Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR review: Taking things to a whole new level

The Magic 6 Pro is considered one of my favourite telephones of the yr; it has appreciable digital camera upgrades from final yr, a stunning design that stands out, highly effective {hardware}, and fascinating software program options. So when Honor introduced it was making a Porsche Design variant of the system, I used to be clearly .I used the Porsche Design Magic V2 RSR foldable when it debuted, and it had loads of distinctive design traits that made it distinctive — much more so than the usual Magic V2, which is not a foul telephone to have a look at by any measure. With the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR, Honor is popping issues up a notch, delivering what’s presumably probably the greatest telephones of 2024.The Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR has customized styling and is out there in fascinating colour decisions, and it comes with 1TB of storage and 24GB of RAM, which is simply overkill. I used the system as my each day driver for over two weeks, and here is why I believe it’s the finest model of the Magic 6 Pro.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Pricing and availability(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Honor unveiled the Magic 6 RSR Porsche Design on March 18 in China, and the telephone made its debut within the U.Okay. on May 2. The telephone can be headed to the Middle East, Malaysia, and Germany within the coming weeks.The Magic 6 RSR is out there in a single variant that has 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, and it prices £1,599 ($2,004) within the U.Okay. That’s significantly greater than its retail worth of 9,999 RMB ($1,380) in China, and a sizeable premium over the usual model of the Magic 6 Pro, which is out there for £1,099 ($1,378) within the U.Okay. Honor is operating a deal proper now that reductions the system by an extra £250 ($313), bringing the associated fee right down to £849 ($1,064). That stated, the usual mannequin has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Design(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Design is the most important level of differentiation with the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR, and there’s a lot to go over. The normal Magic 6 Pro has a pillow digital camera island (Honor’s phrases, not mine) that appears nice in its personal proper, and with the Magic 6 RSR, the model went with a brand new design that stands out a lot better.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The digital camera module makes use of Porsche’s “iconic hexagonal structure” that evokes the “essence of precision and high-performance characteristics of sports cars.” The digital camera island is made out of titanium, and it contrasts properly with the glass again.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The telephone is out there in two colour variants — Agate Grey and Frozen Berry — and whereas I wished to try the gray mannequin, the pink Frozen Berry variant stands out a lot better. Honor says the colour “exudes a sense of boldness and fearlessness, adding an element of exclusivity to the device.” I do not know concerning the fearlessness, however the colour is unquestionably daring, and it grabs numerous consideration. And on that topic, the identical colour extends to the mid-frame as properly.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)What I do not like concerning the design is that the glass again has a shiny coat, and it’s a smudge magnet. If something, the vegan leather-based of the usual Magic 6 Pro feels a lot better to carry and use. The shiny texture continues on the perimeters too, and Honor ought to have used a matte coating on each variants.Image 1 of 3(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Although I do not like utilizing instances with my telephones, the shiny again of the Magic 6 RSR necessitates one, and Honor bundles a minimal leather-based case within the bundle that does a terrific job. The case makes it considerably simpler to carry the system, and it has a a lot better really feel — Honor ought to have used this on the again as normal. And sure, the case has Porsche Design branding highlighted prominently, and there is even useless stitching alongside the center.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Anyway, the opposite distinctive design trait is the flyline on the again that creates a wedge, and it instantly differentiates the system. There’s Porsche Design branding for good measure, and whereas I wasn’t initially bought on the colour, I’ve grown keen on it within the two weeks I used the system.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The telephone continues to be heavy at 237g, nevertheless it has good weight distribution, and the curvy profile means it’s simple to carry. It retains IP68 ingress safety — vital characteristic on a tool that prices over $2,000 — and whereas the in-screen module sits somewhat decrease on the display, it is not notably awkward to entry.On the entire, the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR has all of the accouterments you’d need in a customized variant, and it’s totally different sufficient to the usual Magic 6 Pro that it has its personal visible id.