Honor Magic is now entering its sixth iteration with various interesting additional functions included this time. It introduces a premium design with a more compact build and an all-new camera system complete with periscope telephoto capabilities that is necessary for a flagship-class device.
With the official launch in Malaysia today, many may be wondering if this innovation is able to meet the needs of current users? This question is relevant considering that the market is now filled with other flagship devices with more than adequate functionality. Here's our review for the Honor Magic6 Pro.
Honor Magic6 Pro
6.8″ LTPO OLED screen
WQHD+, 120Hz
HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Peak brightness 5000nits
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor (4nm)
1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 chip
3×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720
2×3.0 GHz Cortex-A720
2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520
Adreno 750 Graphics Chip
RAM 12GB LPDDR5X
Internal Storage 512GB UFS 4.0
Primary Camera 50MP f/1.6, OIS (Wide Angle)
50MP f/2.0 (Ultra Wide Angle)
180MP f/3.0 OIS (Periscope Telephoto)
Optical 2.5X, digital 100X
Selfie Camera 50 MP, f/2.0,
3D ToF
5,600 mAh battery
80W wired charging
66W wireless charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP68
Screen Fingerprint Scanner Scan System
Face Scan
Sale Price RM 4499 (12/512GB)
Front Screen
The 6.8-inch LTPO OLED FHD+ screen used is the same as the previous generation. The design is still curved on both sides with thin bezels in almost all areas. For those who have Magic4 Pro and Magic5 Pro, there is no problem to get used to this device.
The only difference lies in the change in the position of the camera hole which is now in the center and does not disturb the content too much. At the same time, it is also protected by a special NanoCrystal Shield glass layer that aims to protect the screen to make it more durable.
With an OLED screen, a satisfying display of content can certainly be enjoyed. It looks bright and sharp with vibrant color reproduction especially when used in closed areas. Viewing angles are also satisfactory for a variety of content.
The situation is further improved when the screen supports both HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats for a more cinematic viewing experience. The same goes for Netflix content that can be streamed at full HD resolution because the device is equipped with the Widevine L1 DRM system.
The only issue we faced was the failure of the screen to display the brightness it should in certain situations. Honor claims the device has a peak brightness of 5,000 nits and a typical maximum brightness of 1,600 nits. With the high brightness of the device screen the device should be clearly visible even when used in sunlight.
But the opposite happened when we had trouble reading the screen clearly under the sun. Then it is seen so bright that it is sometimes uncomfortable to watch content in the dark.
Next, the Magic6 Pro supports a 120Hz refresh rate but users are given the option to go down to 60Hz or 90Hz for more battery savings. The best display is at 120Hz, however we feel that even at 90Hz the screen is still satisfactory.
It also has a higher 4320Hz PWM Dimming technology that is able to minimize flickering issues. In addition, other eye-protecting technologies such as Dynamic Dimming and Circadian Night Display.
Physical Design
For this time, the experience of holding the device feels heavier and denser than before. The body comes with a different build that includes curved premium glass on the front and a metal frame on the sides.
Meanwhile, the back panel comes with a simple design but looks premium. Especially for the Epi Green color which looks quite stylish like the unit in our hands. Due to the textured and rough back also makes the device not too slippery to hold even without a frame.
Next, the back is dominated by a large camera bump with a main tri-camera setup. The sensor arrangement is still the same as the Magic5 Pro but the size of the telephoto sensor at the top has been enlarged. Then Honor also combines circular and square elements through the camera hump that also provides high zoom capabilities.
The right side houses the power and audio buttons which are also made of metal. Followed by the charging port, SIM slot and speaker at the bottom. There is no SIM slot space provided but the memory can be expanded virtually through the RAM Turbo function.
Honor also places a red emitter at the top along with another speaker and microphone hole. In addition, the device passes the IP68 standard which means waterproof and dustproof. The NFC function can also be used for various purposes including contactless digital payments.
