Flagship power with an XXL battery

In our tests, the Honor Magic8 Pro proved itself to be a nearly complete flagship device, impressing us with its premium build quality, IP69K certification, and a vibrant LTPO OLED display boasting brightness of over 6,000 cd/m². The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 delivers excellent performance, though it throttles noticeably under sustained load. Other highlights include the seven-year update guarantee, versatile AI features (including an AI button), and comprehensive security options that include an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and 3D facial recognition.

The camera impressed us with detailed photos, a powerful periscope zoom, and good image stabilization, even if its predecessor’s variable aperture is missing and the default settings tend towards bright, vibrant images. Despite the EU downsizing, the 6,270 mAh battery offers excellent battery life and recharges quickly at up to 100 watts. Weaknesses such as the currently slow Wi-Fi 7 and the lack of a UWB chip detract slightly from the overall impression, but don’t diminish the Magic8 Pro’s status as a very attractive Android flagship.

The Magic8 Pro has been available in Asia for some time (as we previously reported), and now it makes its appearance as the worldwide successor to the Magic7 Pro. Unfortunately, the European version comes with a significantly smaller battery and is also limited in terms of its storage options.

Nevertheless, the battery is comparatively large and promises long battery life. In the UK, the smartphone is only available in the storage configuration reviewed here, and has a suggested retail price of around £1,049.

Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

      Xiaomi Poco F8 Ultra       Honor Magic7 Pro       Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra       Vivo X300 Pro       Honor Magic8 Pro       Apple iPhone 17 Pro       DIN A6 163.33 mm / 6.43 in 77.82 mm / 3.06 in 8.3 mm / 0.3268 in 220 g0.485 lbs162.7 mm / 6.41 in 77.1 mm / 3.04 in 8.8 mm / 0.3465 in 223 g0.4916 lbs162.8 mm / 6.41 in 77.6 mm / 3.06 in 8.2 mm / 0.3228 in 218 g0.4806 lbs161.98 mm / 6.38 in 75.48 mm / 2.97 in 7.99 mm / 0.3146 in 226 g0.4982 lbs161.2 mm / 6.35 in 75 mm / 2.95 in 8.3 mm / 0.3268 in 219 g0.4828 lbs150 mm / 5.91 in 71.9 mm / 2.83 in 8.8 mm / 0.3465 in 206 g0.4542 lbs148 mm / 5.83 in 105 mm / 4.13 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

The security patches are up to date, and based on past experience, updates are usually distributed monthly during the first year, and quarterly thereafter. At times, the Magic7 Pro experienced even longer delays, but it also received the MagicOS 10 update shortly thereafter.

The Honor smartphone comes in a slim, plastic-free outer box. However, the company has provided no information regarding its sustainability. In Europe, the Magic8 Pro will receive both security and version updates for seven years.

User repair is not supported in case of damage.

With Wi-Fi 7, the Magic8 Pro supports the most advanced Wi-Fi standard currently available, covering all three frequency bands. Paired with our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, data transfer speeds are stable but comparatively slow. Honor will likely address this issue with an update. If this is the case, we will provide updated measurements.

The smartphone supports all of the modern mobile network standards with a wide range of frequencies.

Outdoors, the GPS fix is ​​quick and accurate. Indoors, however, the performance can be quite inaccurate and fluctuating.

On a bike tour, we compared the Magic8 Pro with the Garmin Venu 2, with the smartphone tracking the route quite accurately, but not as precisely as the fitness smartwatch. For navigation purposes, however, this was perfectly adequate.

The Honor Magic8 Pro can accommodate two nano-SIM cards or up to two eSIMs. The device supports standards such as Wi-Fi calling, VoLTE, and Vo5G.

When held to the ear, the call quality is very natural, and even loud background noise is reliably eliminated. The speakerphone delivers good sound quality, but the microphone range could be somewhat better.

Image comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main cameraMain cameraUltra-wide angle5x zoomLow light

The Honor Magic8 Pro only comes with a USB-C cable and a SIM card tool. Power adapters and protective cases must be purchased separately and can be found on various online stores such as Amazon. 

The warranty in Germany covers 24 months.

The Magic8 Pro’s capacitive touchscreen is smooth to the touch and offers precise input. An ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is integrated into the display, and it unlocks the smartphone quickly, boasting a high recognition rate. Additionally, the Honor smartphone remains the only one of its kind running Android to offer 3D face recognition, which is also speedy, accurate, and secure.

The new AI button visually resembles the iPhone’s camera button, but its functionality also includes the iPhone’s action button, allowing it to distinguish between three different press gestures. Each of these can be assigned a different function. By default, a long press launches an AI overview, displaying the choice between AI reminders and Circle to Search. The latter can be accessed in a less cumbersome way, and it can be customized extensively in the settings.

The linear vibration motor delivers crisp and, if desired, very distinct feedback.

* … smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

Screen flickering / PWM detected	120 Hz Amplitude: 12.82 % Secondary Frequency: 4347 Hz
The display backlight flickers at 120 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 120 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8083 (minimum: 5 – maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

In our tests, we achieved the most natural color reproduction when the Professional color mode was selected together with the Warm color temperature setting. Although the Calman measurements were then slightly worse than with the predecessor, this difference was imperceptible to the naked eye.

Display Response Times

↔    Response Time Black to White
1.04 ms … rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 0.5055 ms rise
	↘ 0.536 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 4 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.2 ms).
↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
0.63 ms … rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined	↗ 0.324 ms rise
	↘ 0.306 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 1 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (31.6 ms).

Outdoors, the Honor Magic8 Pro was very impressive and remained easily readable in all situations. The only thing missing is an anti-reflective screen.

The panel’s viewing angle stability is excellent, and the brightness only dropped slightly at wide viewing angles.

Das Honor Magic8 Pro is powered by the very up-to-date Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, which is responsible for excellent performance. The smartphone also delivers very good results in benchmarks in terms of peak performance. However, it is unable to maintain this level over the long term (see temperature).

Die Adreno 840 liefert Grafikpower pur, unterstützt Raytracing und zeigt im Test Spitzenergebnisse.

* … smaller is better

The Magic8 Pro’s surface temperatures remain safe at all times, even under sustained load, and don’t even reach 44 °C in some areas.

The SoC’s cooling system struggled to cope with the heat generated during stress tests, which resulted in a performance loss of approximately 50%.

(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 41.2 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 32.9 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.6 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 35.2 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 247 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 43.2 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.8 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 32.9 °C / 91 F.

The Honor smartphone’s two speakers’ main aim is to deliver a spatial sound experience with plenty of depth using AI algorithms. At medium volume, they’re quite successful in achieving this goal, and the result is an appealing sound stage. However, at full volume, the treble distorts quite noticeably at times.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.838.92529.6323119.342.14025.3415033.341.86320.748.48023.849.610018.448.812515.25216011.956.62001557.125011.758.231511.762.440010.164.45009.871.163010.872.880011.376.7100011.379.5125012.382.9160011.778.4200011.382.225001282.7315012.283400012.885500013.182.4630013.380.3800013.376.71000013.476.51250013.368.11600012.962.7SPL24.493.1N0.598median 12.2median 76.7Delta1.39.736.941.135.428.527.523.228.430.629.839.423.227.519.53619.445.620.150.917.660.618.457.515.557.912.75811.461.612.965.311.765.511.369.312.274.213.174.915.176.113.179.81379.413.376.713.378.113.377.313.676.413.673.513.67713.771.91459.125.488.40.774.6median 13.3median 73.51.18hearing rangehide median Pink Noise

The Magic8 Pro’s power consumption is comparatively low, which, when paired with its 6,270 mAh battery, should promise excellent battery life. Unfortunately, the battery in the European version is smaller; the Chinese version boasts a 7,200 mAh battery and faster charging capabilities.

Wired charging in the reviewed version is possible at up to 100 watts, with a full charge taking 36 minutes (50%: 14 minutes).

* … smaller is better

The Honor Magic 8 Pro achieved very good battery runtimes in the battery test.

Battery Runtime

The Honor Magic8 Pro presents itself as a worthy successor with a brighter OLED display, strong performance and lengthy software support, but in Europe, you’ll have to accept compromises in battery size and storage options.

Total Sustainability Score: 52.1%

Transparency

The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was given to the author by the manufacturer free of charge for the purposes of review. There was no third-party influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.

This is how Notebookcheck is testing

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Editor of the original article: Daniel Schmidt – Managing Editor Mobile – 815 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2013

As a child I was fascinated by my Commodore 16, and this sparked my enthusiasm for computers. Using my first modem, I surfed the BTX videotext system and later the World Wide Web. I have always been captivated by the latest technologies, and this is especially true for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. I’ve been part of the Notebookcheck team since 2013 and have also on occasion written for Notebookinfo.de, and I’m looking forward to testing new innovations for our readers. I like to spend my spare time indulging in photography and barbecues and being with my family.

Translator: Andrew Dickson – Translator – 173 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022

My lifelong passion for tech was born in a gadget-filled household in Scotland. From games consoles to cameras to computers. Early adopters, so early the phrase might have been coined with our family in mind.
On finishing school, I trained and qualified as a golf professional before moving to Germany, where I have worked and lived for over 30 years.
In 2002, I formed a successful English language centre, providing training, translations and digital learning systems to numerous businesses in the Rhein Neckar metropole area.
Whether augmented or virtual reality, smart devices, mobile technology, sustainable environmental solutions, the tech world is as exciting now as it has ever been.
Working with Notebookcheck allows me to combine my love of both tech and language.