The Honor Magic 8 Pro is a smartphone that aims to offer a premium experience, and it certainly delivers on that promise. With its exceptional camera array, long-lasting battery life, and class-leading performance, it's a top-notch phone that works hard to earn its price tag. However, it's not without its flaws, and some features might give pause to potential buyers. In this review, I'll delve into the details of the Honor Magic 8 Pro, exploring its strengths and weaknesses, and offering my personal perspective on whether it's worth the investment.
A Phone for Photography Enthusiasts
One of the standout features of the Honor Magic 8 Pro is its camera array. With a 50-megapixel main lens, a 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide lens, it's a photographer's dream. The camera offers exceptional detail in good lighting conditions, and the AI brightening features work well in low light without sacrificing too much detail. However, the camera is quick to slow down the shutter speed to achieve a brighter result, which can introduce blur if your hands are less than steady. Personally, I found the camera to be a joy to use, and the AI features are particularly useful for enhancing photos.
Performance and Reliability
The Honor Magic 8 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which is one of the fastest mobile processors available. It managed to max out the 3DMark Wild Life benchmark and achieved an average of 45 fps in Wild Life Extreme, a 4K gaming test. This is seriously impressive performance from a mobile phone. However, when running at full speed for a longer period, the phone does become a little hot to the touch. Overall, the phone's performance is top-notch, and it's a top choice for the most demanding mobile gaming titles.
Design and Aesthetics
The Honor Magic 8 Pro has a sturdy and rigid design, with an aluminum frame and a large camera bump that sends a message that this is a phone for photography on the go. The plastic rear material may raise an eyebrow at first, but it's a glass-fiber reinforced material that's arguably more durable than glass or metal backs found on other high-end devices. The screen is a NanoCrystal Shield unit with real durability credentials, and the phone features IP68, IP69, and IP69K ratings that provide resistance against high-pressure water jets and dust intrusion. Overall, the design is sleek and modern, and the phone feels premium in the hand.
Life With the Honor Magic 8 Pro
I've been using the Magic 8 Pro as a daily driver, trying out its cameras for everyday shooting and artistic style shots, and testing out the performance in intensive 3D gaming loads as well as regular usage. The hardware itself is the biggest upside on this device, with excellent battery life that comfortably lasts up to two days of regular usage. The display provides excellent brightness for outdoor usage and produces lifelike colors for an immersive viewing experience. The audio experience is also impressive, with some of the best speakers I've heard in a smartphone.
Minor Drawbacks
However, there are a few minor drawbacks that might give pause to potential buyers. The MagicOS can be a bit rough around the edges on first setup, and the plastic rear material raises eyebrows at this price point. Additionally, MagicOS prompts quite often to obtain permissions for using just about every basic feature of the device, which can get pretty fatiguing. Despite these minor drawbacks, I still believe the Honor Magic 8 Pro is a strong recommendation for those looking for extreme performance and a premium experience.
Value and Alternatives
There's a wide range of alternatives worth looking at around this price point. The Motorola Signature and Oppo Find X9 are two natural alternatives with strong performance metrics and a focus on the photography experience. However, the Honor Magic 8 Pro stands out as a natural recommendation for those looking to step away from big brands without sacrificing any performance. In my opinion, it's an excellent flagship device that doesn't really leave anything to be desired, and it's a phone that I would happily buy with my own money.