Biometrics
The Magic6 Pro has a fingerprint scanner built into the screen. It works well consistently with no finger scanning failures. Praise is also given for the face scan support provided which can unlock the device quickly even in dark conditions. Other biometric systems are also provided such as passwords, pin numbers and drawings as additional options that users can benefit from
Software – MagicOS 8.0 (Based on Android 14)
On the software front, the new MagicOS 8.0 launcher based on Android 14 is used on the device. At first glance it seems clear that this new MagicUI interface is no different from previous iterations but in fact it is built with an AI model for a number of new features. At the same time able to increase user satisfaction when using the device.
Among them is Magic Portal which allows users to change and access services between applications with just drag and drop. An example is the process of copying and pasting articles on the Notes application. Through it users can copy any sentence or quote they want, then just drag it to the right to paste it on Notes.
All sentences will be easily pasted and given some other additional edits including audio recording. It can also be used for various other purposes such as finding a location, shopping online, sending emails, uploading posts on Instagram and many more.
Next is the Magic Ring for a seamless experience across different devices including tablets, laptops and others. There's also a Magic Capsules feature that works like Dynamic Island for basic notifications like stopwatch count and video playback.
The Air Scroll function allows the process of navigating the screen to be done using gestures only. For example, using gestures to take screenshots, scroll up or down, answer calls and pause audio/video playback.
Then the voice call experience can also be enjoyed with the built-in AI Privacy Calling capabilities that have been introduced since Magic4 Pro. It can filter the sound from the call and prevent people around from hearing it.
Most importantly, the Magic6 Pro is fully functional with any application or service that requires a Google account login. At the same time, applications such as YouTube, Google Maps, Google Photos, gMail and many other Google ecosystems can be accessed without problems.
One thing that attracted a lot of attention during the presentation of this product at MWC 2024 was the LLaMa 2 language model support built into the device. It can be used for question-and-answer support, text generation and summarizing reading text on the device. To make it successful, Honor has partnered with Qualcomm but is still only at the demo stage.
Honor also promises four years of operating system update support and five years of security on this new device. Sounds pretty good but it still lags behind two other manufacturers like Samsung and Google who offer updates every seven to eight years for their devices.
Benchmark – Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip
Magic6 Pro is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with 12GB LPDDR5X RAM memory and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage. The combination of a powerful processor chip and large memory means that good performance can also be expected through it. As informed the device supports the addition of 8GB virtual RAM through RAM Turbo function. It is activated directly by default without the ability to be modified. Scores recorded in popular benchmarking applications are as below.
AnTuTu 3D
Honor Magic6 Pro – 1,366,519
Xiaomi 14 – 1,773,520
iQOO 12 – 2,075,82
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 1,768,765
ASUS ROG Phone 8 – 1,953,486
RedMagic 9 Pro – 2,114,787
Geekbench 6
Honor Magic6 Pro – 1362/4677
Xiaomi 14 – 1741/6313
iQOO 12 – 2181/6631
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 2278/7016
ASUS ROG Phone 8 – 3032/6373
RedMagic 9 Pro – 2153/6775
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Honor Magic6 Pro – 2,492
Xiaomi 14 – 4,499
iQOO 12 – N/A
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 4,657
ASUS ROG Phone 8 – 5,236
RedMagic 9 Pro – 5,231
There is nothing negative we can say about the performance. Almost a month of use shows the device can handle most daily tasks well. This situation is of course helped by a solid combination of 16GB and 512GB of internal storage. UFS 4.0 storage is able to launch applications quickly without device failure.
Scrolling is also smooth without chronic lag issues due to the built-in high refresh rate that works well. Then the first play experience is also good but a little hot after a long session. The same issue can also be felt with a more noticeable heating rate when performing benchmark tests.
Camera And Picture Quality
The Magic6 Pro features a primary tri-camera setup with a combination of a 50MP wide-angle lens, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 180MP telephoto periscope. On the front, there is a 50MP selfie camera and a 3D ToF sensor.
Improvements have certainly been made for the 180MP telephoto periscope sensor with optical zoom up to 2.5X and digital 100X. The device's camera also offers the ability to change aperture between f/1.4 and f/2.0 depending on the image taken. The camera also supports built-in AI and HDR for the production of images with better light balance. But it can still be turned off manually if necessary.
