HONOR Magic 4 Pro Review – Magic OS 7 (Android 13) Beta Launched!

HONOR Magic 4 Pro: design and finish

The design of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro provides a lot to talk about, which I was able to experience over a cozy evening with friends. The "eye of the muse", as HONOR calls the pompous camera system on the back, is not to everyone's taste. In the "Cyan" housing color, the circular camera module stands out in high contrast from the blue-green tone.

Especially those who prefer it simple will find the extravagant look of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro less appealing. On the other hand, there are also many voices that celebrate the camera hill precisely because of its lens-like aesthetic. Design is just a matter of taste! 

Chic mirror effect, but also prone to fingerprints.

Aside from the looks, the camera hill has a practical use. Because the camera module was placed in the center, the smartphone lies fairly stable on the back without annoyingly rocking back and forth when typing. Smartphones with a camera module arranged on the side rarely achieve this.

In addition to the color "Cyan", the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is also available in the simpler "Black". The colors "White", "Gold" and "Orange" available in other countries have not yet made it to us. The front and back of the smartphone are made of aluminosilicate glass, which is highly break- and scratch-resistant.

HONOR does not make public the production from which the glass comes. The most common manufacturer is Corning with its Gorilla Glass. Since the brand name is not mentioned, it can be assumed that a manufacturer other than Corning was chosen.

The speaker is in the middle, a microphone and the IR blaster on the right.

A metal housing frame is located between the "aluminosilicate glass sandwich". Despite the thickness of 9,15 mm, the 215 g smartphone looks pleasantly slim. The reason for this is the curved edges of the front and back, which almost merge with the metal frame and, in combination, ensure an extremely pleasant feel. The transitions between the layers are almost imperceptible.

By the way, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro has an IP68 certification. The protection class defines that the smartphone is dustproof but also completely waterproof.

A high-quality metal frame.

All control buttons are on the right side and are easy to reach there. The dual SIM slot is at the bottom, next to the USB-C socket (3.1) in the middle and the microphone next to it. There is space for two Nano SIM cards in the SIM tray. It is not possible to expand the memory with a microSD card.

A speaker output on the left, USB-C in the middle, then a microphone and finally the SIM slot

Loudspeaker outputs are located at the top and bottom. Another microphone and an infrared transmitter adorn the upper frame section, with which the HONOR Magic 4 Pro can be used as a remote control for TV devices. The appropriate app for this is already pre-installed.

HONOR Magic 4 Pro: Screen

The first hardware highlight of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is the display. We are dealing here with a 120 Hz LTPO-OLED panel that works with a 10-bit color depth, has an (unusual) resolution of 2848 x 1312 pixels and also supports numerous functions such as HDR10+, MEMC and 1920 Hz PWM dimming.

Almost borderless, the 6,81″ display of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro.

Screen refresh rate

But one after anonther. By using an LTPO back panel, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is able to dynamically adjust the screen refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. How the smartphone behaves can be specified in the settings. There are a total of 4 modes to choose from. In addition to standard (60 Hz), medium (90 Hz) and high (120 Hz), there is a dynamic mode (1 Hz - 120 Hz), according to which the smartphone automatically determines the screen refresh rate.

In the case of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro, the dynamic mode still needs some fine-tuning. In many apps and even within the user interface, the smartphone chooses a screen refresh rate that is too low, which in turn results in unsightly trailing effects.

Smart screen resolution

In addition to the screen refresh rate, the smartphone can also intelligently control the screen resolution. You can choose between High (2848 x 1312), Standard (2492 x 1148) and Low (2136 x 984) modes. If you activate the intelligent control, the resolution is automatically adjusted between the existing modes.

Unlike dynamic screen refresh rate, intelligent screen resolution control works more reliably. There were no problems with the layout and image sharpness that can occur with the automatic switch in the test.

curved display

With a diagonal of 6,81″, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro offers an enormous display area. However, it is a curved display, which causes a visual stir due to its hardly any display edges. However, the optimally usable area is smaller due to the strong curvature of the display edges.

