Device Review: HONOR Magic4 Pro

This is the first Mobile News Honor device review since its split from Huawei in 2020

Since Honor parted ways with Huawei in 2020, they have released several smartphones as an independent entity.

First came the Magic 3 series in 2021, however, this series was only released in China despite promises that it would be released globally.

The Honor 50 series was the first series post-Huawei to be released globally in October 2021, and recently the brand has launched its Magic4 series and Honor X series.

The Magic4 Pro is Honor’s most premium device at £949.99 as the brand aims to create products for the high-end market.

As this is the first Honor device Mobile News has reviewed since 2019, I wanted to see how the brand has improved and check if the device’s 4600mAh battery and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 chipset is worth the hefty price point.

Specs

OS: Android 12, Magic UI 6.0

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (4nm)

Screen: 6.81 inches

Resolution: 1312 x 2848 pixels 

Memory: 8GB or 12GB RAM

Internal storage: 256GB or 512 GB

Rear Camera: Triple camera 50MP + 50MP +64MP

Front Camera: 12MP

Battery: 4600mAh

Charging: 100W wired and wireless fast charging support

Dimensions: 163.6 x 74.7 x 9.15mm

Weight: 215g

Design 

This isn’t your typical smartphone, so of course, it is not going to have a typical smartphone design. 

The Magic4 Pro has a very large screen size of 6.81 inches and is equipped with a quad curved screen- which I wasn’t a fan of as the curved edge could be quite blurry when using apps such as Google and YouTube.

Due to its size, it is hard to use with one hand which I found quite annoying as I am used to having a smaller device. 

I also found the camera design to be quite off putting, as its rear camera is very large and circular, showing off its triple camera and sensors.

There is a small front camera on the left hand side of the screen which is very apparent when you go to the home screen, but I think it is small enough for it not to ruin the display.

A sheer, plastic phone case also comes with the phone which is handy- but lacking in finesse to match the premium device.

Camera 

I’ve already mentioned the unusual camera design, but the actual triple rear camera (50MP main camera, a 50MP ultrawide, and a 64MP periscopic zoom) was very impressive.

The main camera captured colour, brightness and quality better than my own eyes, and this would be a device that I would take travelling with me to really capture some beauty.

The ultrawide camera also fared well, as sometimes an image can look compressed when taken on an ultrawide lens, but the Magic4 Pro didn’t have this issue. 

I didn’t get to test out the night mode, but I did test out the 100 X zoom that was advertised on the camera at the back of the phone. 

The zoom is a good feature, but I don’t see the need for 100 X zoom as it is very blurry and no matter how still your hand is, the camera will move regardless and you may not be able to get a good quality picture from the zoom.

I haven’t attached a selfie image, and that isn’t because the 12MP selfie camera is rubbish, it’s because it was so clear that it picked up on my bushy eyebrows and blotchy skin, so I won’t scare you with an image of that!

Performance

For a premium device, I expected a strong performance from the Honor Magic4 Pro, and I must say I was happy with the way the phone runs.

I found that the phone was touch responsive most of the time, and when loading an app or trying to search something on Google, the results were there in no time at all! 

The battery life is also great, as it lasted me all day and was very quick to charge when I needed a bit of extra juice.

I also found that if I left my phone without charging it overnight, the battery would only drop by 1-4 per cent, which I was satisfied with as this was a small drop compared to other phones.

I would say this phone is reliable to use all day without exhausting the battery, but it would also help to pack a charger if you wanted a huge boost in battery for the night. 

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 chipset ensured that the Magic4 Pro worked smoothly with pretty much no issues when I used it.

Summary

Overall, I was most satisfied with the speed of the phone, the 120Hz refresh rate, the high quality audio and the general way the device performed. 

The battery is also impressive despite not being as large as some others, but time will tell if the battery life keeps up this performance over a few months. 

The triple camera is good for capturing light and colour, but I did find the selfie camera very intense and the 100X zoom to be an obsolete feature. 

I would say the design is the worst part about the device, as the quad curved screen doesn’t add much and it just made the phone appear clunky due to its large size. 

At £949.99, I would say that the Magic4 Pro is not value for money, as I couldn’t see myself paying nearly a grand for a phone that has a few issues.

It would have to be near perfect for me to pay this price, and I think the price point is the main reason why I wouldn’t buy it.

Verdict- Overall 3.5/5 

Speed 4.5/5

Camera 4/5

Battery 4/5

Design 3/5

Value 3.5/5

Colour availability: Cyan, Black