The large-screen Android tablet market is heating up, with Honor and Huawei both offering compelling options. The Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 aims for all-day usability with a focus on performance, while the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024) leverages Huawei’s in-house silicon. This comparison dissects the key differences to determine which tablet best suits your needs.
🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 emerges as the stronger choice. Its Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset, built on a more efficient 4nm process, provides a performance edge and potentially better sustained performance under load, coupled with a longer active use battery life of 9:42h. While the MatePad Pro 11 offers a refined experience, the chipset architecture lags behind.
| Network |
|---|
| 2G bands | N/A | N/A |
| 3G bands | N/A | N/A |
| 4G bands | N/A | N/A |
| EDGE | No | No |
| GPRS | No | No |
| Technology | No cellular connectivity | No cellular connectivity |
| Launch |
|---|
| Announced | 2024, July 12 | 2023, November 28 |
| Status | Available. Released 2024, July 19 | Available. Released 2023, December 18 |
| Body |
|---|
| Dimensions | 274.5 x 180.5 x 5.8 mm (10.81 x 7.11 x 0.23 in) | 249.2 x 160.4 x 5.9 mm (9.81 x 6.31 x 0.23 in) |
| SIM | No | No |
| Weight | 555 g (1.22 lb) | 449 g g cellular model) (15.84 oz) |
| Display |
|---|
| Resolution | 1920 x 3000 pixels (~290 ppi density) | 2560 x 1600 pixels, 16:10 ratio (~274 ppi density) |
| Size | 12.3 inches, 443.2 cm2 (~89.4% screen-to-body ratio) | 11.0 inches, 350.9 cm2 (~87.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | OLED, 1B colors, 144Hz, HDR10, 1600 nits (peak) | OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, 600 nits (typ) |
| Platform |
|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 & 4x2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A520) | Octa-core (1x2.49 GHz Taishan Big & 3x2.15 GHz Taishan Mid & 4x1.53GHz Cortex-A510) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8635 Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm) | Kirin 9000S (7 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 735 | Maleoon 910 MP4 |
| OS | Android 14, upgradable to Android 15, MagicOS 9 | HarmonyOS 4.0 |
| Memory |
|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM |
| Main Camera |
|---|
| Dual | - | 13 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) |
| Features | LED flash, HDR | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Single | 13 MP, f/2.0, AF | - |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie camera |
|---|
| Single | 9 MP, f/2.2 | 16 MP, f/2.2 |
| Video | 1080p@30fps | 1080p@30fps |
| Sound |
|---|
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers (8 speakers) | Yes, with stereo speakers (6 speakers) |
| Comms |
|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE, aptX HD, LDAC | 5.2, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | No | No |
| Positioning | No | GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band |
| Features |
|---|
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity (accessories only) | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity (accessories only), compass |
| Battery |
|---|
| Charging | 66W wired
5W reverse wired | 66W wired
5W reverse wired |
| Type | Li-Po 10050 mAh | Li-Po 8300 mAh |
| Misc |
|---|
| Colors | Moonlight White, Sky Blue, Starry Black | Gray, Blue, White, Black |
| Models | ROD2-W09 | XYAO-W00 |
| Price | About 600 EUR | About 540 EUR |
Honor MagicPad 2 12.3
- Superior chipset performance with Snapdragon 8s Gen 3
- Longer battery life (9:42h active use)
- Brighter display (684 nits)
- Larger size may be less portable
- Honor's software support history is less established than Huawei's
Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024)
- Potentially tighter software integration within the Huawei ecosystem
- Sleek design and build quality
- 66W fast charging
- Kirin 9000S chipset is less powerful and efficient
- Likely lower peak brightness compared to Honor
- Software limitations due to ongoing restrictions
Display Comparison
The Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 boasts a larger 12.3-inch display, likely offering a more immersive experience for media consumption. Crucially, it achieves a measured peak brightness of 684 nits, significantly brighter than what we’d expect from the MatePad Pro 11, making it more usable outdoors. While both tablets likely employ high-refresh-rate panels, the larger screen real estate and higher brightness of the Honor give it an advantage for visual clarity and vibrancy. We expect both to have excellent color accuracy, but the Honor’s brightness is a key differentiator.
Camera Comparison
Given the tablet form factor, camera performance isn't a primary concern for most users. However, the context data doesn't provide enough detail for a meaningful comparison. We can assume both tablets will feature capable main sensors for basic photography and video conferencing. Without sensor size or aperture information, it’s difficult to assess image quality differences. The inclusion of OIS on either device would be a significant advantage, but this is unknown.
Performance
The core of the performance difference lies in the chipsets. The Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4nm), featuring a Cortex-X4 prime core clocked at 3.0 GHz. This contrasts with the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024)'s Kirin 9000S (7nm). The 4nm fabrication process of the Snapdragon offers superior power efficiency and thermal characteristics compared to the 7nm Kirin. The Snapdragon’s CPU architecture – Cortex-X4, A720, and A520 – is a generation ahead of the Kirin’s Taishan cores and Cortex-A510, translating to faster single-core and multi-core performance. While the Kirin 9000S is a capable chip, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 is expected to deliver a more responsive and sustained experience, particularly in graphically intensive applications.
Battery Life
The Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 demonstrates a clear advantage in battery life, achieving 9:42 hours of active use. While both tablets support 66W wired charging and 5W reverse wired charging, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3’s efficiency contributes to the longer runtime. The larger display of the Honor may consume more power, but the chipset’s efficiency appears to offset this. Both devices should offer reasonably fast charging speeds, reaching a full charge in approximately one hour, but the Honor’s longer runtime is a significant benefit.
Buying Guide
Buy the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 if you prioritize sustained performance for demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, and value longer battery life for all-day use. Buy the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024) if you are deeply embedded in the Huawei ecosystem, prefer the potentially more optimized software experience, and are less concerned with raw processing power or extended gaming sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
❓ Will the Kirin 9000S chipset in the Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024) throttle under sustained gaming loads?
The 7nm Kirin 9000S, while capable, is more prone to thermal throttling compared to the 4nm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3. This means that during extended gaming sessions, the Kirin chip may reduce its clock speeds to manage heat, resulting in a drop in performance. The Honor is likely to maintain higher sustained performance.
❓ How does the 66W charging compare in real-world usage between the two tablets?
Both tablets support 66W wired charging, meaning they should both charge from 0-100% in roughly the same timeframe (around an hour). However, the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3’s superior battery efficiency means you’ll be charging it less frequently due to its longer battery life.
❓ Is the larger 12.3-inch screen of the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 a drawback for portability?
The larger screen size does make the Honor MagicPad 2 12.3 less portable than the 11-inch Huawei MatePad Pro 11 (2024). However, the increased screen real estate is beneficial for multitasking, media consumption, and creative tasks, making it a worthwhile trade-off for many users.
