This superpowered Android tablet just beat Apple in the slimness stakes

It’s time to break out the callipers, tablet fans: Honor has just pulled back the curtain – albeit partially – on what it says is the world’s slimmest slate, running Android or otherwise. The Honor Magicpad 4 will get an official debut at the upcoming Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, but the spec sheet has been laid bare ahead of time to built up anticipation.

The headline figure is 4.8mm, not counting the (admittedly subtle) rear camera bump. That would make the Honor Magicpad 4 skinnier than both the latest Apple iPad Pro and Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra, which measure in at 5.1mm. You’ll have to head for the niche world of E-ink tablets to get any slimmer. It’s also a featherweight for its size at 450g.

I’m very happy to hear Honor has gone with an OLED display this time out, after using an LCD panel on the outgoing Magicpad 3. It’s a little smaller than before at 12.3in (down from 13.3in) but sounds like a stunner on paper, with a 3000×1920 resolution, rapid 165Hz refresh rate and 2400 nit peak brightness for HDR videos. It’ll also pack eight speakers with Honor’s own spatial audio upmixing, so could be a serious multimedia machine.

Performance comes courtesy of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 5, making the Honor Magicpad 4 the first tablet to use Qualcomm’s new silicon – which is only a half-step down from the flagship 8 Elite Gen 5 in terms of raw power. Honor is also confident its multi-layer 3D Ice Cooling System can keep temperatures tamed. Memory and storage amounts are still TBC for now. We do know the Magicpad 4 will get a 10,100mAh battery, though, and be good for speedy 66W wired refuels.

Software smarts remain a mystery for now, but it’ll most likely arrive running Honor’s MagicOS 10 skin atop Android 16. From the few images Honor has shared so far, we know there will be silver and white versions available at launch.

There’s no word on pricing just yet – that OLED panel will surely bump the price up over the previous generation – or when you’ll actually be able to buy the Honor Magicpad 4. It’s practically a given that it’ll only be coming to the UK and Europe, with Honor not having an official presence in the US. We’ll learn more next week at Mobile World Congress.

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Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming