Honor Unveils Snapdragon-Powered MagicBook Art 14 at IFA 2024

Honor adds Snapdragon-powered laptop to new device line-up at IFA 2024

Honor has revealed a new Snapdragon-powered business laptop is on the way. After releasing the Intel version of the Honor MagicBook Art 14 in China, and officially launching in Europe yesterday at IFA 2024, the mobile company confirmed what internet whispers had suspected: a version of Honor MagicBook Art 14 is coming with a Snapdragon X Elite processor. The company has yet to set a release date or price for the slim-line laptop - but we'll be watching this one like a hawk. Honor has been busy at this year's top tech event, showcasing the Honor Magic V3 (read our full review right here), alongside the MagicPad 2, and the MagicBook Art 14 for a European audience. Now, just twenty-fours later, the company has confirmed it's squeezing Qualcomm's mobile processor into its latest laptop, and creating an entire ecosystem of devices and apps that work seamlessly together. With the Snapdragon processor, Honor expects the device to offer Wi-Fi 7 support, improved power efficiency, and better performance. From what we've seen here in Berlin, there doesn't appear to be any other significant changes to the laptop. So, expect the same specs found in the Intel version running Windows 11. That includes 1TB storage, a choice of 16GB or 32GB RAM, and a sharp 14.6in OLED screen. Better still, in contrast to modern Apple devices, the device features a host of ports that offer more flexibility on the go. We had the chance to try out the MagicBook Art 14 powered by the Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 155H at this year's IFA. And while we weren't able to push it to the limit, try all the AI tools, and open a thousand tabs in Chrome, what we did experience was a quick and efficient laptop with a pleasing design and build. Expect a real performance boost if it's anything like the last MagicBook 14 we reviewed (find out more here). Built from magnesium, with a keyboard constructed from titanium, helps ensure the machine stays incredibly lightweight - weighing just over 1kg and measuring 11.5mm at its thickest point, this is about as portable as it gets. And yes, it's slightly lighter than a MacBook Air, which will cheer the company's social media marketing team, who seem to exist to troll its po-faced rivals. There's a lot to praise about the screen, too. At 14.6in, it's a good size for business users who need a broad touchscreen display without being hefty to carry around, boasting 700nits luminance, and 100% DCI-P3, making it ideal for watching movies, although we'd need to test it properly to see how it stacks up in the field of best video editing laptops. However, we did find the screen a little too reflective in an admittedly well-lit exhibition hall, despite an abundance of eye-care technology built-in. The ultrabook is also impressively soft-to-the-touch. It might not be, as Honor CEO George Zhao claimed, "as soft as a baby's skin", but it's not far off, feeling very comfortable in the hand, with a near-matte feel. Perhaps the real eye-catcher, though, is the detachable magnetic camera, which locks into place and feels sturdy once in place. It's a really rather novel way of dealing with built-in webcams that traditionally use sliders, covers, or just a spot of Blu-Tack over the lens. It also has the benefit of being reversible, if you need to show others on a video call what you're looking at. While we haven't had confirmation yet, expect Honor to start selling these separately for when the originals inevitably tumble under the desk never to be seen again.

