The HONOR Magic5 Pro is a flagship phone from HONOR. It was announced at MWC 2023 in Barcelona on February 27, 2023. Sales started in China on March 10, 2023. In Europe, it launched at €1,199.90 with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage. In the UK, the same model cost £949.99. The phone was not officially sold in the US.
Design and display
The Magic5 Pro has a 6.81-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2848 x 1312 pixels. The panel curves on all four sides and runs at up to 120 Hz. Reviews describe it as an LTPO panel that can drop to 1 Hz. HONOR rates its peak brightness at 1,800 nits, and it uses 2160 Hz PWM dimming. An optical fingerprint reader sits under the display.
The phone measures 162.9 x 76.7 x 8.77 mm and weighs about 219 g. It has an aluminum frame and an IP68 rating for dust and water. The global colors are Black and Meadow Green, both with glass backs. In China, HONOR also sold Blue, Coral Purple and Orange. The Orange model has a vegan leather back. Coral Purple later reached Malaysia as a limited release.
Performance
Inside is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a 4 nm chip with a top CPU core at 3.19 GHz. It works with the Adreno 740 GPU. The European model has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Chinese versions came with 8 GB / 256 GB, 12 GB / 256 GB and 16 GB / 512 GB. There is no microSD card slot.
Cameras
The rear setup has three 50 MP cameras. The main camera uses a 1/1.12-inch sensor with an f/1.6 lens and optical stabilization. The ultrawide camera has an f/2.0 lens. A periscope telephoto camera offers 3.5x optical zoom with OIS and up to 100x digital zoom. HONOR also adds a dToF laser focus system and a color temperature sensor.
The main camera records 4K video at up to 60 fps. On the front, a 12 MP selfie camera sits next to a 3D depth sensor. It records 4K video at 30 fps and supports secure 3D face unlock.
Battery and charging
The global model has a 5,100 mAh battery (typical value). The Chinese version uses a larger 5,450 mAh cell. Wired charging reaches 66 W, and a 66 W charger comes in the box. The phone also supports 50 W wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Software and updates
The Magic5 Pro shipped with MagicOS 7.1 based on Android 13. HONOR promised three major Android updates and five years of security patches. Other features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, an IR blaster and stereo speakers. The USB-C port supports USB 3.2 Gen 1. The phone takes two Nano-SIM cards, or one Nano-SIM and an eSIM.
Should you buy the Magic5 Pro?
The Magic5 Pro suits buyers who want a large curved screen, a periscope zoom camera and fast charging. Its IP68 rating and wireless charging make it a complete flagship package for 2023. Still, it is an older model, so its update window is shorter than that of newer phones. HONOR replaced it with the Magic6 Pro. Buyers in the US should note that it was never officially sold there.