In applications where elements are placed on the edge, a curved display can also have significant disadvantages. Under certain circumstances, unwanted inputs may occur when you change your grip on the display, or visibility may be impaired.

Despite the comparatively strong curvature, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is hardly susceptible to incorrect inputs. However, visibility towards the edges is slightly impaired. Depending on the viewing angle, you can then see a colored stripe or shadow.

This had a particularly negative effect in the mobile game "Diablo Immortal", where the XP bar placed at the edge was lost in the curvature, so to speak. Due to the design, this circumstance applies to every smartphone with a curved display, so that the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is not to be chalked up as a disadvantage.

screen brightness

The maximum brightness of the display reaches up to 1000 nits. Automatic brightness adjustment is fast and accurate. The display is easy to read outdoors, especially in bright ambient light. At the lowest brightness level, the brightness is reduced to less than 5 nits.

The 1920 Hz PWM dimming of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is useful. Especially when the screen brightness is low, many displays from other manufacturers work with a low frequency, which can unknowingly lead to headaches when viewed for a long time. The high 1920 Hz frequency of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro counteracts flickering even with low display brightness.

image enhancer

The spec sheet lists a number of different certifications and image enhancers for the HONOR Magic 4 Pro. Among other things, the smartphone supports HDR10+, so that playing HDR content, for example via Netflix, is possible. There is also a "Video Optimizer" that converts SDR content to HDR and a "Frame Rate Booster" (MEMC) can be found in the settings that makes content appear clearer and smoother.

Always-on display

An AoD is a must-have on a smartphone with an OLED display. The AoD of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro can be extensively configured and personalized in the settings. Whether and when the AoD is displayed is configurable by schedule, incoming notification or touch.

Numerous digital and analog design templates are pre-installed for an individual look. Additional templates are available for download from an integrated shop. Most of the templates are free.

HONOR Magic 4 Pro: performance and features

Performance

Like most flagship smartphones of 2022, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 mobile platform. The chip is manufactured using the efficient 4nm process and has, among other things, an eight-core CPU that is divided into three clusters. First up is a Cortex-X2 main core clocked at up to 3 GHz, supported by three Cortex-A710 cores at 2.5 GHz and four Cortex-A510 cores at 1.8 GHz. The Adreno 730 GPU takes care of graphics-intensive tasks.

The memory is generous with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB UFS3.1 data storage, so you can overlook the lack of memory expansion options. In Europe, the smartphone was only released in this one memory variant. In other regions, the smartphone is also available with 12+256GB and 12+512GB.

Diablo Immortal runs first cream with it!

The performance of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro leaves nothing to be desired. In benchmarks such as AnTuTu (981.000 points) or PCMark (13.973), the smartphone leaves many other competitors with similar equipment behind. For us, however, the everyday performance is more meaningful.

The smartphone is powerful in everyday use. It can handle current apps and games without any problems. The fast and plentiful memory has a positive effect on the loading times, so that apps are loaded or opened without delays. Unfortunately, apps are not kept in memory for too long. HONOR's Magic UI is pretty strict when it comes to resource allocation. Switching between applications is quick and doesn't make the smartphone sweat.

The HONOR Magic 4 Pro also shows its strengths in mobile games. Current titles like Diablo Immortal or PUBG can be played smoothly even with high graphics settings. The frame rate is constant most of the time. However, after a longer gaming session, the back gets noticeably warm and frame rate spikes can occur. A stress test under full load shows after just 10 minutes that the performance is reduced to 77 percent of the maximum performance due to the heat. So-called "thermal throttling" is a problem that all smartphones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 suffer from to a greater or lesser extent.

Software

HONOR promises at least two major Android version updates and at least four years of monthly security updates for its Magic series. Other manufacturers such as Samsung or Xiaomi are already a step ahead and promise four or three major Android updates for their flagship devices.

With the start of sales in May, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro was delivered with Magic UI 6 based on Android 12. According to HONOR's update policy, the line will probably be drawn with Android 14. According to HONOR CEO George Zhao, the next version update to Magic UI 7 or Android 13 is already in the works. However, a specific release date has not yet been announced.