Honor's MagicBook Art 14 comes with Snapdragon X processors, too

Key Takeaways Honor launched Snapdragon variant of MagicBook Art 14. It has the same design elements as the Intel version, including a 10mm thickness, 1kg weight, and a 14.6-inch display. Honor MagicRing enables some cross-device features Hot on the heels of launching the Intel-powered MagicBook Art 14, Honor has now announced a Snapdragon variant of its new laptop. Powered by the Snapdragon X Elite chipset, the Honor MagicBook Art 14 is an AI-focused laptop, but it also delivers premium performance and power efficiency. Plus, it retains all the design elements of the Intel version, including the magnetic webcam. Disclaimer: Honor sponsored my trip to IFA 2024, including lodging and transportation. Related Honor's new MagicBook Art 14 has a detachable magnetic webcam and it's just 10mm thick Honor's latest laptop looks pretty sleek Similar design, new processor The Honor MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon keeps all the same design elements that the Intel version introduced. The laptop is mostly made of a magnesium and aluminum alloy, and it's just 10mm thick, on top of weighing just 1 kilogram, making it one of the lightest laptops of its kind. However, instead of the more colorful versions available for the Intel model, the Snapdragon version comes in a much simpler silver colorway. The laptop is packing a 14.6-inch display, which is fairly large for an ultralight laptop. It's a 3.1K resolution panel with touch support, and the laptop had a screen-to-body ratio of 97%, which means the bezels are absolutely tiny, and as a result, there's no built-in webcam on them. Instead, the laptop houses a magnetic webcam in the base, which can be attached whenever you need it, and even used in reverse to point at what's in front of you. The only major difference with this model is the processor, since it now comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chipset rather than Intel Core Ultra Series 1. That kind of makes this new version the best by default, since it's a Copilot+ PC on top of offering much better performance and efficiency. Honor-specific features On top of the usual benefits of a Snapdragon processor, Honor has also built some technologies to leverage the hardware that much more. One example is the Honor Hotspot Library, a set of optimizations for specific x86 apps that are aimed at improving load times and performance when running them on Arm. Honor says it has optimized 14 of the most used apps in categories such as browsers (even though most browsers are Arm native now), office productivity, media, and more. The company says it has seen an improvement of up to 16% in boot-up times thanks to these optimizations. On the AI side of things, the Honor MagicBook Art 14 can also use the AI Eraser feature from the Magic V3 smartphone thanks to the MagicRing connection, This is a low-power ecosystem connection that links up Honor devices to provide a more seamless interconnected experience, with AI Eraser being one example. You can also use this feature to use your mouse and keyboard to control multiple devices, or even use your smartphone camera with your PC. Honor hasn't said when the MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon will be available or how much it will cost, though the Intel version is already available in select markets around Europe.

HONOR MagicBook Art 14 with Snapdragon X Elite platform and on-device AI Agent, AI Deepfake Detection announced

Today, on the second day of IFA 2024, HONOR introduced three new mobile AI solutions: the AI PC powered by Snapdragon X Elite platforms, AI Agent, and AI Deepfake Detection. This announcement was supported by a panel discussion featuring HONOR CEO George Zhao, Qualcomm Technologies' Alex Katouzian, and Microsoft's Mark Linton, exploring the impact of AI and Snapdragon technology on the future of mobile AI. Following the launch of the MagicBook Art 14 with Intel Core Ultra Processors, HONOR introduced the MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon as a notable advancement in computing. This laptop, weighing approximately 1 kg and measuring just 1 cm in thickness, integrates platform-level AI with high-performance hardware. It features a 14.6-inch HONOR FullView Touch Display with a 3.1K resolution and a 97% screen-to-body ratio, the highest for 14-inch laptops. Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite, the device offers enhanced power, efficiency, and security. The MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon improves the transition of Windows applications from X86 to Snapdragon architecture. HONOR's Hotspot Library uses AI to optimize translation, boosting boot-up speed by 16% across various Windows applications. It currently supports optimization for 14 top apps in categories like browsers, online meetings, media, office, social software, and tools. HONOR has not yet announced the release date or pricing for the MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon. HONOR's MagicRing enables seamless cross-device connectivity. Unlike traditional solutions that require manual setup, MagicRing automatically connects devices under the same account with minimal power usage. It allows users to control multiple devices with one keyboard and mouse, receive notifications across devices, and operate smartphone cameras from a PC. This technology simplifies multi-device AI interactions. For instance, MagicRing can be used with Cocreator on the HONOR MagicPad 2 for artwork creation and AI Eraser from the HONOR Magic V3 on the MagicBook Art 14 Snapdragon to enhance mobile AI experiences. The HONOR AI Agent is a new personal assistant that streamlines daily tasks. It uses language analysis and UI awareness to understand user requests, learning from habits and device environments to automate complex tasks. Demonstrated managing app subscriptions via voice commands, the AI Agent will debut with the HONOR Magic7 Series later this year in China, promising deeper AI integration into daily routines. HONOR introduced its on-device AI Deepfake Detection technology, designed to address deepfake risks like identity theft and misinformation. The system uses advanced algorithms to analyze synthetic imperfections, compositing artifacts, and other indicators to differentiate between genuine and manipulated media. Speaking at the event, George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co., Ltd., said,