Note
This article is a preliminary review of the HONOR Magic 7 Pro, based on my first impression after a few days of use. Some aspects, such as extensive benchmarks, long-term battery tests or deeper analysis of the camera performance, will be covered in more detail in the final review.
Design: Flat glass with gentle curves
HONOR has revised the design of the Magic 7 Pro and is now using 2.5D glass, a flat glass with slightly rounded edges. Compared to the more curved glass of the Magic 6 Pro (click here for the Magic 6 Pro test), the new design feels more practical. The slightly wider bezels don't get in the way in everyday use and I made fewer typing errors, a problem that often bothered me with the previous model.

The housing is IP68/IP69 certified and is therefore well protected against dust and water. Practical, but with a catch. The strong adhesive makes repairs difficult - a point that should be considered when making a purchase decision.
My test device in black has proven to be resistant to fingerprints. The back remains pleasantly clean, even after prolonged use.
If you prefer something more colorful, the Magic 7 Pro is also available in Breeze Blue, a delicate baby blue, or in Lunar Shadow Grey, a silvery gray tone with a subtle pattern that shimmers in the light and is reminiscent of ice. Both colors give the design a fresh touch and a change from the "vegan leather" of the predecessor.
Display: Very good readability in any light
The display of the HONOR Magic 7 Pro is definitely one of the strongest out there, even if not much has changed compared to the Magic 6 Pro. As before, we are dealing with a 6,8-inch OLED panel with 1.280 x 2.800 pixel resolution, adaptive refresh rate of 1 to 120 Hz, 4320 Hz PWM dimming, comprehensive HDR support and numerous eye comfort features.

At its peak, it promises a brightness of 5000 nits for HDR content and can scale down to a minimum of 2 nits. Content remains perfectly readable in direct sunlight. Even in the ski resort in Slovenia, where the light was extremely reflected on the snow-covered slopes, it was no problem to read messages or edit photos.
In terms of color fidelity, contrast and viewing angle stability, HONOR has installed an absolutely top panel here. The display is particularly dynamic with HDR content, and the colors are vivid and detailed.

Performance: Full Power
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is a real beast and you notice it right away. Apps start lightning fast, animations run smoothly and games like Genshin Impact don't cause the hardware to falter. Even after an hour of intensive gaming, the device remained warm, but not uncomfortably hot. The frames remained stable and the performance was consistently at a top level.
In everyday use, the Magic 7 Pro proved to be absolutely reliable. Multitasking, photo editing and AI-supported applications ran without delay. Of course, benchmarks will be examined in more detail in the final test, but my first impression is that the Magic 7 Pro is definitely one of the fastest smartphones I have ever held in my hand.

Software and AI: Smart helpers in everyday life
At release, the Magic 7 Pro already has the latest MagicOS 9.0 (Android 15) installed. Security and system updates are guaranteed until January 2030, which corresponds to support up to Android 20. This means that HONOR already meets the requirements of the Ecodesign Regulation 2023/1670, which requires an update supply of at least five years for smartphones in Europe from summer 2025.
AI functions are a particular focus of MagicOS 9.0. Gemini, Google's smart AI assistant that offers users context-based help, is now pre-installed on HONOR. But there is also a separate AI area that has been integrated directly into the system.
For example, the Magic Portal introduced with the Magic 6 Pro has been further expanded. Screen content can now be marked with the "knuckle circle" and Magic Portal then suggests a suitable interaction or service. In my case, it was the church on the island in Lake Bled, which I marked with a quick photo and the Magic Portal. The suggestion to use Google Image Search provided me with helpful information about the building within seconds.
Other useful AI features include Magic Text, which can extract text from images and process it further, or AI Translation, which can transcribe and translate conversations in real time. However, only 12 languages are currently supported.
With AI suggestions, the device analyzes usage behavior and recommends apps that fit the current context exactly. If you like things even more futuristic, you can use intelligent controls that allow you to operate the smartphone using gestures or even eye tracking.
HONOR gave an exciting preview of upcoming AI functions with AI Deepfake Detection. The function analyzes video calls in real time and warns of so-called deepfakes, i.e. videos that have been manipulated using AI to realistically swap faces, for example. This is a step in the right direction, especially in times of increasing manipulation by AI. By the way, many of these AI functions run locally, i.e. directly on the device and not in the cloud!
Camera: Proven setup with AI support

