Gadgets

“Unleashing the Power: A Comprehensive Review of the Honor Magic8 Pro”

Published

1 day ago

February 3, 2026

Any links to online stores should be assumed to be affiliates. The company or PR agency provides all or most review samples. They have no control over my content, and I provide my honest opinion.

Honor Magic8 Pro Review

Summary

The Honor Magic8 Pro is one of the most balanced Android flagships I have used, combining a class-leading battery for Europe at 6,270 mAh, rapid 100 W wired and 80 W wireless charging, a superb 6.71-inch LTPO OLED display, and a genuinely strong 3.7x telephoto camera. It is not perfect, with a busier MagicOS experience and a couple of spec compromises versus last year, but at around £900 to £1,000 it is an easy recommendation if you want a premium phone that prioritises battery life, screen quality and versatile zoom without paying Samsung Ultra money.

Pros

Excellent 6,270 mAh battery life
Very fast wired charging
Bright, comfortable OLED panel
Strong 3.7x telephoto zoom
Seven years software support

Cons

Busy software with extra apps
No variable aperture camera
Large display cut-out
Throttles under sustained load
EU battery smaller globally

The Honor Magic range of flagship phones has been my favourite flagship Android phone for several years. I reviewed the Honor Magic7 Pro last year and thought it was outstanding.

As usual for Honor, they have launched the successor at the start of the year, making it one of the first phones to feature the latest flagship chipset from Qualcomm available in Western markets.

Related Reviews

Specification

Specification	Honor Magic8 Pro	Honor Magic7 Pro
Display	6.71″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 1256×2808, 458ppi	6.8″ LTPO OLED, 120Hz, 1280×2800, 453ppi
Peak Brightness	6000 nits	5000 nits
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 (3nm)	Snapdragon 8 Elite (3nm)
CPU Clock	2×4.6GHz + 6×3.62GHz	2×4.32GHz + 6×3.53GHz
GPU	Adreno 840	Adreno 830
RAM/Storage	12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, 16GB/512GB, 16GB/1TB	12GB/256GB, 12GB/512GB, 16GB/512GB, 16GB/1TB
Storage Type	UFS 4.1	UFS 4.0
Main Camera	50MP f/1.6 (wide), 200MP f/2.6 (3.7x telephoto), 50MP f/2.0 (ultrawide)	50MP f/1.4-2.0 (wide), 200MP f/2.6 (3x telephoto), 50MP f/2.0 (ultrawide)
Front Camera	50MP f/2.0 + TOF 3D	50MP f/2.0 + TOF 3D
Video	4K@120fps, 1080p@240fps	4K@60fps, 1080p@240fps
Battery (Global)	7100mAh Si/C	5850mAh Si/C
Battery (Europe)	6270mAh Si/C	5270mAh Si/C
Charging (Global)	100W wired, 80W wireless	100W wired, 80W wireless
Charging (China)	120W wired, 80W wireless	100W wired, 80W wireless
Dimensions	161.2 x 75 x 8.3mm	162.7 x 77.1 x 8.8mm
Weight	219g	223g
Build	NanoCrystal Shield, fibre-reinforced plastic back	NanoCrystal Shield, glass back
Water Resistance	IP68/IP69K	IP68/IP69
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7 (tri-band)	Wi-Fi 7 (dual-band)
Bluetooth	6.0 with aptX Lossless, LHDC 5	5.4 with aptX HD
OS	Android 16, MagicOS 10	Android 15, MagicOS 9

Design and build quality

Honor has trimmed the size slightly this year. The Magic8 Pro uses a 6.71 inch panel instead of 6.8 inches, and the chassis is fractionally shorter and narrower, so it does feel a bit more manageable in one hand. It is still a big and heavy phone at 219 g, so this is not a compact device, but weight and thickness are in line with other large flagships.

The camera module is still enormous. It takes up a large portion of the rear, though the circular layout is symmetrical and doubles as a natural resting point for your finger when holding the phone in portrait. You are not going to forget this is in your pocket, but the shape means it is less likely to dig awkwardly into your leg.

