Honor's Magic 8 Pro flagship smartphone launched this month at £1,099.99, positioning itself against Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google's Pixel 10 Pro XL. The device runs Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage in European configurations.
The phone features a 6.71-inch OLED display that reached 3,961 nits at 20% APL in Phone Arena testing, making it the brightest panel the publication has measured. Honor claims up to 6,000 nits peak brightness under specific conditions. The display includes 4320Hz PWM dimming and chip-level AI defocus technology for eye protection.
Camera performance centers on a 200MP telephoto lens with 3.7x optical zoom, an improvement from the Magic 7 Pro's 3x zoom. The main camera uses a 50MP sensor with f/1.6 aperture, while the 50MP ultrawide camera shows some softness in testing. Phone Arena's camera scoring system rated the telephoto as the strongest component.
Battery capacity varies by region, with European models reportedly receiving 6,270mAh silicon-carbon batteries while global versions outside Europe include 7,100mAh cells. The Chinese model features a 7,200mAh battery. The device supports 100W wired and 80W wireless charging, reaching full charge in approximately 48 minutes with proper equipment.
Performance benchmarks show the Magic 8 Pro scoring 10,621 in Geekbench 6 multi-core tests, topping competitors including the iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra. Graphics performance measured 7,212 in 3DMark Extreme tests, though thermal throttling occurs under sustained load.
Honor includes a dedicated AI button that can launch the camera app, activate Google Lens, or summon Circle to Search. When in camera mode, the button functions as a zoom slider and shutter control. The company positions itself as an "AI device ecosystem company" according to press materials.
Software support extends to seven major Android updates, matching Samsung and Google's flagship commitments. The Magic 8 Pro ships with Android 16 and MagicOS 10, featuring transparency modes and Magic Portal content sharing tools.
Design improvements include reduced dimensions at 161.5 x 75 x 8.4mm and weight of 219g, making the device smaller and lighter than its predecessor. The camera module uses a circular "Jade Cong" shape with substantial protrusion.
Separately, Honor reportedly plans a Magic 8 Air variant with horizontal camera design inspired by Google's Pixel 10. Leaked renders suggest a 6.31-inch display, MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset, and 5,500mAh battery for Q1 2026 release.
The Magic 8 Pro faces limited US carrier availability, requiring unlocked global versions through retailers like Amazon and Newegg. European pricing starts at approximately €1,100 for the base configuration.
