HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 Review: Somewhere in the middle

Earlier than diving into this evaluation, I need to make one factor clear — I have been utilizing MacBooks for the higher a part of the final decade and have been utilizing the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1) because it debuted in 2020. So, after I received my palms on the HONOR MagicBook Professional 16, the massive query on my thoughts was — can this laptop computer substitute my Mac? For any laptop computer to tackle Apple’s laptops, particularly their new M-series MacBooks, it should excel in 5 areas: portability, construct high quality, show and audio high quality, uncooked efficiency, and battery life.

HONOR’s new MagicBook Professional 16 comes ever so near matching Apple’s requirements, however the machine makes one factor clear — there’s nonetheless a protracted solution to go. With its 16-inch 165Hz display, a strong mixture of Intel Core Extremely 7 CPU and RTX 4060 Laptop computer GPU, and among the finest audio system on a Home windows laptop computer, the HONOR MagicBook Professional 16 gives a stable total expertise. Nevertheless, there are some areas the place it falls quick. Preserve studying for my detailed evaluation to search out out why and the place it misses the mark.

HONOR MagicBook Professional 16

Editor’s Decide

The MagicBook Professional 16 is a modern and highly effective laptop computer by HONOR. It has loads of horsepower, an enormous 16-inch show with a 165Hz refresh fee, a devoted laptop computer GPU, and a complete load of AI options.

Working System

Home windows 11

CPU

Intel Core Extremely 7 Processor 155H

GPU

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

RAM

32GB

Storage

1TB

Battery

75Wh

Show (Dimension, Decision)

16-inch, 500 nits, 3072×1920 pixels, matte end

Audio system

6x Audio system and 2x Constructed-in Microphones

Colours

White

Ports

2 x USB-C, 1 x HDMI, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack

Weight

1.86kg

Connectivity

Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1

Safety

Fingerprint Energy Button

Professionals

• Spectacular construct high quality
• Glorious audio system and show for multimedia
• Snappy fingerprint scanner
• Loads of RAM and storage
• Succesful CPU

Cons

• White physique will get soiled shortly
• Gaming efficiency may’ve been higher
• Cumbersome charger

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR MagicBook Professional 16 was unveiled on the firm’s grand keynote at MWC 2024. Nevertheless, within the typical HONOR trend, the corporate hasn’t introduced the worldwide pricing or availability simply but. Within the house nation China, the HONOR MagicBook Professional 16 begins at CNY 8,999 ($1,250 / €1,160) for the bottom mannequin with Intel Core Extremely 5. We received our palms on the top-tier variant with the Intel Core Extremely 7, which is priced at CNY 9,999 ($1,400 / €1,290). We’ll preserve you posted on international availability as quickly as we obtain extra data from the model.

Design and Construct

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Beginning off with the design, which has been a standout characteristic of HONOR’s merchandise. Their Magic V2 was a “groundbreaking” foldable smartphone, and the Magic6 Pro introduced its distinctive design to Android flagships. The MagicBook Professional 16 follows swimsuit — it carries on this custom with its personal aptitude.

The MagicBook Professional 16 comes with a pure white end, with the outer shell given a rainbow hue. Once I took out this machine out of the field, I used to be left amazed by this coloration. However, as anticipated, it will get soiled actual quick. In truth, if you happen to look carefully, you may see that my unit has already picked up a number of everlasting stains. If you happen to’re a cleansing freak, I might somewhat advocate you to get the outer floor laminated as quickly as attainable. Because of the white end, I’ve been hesitant to eat close to it, which is a disgrace given its audio system and show are distinctive for the worth.

However, if you happen to can overlook the colour, it is a fairly solidly constructed laptop computer. You will get a reasonably modern design for a laptop computer with top-end, gaming-capable {hardware}. It weighs 1.86kg and measures 17.9mm in thickness — solely about 1mm thicker than the 16-inch MacBook Professional. The physique includes a delicate brushed steel end and is free from any overly flashy design components. Even the outer shell options solely the HONOR brand.

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The position of ports on the MagicBook Professional 16 can also be thoughtfully performed. There are six ports in complete, with probably the most ceaselessly used ones, like the three.5mm headphone jack and two USB-C ports (one supporting PD charging), conveniently positioned on the left facet. The suitable facet has been left clean, whereas the again facet of the laptop computer options the opposite ports, such because the HDMI port, two USB-A ports, and the proprietary charging port, making them much less obtrusive.

To maintain this factor cool, since this laptop computer can get a bit heat, HONOR has included air vents on all sides, together with the again, backside, and sides. Nevertheless, the underside line concerning the MagicBook Professional 16’s construct high quality is that it is stable — and this comes from somebody who has been utilizing Apple’s MacBook for greater than a decade. The hinge can also be well-designed, opening easily with one hand, and with the physique made principally out of steel, the laptop computer feels sturdy and premium.

Keyboard and Trackpad

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The MagicBook Professional 16 includes a full keyboard, full with a numeric pad on the best facet. This structure is nice for many who worth having a numeric pad, however as somebody like me who’s accustomed to centered keyboards, it took me some time to adapt. The truth that the keyboard has pretty small “Enter” and “Shift” buttons did not assist both.

Nonetheless, the general responsiveness and really feel of the keys are wonderful. The keys are generously sized, supply good journey, and are comparatively quiet. As soon as accustomed to this structure, you may love typing on this machine. The keyboard even has backlighting. Nevertheless, I discovered the lighting uneven and poorly seen towards the white keys, and I switched off this characteristic on the primary boot itself.

