The Honor Magic5 Pro exudes a premium feel with its impeccable gap dimensions and high-quality materials. Building upon the curved design of its predecessor, the Honor Magic4 Pro, the Magic5 Pro boasts rounded edges on the front display, making it easier to hold, which is particularly appreciated for its 6.81-inch size, especially for those with smaller hands.
The camera element on the back of the Magic5 Pro protrudes slightly more than that of the Magic4 Pro, owing to its built-in lenses. However, Honor has ensured that the camera element’s edge blends smoothly with the casing, eschewing any harsh edges. The unique “star wheel” design, with three lenses arranged in a triangle, creates a visually striking impression.
The sensors, LED lights, and microphones for movie recordings are seamlessly integrated into the camera element, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the device.
In my opinion, integrating the protruding camera into the overall design of the Honor Magic5 Pro is an elegant solution. The triangular structure, as seen in promotional trailers, aligns with the three primary lenses of the device and adds to its cohesive look.
The bottom of the device features a charging port, SIM card slot, and six small openings for micro and air intake, while the top houses an infrared transmitter and speakers.
One notable feature is the factory-applied protective film on the front display, which has proven to be highly effective in protecting against scratches in the previous model. The front camera and 3D face detection are located in the upper left corner, similar to the Magic4 Pro.
In summary, the Honor Magic5 Pro deserves top accolades in terms of design, meeting my taste. The craftsmanship and material quality are also impressive, leaving me thoroughly impressed with this flagship smartphone.
The setup process for the Honor Magic5 Pro is incredibly straightforward, with step-by-step guidance that makes it easy for me as a user. After entering my Honor ID and Google credentials, the basic functions and necessary logins are quickly taken care of. Of course, I make sure to set up the security features such as fingerprint and PIN immediately to ensure the safety of my device.
The option to transfer data from my old phone via Device Clone is a breeze, making the setup of the Honor Magic5 Pro even more convenient. While copying the data may require some patience, all apps and data, including photos, are transferred seamlessly. However, in my experience, it’s best to avoid transferring unnecessary photos and videos, as they can prolong the cloning process.
In just a few minutes, I was able to complete the setup of my Honor Magic5 Pro and begin customizing the individual settings to make the device truly my own.
The Honor Magic5 Pro comes with a minimal amount of pre-installed apps, resulting in a tidy and uncluttered interface. Among the apps, there are the standard Google apps, as well as a few from Honor itself, including the My Honor app, Honor Health, and the Honor App Market.
With the Honor Magic5 Pro supporting 66W Wired and 50W Wireless HONOR SuperCharge, the HONOR Magic5 Pro packs a super large 5100mAh battery to deliver a full day of uninterrupted usage.
As I was already familiar with the interface of the MagicOS operating system from the previous model, adjusting to the Honor Magic5 Pro was a breeze. I found myself forgetting which phone I was using, as they were almost identical in terms of size and operation, except for the placement of the fingerprint sensor, which is now located at the bottom of the screen instead of a few inches from the edge.
I found the apps on the Honor Magic5 Pro to be very responsive, and the facial recognition and fingerprint sensor worked flawlessly. In my opinion, the facial recognition on the Magic5 Pro performs better than the previous model, particularly under adverse lighting conditions.
Gaming
Had no problems playing any gaming on the Magic5 Pro, from Fortnite to PUBG and Genshin Impact at maximum settings.
Camera Samples
Overall, I was very pleased with the display quality, which was both pleasant to view and included eye protection features such as 2160 Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, dynamic display dimming, and circadian night mode. Thanks to these features, my eyes remained comfortable even after watching several videos during testing, without experiencing burning, itching, or dryness.
The display resolution was excellent, and the audio quality was equally impressive. I was particularly impressed with the camera performance on the Honor Magic5 Pro, as it produced incredibly sharp and clear images.
The camera software on the Honor Magic5 Pro offers an impressive range of features for different photography scenarios, including portraits, night photography, and super macro. The software also provides creative users with plenty of options to experiment with.
One noteworthy improvement in the camera software is the ability to apply beauty and bokeh filters while filming, which can enhance the quality of videos. However, users should note that the HDR10+ feature for video recording is now located in the camera’s settings.
To demonstrate the Honor Magic5 Pro’s video capabilities, a test video in 4K with HDR10+ can be viewed.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are no jerks or memory lags in the recording on the Honor Magic5 Pro, unlike some previous phone launches I’ve experienced. The phone’s camera software also includes the Multivideo function, which is a great feature for content creators and is also present in the Honor Magic4 Pro.
In addition to its impressive camera capabilities, the Honor Magic5 Pro also functions flawlessly as a phone for making calls. During my conversations, I found that my conversation partners clearly understood, and I was also able to communicate effectively in various situations.
At the end of my two-week test with the Honor Magic5 Pro, I am ready to share my conclusion. Although I would have liked to prefer to conduct a longer-term test, I must now return the device to Honor UK.
In my opinion, Honor has once again made a significant leap forward in terms of performance and quality with the Honor Magic5 Pro when compared to its predecessor. For me, smooth daily use is just as important as the raw performance data from benchmark tests.
The technology built into the phone is impressive, and the camera and software are exceptional. The display is outstanding, and I found taking pictures with the device to be an enjoyable experience. It is no surprise that Honor won multiple awards at the MWC in Barcelona this year.
Powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform from Qualcomm, the HONOR Magic5 Pro delivers an unrivalled flagship performance, always enabling enhanced productivity and entertainment. With the industry’s first Wi-Fi and Bluetooth standalone antenna architecture, the HONOR Magic5 Pro improves Wi-Fi performance by 200% and reduces Wi-Fi latency by 30% compared to the traditional antenna design in the industry, bringing users ultimate flexibility and mobility for work and play. Thanks to a large built-in storage of up to 512GB and RAM of 12GB, the HONOR Magic5 Pro can keep more than 112,000 pictures, 44,000 songs or 1,800 HD videos locally on the device.
Colours and Availability
The HONOR Magic5 Pro is available in Black and Meadow Green and will be available for pre-order from the 19th of April on Hihonor and Three and on sale from the 28th of April via Hihonor, Three, Amazon, Argos, Very and Currys.
From purchase at pre-order (from 19th April), customers can enjoy a FREE Launch Bundle, including HONOR Earbuds 3 Pro, a Wireless Charger Stand and a Premium Case all worth £250, until stocks last.
With Three, from the 19th of April, customers will be able to pre-order the Magic5 Pro and receive 3 months of free data on Unlimited data and 30GB plans. Unlimited data will be £49 a month and 30GB of data will be £41 a month, both with a £45 upfront cost. Customers who pre-order from Three can also redeem a FREE HONOR Pad 8 (worth £269.99 RRP) via the Three+ app, and will also benefit from the FREE Launch Bundle above, whilst stocks last.
The HONOR Magic5 Pro will be priced at £949.99 RRP, and using the code AM5PRO80 customers can also get £80 off when purchasing on Hihonor.
TNC Score 4.8/5.0
Review unit from Honor UK