The Magic UI 6 user interface in itself appears clear and orderly. Features are plentiful, although manufacturers like Samsung have a little more to offer with their own user interfaces. The focus of Magic UI 6 on security and privacy was good.

Apps can be locked with a PIN, there is a password-protected vault for photos, videos and other files, and there is the "PrivateSpace" feature that creates a separate area next to the actual interface. The whole thing is securely implemented by the Dual TEE Security OS, which HONOR developed in cooperation with Qualcomm.

The HONOR Search, which pops up with every swipe from top to bottom, has become noticeable. In addition, the cloning of apps could have been further expanded. Although there is an “app twin” function, only a few apps, such as Facebook or WhatsApp, can be cloned.

connectivity

In terms of connectivity, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro impresses with the latest connection standards. In mobile communications, the smartphone shines with a wide frequency coverage, so that it can also be used well outside of Europe. 5G mobile communications reach into the sub-6GHz range. However, the smartphone does not support fast 5G mmWave networks. The reception strength and voice quality when making calls is excellent in both directions. Voice calls via the mobile Internet and WiFi (VoLTE & VoWiFi) are possible, which was confirmed by a test in the Telekom network.

A telephony feature of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro that many do not even have on their screens is the "AI Privacy Call". The feature is active by default and can be found through the Accessibility settings. With the privacy call, the smartphone is able to direct the sound waves generated when making a call to the ear of the person making the call, so that people in the vicinity do not hear anything about the conversation. What sounds good in theory has not worked quite as reliably in practice. The person sitting or standing next to you on the train can still hear you at a very small distance.

The smartphone transmits to the WLAN via WiFi6 with 2×2 MU-MIMO. There is also nothing wrong with the connection strength and the data rates in the WLAN. Finally, there are also Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC as other wireless connection standards. Contactless payment via Google Pay works without hesitation.

For navigation, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro communicates with the GPS, Glonass, Beidou and Galileo satellite systems. The position is determined quickly and reliably. The smartphone also has an e-compass that ensures precise alignment.

Fingerprint scanner and face recognition

The smartphone is unlocked securely via a Qualcomm 3D Sonic Sensor, which is particularly common in Samsung devices. The fingerprint scanner is one of the fastest and most precise of its kind, which unlocks the smartphone securely in fractions of a second.

Another unlocking method offers 3D facial recognition. To do this, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro uses the 3D depth sensor, which is located next to the front camera. In contrast to smartphones that only use the front camera to unlock, the method used by HONOR can actually be said to be reliable face recognition.

The 3D depth sensor next to the 12 MP front camera.

Even in poor lighting conditions, the smartphone can be reliably unlocked with a face. It even works so well that despite the flawless fingerprint scanner, it only rarely had to be used in the test.

Audio

The HONOR Magic 4 Pro's stereo speaker system sounds pleasantly balanced and achieves an impressive volume without distortion. Even the bass range comes off comparatively well, which is not a matter of course with the tiny smartphone speakers. As a software treat, the smartphone even supports DTS:X.

Users of Bluetooth headphones benefit from the almost lossless audio codecs LDAC and aptX (HD) . HONOR has dispensed with the tried and tested 3,5 mm jack socket.

HONOR Magic 4 Pro: Camera

Behind the "Eye of the Muse" is a powerful camera system, which is divided into the following cameras or sensors:

•  50 MP Sony IMX766 main camera | f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.56" sensor size and 1.0 μm pixel size
•  50 MP ultra wide-angle camera | f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.5" sensor size and 122° ultra wide angle
•  64 MP periscope camera | f/3.5 aperture, 1/2.0″ sensor size, 0.7 μm pixel size, 3.5x optical zoom, OIS

The "Eye of the Muse" - Packed with sensors.

The cameras are supported by an 8×8 dToF (depth sensor) and a flicker sensor. The depth sensor collects depth information that is useful when focusing and creating the bokeh effect. The flicker sensor counteracts image flickering in photos and videos.