Sanuj Bhatia / Pocketnow

The keyboard is surrounded by the laptop computer’s sound system on each side. The highest proper key of the keyboard doubles as an influence/wake button and the fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint scanner on this machine might be the quickest I’ve used on a Home windows laptop computer, unlocking the laptop computer nearly immediately upon contact.

Transferring to the trackpad, the MagicBook Professional 16 gives a big trackpad with ample floor space, however that is one other key space the place this laptop computer falls in need of different opponents. The trackpad feels plastic-y, and the press suggestions is inconsistent, with the highest half feeling stiff and the underside overly versatile. HONOR positively has room for enchancment on this space.

Show and Audio

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Transferring onto the show, the MagicBook Professional comes with a big 16-inch “FullView” IPS LCD show with as much as a 165Hz refresh fee and a decision of 3072×1920 pixels. The show has a 16:10 side ratio, a matte end, and may attain as much as 500 nits of brightness. Even for somebody like me who loves the shiny and colourful show of the Mac, the HONOR MagicBook Professional 16’s show does an important job in sustaining wonderful coloration copy and vibrancy, regardless of it being a matte show.

The excessive refresh fee makes positive Home windows and total UI look buttery easy. And oh, did I point out the bezels? The bezels on three sides are nearly negligible and it makes for an important viewing expertise when watching TV exhibits, films, and sports activities. The display can also be TUV Rheinland licensed for Low Blue Mild and Flicker Free, much like HONOR’s different merchandise. The one factor I might enhance about this show is the brightness. The low 500 nits brightness means the colours take a success when checked out from the facet angles and in out of doors settings the place the matte end doesn’t assist both. Nonetheless, the general expertise is excellent, particularly contemplating the worth.

What enhances this show fantastically is the laptop computer’s sound system. The MagicBook Professional 16 could properly have one of the best audio system of any Home windows laptop computer at the moment in the marketplace. For the primary time shortly, I didn’t miss the sound system of my MacBook Professional — which has turn into the business normal at this level. The audio system ship punchy, detailed sound throughout low, mid-range, and excessive frequencies, making for probably the greatest audio experiences I’ve had on a Home windows laptop computer in a very long time.

Software program, Efficiency, and Battery Life

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Now, transferring onto efficiency, however let’s first get the uncooked specs out of the best way. The HONOR MagicBook Professional 16 is powered by Intel’s Core Extremely 7 155H processor coupled with 32GB DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD storage. For graphics, it features a devoted NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 laptop computer GPU with 8GB of reminiscence and an Intel Arc built-in GPU, although it primarily depends on the RTX 4060 for graphic-intensive duties. And, with HONOR calling this laptop computer an AI PC, because of the inclusion of two Gen3 compute engines NPU for dealing with AI-based duties.

As you’d anticipate from a laptop computer with this succesful {hardware}, Home windows runs quick and fluid on this machine. From launching purposes and booting up, to switching between browser tabs and modifying paperwork or images, the efficiency is steady and fast. The one enchancment I would counsel is streamlining Home windows updates, however that is a job for Microsoft, not HONOR. However aside from that, this factor flies proper off the bat. Proper from the second you activate this machine, you’ll really feel it being buttery easy and quick.

Nevertheless, the graphics efficiency doesn’t meet the expectations for a gaming laptop computer. Regardless of setting it to efficiency mode and protecting it plugged in, the MagicBook Professional struggles to take care of a constant 60fps in FIFA 23, with body charges usually dropping to between 40-43fps. I additionally tried to play Microsoft’s Forza Horizon 5 on this machine, however discovered comparable outcomes with the machine failing to ship easy gameplay.

HONOR has built-in a number of Apple-like cross-platform options. The MagicBook Professional comes outfitted with HONOR PC Supervisor and HONOR WorkStation apps. PC Supervisor means that you can handle the laptop computer, together with updating BIOS and drivers, backing up information, enabling spatial audio, and configuring HONOR Share.

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WorkStation, then again, improves interoperability amongst HONOR gadgets, permitting for clipboard sharing, file transfers, display sharing, and even utilizing the laptop computer’s enter gadgets together with your telephone. It’s also possible to immediately allow the telephone’s hotspot by way of the WorkStation app. Whereas HONOR guarantees extra AI options like doc summarization, AI video subtitles, and extra, these weren’t accessible on the time of evaluation.

Concerning battery life, the MagicBook Professional 16 falls quick. The battery life is disappointing, with the laptop computer usually operating out earlier than noon even beneath mild use, which incorporates doc writing and modifying, net searching, video streaming, and emailing. Moreover, the laptop computer comes with a cumbersome charger, which is cumbersome regardless of the choice to cost by way of USB-C.

Verdict

So, is the HONOR MagicBook Professional 16 value it? In equity to HONOR, it is a commendable try at creating a conveyable powerhouse. The MagicBook Professional 16 is provided with among the finest {hardware} accessible, boasts wonderful construct high quality, a show + sound combo that is unmatched on any Home windows laptop computer, and delivers nice efficiency, all for round $1000. Whereas there are some shortcomings that make this laptop computer inferior towards among the opponents, these drawbacks are typically manageable for many customers (even probably the most energy customers).