The final Honor machine I used with any regularity was the Honor 10. It had a hanging iridescent sample on the again, an honest set of cameras, and the software program had loads of customizability. But Huawei’s commerce ban affected Honor simply as a lot, and the model withdrew from most international markets. Thankfully, Honor divested itself from Huawei again in 2020 and have become its personal entity, and it has managed to launch a slate of fascinating merchandise — together with the Magic Vs foldable — and is slowly amassing misplaced market share.The Magic 5 Pro is Honor’s newest providing, and it goes up towards the perfect Android telephones. It has the most recent Qualcomm silicon, a surprising design that may seize consideration, a high-quality AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh, and a trio of 50MP cameras on the again. With the machine now obtainable within the U.Ok. and different western markets, let’s check out what you are getting right here, and whether or not it’s best to contemplate it over the likes of what Samsung, OPPO, and Xiaomi are providing.Today’s finest Honor Magic 5 Pro offersHonor Magic 5 Pro: Price and availability(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Honor unveiled the Magic 5 Pro at Mobile World Congress on February 27, and the cellphone is now up on the market in international markets. While Honor has divested itself from Huawei and sells telephones that run Google Mobile Services out of the field, the model is not fairly able to make a return to North America simply but, so you will not be capable to purchase this cellphone within the area. That stated, the Magic 5 Pro is on the market within the U.Ok. for £949 ($1,182), and it’s according to the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Pro and Galaxy S23+.The variant offered within the U.Ok. comes with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, and Honor additionally has the Magic 5 Pro obtainable with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. In its dwelling market, the machine is offered in 8GB/256GB, and 16GB/512GB variants as effectively.Honor Magic 5 Pro: Design(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Honor clearly did not miss the memo concerning giant digicam housings, and like its Chinese brethren, the model went with an outsized digicam island on the again. The round island is very large and takes up a sizeable chunk of measurement, however to its credit score, Honor did a superb job with the design — it would not really feel fairly as busy because the housing on the OnePlus 11.What’s significantly fascinating is the way in which the digicam island rises out of the chassis; the impact is kind of just like that of the Find X5 Pro, and I prefer it fairly a bit. Another key attraction on the again is the selection of colour. The Magic 5 Pro is on the market in Black and Meadow Green variants, and the latter seems to be downright attractive. The frosted glass end brings out the richness of the hue, and it ensures the machine would not choose up any smudges.Image 1 of 6(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Like different flagships, the Magic 5 Pro follows a dual-curved design, however the curves at the front and back are minimal, so there’s greater than sufficient room on the mid-frame to carry the machine comfortably. The machine has flatter sides on the high and backside, and you will find the SIM card tray on the backside, the facility and quantity buttons on the fitting, and there is even an IR blaster. As you’d think about, the mid-frame is made out of aluminum, and the in-hand really feel is superb.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The solely factor I might have modified is the feel; the mid-frame has a shiny end, and I really feel like a matte texture right here would have elevated the design, whereas complementing the end on the again. Regardless, the machine seems to be and feels each bit as premium as different flagships. I used to be anxious in regards to the weight distribution contemplating the outsized digicam island on the again, however Honor did a superb job balancing the burden, and whereas it’s on the heavier facet at 219g, it would not really feel unwieldy within the least.The better part is that the Magic 5 Pro options the identical stage of ingress safety as the perfect Android telephones; you get IP68 mud and water resistance as normal right here, and that is nice to see. Overall, Honor nailed the design temporary, and the big digicam housing mixed with the hanging Meadow Green colour possibility makes the Magic 5 Pro stand out simply that bit extra towards its rivals.Honor Magic 5 Pro: Screen(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The entrance of the Magic 5 Pro is completely different to only about each different machine I’ve utilized in 2023, and that is right down to the pill-sized digicam cutout that homes two modules. All different manufacturers have switches to a single digicam on the entrance, however Honor bundles a time-of-flight sensor for biometric authentication along with a 12MP entrance digicam, and the cutout is situated to the left.The cutout is wider than I’d like, and whereas there’s nonetheless satisfactory room for standing icons to indicate as much as the fitting, Honor might have achieved a greater job with the structure — a centered design makes extra sense with such a large cutout, as a result of there’s display screen actual property being wasted to the left of it as effectively.