Honor Magic 6 Pro Review

Honor Magic 6 Pro Review: A High-Spec Flagship Camera Phone

The Honor Magic 6 Pro has entered the global market with a strong focus on camera performance. In this review, we’ll delve into how good these cameras are and examine whether the other features are competitive enough to make the Magic 6 Pro a flagship contender.

Design and Build Quality

The Honor Magic 6 Pro has a high-end design with a sizable round camera bump with a striped texture and a glossy square metal accent surrounding it. The frame is made from aluminum, and both the front and back curve into it for a seamless look. The phone is available in two colorways: a green variant with a soft and grippy faux leather back and a black variant with a glass back. It is also IP68-rated, offering protection against dust and water.

Honor Magic 6 Pro Full Specification

NETWORKTechnologyGSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G
LAUNCHAnnounced2024, January 11
StatusAvailable Released 2024. January 18
BODYDimensions162.5 x 75.8 x 8.9 mm (6.40 x 2.98 x 0.35 in)
Weight225 g or 229 g (7.94 oz)
BuildGlass front (NanoCrystal Shield) glass back or silicone polymer back (eco leather)
SIMDual SIM (Nano-SIM dual stand-by)
IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5 m for 30 min)
DISPLAYTypeLTPO OLED. 18 colors, 120 Hz Dolby Vision HDR. 1600 nits (HBM). 5000 nits
Size(peak)
6.8 inches, 112.8 cm2 (~91.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution1280 x 2800 pixels, 19.59 ratio (~453 ppi density)
ProtectionNanoCrystal Shield
PLATFORMosAndroid 14. MagicOS 8
ChipsetQualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm)
CPUOcta-core (1×3.3 GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×3.2 GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×3.0 GHz Cortex-
A720 & 2×2.3 GHz Cortex-A520)
GPUAdreno 750
MEMORYCard slotNo
Internal256GB/12GB/12GB RAM. 512GB/12GB/12GB RAM. 512GB 16GB RAM, 1TB 16GB RAM
UFS 4.0
MAIN CAMERATriple50 MP f/1.4-2.0 23mm (wide). 1/1.3″ 1.2um. Laser AF, PDAF, and OIS
180 MP f/2.6. (periscope telephoto). 1/1.49, 0.56pm PDAF. OIS, 2.5x optical
zoom
50 MP f/2.0, 13mm. 122 (ultrawide). 1/2.88″ 0.61um AF
FeaturesLED flash, HDR, panorama
Video4K@24/30/60fps. 1080p@30/60/120/240fps gyro-EIS, OIS, HDR, 10-bit video
SELFIE CAMERASingle50 MP f/2.0. 22mm (wide). 1/2.93″. 0.6um. AF
VideoTOF 3D (depth/biometrics sensor)
4K@30fps. 1080p@30/60fps. gyro-EIS
SOUNDLoudspeakerYes, with stereo speakers
3.5mm jackNo
COMMSWLANWi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6/7 dual-band Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth5.3. A2DP LE. aptX HD
PositioningGPS (L1+L5). GLONASS BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a). GALILEO (E1+E5a)
NFCYes. HCE NFC-SIM
Infrared portYes
RadioNo
USBUSB Type-C 3 3.2 DisplayPort 1.2 OTG
FEATURESSensorsFingerprint (under display optical). Face ID accelerometer, gyro. proximity
compass color spectrum
Emergency SOS via satellite (messages and calls)
BATTERYTypeSVC 5600 mAh, non-removable
ChargingSOW wired
66W wireless
Reverse wireless
5W reverse wired
MISCColorsBlack Green, Blue, Purple. White
ModelsBVL-AN16
Price$1,020.00 899.00
TESTSPerformanceAnTuTu: 2017400 (v10)
GeekBench 6787 (v6)
3DMark Wild life: 18270 (offscreen 1440p)
DisplayContrast ratio: Infinite (nominal)
Loudspeaker-25.6 LUFS (Very good)
Battery (new)Active use score: 14:06h

Display

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Bright and Versatile Screen

The Magic 6 Pro sports a curved 6.8-inch LTPO OLED display with a high resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. This results in a sharp pixel density of 453 PPI. The display supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, providing an immersive viewing experience. The brightness reaches up to 775 nits with manual adjustment and nearly 1,600 nits in auto mode under bright conditions. The LTPO technology allows the refresh rate to adjust from 120Hz down to 1Hz to save energy, even at low brightness levels.

Audio

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Stereo Speakers

The phone features stereo speakers, with the top speaker doubling as an earpiece. These speakers deliver very good loudness and excellent sound quality, with clear vocals, clean highs, and good bass.

