The HONOR Magic5 Pro opened to much fanfare at MWC 2023 in Barcelona, Spain and for good reason. This is HONOR’s first major release in front of a massive audience and is a follow up to the really solid Magic4 Pro smartphone. The Magic5 Pro doubles down on what made its predecessor great, and after a few days of Hands-On, we’re fans of its potential. 

Unboxing 

Box inclusions are par for the course: You get the Magic5 Pro, a jelly case, the usual documentation, a UBC-Cable, and the 66W SuperCharge adapter. 

Watch this unboxing.

Unboxing the Power of Magic #HONORMagic5Pro #MWC2023 pic.twitter.com/rc5kTVSyRP

— GadgetMatch (@gadgetmatch) March 1, 2023

Specs and button placements

Let’s get the basics out of the way first. Here’s what the Magic5 Pro is like on paper: 

• Processor — Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
• OS — MagicOS 7.1 based on Android 13
• Graphics — Adreno 740 GPU
• Memory — 12GB DDR5X
• Storage — 512GB UFS4.0
• Display — 6.81-inch LTPO quad-curved floating screen, 2848 x 1312, 120Hz, 100% DCI-P3, 1800 nits peak brightness, HDR10+, TÜV Rheinland certified Low Blue Light
• Audio — Stereo system with dual speakers, DTS:X Ultra
• Security — Dual-TEE security system, NFC support, 3D face recognition, AI Privacy Call 2.0, fingerprint sensor
• Connectivity — USB Type-C, dual-SIM slots
• Wireless — Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2
• Battery — 5,100mAh, 66W wired and 50W wireless SuperCharge

There’s no denying, that’s a 2023 flagship right there. But we’re gonna hold off on any real testing. HONOR told us that the unit we have still needs to receive a software update to fully have the device optimized. So, wait we shall. 

Button placements are your usual affair. 

At the bottom you’ll find: SIM Tray, USB-C port, speaker grilles. 

On the right hand side are the volume rockers with the power button right below it.

Up front, you’ll see the pill-shaped cut-out on the left housing the 12MP (f/2.4) front camera and 3D depth camera.  

Design and hand feel

The unit we got is the Classic Black one. The finish is glossy, it’s pretty slippery, and will definitely be home to fingerprints and smudges. Definitely use the included jelly case or buy one if you end up with this unit. 

The Cyan variant has more of a frosted matte finish, but it isn’t that much better in the being-slippery department. 

Despite measuring a massive 6.81 inches, the device is pretty easy to hold because the display and the back panel curves to the side. It’s also not significantly heavier than most other flagships in this form. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, in 2023 at least, still holds that heavyweight title. 

Overall, it’s pretty comfortable to hold and use either with one hand or two hands. Recommendation is to use/buy a case. Our hope that the device becomes popular enough that many case-makers consider creating really good ones for it. 

50MP Triple Camera

Prominently featured at the back is the camera module. It houses the crowning glory of the Magic5 Pro – its trifecta of 50MP cameras. 

It’s an interesting look. The camera module protrudes but how the back panel goes up, curves, and blends with the camera module is reminiscent of the OPPO Find X3 Pro. But the camera placement is dead center instead of flushed to the left. 

100X is also clearly visible in the middle of the camera module, showcasing its digital zoom capability. Here’s what those three cameras are packing: 

• 50MP wide camera (f/1.6, 1/1.12-inch sensor)
• 50MP ultra-wide camera (f/2.0, 122 degrees field of view)
• 50MP Sony IMX858 telephoto camera (f/3.0, 3.5x optical zoom, 100x digital zoom)

HONOR is also bucking the trend of smartphone companies partnering with known camera brands (i.e. Xiaomi x Leica, OPPO/OnePlus x Hasselblad). HONOR Global CEO George Zhao spoke about this at a media interview during MWC 2023 in Barcelona. 

HONOR Flip coming? @Honorglobal CEO George Zhao says it may come but can’t disclose when. #HONORMWC2023 #MWC2023 pic.twitter.com/fJCS1gjXD1

— rodneil (@rodneilquiteles) February 28, 2023

And it looks like, for now, they’re doing more than okay without any such partnership. DXOMARK has them at first place in camera rankings as of this writing. 

The HONOR Magic5 Pro is with an all-new image engine called Millisecond Falcon Capture. It gives users the luxury to capture even the most complex scenes with remarkable clarity and ease.

Along with this algorithm are shooting modes like Super Night Capture and AI Motion Sensing Capture. For video shooters, the phone is capable of recording up to 4K videos at 60fps.

Camera samples

As mentioned earlier, the unit we have is still awaiting the official retail version of the software. Thus, we were advised to not extensively test the camera. But we couldn’t resist taking a few snaps while in Barcelona. 

Here are a few sample photos, which already look pretty good, despite the software not being final yet. 

Plenty of potential

If its predecessor is any indication, we’re pretty excited to fully test the HONOR Magic5 Pro. It’s undeniably a 2023 flagship on paper and is looking like a phone that can contend against the best of the best. 

Its cameras, in particular, will be one to watch out for. HONOR packed some major features here that we can’t wait to try. 

Price and availability details in Europe are here. Such details in other markets should be available soon.