Honor Magic 8 Pro Raises the Bar for Phone Cameras

• Key Takeaways:
• Honor’s Magic 8 Pro arrives in Europe priced at £1,099.99 (~$1,500) and targets flagship rivals including Apple and Samsung.
• The phone’s triple rear camera, led by a 50MP f/1.6 sensor, is Honor’s strongest camera effort to date.
• Two-day battery life and flagship performance make it a well-rounded handset despite a few software and design quibbles.

Why the Magic 8 Pro matters

Honor has long positioned its top-tier phones as photography-first devices. With the Magic 8 Pro’s European launch months after its China debut, the company is signaling it wants to play with the biggest names: iPhone 17 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra among them.

Camera system: Honor’s best yet

At the heart of the Magic 8 Pro is a triple-lens system built around a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/1.6 aperture. In real-world use the phone consistently delivered detailed, well-exposed images across lighting conditions and rarely left the reviewer wishing for a second camera in hand.

Honor’s image processing favors natural color and texture retention, which helps portraits and low-light scenes look polished without over-reliance on aggressive sharpening or oversaturated hues.

Zoom, ultrawide, and video

Honor’s approach combines strong primary imaging with useful secondary lenses. While it may not unseat every camera flagship in every scenario, the Magic 8 Pro comfortably competes with contemporary offerings from Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo — and stands as a credible alternative to pricier Western flagships.

Battery, performance, and daily use

The handset delivers two-day battery life under typical use, a meaningful advantage for power users and photographers. Performance is class‑leading for the category, offering smooth multitasking and reliable gaming.

Software extras include an AI button, though reviewers found it less customizable than expected. Design gets mixed marks — solid but not standout compared with some premium rivals.

Value and positioning

At £1,099.99 (~$1,500), the Magic 8 Pro is priced to challenge top-tier devices. It doesn’t reinvent the smartphone, but it tightens Honor’s credentials as a camera-first brand and offers a compelling balance of imaging, battery life, and speed.

Verdict

The Magic 8 Pro is Honor’s most convincing flagship yet. If you prioritize camera performance and dependable battery life, it’s one of the handful of phones today that can legitimately compete with the best from Apple and Samsung — and it does so without major compromises.