The HONOR Magic8 Pro serves as the brand’s newest flagship phone, succeeding the Magic7 Pro launched back in January. Ahead of its local debut, the company has given us the opportunity to get acquainted with the device. The model in my hands is the Sunrise Gold version, although the smartphone also comes in Sky Cyan and Black.
Starting off with appearances, the Magic8 Pro more or less retains the familiar look of its predecessor. It gets an enormous camera bump on the rear, which unsurprisingly sticks out quite a bit. Ignoring that, you get a pretty flat phone with a little bit of curve on the edges.
The power button and volume rocker are on the right side of the handset, where you would expect them to be. Of course, there is a new AI button a little further down, which is predictably used for summoning the AI assistant. It does have some other functions, though. A double press opens the camera, and you can use the button to zoom in and out, as well as snap photos.
Calling the phone’s colour gold might be a bit of a stretch, as the yellowish tone isn’t very prominent. On one hand, it’s a nice change from the obvious in-your-face bright hues you’d typically associate with the colour. But, it does look pretty washed out. In certain lighting conditions, it appears more silver than anything. Admittedly, it makes for a fairly plain design almost unbefitting of the phone’s flagship status. It does have a very subtle shimmery pattern, but it’s only visible at some angles.
Aesthetics aside, it is a pretty chunky and hefty device. It’s about as heavy as the Magic V5, which I suppose says more about the foldable phone than anything else. I wouldn’t go so far to say that the Magic8 Pro is a brick, but it certainly feels solid enough. And just like any phone its size, you can just about handle it with one hand, although navigation isn’t quite as effortless unless you have long fingers.
The phone runs on MagicOS 10, which is based on Android 16. Like many Chinese phone makers, HONOR has introduced some transparent elements to the UI. I’m not a fan of the aesthetic, but this is a matter of personal preference. What isn’t a matter of personal preference, though, is the presence of bloatware. You have your usual pre-installed third party apps like Facebook and TikTok, along with other first party additions just hanging out.
Unsurprisingly, the usual swiping and scrolling activities are a smooth affair. However, the phone tends to run pretty hot once you start snapping photos. This is probably in part due to the AI-powered adjustments and enhancements going on. And the device sure relies on it a lot, for better or for worse.
Speaking of the cameras, HONOR has equipped the phone with what it calls a 50MP Ultra Night main camera, a 200MP Ultra Night telephoto lens, and a 50MP ultrawide shooter. As the names suggest, the imaging system excels in night photography, although one can expect it to take pretty pictures in general. And for the most part, images come out crisp and clear, even if your hands shake a little.
One thing I have noticed when it comes to the cameras in HONOR phones is the tendency to really turn the contrast up to eleven. The resulting effect is intense, bright, and in some situations, overly vivid to the point of looking artificial. Unfortunately, the Magic8 Pro is no exception to this. Naturally, some detail gets lost in the darker areas. Black hair (or fur, in the case of non-humans) especially looks unnaturally flat.
For what it’s worth, though, night shots do turn out okay, even if you end up with the same issue where you lose detail in the darker sections. While I wouldn’t exactly go so far to say the images look true to life, they don’t look dull or washed out. Admittedly, the pictures are brighter and more vibrant than you would get on a lot of other phone cameras.
So, it’s safe to say that the Magic8 Pro cameras do well in poor lighting conditions, but that isn’t the full story. As I’ve mentioned earlier, the imaging system is pretty reliant on the adjustments made by the software. This becomes quite obvious when shooting at night, when the aggressive brightening and sharpening happens. In some sections, the phone does go a bit too far, although it may only be apparent when you look closely. Otherwise, the photos are pretty impressive.
Aside from that, there is some improvement to the AI-assisted zoom capabilities. At least, when it comes to text, anyway. At 100x zoom, letters and numbers are still pretty legible. Objects still get a watery smudged look, and animals appear pretty uncanny.
All in all, the HONOR Magic8 Pro has a pretty unassuming appearance that should appeal to those looking for something subtly stylish. Under the surface, though, you get a capable device that takes pretty pictures, though not without some quirks.
