Honor Magic4 Lite review

Competition

The budget segment is oversaturated, and it's hard for any newcomer to stand out. To put things into context before we pass our final verdict on the Magic4 Lite, we've rounded up a few alternatives around the €300 price point.

The Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G is a good all-rounder and can be found for as little as €260. Xiaomi's offer is considerably cheaper, shows the same level of performance (SD 695), but delivers a considerably better viewing experience thanks to the OLED panel. The camera performance is also undoubtedly better. Dust and splash protection along with microSD card support and stereo loudspeakers are nice bonuses to have as well.

The Realme 9 Pro gets pretty close to the Magic4 Lite in terms of feature set and hardware. It has a comparable IPS LCD panel running at 120Hz and the same chipset. However, it asks considerably less - about €260 and delivers a better camera experience, microSD card slot, impeccable battery life and feature-rich, mature software.

Xiaomi Poco X4 Pro 5G • Samsung Galaxy A53 5G • Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G

Another viable option from Xiaomi, albeit more expensive, is the Redmi Note 11 Pro+ 5G. The handset comes equipped with a more capable chipset, cameras, vastly better OLED screen, nicer build, a set of stereo speakers, microSD card support and blazing-fast charging. It also has a feature-rich and well-supported MIUI. So perhaps the extra €40 is well worth it over the Magic4 Lite's €300.

Realme 9 Pro • OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite 5G

Of course, Samsung's strong mid-range presence in the last couple of years makes it hard to ignore in our reviews. The recently updated Samsung Galaxy A53 5G is an excellent all-rounder that asks just €20 more than the Magic4 Lite and excels pretty much in all of the departments in which the latter fails. It has a superb 120Hz OLED panel, capable SoC, microSD card support, good-sounding stereo speakers, competent camera setup with proper ultrawide and macro shooter and excellent software. Charging speed isn't on par with the Magic4 Lite's, but it probably won't be a deal-breaker for the vast majority of users.

The OnePlus' Nord CE 2 5G falls in the same price bracket. Officially sold for €360 but often found as low as €300, it undercuts the Magic4 Lite. Sadly, we haven't had the chance to do our usual comprehensive testing. Still, our short time with the handset helped us form a rather informative opinion. Sure, the display isn't 90Hz, although the bright OLED panel makes up for the lack of hertz, but it's running a more powerful Dimensity 900 SoC, has a microSD card slot, takes nicer pictures, charges just as fast and has a better reputation when it comes to overall user experience and software.

Verdict

The Honor Magic4 Lite appears to be ill-equipped to tackle the competition. The software feels unfinished and isn't very rich in features, the display is LCD while most alternatives offer OLEDs, the loudspeaker quality is subpar, the camera experience just isn't up to the snuff, and there's no microSD card slot.

Unfortunately, aside from the 5G connectivity, the good battery life with fast charging and the big screen, the Magic4 Lite doesn't have a lot going for it. And we are not sure Honor can leverage its past brand loyalty to entice users to get a product that's not very balanced, to say the least.

Perhaps your money is better spent elsewhere, and there are even cheaper options.

Pros

• Big 6.81-inch 120Hz display.
• Lightweight design given the screen size.
• Good processor performance and thermal management.
• Dependable battery life and very fast charging.

Cons

• Most competitors have OLED panels and ultra-wide cameras.
• Underwhelming camera quality.
• No 4K video recording.
• Single loudspeaker has unimpressive loudness and quality.
• Software lacks some features, ships with Android 11.