Honor Magic5 Pro review

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Introduction

The Honor Magic5 Pro is yet another interesting flagship cameraphone to come to the global markets. It will be remembered for its unique design, premium hardware suite, and interesting camera kit. Furthermore, it's an ex-Huawei device, one that has access to the complete Google package and 5G networks.

Update - May 16: We have received the retail unit of the Honor Magic5 Pro and we have updated this review with a new battery scorecard and a complete set of benchmarks. The video below includes all updates.

Honor separated from Huawei in 2020 and since then it has launched quite a few smartphones that were free of sanctions imposed on Huawei by the US. The flagship Magic lineup has always been a great opportunity for those wanting a Huawei P- or Mate-like smartphone but without limitations. And that's what best describes the new Magic5 Pro.

The Honor Magic5 Pro builds on the Honor Magic4 Pro (and Huawei Mate 50 Pro) with an improved camera specs, a brighter display; it also brings the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and a larger battery capacity.

There is a large 6.81-inch HDR10+ OLED panel with 1312p resolution and dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. It is protected by curved glass and has a promising 12MP camera with a 3D ToF system inside the pill-shaped cutout. If you are not fan of Face ID unlock, there is an optical fingerprint scanner under the screen, too.

We already mentioned the Magic5 Pro features the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It also comes with the most current LPDDR5X RAM and UFS4.0 storage chips. There is also the industry's first standalone antenna architecture, which should allegedly remove any interference between Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections.

The rear camera setup has a familiar logic but should offer improved performance. The 50MP has a large sensor, and a bright wide-angle stabilized lens. There is also a 50MP ultrawide camera with autofocus for macro purposes. The 50MP zoom camera with a 3.5x periscopic telephoto lens is probably the most interesting one, as it should also offer up to 10x high-quality lossless zoom thanks to the large sensor. Another 3D ToF system is also around.

The Honor Magic5 Pro boots the latest Android 13 with the most current EMUI-like MagicUI 7.1. It has the complete Google framework and apps, so you don't have to worry about anything.

Honor Magic5 Pro specs at a glance:

• Body: 162.9x76.7x8.8mm, 219g; Glass front, glass back or eco leather back; IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: 6.81" LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1800 nits (peak), 1312x2848px resolution, 19.54:9 aspect ratio, 460ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1x3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2x2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• OS/Software: Android 13, MagicOS 7.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.6, 23mm, 1/1.12" 1.4µm, multi-directional PDAF, Laser AF, OIS; Telephoto: 50 MP, f/3.0, 90mm, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm, 122˚, 1/2.5", AF; Depth: TOF 3D.
• Front camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/2.4, 100˚, 1.22µm; Depth: TOF 3D.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS, HDR10, 10-bit video; Front camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@60fps.
• Battery: 5100mAh; 66W wired, 50W wireless, Reverse wireless, 5W reverse wired.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); Infrared port; stereo speakers.

A quick look through these specs reveals nothing is really missing on the Magic5 Pro. And that's something we rarely see these days.

Unboxing the Honor Magic5 Pro

The Honor Magic5 Pro ships inside a traditional black box. The retail bundle contains a 66W charger, a 6A-rated USB-A-to-C cable, and a soft transparent case.

The Magic5 Pro has a thin protective film, which was pre-applied in the factory. It is of rather low quality and is a smudge magnet, so we peeled it off. We are sure many people would appreciate having it, though.