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)That stated, it is not fairly as distracting after just a few days of use, and to its credit score, Honor did effectively to shrink the bezels; the highest and backside bezels are among the many thinnest you may discover, and the facet bezels are solely marginally wider.As for the display screen itself, you are getting a 6.81-inch OLED with a decision of 2848 x 1312 and 120Hz refresh, and Honor touts 1300 nits of brightness in auto mode, going as much as 1800 nits for HDR content material. The display screen has 2160Hz PWM dimming that is activated when the brightness goes below a threshold, and there is a blue mild filter mode that allows hotter hues at evening to cut back eye pressure.The display screen has glorious colour vibrancy and distinction ranges out of the field, and there is loads of customizability in terms of tweaking the colours. The Vivid mode is enabled out of the field, and the Normal mode routinely switches between sRGB and DCI P3 based mostly on the content material being proven on the display screen.You can manually modify the decision and refresh, and just like different flagships, you may discover LTPO tech right here, with the machine capable of go right down to 1Hz for static content material. I had zero points with brightness ranges even below intense daylight, and the Magic 5 Pro held its personal towards the S23 Ultra on this regard.The Magic 5 Pro will get stereo sound as effectively, and it’s loud and detailed. It’s greater than satisfactory for enjoying the occasional podcast or gaming, and there is no harshness even once you flip up the amount.Honor Magic 5 Pro: Performance and battery(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)The bar may be very excessive this 12 months in terms of {hardware}, and fortunately, Honor hasn’t omitted any options. The machine is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and it the worldwide variant has 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage. As is the case with all the opposite Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 telephones obtainable as we speak, the Magic 5 Pro does an impressive job in nearly any state of affairs — whether or not that is mundane duties like shopping or enjoying visually demanding video games.You additionally get all of the effectivity advantages Qualcomm baked into its newest silicon, and in terms of efficiency, you may discover zero points right here — there is no lag wherever, high-end video games run with none stutter, and overheating is not an issue. That stated, the cellphone tends to be a bit extra aggressive in terms of throttling the cores versus a number of the different 8 Gen 2-based units I’ve used this 12 months.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryHonor Magic 5 ProOSMagicOS 7.1 based mostly on Android 13Display6.81-inch 120Hz OLED (2848 x 1312), LTPO ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 1 x 3.2GHz Cortex X3, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex A715, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex A710, 3 x 2.0GHz Cortex A510, Adreno 740, 4nmRAM8GB/12GB LPDDR5XStorage256GB, 512GB UFS 4.0Rear digicam 150MP f/1.6 1.4um pixels, OIS, 4K at 60fpsRear digicam 250MP f/2.2 wide-angle, 122-degree FoV, autofocusRear digicam 350MP f/3.0 telephoto, OIS, 3.5x optical zoomFront digicam 112MP f/2.4 1.22um pixels, 100-degree FoVFront digicam 2TOF moduleIngress protectionIP68 mud and water resistanceConnectivityGlobal Sub-6 5G bands, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFCSecurityIn-screen optical fingerprint module, safe face unlockAudioStereo sound, USB-C, 24-bit/192kHz audioBattery5100mAh battery, 66W wired charging, 50W wi-fi charging, reverse wi-fi chargingDimensions162.9 x 76.7 x 8.8mm, 219gColorsMeadow Green, BlackPersevering with with the {hardware}, the Magic 5 Pro comes with international 5G bands, so although the machine is not offered in choose components of the world, it should connect with most cell networks — so long as they’re leveraging Sub-6 connectivity. There’s additionally Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, and also you get NFC, international GPS connectivity, and the AptX HD codec.Interestingly, Honor says it’s utilizing a brand new antenna structure that reduces interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and in my use, and I did not see any points with wi-fi connectivity