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Hardware and display(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)I’m not going to speak an excessive amount of concerning the {hardware} because the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR is sort of an identical to the usual Magic 6 Pro on this regard. It has the identical 6.8-inch 120Hz OLED panel that goes as much as 5,000 nits in HDR content material, and there are completely no points in each day use. The panel will get vivid, has excellent colour vibrancy and distinction ranges, and there is a respectable quantity of customizability. What’s totally different is that Honor is utilizing a dual-layer OLED that ensures panel longevity, and whereas the display is simply as vivid because the common variant, it would keep that means quite a bit longer. (Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The 2800 x 1200 decision is not fairly as excessive because the QHD+ panels that you simply get on most different telephones on this phase, nevertheless it holds up properly for all each day utilization situations. Honor eschewed Corning and went with its personal NanoCrystal Shield coating, and it does job safety the telephone — it took a tumble onto a tiled floor per week after I began utilizing it, and got here away unscathed. Incidentally, I made a decision to make use of a case after that incident (that again actually could be very shiny).(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)Honor’s always-on mode lets you have the complete display awake, together with the background — just like the way it works in iOS — or you may change to only having a clock or a customized model. While the system is not fairly as vivid as its rivals in outside use, it shines at media playback, and HDR content material specifically is a delight.Swipe to scroll horizontallyCategoryPorsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSROSMagicOS 8.0 based mostly on Android 14Display6.8-inch 120Hz OLED, 2800 x 1200, Dolby Vision, HDR10+, 1800 nits (HBM), 5000 nits (HDR)ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750, 4nmRAM24GB LPDDR5XStorage1TB UFS 4.0Rear digital camera 150MP f/1.4-f/2.0, 1/1.3-inch sensor, OISRear digital camera 250MP f/2.6 wide-angle lensRear digital camera 3180MP telephoto, 2.5x optical zoom, OISFront digital camera50MP f/2.2 autofocusIngress protectionIP68 mud and water resistanceConnectivityWi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, world 5G bands, NFC, dual-band GPS SecurityOptical in-screen sensorAudioUSB-C, stereo soundBattery5600mAh battery, 80W charging, 66W wi-fi chargingDimensions162.5 x 75.8 x 8.9mm, 237gColorsAgate Grey, Frozen BerryAs for the {hardware}, the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR is powered by the identical Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as the usual mannequin, and it comes with 24GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. Look, 24GB of RAM is pointless on a telephone as you may’t actually use that a lot reminiscence, however I like that the telephone has 1TB of storage. I are inclined to take a whole lot of movies today, and storage is an actual drawback; this is likely one of the the reason why I do not like utilizing the Pixel 8 Pro and its pitiful 128GB of storage.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)There aren’t any points with the Magic 6 RSR in each day use, and the telephone handles intensive gaming with out breaking a sweat. I did not see any slowdowns on my unit, and even with prolonged gaming, there was no overheating. Similarly, I did not run into any points with connectivity — the telephone had a secure sign all through.The solely subject with the {hardware} is the haptic engine — it simply would not do something. This has been a problem on Honor telephones for some time now, and even in case you allow system haptics, you do not discover any suggestions whereas utilizing gestures. I used to be in a position to manually set off it whereas utilizing Gboard, however that is about it. The vibration motor is not lively whereas utilizing the again gesture, navigating the UI, or in another state of affairs.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Battery(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR has the identical 5600mAh battery because the common mannequin, and it makes use of the identical silicon-carbon tech to extend longevity of the battery. You get 80W charging and 66W wi-fi charging, and there is 5W reverse charging as properly. Honor bundles the requisite charger within the field.While I did not see any points with the battery on the common Magic 6 Pro, that is not the case on the Magic 6 RSR. The telephone has unusually excessive battery drain in idle, and it solely manages to final a day. It acquired to as little as 7% with heavy use by the top of the day, and as I do not cost my telephones in a single day, I made a decision to plug it within the subsequent day. However, idle draw is so excessive that the telephone switched off by the point I acquired up the next day; this hasn’t been a problem on any telephone in current reminiscence.Most different telephones with 5000mAh battery final significantly longer with the identical utilization patterns, and whereas most gadgets I utilized in 2024 go as much as a day and a half, the Magic 6 RSR is woefully brief on all measurable metrics on this space. It nonetheless lasts a day, however you will have to plug it in by nighttime.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Cameras(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)We have a devoted digital camera overview of the Magic 6 Pro, so I’m not going to speak concerning the cameras an excessive amount of right here. The Magic 6 RSR retains the identical digital camera configuration as the usual mannequin, and meaning you get a 50MP major digital camera with an fascinating variable f/1.4-2.0 lens and a 1/1.3-inch sensor. It’s not fairly as massive as a 1-inch sensors within the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Find X7 Ultra, nevertheless it takes standout photos and movies.The major digital camera is joined by a 50MP f/2.0 wide-angle lens, and a 180MP f/2.6 telephoto lens that shoots at as much as 2.5x optical zoom. The digital camera interface is just like what you get with most manufacturers, with loads of toggles, modes, and scenes accessible. What I like concerning the Magic 6 RSR is that it’s in a position take photos of fast-moving objects extremely properly; I put that to good use to take pictures of our ten-month-old child.There’s AI-assisted scene recognition as properly, and also you get three customized kinds — Natural, Vibrant, and