Honor’s new Magic 6 Pro was just launched at MWC 2024, and there’s one big thing the company wants to draw your attention to… the cameras.
There are five lenses in total, split between the front and rear, as well as several other sensors onboard. The specs are very impressive, with a 50MP dynamic aperture main camera (f/1.4-f/2.0), a 180MP telephoto lens (2.5x optical zoom, 100x digital) and an ultra- 50 Mp wide with a 122° field of view.
On the front, a 50MP ultra-wide lens is supported by a 3D Time of Flight (ToF) sensor, helping to improve its overall depth perception and facial recognition.
And based on first impressions, I can confidently say that these cameras perform just as well as they look.
The main camera consistently takes great photos, rivaling the Google Pixel 8 Pro in shooting performance. Detail, dynamic range and exposure are all top-notch, with a contrasty look that makes images look even more atmospheric.
Some of the dog portraits I took were stunning, with the best edge detection I’ve ever seen on a phone.
Anyron Copeman / Foundry
Unlike many phone cameras, there’s no obvious loss of quality when switching to the ultra-wide lens. The extra field of view makes a real difference in the landscape photos, especially the beach ones that I’ve taken.
However, the 180Mp telephoto lens is the most versatile of all. Its variable aperture allows it to absorb more light when needed, significantly improving the quality of low-light photos.
But its main advantage over the Magic 6 Pro is the depth of field adjustment, which means it’s capable of taking great portrait-style photos. Some of the dog portraits I took were stunning, with the best edge detection I’ve ever seen on a phone.
The telephoto lens has another advantage, a 2.5x optical zoom. The ability to crop and maintain near-identical image quality should certainly not be overlooked, although the 100x digital zoom (as shown on the back of the phone) serves no practical purpose.
Selfies from the front camera are also excellent, whether or not you want background blur. Faces are well lit and background exposure is handled well, with edge detection also very good here.
However, one feature that doesn’t entirely impress me is the AI motion detection. It’s designed to keep subjects sharp even when they move a lot, but the dog photos I took were often still blurry.
Check out a range of my camera samples in the gallery below:
Video isn’t a priority in the same way, although the Magic 6 Pro can capture footage at up to 4K/60fps. But even the default 1080p/30fps mode looked good, with optical image stabilization (OIS) helping it stay impressively smooth.
It can’t quite compete with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, the current benchmark for smartphone video, but the Magic 6 Pro is more than serviceable.
When it comes to still images, however, this phone is among the best. There’s no shortage of competition among camera phones, with the iPhone 15 Pro, Pixel 8 Pro, Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Vivo X100 Pro, Oppo Find X7 Ultra and Xiaomi 14 Ultra all in the running, but the Magic 6 Pro is definitely up there. .
It’s not just about the cameras. The Magic 6 Pro features Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which combines with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
The 6.8-inch curved OLED display looks stunning, especially with a high 2.8K (2800×1280) resolution and a dynamic 1-120Hz refresh rate. Durability is also strong, with a IP68 water and dust resistance rating and drop protection certification.
Elsewhere, you get a large 5,600mAh battery with support for 80W wired and 66W wireless charging, as well as dual stereo speakers and a fingerprint sensor under the screen. It’s 229g but probably worth it.
However, there are two things that will make or break the Magic 6 Pro. The first is software – Honor’s MagicOS 8.0 is based on Android 14, but won’t be to everyone’s taste. The other is the price, which hasn’t been revealed yet but is likely similar to the Magic 5 Pro at £949/$1,199.
These two factors may mean that another phone will be better for you. But there’s no doubting the Honor Magic 6 Pro’s stellar camera credentials.
Learn more in our separate article on the Honor Magic 6 series.