The Sunrise Gold colourway I have is more subtle than the name suggests, with a mostly silver finish and a warm tint when the light hits the back. The matte rear does a good job of hiding fingerprints and general grime, which I appreciate given how often many flagships still insist on glossy glass backs. If you prefer something more understated, Sky Cyan and plain black are also available.

Build quality is excellent. Honor uses an aerospace-grade aluminium frame and its NanoCrystal Shield glass, and the phone has survived a few drops in my use without visible marks. The IP68 / IP69 / IP69K ratings mean it will handle immersion in water and high-pressure jets, which is beyond what most competitors offer. It feels like a device you can comfortably use for several years without babying it.

Ergonomics and biometrics

Honor still uses flat sides with very subtle micro curves on all four edges of the display. The bezels are slim on all sides, and overall it looks and feels closer to the current iPhone design than many Android competitors.

The in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is one of the better ones I have used. It is quick, accurate, and does not seem fussy about finger placement. On top of that, you get a 3D face unlock system that uses the secondary front sensor, not just a basic 2D camera. That gives you a similar convenience level to Face ID while retaining the option of a more traditional fingerprint unlock.

The only downside is the pill-shaped camera cut-out. It is larger than a standard single punch hole, and you will notice it in full-screen content.

You may become accustomed to it, but if you are not fond of any interruptions on the screen, then this is something to consider.

Display quality and eye comfort:
The Magic8 Pro features a 6.71-inch LTPO OLED panel that is one of its standout features. It boasts up to 6000 nits peak HDR brightness, with around 1800 nits global peak, which is higher than many competitors. The display is easily readable outdoors, even in bright sunlight. The resolution is 1256 x 2808, which may not be as high as some QHD-class panels, but it still appears sharp in everyday use. The display offers 10-bit color and full DCI-P3 coverage, with color tuning leaning towards the saturated side in default mode. However, you can switch to a more natural profile if you prefer a less intense look. Honor also prioritizes eye comfort with features such as 4320 Hz PWM dimming, dynamic dimming, and a chip-level AI defocus mode that mimics myopia-control lenses. The display also includes a circadian night display that warms the color temperature in the evening. Touch responsiveness is good for daily use, with a fast sampling rate suitable for high refresh gaming.

Stereo speakers and audio:
The Magic8 Pro comes with a dual speaker setup utilizing the bottom driver and earpiece. The volume is sufficient for filling a small room, and clarity is decent at moderate levels. However, at maximum volume, there is a lack of bass and the sound becomes thin, making it less ideal as a primary music speaker. The phone does not have a 3.5 mm jack, but Bluetooth performance is solid, supporting higher quality codecs like aptX Lossless and LHDC 5 for good wireless audio quality. The haptics are an improvement from mid-range devices but not as advanced as top-tier flagships, with a tight and precise vibration motor for notifications and typing.

Performance and benchmarks:
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 on a 3 nm process, the Magic8 Pro offers up to 16 GB of RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. The device delivers swift general UI performance, fast app launches, and smooth multitasking across heavy apps. In synthetic benchmarks, the phone achieves impressive scores, but it does throttle under sustained load. Despite this, the Magic8 Pro maintains lower surface temperatures compared to some competitors. Storage performance is excellent thanks to UFS 4.x, ensuring fast sequential and random reads and writes without noticeable I/O bottlenecks.

Gaming experience:
The Magic8 Pro provides strong gaming performance, handling heavy titles smoothly at high or maxed settings. The phone supports a high frame-rate mode up to 120 fps in supported titles, with AI-based upscaling and frame generation for improved visuals. Thermals remain under control during gaming on battery power, with minor frame drops in demanding titles after prolonged sessions. Gaming while charging may lead to warmer chassis temperatures, but overall gameplay remains playable. Unfortunately, there is no battery bypass mode for powering the phone directly from the charger while maintaining a fixed state of charge.

