Honor Magic4 Lite review
The Honor Magic4 Lite has left me with mixed emotions. While its overall performance has been impressive, with great battery life, charging speeds, and daily use experience, the camera capabilities have fallen short. The primary 64MP camera produces okay photos, but the ultra-wide option is a letdown, with mediocre color representation and resolution. Portraits taken with the selfie camera are decent, but not as great as some other budget phones I've reviewed. Overall, it's an average experience, making me wonder if Honor has missed the mark on this device.
Build Quality and Design
The Honor Magic4 Lite's build quality and design are a mixed bag, with some impressive features and others that fall short. The phone's body is made of plastic, which may not be as premium-feeling as metal or glass, but it does provide a decent weight and durability. One notable aspect of the design is the display. The 6.5-inch screen is quite large, making it easy to watch videos or browse content. However, the bezels around the screen are slightly thick, which may not be ideal for some users. The phone's back cover features a textured pattern that adds some visual interest and makes it easier to grip. However, the materials used feel somewhat cheap and lack the premium feel of some other flagships. In terms of design, the Honor Magic4 Lite is certainly not the most stylish phone on the market. While it may appeal to fans of simple, utilitarian designs, others may find it uninteresting or even bland. One thing that does stand out about the Magic4 Lite's design is its relatively compact size and light weight. At just 188g, this phone feels remarkably easy to carry around, making it a great option for those who prefer smaller phones. Overall, while the Honor Magic4 Lite's build quality and design may not be particularly impressive, they are not necessarily deal-breakers either. The phone's performance, camera capabilities, and feature set are likely to win over many users, even if its aesthetics don't exactly pop. Rating: 6/10
Battery Life
One aspect that truly impressed me about the Honor Magic4 Lite was its battery life. In my experience, this phone lasted an astonishingly long time without needing to be recharged. Whether I was using it for basic tasks like browsing the web and checking social media or more demanding activities like gaming and video streaming, the battery life remained consistently impressive. I found that even with heavy usage, the Honor Magic4 Lite easily lasted a full day and often had enough juice left over to make it through another hour or two. This was especially true when I was using the phone's power-saving features, which allowed me to customize my experience based on how much battery life I needed. One of the standout features of the Honor Magic4 Lite's battery life is its charging speed. The phone supports fast charging, and I found that it could go from 0 to 50% in a remarkably short amount of time. This made it easy to top up my phone when I was on-the-go. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the Honor Magic4 Lite's battery life. It's one of the strongest aspects of this phone, and I think it's a major selling point for anyone who values a long-lasting device without sacrificing performance or features.
Display
The display on the Honor Magic4 Lite is a mixed bag. On one hand, it's a large and vibrant 6.67-inch OLED screen that's perfect for watching videos or browsing through your favorite apps. The colors are rich and accurate, with deep blacks and plenty of detail in the shadows. However, the display also has its downsides. The refresh rate is limited to 90Hz, which can feel a bit sluggish compared to some other high-end smartphones on the market that offer up to 120Hz. Additionally, the screen's brightness could be better, especially when using the phone outdoors on a sunny day. In terms of resolution, the Magic4 Lite's display is quite impressive, with a crisp and clear Quad HD+ (1440 x 3200 pixels) resolution that makes text and images look sharp and well-defined. However, some users may find the screen's size to be a bit too large for their liking, especially if they're used to smaller displays. Overall, while the display on the Honor Magic4 Lite is certainly decent, it doesn't quite live up to the standards set by some of its more premium competitors. Still, for the price point and feature set, it's not bad at all – just be aware of what you're getting into before making a purchase.
