I ’ve been using theM2 MacBook Airsince its launch , and it has been a dependable laptop . It ’s not thoroughgoing though . I wish the display was better and that the laptop computer was lighter as I ’ve had experience where my carry - on baggage ended up being heavier than expected . And both of these are things even theM3 MacBook Airdoesn’t address .
What I did n’t have it off , however , was that those wishes could come true in a more feature - pack laptop computer most people have never heard of . I ’m talking about theHonor MagicBook Art 14 , powered by the Snapdragon X.
accolade introduced it earlier this yr atIFA 2024 , but it only went on sales event a couple of weeks ago in Europe . It ’s priced higher than the MacBook Air ( and is n’t useable in North America ) , but after using it for three weeks , I have n’t looked back since .
Surprisingly light and strong
The Honor MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon features a notch - less OLED display that ’s 14.6 column inch in size of it and offers a 120Hz refresh rate in a laptop computer consistence that weighs just 2.25 pounds ( 1.02 kilogram ) .
That ’s 0.5 Egyptian pound ( 220 gramme ) lighter than the 13 - column inch MacBook Air and 1.1 pounds ( 490 grams ) less than the 15 - inch MacBook Air . The difference is noticeable as soon as you clean it up . It ’s surprisingly lite for its sizing and can easily slide into the svelte laptop computer pockets , thanks to its 0.45 - column inch ( 11.5 mm ) thickness . That makes it closely as tenuous as the MacBook Air , surprisingly .
The slim and light visibility does n’t mean compromises on other aspects . You get a 14.6 - inch OLED touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 3120 x 2080 pixel resolution , making for a 3:2 aspect ratio . The taller shape of the screen is still jolly uncommon , and only used on options like theSurface Laptop 7th Edition . It ’s sharp , bright , and underpin 100 % of the DCI - P3 color gamut . laurels has also let in a much - loved feature from its phone — 4,320Hz PWM waver - barren dimming to reduce eye strain . There is n’t another laptop computer that offers that form of portability in a laptop this high - destruction .
The screen is also plenty brilliant , go away up to 700 nits in HDR , making for some very enjoyable Netflix and Prime Video watching . The only tenuous troublesomeness I faced was when working outdoors because the presentation is very reflective . This issue can be mitigated to an extent by turning the sieve up to maximum brightness , which is higher than that of the Apple laptop . However , a less musing display would have made it gross .
That said , it ’s wonderful for working indoors , in cafe , or in airport couch . I love having a bigger , bright , and bolder display in a lighter pattern .
The elephant in the room
According to the companionship , the MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon offers a 97 % screenland - to - physical structure ratio . One of the first thing you ’ll note is the lack of a webcam . It ’s not on the top , bottom , or hidden inside a function button — instead , it ’s a separate mental faculty altogether . This is something many laptops have set about to get around , but honour ’s root is very unique .
The 1080p modular television camera is a detachable unit located inside the remaining side of the laptop , right next to the ports . In terms of quality , it ’s serviceable . It pops out with a insistency and magnetically confiscate to the top of the laptop .
I had my dubiety about its functionality when I first saw it at IFA , but the software recognizes the webcam straight off , and the cognitive process is smooth — just see to it you ’ve given the necessary permission . The experience is better than look . I remain sceptical about it being the best solution , but primarily because I ’m clumsy and tend to lose modular technical school . Despite this , it ’s a smart intention selection , and I ’ve have it off having a notch - less showing that ’s a joy for consuming content .
The Snapdragon X Elite Experience is great
The Honor MagicBook Art 14 is powered by the Snapdragon X elect X1E80100 processor . It features 12 forcible cores , 42 Mbit of total memory cache , a 3.42GHz multi - core absolute frequency , and a 4.0GHz peak clock swiftness , geminate with 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage . It runs Windows 11 and patronage Microsoft ’s co-pilot .
My three weeks with it have been good . I have n’t meet problem with app facility , even though most Windows software package is built for Intel cow chip range on x86 code . Apple ’s switch to Arm faced similar challenges , which were mostly answer through emulation . Qualcomm is addressing these issues likewise with its Snapdragon X chipset .
My enjoyment typesetter’s case involves apps like Chrome , Teams , Asana , Slack , Photoshop , and Lightroom . The latter two ab initio had publication running through Creative Cloud , but after reinstallation , they influence fine . If you rely on specific self-governing software , it ’s deserving checking if the party bear out branch laptop computer before endow in one . We ’ve done mess of testing to show how good theSnapdragon go chips are , even equate to Intel ’s late .
Overall , my experience with the Honor MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon has been delicious . I have n’t experience slowdown or crash , even while running the above - mentioned apps simultaneously with at least 10 Chrome tab key open . The machine is quick to wake up and unlock with the build - in fingerprint sensing element , and it does n’t consume much battery on understudy , which is a major win .
pureness also offers an Apple - similar ecosystem call Honor MagicRing , which permit seamless connectivity between purity gadget . I connected the laptop to my Honor Magic V2 and MagicPad 2 , and like Apple ’s ecosystem , you’re able to use the keyboard and trackpad across devices . It works well in actual - sprightliness usage .
For what it ’s deserving , Honor also sells an Intel Core Ultra Series 2 version of the same laptop .
The rest of the hardware and battery life
As someone who types for a life , I incur the MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon keyboard reliable . The 1.5 mm key traveling feels everlasting , and the soft - to - the - skin senses keys are great . The large trackpad supports gestures and is precise in utilization .
you may also scroll on the left and proper sides of the trackpad to align brightness and volume , respectively . It ’s a dainty sense of touch , but it consume some getting used to , and I ’ve accidentally activate these actions multiple time while typing .
The Honor laptop computer feature a slew of ports , including two USB - C ( 3.2 ) ports on the left , which can also be used to commit the twist . On the proper side , there ’s a USB - A 3.2 port , an HDMI port , and a earpiece seafarer .
The MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon packs a 60 James Watt - minute battery that ’s grade to last up to “ 9.5 hours of day-after-day office workplace . ” In my experience , it consistently hold out around seven hour with Chrome , Asana , Slack , and squad running in the background . My usage was mostly on Balanced Power Mode with 50 % screen brightness and a 120Hz refresh pace .
you could extend the battery life by lowering the refresh pace to 60Hz and using dark mood , of course . I expect it to last longer , as my M2 MacBook Air gives me about 10 hour of battery life on a undivided kick . However , I ca n’t have as many Chrome tabs capable or apps black market in the background on my 8 GB model .
The MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon ’s battery life will likely last you an intact daytime , but a little redundant headroom would have been respectable .
Honor MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon price and availability
The Honor MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon is now on sale for 1,700 euros ( $ 1,770 ) in several European countries . However , you may claim a 200 euro ( $ 208 ) deduction coupon to bring the price down to 1,500 euro ( $ 1,562 ) . This also let in a free Honor Pad 9 ( 8GB/256 GB ) alongside Microsoft 365 Personal or Honor X6 earbuds , depending on the realm .
As of now , the MagicBook Art 14 is n’t available in the U.S. , which is a ignominy . But for me , I could n’t be more happy to carry on using this in place of my old MacBook Air . The combination of the gamey - end screen and MacBook Air - like portability make it the thoroughgoing laptop for me — and I do n’t think I ’m the only one .