Also in focus is the all-new Millisecond Falcon Capture feature with an increase in autofocus speed time and a shutter button for capturing moving objects with minimal blur. Also followed is the AI Motion Sensing Capture 2.0 function for the production of still images in drastic better motion. It is found to work well in some with sharper results than the previous generation.
As usual, the picture capture option can be taken at a ratio of 1:1, 4:3 and full. The device can also record video up to 4K/60fps with built-in stabilization using the main camera. Next Magic-Log video recording 10-bit Log 4K 60FPS and Movie 3D LUT. This is the same function as before where it allows every detail on the recording to be well maintained.
The main camera can produce good pictures depending on the conditions. Looking at the sample photos attached, most of them have outstanding color reproduction and appear more attractive. Detail is also well preserved with minimal noise except for ultra-wide shots. But this does not mean that there is absolutely no attraction for the sensor. In fact the color reproduction looks as vibrant as the quality from the main camera.
Next, no problem of excessive exposure can be seen on the light source, even the contrast can be maintained well. The built-in AI artificial intelligence system also makes it easy for the device to offer the best settings according to the current situation. In addition, the device is also capable of taking striking night photos with bright results and controlled noise.
However, deficiencies began to be noticed in portrait capabilities that gave inconsistent results. It can be clearly seen that pictures taken at a distance of 2X experience drastic color changes in low lighting. It looks soft with a lifeless bluish color. But it also does not apply to photos in bright lighting. In the meantime, edge detection is also not perfect with the background failing to be properly obscured even in non-complex situations.
The zoom performance is the best up to 10X with details on the image that are still awake. However the situation starts to change at higher zooms when the results look less than satisfactory with details completely missing. The viewfinder on the Magic6 Pro is also less stable at high zoom settings. Compliments can still be given for the selfie camera which is able to give more natural results without the activated beauty mode.
Audio Capability
Honor gives it an edge by including stereo speakers tuned to the DTS:X Ultra audio system on the device. It can be found at the bottom and top with an audio throw that shoots to the side. Loud stereo audio can be enjoyed through this pair of speakers. Bass also thumps hard with good audio separation. Unfortunately there is no 3.5mm audio jack leaving users to rely entirely on wireless earphones.
Battery Endurance
A larger 5,600mAh battery is used compared to the 5,100mAh on the Magic5 Pro. It is also an upgraded silicon-carbon with better ability in various conditions. The next improvement is of course on the faster charging system up to 80W for wired and 66W wireless. Even so, the charging head is also provided to support power up to 100W.
Through it the device is seen to have achieved a SOT of almost 7 hours with it lasting more than 12 hours on heavy usage. All of these involve daily activities such as web surfing, social media updates, taking pictures, map navigation and playing games. But there is no problem for the device to last more than a day with light use.
Recharging takes less than an hour using the provided charger. However, we did not test the ability for wireless charging.
What's In The Box
1x Honor Magic6 Pro
1x Silicone frame.
1x 100W Charger.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable
1x SIM Pin.
Conclusion
Based on all the experiences above, it can be concluded that Magic6 Pro offers many interesting improvements that can be used by fans and users. The improvement is obvious when the internal hardware is given more extensive innovation compared to the previous generation.
The combination of the built-in processor chip with large memory and storage manages to provide a flawless user experience. Also followed by a great display, the ability of the camera to produce impressive pictures and satisfactory battery life. Interesting additional functions such as Magic Portal, Magic Ring, Magic Capsules and Gesture Air Roll also make it easier to use the device in certain cases.
However, it is still not perfect in certain things such as the MagicOS 8.0 software which is not fully mature, the update period support is just adequate and the camera quality is still inconsistent in certain situations. In Malaysia Honor Magic6 Pro is sold at a price of RM4499 in a 12/512GB> configuration
Advantage
A satisfying 120Hz OLED display.
Powerful Snapragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
Fast 3D face scan.
IP68 waterproof.
Charging is getting faster.
Built-in GMS support.
Deficiencies
There is a fat application.
The camera is less consistent.
No 3.5mm audio jack.
The update period remains the same.