when utilizing the likes of the Nothing Ear (2) with the machine. That stated, this hasn’t been an issue normally.As for safety, there’s an ordinary in-screen optical module situated beneath the display screen, and whereas it’s quick to authenticate, it’s positioned a bit too low on the display screen, so you may have to do some maneuvering to unlock the machine in the event you’re utilizing it one-handed. That stated, the truth that you get safe face unlock signifies that’s the choice most customers would use (myself included).Face unlock is extremely quick, and it really works unerringly even in conditions with little to no ambient mild. The undeniable fact that is not based mostly on software program and makes use of the {hardware} ToF module offers Honor an edge on this space.Switching to battery life, you may discover a 5100mAh battery below the hood, and the cellphone provides 66W wired charging, 50W wi-fi charging, and reverse wi-fi charging. Thankfully, Honor features a 66W charger within the field, and it takes just below 18 minutes to hit a 50% cost. A full cost takes 52 minutes, and whereas it is not fairly as quick because the likes of the Xiaomi 13 Pro, it handily beats something by Samsung and Google.Battery life itself is terrific, and I routinely obtained effectively over a day’s value of use from the Magic 5 Pro. This might be a well-known narrative in the event you’ve learn different critiques of units that includes Qualcomm’s newest silicon, and the effectivity beneficial properties of the 8 Gen 2 mixed with the large battery means you may by no means have to fret about working out of energy earlier than the day’s out.Honor Magic 5 Pro: Cameras(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)Honor rolled out a big digicam improve with the Magic 5 Pro, and the cellphone sports activities a trio of 50MP cameras — just like Xiaomi. Sure, you aren’t getting a loopy 1-inch module right here, however the digicam {hardware} is unquestionably on par with its speedy rivals. The primary 50MP f/1.6 lens has OIS, and it is joined by a 50MP f/2.0 wide-angle with a 122-degree discipline of view, and a 50MP f/3.0 telephoto with OIS and 3.5x optical zoom.The digicam interface is sort of equivalent to what you may discover on most different telephones; you get the capturing modes specified by a ribbon on the backside, and there are toggles for the assorted lenses, flash, timer, magnificence results, and AI-assisted scene detection. An fascinating addition is the power to trace movement; the cellphone does an honest job locking in on a shifting topic and guaranteeing it’s in focus.The cellphone shoots 4K video at 60fps, however it is not obtainable on the wide-angle lens — a curious omission contemplating most different telephones on this class now supply this function as normal throughout all cameras. It holds up fairly effectively for 4K video due to respectable stabilization, however there’s noticeable grain in low-light situations.Image 1 of 9(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As for photographs, the principle digicam shoots 12MP stills, and the photographs are predictably excellent. You get loads of element and dynamic vary, with saturated colours that look fabulous and nice distinction ranges. The cellphone is unquestionably on par with the S23+ and the Xiaomi 13 Pro on this space, and it excels in quite a lot of capturing conditions.The wide-angle lens additionally does an important job in all situations, and also you get the identical colour stability as the principle lens. The zoom lens does an important job as much as 3.5x, and whereas there is a 10x mode on the machine that makes use of digital zoom, it introduces a variety of noise. The Magic 5 Pro holds up extremely effectively in low-light conditions as effectively, delivering photographs with loads of element and minimal noise ranges. It had points with focusing at occasions, however there is a focus lock function, and photographs normally had respectable spotlight administration and colour retention. Overall, the digicam system on the Magic 5 Pro is on par with its Chinese rivals — Honor did an important job with the tuning. Honor Magic 5 Pro: Software(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)If there’s one space Honor wants to repair proper now, it could be the software program. The Magic 5 Pro runs MagicOS 7.1 based mostly on Android 13, and there is nothing magical in regards to the interface. The general feel and appear of the UI feels dated, and it’s missing the refinement that is provided by the likes of One UI and ColorOS.Honor’s first-party apps seem like they’re designed for Android 10, and there is no Material You affect right here. The notification pane has spherical toggles and exhibits notifications in a unified view, and it might additionally do with a visible refresh. The overview menu scrolls horizontally and has a card-based interface, and dismissing apps has an animation straight out of the Holo period — a variety of work is required right here.