Honor’s MagicBook series has made a name for itself in the mid-range laptop segment, offering a combination of performance and battery life. The company’s latest model features a 13th Gen Intel processor packed into a lightweight chassis that looks and feels like you are holding a MacBook Air. I used the Honor MagicBook X14 Pro (2024) for a few weeks, and here’s what I liked and didn’t like about the laptop.
The Honor MagicBook X14 Pro has an aluminium unibody that resembles a MacBook Air. It has a nice matte finish that isn’t susceptible to fingerprints, but I noticed that it sometimes picked up smudges, especially when I placed my smartwatch or phone on top of it. However, it was not a problem since I could just wipe them away using a cloth or my palm.
The laptop weighs 1.4kg, which is a few more grams than the latest MacBook Air, but Honor has managed to distribute the weight fairly well. In the past, I have used numerous bulky laptops, so if you are someone who commutes with their laptop on their back, the MagicBook X14 Pro is an easy recommendation since it won’t add stress to your back and make your arms feel tired when you are carrying it from one room to another.
It sports a 14-inch screen with a resolution of 1900 x 1200. The display has a refresh rate of 60Hz, which is adequate if you want to browse the internet or just watch your favorite web series. Honor says the display has a peak brightness of 300 nits. While the screen is bright enough for indoor usage, if you are thinking of using this laptop on a bright day under direct sunlight, be ready to get disappointed as you will barely be able to see anything on the screen.
One thing I did not like about the laptop is the keyboard. I am used to a mechanical keyboard, so switching to a laptop was hard for me. While I can manage with a membrane keyboard, the MagicBook X14 Pro’s keys felt cramped and I found myself repeatedly pressing the wrong buttons more than I normally would.
But I wouldn’t blame Honor here, since this is the case with most laptops. If you are using a desktop or a full-fledged keyboard, getting used to a slightly smaller layout might take some time as your hands get used to the laptop.
Performance
The Honor MagicBook X14 Pro is powered by the Intel Core i5-13420H processor and paired with 8GB of RAM, which may or may not be enough depending on what you do. My typical day involves typing for hours on end, opening a ton of browser tabs, browsing mindlessly, listening to music in the background, and watching a web series or anime at night.
If you are in the same boat as me and are looking to buy a laptop for productivity purposes, the Honor MagicBook X14 Pro will easily breeze through everyday tasks. However, if you are into video editing, the laptop might struggle as it does not feature a dedicated graphics card.
Honor has also added a performance mode, which can be easily activated using the “Fn+P” shortcut. While I did not notice the difference in everyday usage, the company says the laptop bumps up the power by a bit and consumes more battery when performance mode is enabled.
The laptop also comes with a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button on the top right. This is the first time I am using a laptop with a fingerprint scanner and I personally thought it wouldn’t be that useful. But never have I been more wrong. The fingerprint scanner works without a hitch, and I have been enjoying the convenience it offers by letting me sign in directly to my Microsoft account without having to type in the password.
Battery
The Honor MagicBook X14 Pro packs a 60Wh battery that supports 65W fast charging. While the majority of laptops offer up to 4 hours of battery life, this laptop lasted anywhere between 6-7 hours depending on my usage. I watched Vinland Saga for almost 4 hours with brightness set to around 50-60 per cent, and the battery dipped from 100 to 53 per cent.
I used the laptop to work all day on a Sunday and at the end of my work shift, which typically lasts for around 8 hours, I was left with around a 10 per cent charge. This is really impressive as other laptops in the price segment often go dark after 3 or 4 hours. With the company’s 65W fast charging, the Honor MagicBook X14 Pro takes anywhere between 90-120 minutes to fully charge but may take longer if you are using the laptop while plugged in.
Should you buy the Honor MagicBook X14 Pro?
At a starting price of Rs. 54,490, the Honor MagicBook X14 Pro offers great value for money if you are looking for a lightweight laptop that offers lag-free performance, solid build quality, and a long-lasting battery that will easily last you for hours. However, those looking for a powerhouse to play games on and a screen that is visible outdoors should look elsewhere.
