Bought my magic 4 pro in June last year from a mobile shop in jb. Had been using the Huawei mate 20 pro before that since 2018 and I really liked that phone. It was probably the phone I enjoyed the most since I got my first smartphone way back in 2008, alongside the iPhone 4. It was so good that it was the first time I used a phone for more than 3 years and initially decided to get the next gen mate series.
But with the shameless US ban, I was left with no choice but to abandon Huawei due to the lack of gms. The closest alternative I could find was the magic 4 pro. After 6 months, these are my thoughts from a non techy person:
1) if you like the Huawei os, you will be very familiar and comfortable with this. However, I just felt that the os in the magic 4 pro lacks the special attention to minor details, for eg, the lack of notification numbers, minor customisations, lack of the notification light etc. Little things that add up to make a difference. But overall still ok
2) on paper the spec to price ratio seems great and it is indeed a good phone no doubt for its price. Cameras, screen, one of the few phones that uses 3d face ID and ultrasonic fingerprint sensors. However, even for a new phone, I do notice apps tend to slow down and hang more often than my old mate 20 pro. This issue seems to have reduced with subsequent updates. But I do still tend to experience it once in a while.
3) I am very impressed by the 100w supercharge. At 20% I literally get to 100% after going for a quick shower. Comparing to more exp phones like iPhones that uses charging speed at 30w or below? This is one of the main satisfaction with owning this phone. Battery drain do tend to be average. Lasting me a day with normal usage. Comparing to my old huawei phone, this is a little bit of a disappointment, as I remember when I first got that phone, the battery could last me at least 1.5 days without charging.
In conclusion, while I am satisfied with my purchase, I am not blown away by it, unlike what I experienced when I got my mate 20 pro in 2018. I take comfort with the fact that this is probably the best I can get in the market at this price point for the features that matters to me most.
Fav features: accurate and fast 3d face ID (not found in most phones now), ultrasonic fingerprint sensor (unlike optical sensors which fails frequently), 100w charging, dynamic refresh rate up to 120hz (feels good looking at it).
Overly picky complaints/things not as good as my old phone: average battery life, not as attentive to minor details as Huawei os as mentioned above, laggy os at times, camera has no anti vibration software, blur photos quite often. Lack of service centre in sg, worry about future issues and resale value.