(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)You additionally will not discover Gboard put in out of the field, and Honor continues to supply its personal cellphone dialer in lieu of Google’s personal. Thankfully, organising the cellphone proved to be simply as seamless as different telephones — I used to be capable of switch knowledge from my outdated Android cellphone (an S23 Ultra) over to the Magic 5 Pro with none trouble.The greatest subject with the Magic 5 Pro is that it’s going to simply get two Android platform updates — that simply would not reduce it in 2023 when most different manufacturers are guaranteeing 4 OS updates as normal. You get 4 years of safety updates, however the truth that the machine will not transcend Android 15 makes it a non-starter. The {hardware} on supply right here needs to be greater than satisfactory for a minimum of 4 years or extra, however you may miss out on all the most recent software program additions two years down the road.Android’s replace ensures have modified drastically within the final three years, with Samsung main the cost on this space. Other manufacturers have adopted swimsuit, and whereas there are just a few outliers, all the most important manufacturers assure a minimum of three Android OS updates as normal.Honor Magic 5 Pro: The competitors(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)It’s a robust 12 months for Android {hardware}, and there is an exhaustive number of merchandise obtainable on this class. I just like the Xiaomi 13 Pro fairly a bit; the design is evocative, and Xiaomi did an excellent job with the {hardware}. The cameras are additionally the perfect on a Xiaomi cellphone thus far, with the model utilizing a big 1-inch module for the principle lens and providing a significantly better tuning. You’ll have to shell out £100 ($125) greater than the Magic 5 Pro, however it’s value it.Of course, the Galaxy S23+ can also be a viable various if you need long-term software program updates. The cellphone is not too completely different to its predecessor, however you continue to get a superb design, excellent cameras, nice battery life, and nearly the perfect inner {hardware} of any cellphone as we speak. Plus, Samsung’s One UI is among the finest Android interfaces, and also you get an exhaustive stage of customizability.Honor Magic 5 Pro: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Apoorva Bhardwaj / Android Central)You should purchase this if:You desire a cellphone with a stunning designYou want the most recent Qualcomm {hardware}You need water resistance and quick wired and wi-fi chargingYou want standout camerasYou’re on the lookout for a tool that lasts over a day with easeYou should not purchase this if:You desire a cellphone with long-term software program updatesYou want refined software programYou desire a cellphone to make use of in North AmericaAfter utilizing the Honor Magic Vs earlier within the 12 months and now the Magic 5 Pro, it is clear to me that Honor obtained rather a lot proper on the {hardware} facet of issues. The Magic 5 Pro’s design is beautiful, and it has the identical caliber of {hardware} as the perfect that Android has to supply in the intervening time. The identical is true for the cameras as effectively; the machine has versatile cameras that take gorgeous photographs in nearly any situation. The Magic 5 Pro additionally does a stellar job with battery life, and the colourful OLED panel is among the many brightest obtainable as we speak.Where issues aren’t so rosy is the software program. MagicOS 7.1 has just a few good issues going for it, however it simply would not really feel as refined as its Chinese rivals. There’s nonetheless an excessive amount of overt customization, and the interface is in want of an overhaul. But the most important downside with the cellphone is that it’s going to solely get two Android OS updates — that simply would not make any sense for a flagship that prices the identical because the Galaxy S23+.Ultimately, it is the software program that is holding the Magic 5 Pro again. There’s clearly a variety of potential, and if Honor performs its playing cards proper on the UI entrance and guarantees long-term updates, it may handle to carve out a distinct segment for itself — the {hardware} is absolutely thrilling. Right now, it is exhausting to advocate the Magic 5 Pro when similarly-priced units supply long-term software program updates and a extra polished interface. For my cash, I’d get the OnePlus 11, Xiaomi 13 Pro, or the Galaxy S23+. But in the event you do not thoughts the software program state of affairs and just like the look of this cellphone, there’s a lot to love — the {hardware} clearly is among the many finest round.
Today’s finest Honor Magic 5 Pro offers
If you do not thoughts the truth that the cellphone will get half as many platform updates as its rivals, the Magic 5 Pro has rather a lot to supply.