolences), this is the kind of kit that won’t make your shoulder ache by the time you hit Waterloo.

The Screen: The “OLED” Redemption.

Last year, Honor took the OLED away. This year, they’ve put it back, and thank the tech gods for that. We’re looking at a 12.3-inch OLED display with a 3000 x 1920 (3K) resolution.

It is, in a word, stunning.
It’s got a 165Hz refresh rate, which is frankly overkill for reading emails but makes scrolling through Twitter (or X, whatever we’re calling it this week) feel like buttered lightning.

But the real headline is the brightness. It hits 2400 nits at peak. I took it out into the garden during that brief ten-minute window of British sunshine we get in March, and I could actually see what I was doing. No squinting, no using my hand as a visor.

Colors pop. Blacks are deep enough to lose your soul in. If you’re watching The Mandalorian or some high-budget Netflix drama, it looks better on this than it does on my five-year-old living room telly. Plus, it’s got all the “Eye Comfort” certifications under the sun—dynamic dimming, hardware-level low blue light, and even a “circadian night display” that supposedly helps you sleep.

I still stayed up until 2 AM watching YouTube, so I’m not sure about the sleep bit, but my eyes didn’t feel like they were bleeding, so that’s a win.

Performance: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Beast.

Under the hood, we’ve got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. This is the newest of the new. It’s built on a 3nm process, which is basically tech-speak for “it’s fast and doesn’t get as hot as a Greggs steak bake.”

I’ve been using the 12GB RAM version, and it handles everything. I tried to break it. I opened 15 Chrome tabs, a 4K video stream, now  Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves are not my cup of tea, but I ramped Call Of Duty Mobile to max on every setting, and not a sutter, still got killed at every turn but hey hoy. It just sat there, cool as a cucumber, thanks to what Honor calls an “Ice Cooling System.” It sounds like something from a sci-fi movie, but it basically means the heat is spread out over a massive 81,000mm² area.

If you’re a gamer, you’re going to love this. The 165Hz screen paired with this chip means everything is fluid. If you’re a “productivity person” (bless you), it means you can jump between apps without that annoying “reloading” pause that usually plagues Android tablets.

Software & Usability: The “PC Mode” Experiment

This is where things get interesting—and a bit weird. The MagicPad 4 runs MagicOS 10 (based on Android 16). Honor is very clearly “inspired” by Apple’s design language. The icons, the blur effects, the Control Center—it all feels very iPad-ish.

But then you hit PC Mode.

Clip on the optional Smart Keyboard (which is actually quite good, with decent travel for such a slim thing), and the tablet transforms. You get a taskbar, windows you can resize, and the ability to run up to 20 windows at once. It’s the closest I’ve felt to using a real laptop on an Android tablet. It’s great for when I’m sitting in a cafe trying to look like a serious writer while actually just browsing eBay for retro consoles.

And the instant layout feature is a godsend open whichever windows you want at the touch of a button everything is pefectly re-arranged.

And then there’s Honor Connect. This is the bit that made me chuckle. Honor has made it so this tablet plays nice with Apple products. You can use it as a second screen for a MacBook. Yes, you read that right. It’s a bit like seeing a Man City fan at an Arsenal game, but it works surprisingly well. You can drag and drop files between your phone, tablet, and laptop with almost zero lag.

The AI stuff is there too—AI Memo for taking minutes in meetings, AI noise cancellation for calls (it filtered out my dog barking at the postman brilliantly). Most of it is actually useful rather than just being a buzzword on the box.

Connectivity: Fast, but where’s my SIM?

Connectivity is top-tier: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0. If you’ve got a fancy new router, the download speeds on this thing are terrifying. I downloaded a 2GB movie in about the time it took me to find my headphones.
​However—and this is a big “however” for me—there’s no cellular version. It’s Wi-Fi only. This means if you want to use it on the train, you’re tethering to your phone or hunting for dodgy “Free Station Wi-Fi” that requires your mother’s maiden name and your first-born child to sign up.
​Also, there’s no 3.5mm headphone jack. I know, I know, “get with the times, grandad,” but sometimes I just want to plug in my old cans without finding a dongle. Luckily, the 8-speaker system is incredible. It supports Spatial Audio and sounds wider and deeper than it has any right to. It’s loud enough to fill a room, though your neighbors might not thank you if you’re blasting heavy metal at midnight.

Battery Life: Thin but Mighty.

You’d think a 4.8mm body would mean a tiny battery. Somehow, they’ve crammed a 10,100mAh cell in there.
​In real-world use? It’s a beast. I got through nearly two days of “normal” use (checking emails, some Netflix, far too much Reddit) before I had to reach for the plug. When you do need a top-up, it supports 66W wired charging. It’s not the fastest in the world—some phones do 120W now—but it’ll get you from empty to about 50% in 45 minutes, which is enough to get you through a flight or a long meeting.

Price: Is it “Skint” Friendly?

The MagicPad 4 starts at £599.99 for the 12GB/256GB model.

​Let’s put that in context. A base-model iPad Pro with an OLED screen will cost you nearly double that once you’ve added the keyboard and pen. Honor is basically giving you the flagship experience for mid-range money. If you pre-order, they’re even throwing in the Magic Pencil 3 and the keyboard for free in some bundles.

​At 600 quid, it feels like a bargain. Usually, when things are this thin, you’re paying a “fashion tax,” but here you’re actually getting the performance to match.

The Verdict

Good Points:

• The Screen: It’s an OLED masterclass. Bright, fast, and gorgeous.
• The Build: 4.8mm is properly impressive. It feels like the future.
• Performance: The Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 is a monster. No lag, no heat, just speed.
• Audio: Those 8 speakers are better than most laptops I’ve owned.
• Price: Huge value for money compared to Apple or Samsung flagships.

Bad Points:

• No SIM Slot: You’re tied to Wi-Fi or tethering.
• Software Quirks: MagicOS still feels a bit too much like it’s trying to be iOS.
• No Headphone Jack: Still annoying, don’t care what anyone says.
• Accessories: The keyboard is good, but the stylus still feels a bit plasticky compared to the Apple Pencil.

Final Thoughts:
If you’re looking for an Android tablet that doesn’t feel like a compromise, the Honor MagicPad 4 is it. It’s fixed the screen issues of the previous generation, doubled down on performance, and managed to stay thinner than my wallet after a weekend at the races.
It’s honest, it’s fast, and it’s genuinely fun to use. Honor is “sticking it” to the big boys here, and honestly? They’ve jolly well succeeded.
Rating: 4.5 / 5 — The best tablet you’ve never heard of, and a proper alternative to the “Cylon Tyranny” of the iPad.