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Introduction
The Honor Magic8 Pro has finally been launched in all markets, and the West can now enjoy what this top-tier smartphone has to offer. It brings the usual combination of high-end cameras and top-class chipsets, along with a welcome upgrade in battery capacity and (surprise, surprise) a heavy focus on AI in its software. We’re here to see just how far ahead of the rest this latest major contender stands.
The Magic8 Pro is the next version in the lineup that pioneered super-high-resolution telephoto, so it’s no surprise to see a 200MP zoom camera, now paired with a slightly longer lens. The main camera has lost its (slightly) variable aperture, but who will notice, while the ultrawide is still one of the ultrawides. Excellent selfies should also be on the menu, unless Honor has inexplicably messed something up?
Of course, the latest Snapdragon is here to do the heavy lifting, and it’s powered by a bigger battery – our EU version still gets a smaller capacity than the rest of the world, but since last year’s model was also handicapped in our jungle, the 1000mAh increase is a worthwhile upgrade just like in other markets.
Magic8 Pro relies heavily on AI in its software, as does everyone else, with a number of in-house features aimed at making your life simpler. The latest MagicOS has also received some extra polish, and the 7-year update policy keeps Magic among the best in the business (for its price).
Some magic-specific traits remain part of the package. For example, it has 3D face scanning for authentication which is rare in the Android world. The speaker arrangement is also not very common, with two large drivers and an open cavity design. On the other hand, everyone is offering additional controls these days, and Honor is also following suit with its AI button (with camera usage to a lesser extent).
Honor Magic8 Pro specifications at a glance:
- Body: 161.2×75.0x8.3mm, 219g; Glass front (nanocrystal shield), fiber-reinforced plastic back; IP68/IP69K dust-resistant and water-resistant (high-pressure water jets; submersible up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes).
- Display: 6.71″ LTPO OLED, 1B color, 120Hz, 4320Hz PWM, Dolby Vision, HDR Vivid, 1800 nits (HBM), 6000 nits (peak), 1256x2808px resolution, 20.1:9 aspect ratio, 458ppi; HDR image support.
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM8850-AC Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3 nm): Octa-core (2×4.6 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix L + 6×3.62 GHz Oryon V3 Phoenix M); Adreno 840.
- Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.1.
- OS/Software: Android 16, up to 7 major Android upgrades, MagicOS 10.
- rear camera: wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm, 1/1.3″, 1.2µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS; telephoto: 200 MP, f/2.6, 85mm, 1/1.4″, 0.56µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS, 3.7x optical zoom; ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.0, 12mm, 122˚, 1/2.88″, 0.61µm, Dual Pixel PDAF.
- Front Camera: Wide: 50 MP, f/2.0, 21mm, 1/2.93″, 0.6μm; ToF 3D.
- video capture: rear camera: 4K@24/30/60/120fps, 1080p@24/30/60/120/240fps, Gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR, 10-bit video; front camera:4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, Gyro-EIS.
- Battery: C/C Li-ion 7100 mAh (Global); 6270mAh (Europe); 7200 mAh (China); Charging: 100W Wired (Global), 120W Wired, 100W PPS, 40W UFCS (China), 80W Wireless, Reverse Wireless, 5W Reverse Wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; é SIM; Wi-Fi 7; BT 6.0, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, LHDC5, Auracast, Asha; NFC; Infrared port.
- various: Fingerprint reader (under the display, ultrasonic); large amplitude stereo speakers; Emergency SOS (messages and calls) via satellite – China only.
Unboxing of Honor Magic8 Pro
Our Magic8 Pro review unit came without a retail box but we did get a cable with it. In terms of accessories, you can expect more or less the same, except you’ll have a box to keep the phone and cable together.
For its price, the cable is rated for 6 amps of current, so it’s a good cable, although it’s also a USB-A-to-C cable, which is our second favorite type. Again, this is meant to play nicely with Honor’s proprietary charger and is probably still slightly better for PC connectivity (though how many potential Magic 8 Pro buyers don’t have at least one USB-C port on their computers?).