To the amazement, HONOR does without optical image stabilization, especially on the main camera. This mainly affects the image quality at night, as we will see later. After all, OIS has made it into the periscope camera, which enlarges up to 3,5 times without loss.

On the software side, the camera system is supported by a lot of AI. HONOR speaks of "ultra fusion photography". In order to create the best possible photo, the AI ​​combines the image information from all cameras into one (fused) image.

main camera

The main camera of the HONOR Magic 4 Pro delivers top-notch recording quality in good lighting conditions. The photos are sharp and have a high level of detail. The color intensity is rich, but HONOR doesn't exaggerate too much.

We really liked the extensive dynamic range. You will look in vain for burned-out lights or drowning shadows, even in difficult lighting situations. There is also no conspicuous image noise. Here is a wide selection of images that were taken during the test.

The main camera remains strong in the dark. However, the competition with an optically stabilized main camera does a little better in some situations. Nevertheless, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro convinces with crisp colors, high contrast and little noise even in poor lighting conditions. Only the image sharpness could be a bit better.

The night mode only slightly improves the already good image quality, so it can be omitted most of the time. In night mode, the image section is slightly enlarged and the dynamic range is increased, making the image appear brighter overall.

periscope camera

The periscope camera matches the recording quality of the main camera well. There are no relevant differences in color between the cameras. Many details are recorded in the optical zoom range (3.5x). The image sharpness is good.

If we move out of the optical zoom range, the image sharpness and level of detail decrease. Exploiting the zoom to the maximum magnification of 100x makes little sense. Photos become visibly muddy and chromatic aberrations often appear.

Ultra wide angle camera

The ultra-wide-angle camera does a decent job. But only in very good lighting conditions. Colors are extremely strong, the sharpness is even up to the edges. The situation is different under less than ideal lighting conditions. Here, the ultra-wide-angle camera has a hard time taking sharp and detailed photos.

By the way, the ultra wide-angle camera can also record macros. Objects can be focused with the autofocus, but this does not always work reliably.

Front camera

The HONOR Magic 12 Pro's 4 MP front camera is a good example that you don't need a huge megapixel count for good image quality. The selfies impress with their natural coloring, the sharpness is impressive and details are clearly visible.

In order to move several people into the image area, 0.6x or 0.8x can be selected as the magnification. In portrait mode, the foreground is neatly separated from the background. The blur effect is pleasantly soft.

video capabilities

Videographers can let off steam with the HONOR Magic 4 Pro. The smartphone records in a maximum of 4K60 (16:9 or 21:9) and offers a range of professional video functions. In addition to the usual video mode, there is a "film mode" that includes special cinematic features. Among other things, the mode offers a slow-motion effect, allows 4K HDR recordings, there are eight ready-made LUTs to choose from that give the video recording a special film look through color grading and HONOR has even integrated a LOG mode that works in 10-bit at 4K24 /30/60 takes up.

The video recording quality is in no way inferior to the photo quality. The main camera's electronic image stabilization works well. With a swipe, you can switch between the cameras while the recording is in progress. However, only in 4K30 or 1080p30. If you switch to the periscope camera, it jumps to 5x magnification instead of the native 3.5x magnification. Why HONOR decided to make this jump is unclear.

HONOR Magic 4 Pro: Battery

The HONOR Magic 4 Pro battery has a capacity of 4600 mAh. A typical but not outstanding battery size. On average, the battery lasts about 1 1/2 days.

The Wireless Stand fully charges in 40 minutes.

With a suitable quick charger, the smartphone can be charged with up to 100 watts. That means from 0 to 100 percent in just 30 minutes.

In addition to wired charging, the HONOR Magic 4 Pro also supports wireless charging. And that too with a charging speed of up to 100 watts. A full charge takes about 40 minutes. The wireless charger is available as an option. To get the full 100 watts of power, it needs to be plugged into a 135 watt power supply, which HONOR offers as another option for purchase. If you connect the charger included in the scope of delivery, it is "only" charged with 80 watts.

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