Battery life and charging:
Honor continues its trend of incorporating high-capacity batteries in the Magic series, with the Magic8 Pro housing a 6270 mAh European cell (some versions feature a 7100 mAh pack). This results in impressive battery life, easily lasting a day and a half for moderate to heavy use and up to two days with lighter workloads. With a mixed day of 5 to 6 hours of screen-on time, including email, messages, social media, some camera use, and streaming, the battery of the device still had over 30 percent remaining at night. However, continuous heavy gaming will deplete the battery more rapidly, providing just over 4 hours of intensive 3D gaming at maximum settings from a full charge.

The device supports 100 W wired charging and 80 W wireless charging. Using the included wired charger, a full charge from 0 to 100 percent takes around 45 minutes for the larger battery variant and closer to the mid-30 minute range for the slightly smaller EU cell. A 15-minute top-up can get the battery to around 40 percent, which is sufficient for finishing a long evening. Additionally, there is reverse wired and wireless charging at up to 5 W for accessories.

One criticism is the regional differences in battery capacity, with some regions offering 7100 mAh while Europe is limited to 6270 mAh at a similar price point.

The device comes with MagicOS 10 and promises seven years of OS updates and security patches, making it a more viable long-term purchase. The software has been stable, with no app crashes or notification issues encountered during use. Honor pre-installs several of its own apps, which can be disabled or ignored, but it adds clutter compared to a more streamlined build.

A notable feature is the dedicated AI button on the side, offering flexibility in assigning functions such as launching the camera or triggering AI screen suggestions. The device also incorporates various AI features, including AI screen suggestions, AI photos agent, AI settings agent, AI memories, and AI safety tools.

The camera setup includes a 50 MP wide main camera, 200 MP periscope telephoto, 50 MP ultrawide, and a 50 MP front camera with TOF 3D depth sensor. The camera system is enhanced by Honor’s AiMAGE pipeline, combining hardware and AI for night photography, motion capture, and creative effects.

In terms of photo quality, the main camera produces detailed images with wide dynamic range in good lighting conditions. In low light, the camera performs well, delivering strong results. The device offers various modes and features for photo editing and capturing creative shots. The handheld night mode shots from this phone are sharp, with excellent control over noise and highlight clipping. Thanks to stabilization and AI stacking, the phone can handle a 2-second exposure handheld without significant blur, making it one of the top performers in smartphone night photography. The dynamic range is wide enough to preserve shadow detail without blowing out bright light sources.

One of the standout features is the 200 MP telephoto lens. At its native 3.7x zoom, images are crisp with natural-looking detail and good contrast. Even at higher zoom levels like 10x, the shots remain very usable, particularly in well-lit city scenes. While the phone can zoom up to 50x and even 100x, the level of detail retained is better than many other smartphones at similar focal lengths, although these extreme zoom levels are more for novelty than critical use.

The telephoto lens remains surprisingly capable at night, performing well up to around 10x zoom. Beyond that, noise and softness become more noticeable, but it still outperforms many competitors in similar conditions. The AI sharpening toggle can enhance perceived detail when zoomed in, although it can sometimes introduce artifacts and distort fine text. Turning this feature off results in slightly softer but more natural-looking images, which may be preferable for some users.

The ultrawide lens is competent but not exceptional. It provides decent detail and consistent color matching with the main camera in daylight, with minimal distortion at the edges. In low light, however, it falls behind the main and telephoto lenses in terms of detail retention and noise performance. The 2.5 cm macro mode is handy for close-up shots of small objects, although like most phone macros, it benefits from a steady hand to avoid blurriness.

Portrait mode excels in subject separation and bokeh, especially when using the telephoto lens. Skin tones are generally natural, though certain lighting conditions can skew them slightly warm. Transform the following:

Original: “I cannot go to the party because I have to study for my exam.”

Transformation: “I have to study for my exam, so I cannot go to the party.” Transform the following sentence into a question:

She is going to the store.

Is she going to the store? Transform the following sentence:

“The cat is sleeping peacefully on the couch.”

into:

“On the couch, the cat is peacefully sleeping.” Transform the following:

“Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.”

“If you have any questions or concerns, please inform me.” Transform the following sentence into a question:

“John is going to the store.”

Is John going to the store? Transform the following

Original: The cat is sleeping on the couch