Honor Magic4 Lite review

Introduction and specifications

Honor Magic4 Lite recently released in Europe is not a new phone in other markets. The device is also known as Honor X30 and Honor X9 5G. The first was the first to arrive in China in December last year. The device is a budget version of the Magic4 series and borrows the aesthetics of the other three flagship models: the vanilla Magic4, the Pro and the Ultimate.

But the design is as close as possible to the Lite version to its more capable siblings. After all, the budget Lite iteration only takes $ 320 in Europe, so you can’t really expect the advanced camera settings found in the rest. It is also the only one who is satisfied with an LCD panel.

At its current price point, however, the phone could have a good value proposition. It might be an LCD display, but it’s large – 6.81 “. It could very well be perfect for those looking for a phone with a large display. A 4,800mAh battery that supports 66W fast charging looks tempting too.

Honor Magic4 Lite specifications at a glance:

• Body: 166.0×75.8×8.0 mm, 189 g; glass front, back and plastic frame.
• Screen: 6.81 “, 120Hz IPS LCD, 1080x2388px resolution, 19.9: 9 aspect ratio, 385ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold and 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM.
• Operating system / software: Android 11, magic user interface 4.2.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f / 1.8, 26mm, PDAF; Macro: 2 MP, f / 2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f / 2.4.
• Front Camera: 16 MP, f / 2.5.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p @ 30fps; Front camera: 1080p @ 30fps.
• Drums: 4800 mAh; Fast charging 66W.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (side mounted); NFC; virtual proximity sensor.

We also have the Snapdragon 695 SoC on board, which seems to be a common choice in this price range and, as such, makes Magic4 Lite a competitive solution, from a performance standpoint.

The camera setup, which is a little too simple given the absence of a proper auxiliary camera such as an ultrawide or telephoto lens, falls short of the competition. Also, our experience with budget ultrawide cameras isn’t good, so Honor skipping the commonly used 8MP ultrawide camera might not be a big omission.

Since Honor is now an independent company, although some remaining ties to Huawei can be identified, it must once again make a name for itself in Western markets. And the competition is fiercer than ever. We will try to evaluate the capabilities of Magic4 Lite and compare them to the best alternatives in the same price range.

Unboxing the Honor Magic4 Lite

The box of the Magic4 Lite is nothing out of the ordinary and contains the usual user manuals, the 66W quick charger and a USB-C to USB-A cable for charging and data transfer.

Honor has also included a clear silicone case for extra protection. And it won’t hide the design as well.