The Honor Magic 5 Pro has garnered a lot of attention in the smartphone market due to its exceptional display, battery life, and camera capabilities. In this Honor Magic 5 Pro review, we will delve into the various aspects of this flagship device and see how it stacks up against some of its competitors.
Design and Build
- Striking design with a large camera module
- Comfortable grip due to curved edges
- Available in Meadow Green and Black color options
The Honor Magic 5 Pro sports a modern and eye-catching design with a huge slab of curved glass and metal coupled with an outlandishly large, round camera module on the back. The 6.81-inch screen is the primary reason for the phone’s large size, and the device weighs 219g. At 8.8mm thickness, the Magic 5 Pro is more slender than other large smartphones, making it more comfortable to hold.
The camera module is positioned at the top of the understated glass back, with the striking design of the large circular camera. The matte Meadow Green variant looks impressive, while the glossy Black option is also available. There are also Blue, Purple, and Orange color options in China, though their availability in other regions is uncertain.
It is worth mentioning that Honor has not claimed the use of Gorilla Glass or any other toughened alternative for the device, although a pre-applied screen protector will help save the display. The phone does come with an IP68 rating, ensuring protection from dust and water.
Display and Speakers
- 6.81-inch quad-curved 1-120Hz OLED display
- Emphasis on eye comfort
- Stereo speakers with slightly tinny sound quality
The Honor Magic 5 Pro features a stunning 6.81-inch OLED display with an adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate, delivering smooth visuals and optimized battery life. The screen is curved on all four edges, providing a symmetrical look and a comfortable feel. Boasting a high resolution of 1312×2848, the display is accompanied by a dedicated chipset to drive its impressive color accuracy and HDR10+ support.
Honor has also focused on eye health features, claiming that the Magic 5 Pro is one of the best displays available for comfortable long-term use. Dynamic dimming technology, circadian-friendly certification, and reduced screen flicker all contribute to a pleasant viewing experience.
While the display is certainly one of the best in the market, the stereo speakers are not quite as impressive. The sound quality is acceptable but falls short of being exceptional, with a slightly tinny output.
Performance and Specifications
- Powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
- Comes with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
- Performance slightly lags behind other flagships
The Honor Magic 5 Pro is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is the fastest processor for Android smartphones at the moment. The phone also comes with a generous 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. While the device is fast and can handle multitasking and demanding games, it slightly lags behind other flagships in terms of benchmark scores.
In terms of connectivity, the Magic 5 Pro supports 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. Biometric features include face unlock using the selfie camera and a reliable fingerprint scanner built into the display.
Specifications Comparison
| Feature | Honor Magic 5 Pro | Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus | OnePlus 11 | Pixel 7 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Tensor G2 | A16 Bionic |
| Display | 6.81″ LTPO @ 1312 x 2848 | 6.6″ QHD+ @ 120Hz | 6.7″ QHD+ @ 120Hz | 6.78″ QHD+ @ 120Hz | 6.1″ Super Retina XDR |
| RAM | 12GB LPDDR5X | 12GB LPDDR5X | 8GB/12GB LPDDR5X | 12GB LPDDR5X | 6GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 512GB UFS4.0 | 128/256GB UFS4.0 | 128/256GB UFS4.0 | 128/256GB UFS4.0 | 128/256/512GB NVMe |
| Battery | 5,100mAh | 5,000mAh | 5,000mAh | 5,000mAh | 3,095mAh |
| Charging (Wired/Wireless) | 66W/50W | 45W/15W | 100W/50W | 30W/23W | 20W/- |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP68 | – | IP68 | IP68 |
| Security | 3D facial, fingerprint | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Fingerprint | Face ID |
Camera and Video
- Triple 50MP rear camera setup
- Single selfie camera with additional depth sensor
- Impressive camera performance in various lighting conditions
The Magic 5 Pro boasts a triple 50MP rear camera setup, featuring a large 1/1.12-inch main sensor with an f/1.6 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS). The ultra-wide camera has a 122-degree field of view and an f/2.0 aperture, while the 3.5x zoom periscope lens comes with an f/3.0 aperture and both OIS and electronic image stabilization (EIS).
The camera setup is capable of capturing impressive low-light shots while preserving detail and natural color range. The ultra-wide camera, on the other hand, struggles with dynamic range and low-light performance but delivers decent results overall.
The 3.5x zoom periscope lens provides detailed and well-exposed shots in various lighting conditions, even supporting up to 10x zoom without significant loss in quality. However, it is worth noting that the camera performance drops off noticeably beyond that range.
The 12MP front-facing camera, coupled with a time-of-flight depth sensor, delivers great selfies with a natural bokeh effect and excellent edge detection. Video recording capabilities include up to 4K resolution at 60fps for the rear cameras and 4K at 30fps for the front camera.
Battery and Charging
- Impressive 1-2 day battery life
- Fast charging at 66W
- Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging support
The Honor Magic 5 Pro is equipped with a 5100mAh battery, which is one of the largest available in smartphones today. It delivers outstanding battery life, easily lasting a full day and often stretching into a second day with moderate usage. The 66W charging speed is fast enough to charge the device from 0 to 100% in under an hour, outperforming offerings from Google, Samsung, and Apple.
The device also supports 50W wireless charging with Honor’s official charger (sold separately) and 5W reverse wireless charging for compatible devices.
Software and OS Updates
- Ships with Android 13 and MagicOS 7.0
- Three major Android OS updates promised
The Magic 5 Pro comes with Android 13 and Honor’s custom MagicOS 7.0 skin. While the software experience may not be as polished as offerings from Samsung, Google, or Apple, Honor has made significant improvements in its software support. The company has promised three major Android OS updates and five years of security patches, ensuring the device’s long-term viability.
Verdict
The Honor Magic 5 Pro is an impressive flagship smartphone with a striking design, top-notch display, excellent battery life, and powerful triple-camera setup. While the software experience and performance may not be flawless, the device is a strong contender in the flagship market.
However, availability in the US is limited, and potential buyers should consider network support and warranty coverage before purchasing. Nonetheless, the Honor Magic 5 Pro is a worthy alternative to popular flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus, OnePlus 11, Google Pixel 7 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro.
If you’re looking for a flagship smartphone with unique features, the Honor Magic 5 Pro should definitely be on your shortlist. But if you value software experience over hardware prowess, there are other options in the market that might suit you better.