Performance and Software

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Powerful Hardware

The Magic 6 Pro’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which offers top-notch performance and efficiency, powers the device. In benchmarks, it performs on par with other flagship devices. There is also a high-performance mode that enhances performance and manages thermal throttling effectively.

Software and Updates

The device runs on Honor’s MagicOS 8.0 on top of Android 14. It includes the full Google App Suite, unlike Huawei’s restricted software. Honor Magic 6 Pro promises four major OS updates and five years of security patches. The interface features large folders, customisable widgets, and air gestures for the front-facing camera assembly. The new Magic Portal functionality allows users to highlight items on their screen and drag them to the sidebar for quick actions.

Battery Life and Charging

Long-Lasting Battery

The Magic 6 Pro houses a 5,600 mAh battery, a significant upgrade over its predecessor. In our tests, it achieved an active use score of 14 hours and 6 minutes. It excels in gaming, ranking among the best we’ve tested.

Fast Charging

The phone supports 80W fast charging, although our unit did not include a bundled adapter. Using a previous model’s 66W adapter, we charged from 0 to 82% in 30 minutes, and a full charge took 44 minutes. It also supports 66W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.

Camera Performance

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Main Camera

The main camera features a dual aperture lens and a 50MP OmniVision sensor. It allows for aperture adjustments between f/1.4 and f/2.0 in Pro mode. Daylight photos are sharp with excellent detail and dynamic range. In low light, it captures well-preserved highlights and good shadow detail.

Telephoto Camera

The telephoto camera boasts a 180MP sensor with 2.5x and 5x zoom capabilities. It captures detailed, noise-free images with excellent dynamic range and colour accuracy. The camera performs well even in low light, maintaining detail and contrast.

Ultra-Wide Camera

The 50MP ultra-wide camera provides a wider field of view than most competitors, with minimal corner softening. It performs well in daylight, but night shots show some softness in shadows.

Selfie Camera

The dual selfie setup includes a 50MP camera with autofocus and a ToF depth sensor. It captures detailed, noise-free selfies with lifelike skin tones and good colour reproduction.

Video Recording

Mixed Results

The Magic 6 Pro can record up to 4K at 60fps. While the main camera’s video quality is somewhat soft with dark exposure, the telephoto camera delivers more appealing footage with good detail and dynamic range. The ultra-wide camera’s video is decently sharp but suffers from inaccurate colour rendition.

FAQ

When was Honor Magic 6 Pro released?

The Honor Magic 6 Pro came out in 2024 and brought cutting-edge technology and a great camera to people all over the world.

Is the Honor Magic 6 Pro waterproof?

The Honor Magic 6 Pro does have an IP68 rating, which means it can handle water and dust. So it can handle being submerged in water for a certain amount of time and at a certain depth. This means it can be used in a lot of different places.

Which Honor series is the best?

A lot of people think that the Honor Magic series is the best, especially for people who want high-end features and the latest camera technology. The Honor Magic 6 Pro stands out as a top choice thanks to its top-of-the-line specs and unique camera setup.

Does Xiaomi own Honor?

To be clear, Xiaomi does not own Honor. While Honor is now its own brand, it used to be a part of Huawei. In 2020, it was sold to a group of Chinese companies, which gave it the freedom to run on its own and enter global markets without any problems.

What is the rank of Honor Magic 6 Pro in the world?

In 2024, the Honor Magic 6 Pro was one of the best flagship smartphones in the world. It was praised for its camera, screen, and overall features. It can get different rankings depending on the source and the criteria used, but it is very competitive with other top models.

Does the Honor Magic 6 Pro have Google?

The Honor Magic 6 Pro does have the whole Google App Suite. Honor smartphones, unlike Huawei devices, can use Google services, such as the Google Play Store, which is helpful for people who do not live in China.

How fast is the Honor Magic 6 Pro charging?

The Honor Magic 6 Pro can be charged quickly with 80W. It can charge from 0% to 82% in 30 minutes with the right charger, and it will be fully charged in 44 minutes. It can also be charged wirelessly with 66W, giving you quick and easy power options.

Is Honor safe to buy?

It is safe to buy Honor phones, yes. The brand sells high-quality electronics with strong security features, regular software updates, and full customer support. For example, the Magic 6 Pro promises four major OS updates and security patches for five years, which means it will be reliable and safe for a long time.

Conclusion

A Strong Contender

The Honor Magic 6 Pro offers a comprehensive suite of flagship features, including a top-notch curved display, excellent battery life, and fast charging. The 3D face unlock is a rare feature for Android devices, and the camera performance, especially for stills, is impressive. While video recording could be improved, the Magic 6 Pro remains a highly competitive flagship phone.