Magic Ben MAG1 First REVIEW: Pocket 4G LTE Laptop with Touch Screen
Back in late September 2019, the young company Magic Ben introduced its first mini-laptop called Magic Ben MAG1. First, the Chinese manufacturer released Wi-Fi version of the laptop. A month later, Magic Ben introduced a version of MAG 1 with 4G LTE support. There are no other differences between the two versions of laptop.
Magic Ben MAG1 laptop has a very compact size, 8.9-inch touch screen display with high resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels, fingerprint reader, Intel Core M3-8100Y processor and battery capacity of 8600mAh.
It is a full-fledged laptop, but pocket-size.
Let’s make the first review of Magic Ben MAG1, and try to find out if it is really able to replace the usual laptop with large screen.
Magic Ben MAG1: Design
As you can see, the main feature of new laptop is its size. The dimensions of Magic Ben MAG1 are only 20 x 14 x 1.7 cm.
It is a very compact ultrabook that is easy to carry. Magic Ben MAG1 fits easily in a small bag, backpack or simply in your hand. The size of the laptop is no bigger than a regular book.
The weight of Magic Ben MAG1 is also small – 690 grams.
The laptop is only available in black matte color. The body is made of metal.
On the top panel is only Magic Ben logo.
After opening the lid of Magic Ben MAG1, there is 8.9-inch screen with a rather thin bezels around – 6.5 mm. It occupies 86% of the front panel.
It is IPS panel with stunning resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. Do you agree this is a pretty high resolution for 8.9-inch display?
The result is a screen with excellent color rendering, saturation and crisp image.
The display can be tilted up to 178 degrees.
By the way, the screen is touch-sensitive, and it supports up to 10 touches. We think that touchscreen display is much more convenient than mouse or touchpad. We’re used to using smartphones with touch screen, and it’s time for laptops.
If you think otherwise, you can use a touchpad or connect a computer mouse. Under the screen there is standard keyboard and touchpad.
Yes, the touchpad is very small, and it will take some time to get used to it. However, we don’t think that’s a big problem.
If you work at night, we have good news for you. Magic Ben MAG1 has a backlit keyboard.
Even though it is a very compact laptop, there are enough connectors and ports.
On the right side there are USB Type-C port, USB 3.0 port and MicroSD card slot.
Wi-Fi version of Magic Ben MAG1 laptop has Mini HDMI connector and a 3.5 mm headphone jack on the left side.
4G LTE version of the laptop is also equipped with SIM card slot.
The bottom panel has two built-in speakers and cooling holes.
It also has a built-in microphone, but there is no front camera. You can use Skype or other apps to make calls, but the other person will not see you, only hear you.
Magic Ben MAG1: Specs and Features
Once again, we would like to draw your attention to the fact that Magic Ben MAG1 laptop is available in two versions – Wi-Fi and 4G LTE. Of course, 4G LTE version of laptop also has Wi-Fi support.
You can install SIM card in 4G LTE laptop and use 4G mobile Internet. There is no need to search for Wi-Fi network access. This greatly simplifies the use of Magic Ben MAG1 laptop, especially if you work outdoors frequently.
The new Magic Ben MAG1 is powered by Intel Core M3-8100Y processor. Maximum clock frequency is 3.4 GHz. The dual-core processor was released in September 2018. It is quite powerful, and it is able to provide good performance without overheating.
It also has good energy efficiency. Magic Ben MAG1 is great for performing everyday tasks and even heavy apps for photo and video processing. The graphics processor is Intel HD Graphics 615.
Both versions of Magic Ben MAG1 come in two memory configurations. The first configuration has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory, while the second one has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of internal memory.
Keep in mind that you can use microSD card up to 128GB.
Magic Ben MAG1 runs on a licensed Windows 10 operating system.
By the way, we forgot to tell you that there is a fingerprint scanner in the top right corner of keyboard. You can use it instead of password on your laptop.
Both versions of laptop support 802.11a ac/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth 4.0.
Magic Ben MAG1 has a large 8600mAh battery. The single charge is enough for 7 hours of active use.
It’s a pretty good battery life, given the high-resolution touch screen, powerful processor and backlit keyboard.
By the way, you will be surprised by the next feature. The laptop can be charged from power bank. It is amazing! We think it’s very convenient.
Magic Ben MAG1: Price and buy
Now let’s talk about price. Let’s start with Wi-Fi version of Magic Ben MAG1 laptop. The model with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory costs $699. The price of version with 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal memory is $799.
Magic Ben MAG1 version 4G LTE and Wi-Fi support, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory costs $709. The model with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage costs $873.
As you can see, the difference between Wi-Fi and 4G LTE version is only $8. Of course, it is better to pay extra money and get a laptop with SIM card support.
Magic Ben MAG1 is a very interesting laptop. It has a small size, light weight, high-resolution screen, touch control, fingerprint scanner, backlit keyboard, powerful processor, large battery and power bank charger support.
Yes, you will need to get used to small display and touchpad. However, these are not disadvantages, but the features. If you often work out of home, Magic Ben MAG1 is perfect for you.