Authentic. The Authentic mode has a vignette to it, so I went with the Vibrant mode. And like with most different telephones, you get an honest Pro mode.Image 1 of 5(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)This goes with out saying, however the Magic 6 RSR takes excellent pictures in daylight situations. Shots have loads of element and good colour rendition, and I haven’t got any points with the standard of the resultant pictures. The telephone does an impressive job in low-light conditions as properly, and whereas the Xiaomi 14 Ultra and Find X7 Ultra have a slender edge on this regard, the Magic 6 RSR will get fairly shut.Like its Chinese rivals, the Magic 6 RSR does an impressive job with portrait pictures. There’s the choice to select from numerous focal lengths, and you’ll modify the bokeh. The one factor to notice is that magnificence results are enabled out of the field on this mode, and it’s aggressive — you will must disable the mode to get correct pictures.Image 1 of 8(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)In an identical vein, the telephone does an important job with pictures going as much as 2.5x, and whereas there’s some fringing with the wide-angle lens, it delivers usable pictures in all conditions. While I do not take many selfies, the few that I managed to take with the entrance digital camera had poor colour steadiness and simply did not measure as much as the rear cameras. As an entire, the Magic 6 RSR has probably the greatest digital camera packages of any telephone in the present day.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Software(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The world model of the Magic 6 RSR comes with MagicOS 8.0 based mostly on Android 14 out of the field, and it contains all of the AI options that Honor launched, together with Magic Portal. But as I acquired the Chinese model of the system, I wasn’t in a position to take a look at the characteristic; satirically, I acquired two variants of the Magic 6 Pro to date, however neither has the worldwide construct.(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)As such, there is not a lot to speak about on this part. MagicOS 8.0 is a particular improve, and it brings much-needed tweaks to Honor’s telephones. That stated, points from earlier model of the interface are nonetheless intact; lengthy urgent on an app would not pull up the app information, so you will have to enter the settings, go to the Apps listing, and manually find the app if you wish to change its notification settings.The overview pane can be in want of an overhaul, and I do not just like the cut up notification pane with the toggles to 1 aspect and notifications on the opposite. Other than that, the interface itself is fluid, and also you get quantity of customizability. Honor ensures 4 platform updates as normal, however the model is not as fast to roll out these updates.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: The competitors(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)The Xiaomi 14 Ultra continues to be my advice in case you want a flagship that takes the very best pictures and movies. The 14 Ultra has a stunning design in its personal proper, and it’s the solely telephone I used this yr that outshines the Magic 6 Pro within the imaging part. Coming in at £1,299 ($1,628), it is not inexpensive by any measure, nevertheless it prices lower than the Magic 6 RSR, and I like its software program higher. That stated, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra solely goes as much as 512GB, and there is not a 1TB mannequin accessible.Of course, there’s the common Magic 6 Pro to contemplate. The telephone has the identical internals because the Magic 6 RSR, and it prices quite a bit much less. You nonetheless get terrific cameras, an important design with a leather-based again, vibrant display, and unbelievable {hardware}. The Magic 6 Pro has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and it’s accessible for as little as £849 ($1,064) as of writing.Porsche Design Honor Magic 6 RSR: Should you purchase it?(Image credit score: Harish Jonnalagadda / Android Central)You should purchase this if:You just like the look of the Magic 6 Pro and desire a customized variantYou want terrific camerasYou want a vivid AMOLED panel with loads of customizabilityYou want all of the extrasYou should not purchase this if:You need the very best worthYou want multi-day battery lifeIf you are contemplating the Magic 6 Pro and wish one thing that stands out a bit extra, the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR may be the telephone for you — supplied you are able to shell out the premium. The Porsche Design label continues to hold a premium, and whereas the Magic 6 RSR has double the reminiscence and storage, it prices £500 ($626) extra. But if that is not a consideration, you will love what the telephone has to supply.The design is distinctive, and the hexagonal digital camera island mixed with the colour decisions permits the Porsche Design Magic 6 RSR to show heads. I nonetheless don’t love the choice to make use of a shiny coat on the again on the Frozen Berry mannequin, however the bundled leather-based case solves that subject with out obscuring the design an excessive amount of.The remainder of the system is not too totally different to the usual Magic 6 Pro; you continue to get the identical terrific cameras, the display is likely one of the finest round, and it has probably the greatest {hardware} packages accessible in the present day. The battery life is not pretty much as good as different flagships I used, and the vibration motor would not do a lot. But exterior of that, there are not any noticeable points.Ultimately, selecting between the Magic 6 Pro and Magic 6 RSR comes right down to pricing; in case you do not thoughts paying a premium, the Magic 6 RSR is the way in which to go. It has distinctive styling and 1TB of storage, and I believe that is Honor’s finest telephone but.