HONOR is set to launch the Magic5 Pro in the Philippines, and ahead of its launch, we got a chance to try the phone out.
In case you missed it, this new phone is HONOR’s next flagship that was unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2023 back in February, and based on the specs sheet, the phone has everything you need in a flagship phone for 2023 as it has a top-of-the-line processor, an impressive set of camera, and an eye-catching design that also promises to be durable.
To start, let’s take a look at the phone’s design. When we got to try the phone out, it came in two color variants: Black and Meadow Green. While there are other colors in other markets, these two are the highlight colors of the phone.
We much preferred the Meadow Green as its matte finish makes it feel grippier, not to mention that it’s not a fingerprint magnet. On the flip side, the glossy black colorway will show fingerprints easily, though the phone does at least have a clear case that you can use to keep it looking pristine. And pristine it does look in this glossy finish as this might be a better option for those who want a more eye-catching device (if you keep it clean that is).
Aside from looking great, the phone is also IP68 dust and water resistant. We tried to dunk the phone in water, and we can confirm that it did not get any damage whatsoever. So, for users who want a phone that they can bring wherever they go, even if that means taking it in the bath or when on a swimming session, the HONOR Magic5 Pro will be a good partner.
Moving to the front, we have the phone’s 6.81-inch LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+. While we didn’t get to try the phone out much for binge-watching, we can confirm that the display gets plenty bright, not to mention that the vibrant colors and deep blacks that you can expect in an OLED screen are there.
Design-wise, we’re big fans of the Magic5 Pro, especially as its bezels are incredibly slim, plus the front shooter setup is located at the top left of the device. We much prefer this style over having a notch on the middle as this is less distracting, especially when watching content in full screen.
For its cameras, the Magic5 Pro has a 50MP f/1.6 main + 50MP f/2.0 ultrawide + 50MP f/3.0 periscope telephoto (with 3.5x optical zoom) + TOF 3D depth quad camera setup at the back. Meanwhile, the front features a 12MP f/2.4 wide + TOF 3D dual front camera setup.
On paper, three 50MP main cameras are impressive given that megapixel counts of non-main cameras are often lower. While we haven’t tested the phone out in full yet, we have tested its 50MP periscope shooter to see how well it captures zoomed-in photos.
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- 1x zoom
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- 3.5x zoom
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- 10x zoom
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- 100x zoom
In the sample above, you can see that 3.5x zoom looks excellent, while 10x zoom also does not suffer a big dip in quality. Interestingly, even the 100x zoom looks quite clear. Though this is just one test in daytime, so we’ll have to test it out a bit more to see how well it’ll work for other lighting conditions.
What we also need to try is the phone’s performance. After all, the phone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor which should mean it’ll handle most games that you throw at it with ease. But again, we still need to confirm that before we can give our final verdict.
Another thing that we are keen to find out is the battery life. On paper, the 5100mAh battery should give it all-day battery life. Though we’ll have to test to see if that is indeed the case, even when you use it heavily.
Based on our initial time with the Magic5 Pro, we found it to be a promising new flagship from HONOR thanks to its cameras, display, and design. If its performance also holds up, and if it is priced just right, HONOR will have a winner on its hands.
HONOR Magic5 Pro Specs:
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Processor
- Adreno 740 GPU
- 8/12/16GB RAM
- 6.81-inch LTPO OLED display, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+
- 256/512GB storage
- 50MP f/1.6 main + 50MP f/2.0 ultrawide + 50MP f/3.0 periscope telephoto (with 3.5x optical zoom) + TOF 3D depth quad camera setup
- 12MP f/2.4 wide + TOF 3D dual front camera setup
- 3G, LTE, 5G Dual SIM
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, fingerprint scanner (under-display), USB Type-C
- 5100mAh battery with 66W fast charge, 50W wireless charge support
- Android 13, MagicOS 7.1
The HONOR Magic5 Pro will be launched in the Philippines on June 8, 2023. Find out more about the launch event here.