Camera
The Honor Magic4 Lite is a budget-friendly smartphone that boasts impressive specs, but unfortunately, its camera falls short of expectations. My experience with the device's camera was similar to what I've found with other Honor phones in the lower-end segment. The primary camera, with a 64-megapixel sensor, takes okay photos, but they lack the "umph" that I've come to expect from higher-end devices. The images often appear dull and lacking in saturation, which is disappointing given the potential of the camera's hardware. Details are also inconsistent, with finer textures like leaves or grass appearing smudgy and lost. The ultra-wide camera, boasting 8 megapixels, was another disappointment. While it may offer a slight improvement over its predecessors, I found it to be similarly underwhelming. Color accuracy is decent, but the overall image quality is still lacking. The video recording capabilities, limited to 1080p at 30 FPS on both the rear and front cameras, further emphasizes the need for improvement in this area. The macro camera's 2-megapixel sensor produces photos that are, as expected, low-resolution. While they might be suitable for casual use or a fun snapshot, they're not something I'd rely on for everyday photography. One redeeming aspect of the camera experience is the selfie camera, which takes surprisingly good portraits. The images exhibit more texture and less smoothing compared to the primary camera's output. This was a pleasant surprise, as it suggests that Honor has some understanding of what makes for a great portrait photo. Unfortunately, my experiences with Honor phones have been consistent in this regard – the budget segment often fails to deliver on camera performance. While the Magic4 Lite is an excellent value proposition overall, its camera capabilities are a significant letdown. If you're considering purchasing this device or stepping up to a higher-end model like the Honor 50 or 70 series, I'd recommend carefully evaluating your priorities and what features matter most to you.
Price and Value
The Honor Magic4 Lite is a mid-range smartphone that has been making waves in the tech world with its impressive specs and features. But how does it fare when it comes to value for money? In this review, we'll delve into the device's price and assess whether it offers enough bang for your buck. Priced around $300-$350, the Honor Magic4 Lite is an affordable option in a crowded mid-range market. Considering its features, such as a large 6.75-inch display, octa-core processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, it's clear that this phone packs a punch. However, when compared to its peers, the Honor Magic4 Lite doesn't necessarily stand out in terms of performance or camera capabilities. The device's camera setup is one area where the Honor Magic4 Lite falls short. While the primary sensor takes decent photos, the ultra-wide and macro cameras leave much to be desired. This is a notable drawback, especially considering the competitive market prices for mid-range smartphones with better camera capabilities. Given its price point, the Honor Magic4 Lite offers average value for money. While it's an excellent choice for those on a budget or looking for a simple smartphone experience, it may not satisfy users seeking top-notch performance and camera quality. If you're willing to spend a bit more, there are other mid-range options available that offer better overall experiences. Ultimately, the Honor Magic4 Lite is a decent option for those who value affordability above all else. However, if you're looking for a device that offers more in terms of performance, cameras, and features, you may want to explore other options at similar price points.
Performance
The Honor Magic4 Lite is a formidable mid-range smartphone that delivers exceptional performance in various aspects. This device has been optimized to provide seamless and efficient usage experience. Under the hood, the phone is powered by a robust processor that handles demanding tasks with ease. The eight gigabytes of RAM and 128GB of internal storage ensure smooth multitasking and ample space for storing your files, photos, and apps. The Honor Magic4 Lite's performance has been impressive in my testing. It effortlessly handled demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing, and web browsing, making it a great option for users who need a reliable phone for daily use. In terms of overall system speed, the phone scored well above average in benchmark tests, indicating its ability to handle demanding tasks with ease. The Magic4 Lite also handled everyday tasks like social media scrolling, email checking, and messaging apps without any lag or slowdowns. One notable aspect of the phone's performance is its exceptional battery life. The device lasted a full day even after extensive usage, making it perfect for users who need a phone that can keep up with their busy lifestyles. The Magic4 Lite's performance is further enhanced by its snappy and responsive UI. The phone's interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, making it simple to access various features and settings. Overall, the Honor Magic4 Lite delivers exceptional performance, making it an excellent choice for users seeking a reliable mid-range smartphone that can handle demanding tasks with ease.
Pros
1. The overall experience of the phone itself, as in going through the UI, everyday use, battery life, charging speeds, all that sort of stuff has been really great.
2. Magic UI is actually one of my favorite skins that you can find on a smartphone, it's pretty customizable
3. You can download new wallpapers and themes to customize the overall look of your phone
4. The icons aren't too garish or anything like that, not a problem, one of my favorite skins along with One UI and stock Android
5. Battery life is great, charging speeds are fast
Cons
1. Photos from the main camera are okay, but they don't have that umph to them which is what I found with like Motorola photos and Samsung's when they just add a little bit more saturation to the photos
2. The ultra wide camera on the Honor Magic 4 Lite unfortunately didn't meet my expectations, color wise it does seem to be a little bit more saturated but that's about it
3. Video tops out at 1080p at 30 FPS on the rear camera as well as on the front camera
4. The 2 megapixel macro camera produces some to be expected low resolution photos
5. I found myself severely let down by the camera experience on all of the Honor phones I've used