HONOR Magic 6 Professional hands-on: A zoom grasp with a daring design

HONOR introduced the Magic 6 Professional (together with a couple of different Magic 6 telephones) in China at the start of January. The telephone regarded superior, and we couldn’t wait to attempt it out and see the way it ranks amongst the finest Android telephones. Now, at Cellular World Congress 2024, the corporate has formally launched the Magic 6 Professional globally. Do observe that the opposite Magic 6 telephones will in all probability keep in China, so the Professional is the one international mannequin.

As anticipated, all the pieces in regards to the Magic 6 Professional is premium, from the specs to the digital camera to the general construct. Let’s break down our first impressions of the gadget!

HONOR’s flagship telephones are at all times lookers, and the Magic 6 Professional isn’t any exception. It nonetheless seems like a pure development from final 12 months’s Magic 5 Professional, however with some new aptitude that I admire.

First, you’ll discover that the Magic 6 Professional has moved the pill-shaped show cutout to the middle of the display screen. Final 12 months, the Magic 5 Professional had this within the left nook. Shifting it to the middle was the fitting transfer.

Top-of-the-line issues about that capsule cutout is that it really has an correct 3D face unlock constructed into it. This makes it one of many few Android telephones with safe face unlock. The Pixel 8 sequence, for instance, presents face unlock as a biometric safety possibility, however even these telephones use software program slightly than true 3D-scanning {hardware} like we see on iPhones and, after all, HONOR’s newest. The Galaxy S24 sequence doesn’t have safe face unlock.

For those who go for the Epi Inexperienced mannequin you see in our pictures right here, you’ll discover a fake leather-based end on the again, which felt nice in my hand. I don’t find out about you, however I’m so over slippery glass backs. The pleather materials offers the telephone a superb grip. For those who don’t need pleather (or don’t just like the inexperienced), there’s a standard glass-backed model that is available in black. There isn’t a black leather-based mannequin, sadly.

You’ll additionally discover the love-it-or-hate-it “star wheel” digital camera module on the again. We’ll go over digital camera specs in a bit, however the huge and thick digital camera module is a daring design alternative — much more so than the already daring design of final 12 months’s Magic 5 Professional. I prefer it, although. It actually makes the Magic 6 Professional stand out from the gang.

Over the previous six months, we’ve seen a large shift in flagship Android telephones, particularly concerning curved edges. The Pixel 8 Professional was the primary Professional-level Pixel with a flat show, and the Galaxy S24 Extremely joined within the enjoyable by being the primary Extremely with no curves.

Nevertheless, HONOR isn’t leaping on this bandwagon, with the Magic 6 Professional sticking with a fairly curvy show. I can’t say that I’m a fan of curved shows, however the aluminum rails that encompass this telephone are fairly flat, which makes it slightly bit simpler to carry.

No matter your emotions on curves, the show right here is terrific. It’s a 6.8-inch, 120Hz LTPO OLED with an fascinating decision of two,800 x 1,280, making it higher than 1080p but additionally not fairly the 1440p decision we see on one thing just like the Galaxy S24 Extremely or Pixel 8 Professional.

The show additionally helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient, so it’s shiny, correct, and wonderful. Having that full Dolby Imaginative and prescient assist actually makes this probably the greatest shows for consuming content material. The colours are actually vibrant and pop proper out, so it feels like every content material you’re watching is sort of cinema-like.

While you take a better have a look at the cameras inside that big module, they’re severely spectacular. First, there’s a 50MP “Falcon” major digital camera lens, which is a daring identify. On that major lens, you additionally get a variable aperture with a bodily shutter that may open and shut. The widest this aperture goes is f/1.4, and it will probably shut as much as f/2 if wanted. This configuration is making HONOR assured sufficient to advertise this as a “DSLR-level” system, which is a little bit of a stretch.

Paired with this are a 50MP ultrawide digital camera and a 180MP periscope lens with a 1/1.4-inch sensor, which additionally has 2.5x optical zoom.

Setting apart the “Falcon DSLR-level” advertising and marketing jargon, the periscope lens is the true star of the present. It has extra pixels to play with than even the Galaxy S24 Extremely. The main points that this lens can seize are merely phenomenal. The photographs are crisp, the colours are correct, and the distinction between highlights and lowlights is terrific. We got here away severely impressed with what this periscope digital camera can do.

Outdoors of the periscope lens, the first lens can take some very nice pictures, too. One of the best factor about it’s that they don’t appear over-processed, which has been an issue for HONOR up to now. They’re sharp with out an excessive amount of sharpness, and so they seize a ton of element.

In fact, we have to spend slightly bit extra time with the digital camera to see what it will probably really do and stack it up towards a number of the finest digital camera telephones accessible. However you understand what? So far as first impressions go, we’re impressed.

Lastly, in terms of video, there’s no 8K assist right here for some purpose. Nevertheless, getting as much as 4K at 60fps might be superb for most individuals’s wants. The autofocus can be fast and snappy, and the stabilization is surprisingly good.

Powering the Magic 6 Professional is the mighty Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, so something you throw at this telephone must be dealt with simply. There’s just one configuration accessible, which is 12GB of RAM and 512GB of inside, non-expandable storage.

The battery right here can be spectacular. It has a ridiculously large 5,600mAh battery, which ought to final you all day and extra. And when you ever suppose you would possibly run out of juice, don’t fear: it additionally has 80W wired charging with 66W wi-fi charging.

It wouldn’t be a real flagship with out an IP score, and the Magic 6 Professional has the total IP68 certification, making it each water- and dust-resistant.

As for software program, it’s operating Magic OS 8.0 primarily based on Android 14. Magic OS does take some getting used to and isn’t as easy or intuitive as inventory Android or Samsung’s One UI, for instance. That is in all probability probably the most important studying curve of the whole telephone.

I’m not saying Magic OS is unhealthy — it simply has rather a lot happening and can take a while to undergo and study. Relying on how you are feeling about Android skins that wildly revamp the OS, you’ll in all probability both love or hate Magic OS. This must be one of many high issues to contemplate earlier than choosing up the HONOR Magic 6 Professional.

To its credit score, Magic OS 8.0 does introduce some cool new AI options (that is 2024, in any case, so all the pieces has to have AI). One instance is an on-device video generator that pulls in your pictures to create a video on the fly, no web required. There are additionally eye-tracking options, permitting you to open a notification simply by observing it for a couple of seconds, for instance.

Additionally, when you’re apprehensive in any respect in regards to the Google Play Retailer, there’s no want, as a result of the Magic 6 Professional has full assist. You’ll have entry to all of your favourite apps and providers.

A telephone just like the HONOR Magic 6 Professional is up towards some critical competitors. The beforehand talked about Galaxy S24 Extremely ($1419.99 at Samsung) is a significant contender, as is the Pixel 8 Professional ($999 at Amazon).

Fortunately, in Europe, the Magic 6 Professional undercuts the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s listing value by fairly a bit. At €1,299 (~$1,408), it’s now a good different to the Extremely. Nevertheless, that’s nonetheless greater than the Pixel 8 Professional, which lands at €1,099 (~$1,191).

Even so, the periscope zoom on this factor is outrageous, so if that’s an enormous a part of your smartphone wants, this could be value grabbing for that alone.

What do you suppose? Tell us within the feedback, and keep tuned for our full overview of the Magic 6 Professional, coming quickly!