HONOR uses a familiar triple camera configuration for the Magic 7 Pro, which was largely adopted from its predecessor. To get a little more out of the camera system, HONOR also brings clever AI improvements into play here.
- Main camera (wide angle): 50 MP Omnivision OV50H, variable aperture f/1.4–f/2.0, laser autofocus, OIS, 4K @ 60 fps.
- Telephoto camera: 200 MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3, f/2.6, 3x optical zoom, multi-directional PDAF, OIS, 4K @ 60 fps.
- Ultra wide angle camera: 50 MP Omnivision OV50D, f/2.0, 122° field of view, PDAF, 4K @ 60 fps.
- Front camera: 50 MP Sony IMX 816, f/2.0, autofocus, 4K @ 60 fps.
The main camera with variable aperture (f/1.4–f/2.0) delivers great results. Whether it's sunny days in Slovenia or difficult lighting conditions - the photos are rich in detail, have vivid colors and a nice, wide dynamic range. I was particularly impressed by how well the white balance works. Even in bright light, like on the snowy mountains, the pictures look natural.
Here is a wild selection of pictures taken during the Slovenia trip:
What's new is that HONOR is now officially advertising the telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom, although it seems that it is still the same hardware as the Magic 6 Pro with 2,5x zoom.
Thanks to AI support, however, a new 100x AI zoom comes into play. This can be activated from 30x magnification and tries to polish up images. In many cases, this works very well, but sometimes it results in bizarre revisions. For everyday use, zoom levels up to around 6x remain the most useful. Here you get clean details and stable performance.
The 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera is also solid, even if it can't quite keep up with the main camera in difficult lighting conditions. The colors are consistent and the distortion at the edge of the image is pleasantly limited.
Finally, we also have a 50 MP camera on the front for selfies. The images taken with it have good dynamics, color reproduction and with the additional autofocus, even group selfies are no problem.
Things get exciting with the camera's AI functions. In addition to the AI zoom mentioned above, there is the Harcourt mode in portrait mode, which adjusts the lighting to create studio-like portraits. There are also three special lighting styles that create different moods depending on the subject. The AI portrait mode goes a step further. It optimizes skin tones, background blur and exposure. This makes faces appear more lively and more precisely in focus.
The image editing has been supplemented by the AI eraser, which removes unwanted objects or people from photos. HONOR's solution actually works better than Google's Magic Eraser in many cases. However, the quality depends heavily on the subject. Sometimes the eraser magically removes a little too much or adds details that don't actually belong there.
Battery: Strong, but with controversy
The battery of the HONOR Magic 7 Pro is a topic of conversation, and not without reason. While the global version of the smartphone is equipped with a 5850 mAh battery, Europe has to make do with 5270 mAh. The reasons are probably the stricter logistics and safety regulations within the EU, which sometimes impose stricter requirements for larger batteries. HONOR has apparently opted for a pragmatic approach here, which is causing European fans to frown.
Despite the reduced capacity, the battery delivers good performance in everyday use. HONOR's Smart Battery Management works here by intelligently controlling energy consumption. In Slovenia, where I used the smartphone almost nonstop for photos, GPS and social media, I got through the day well. In the evening I still had 30% remaining capacity to last into the night if necessary.
The battery is charged with 100W wired HONOR SuperCharge, which takes the battery from 30 to 0 percent in just over 100 minutes. Wireless charging is also pleasingly fast with 80W SuperCharge, but you need a compatible charger, which is available separately. Reverse charging is also supported, which is practical for powering other devices such as headphones or smartwatches on the go.
Heddie
Hi everyone. My phone arrived today and I was able to update it to 9.0.0.138 (C431E5R4P1H1) straight away. Unfortunately, I can't find the AI zoom. In the test, you say that it appears as soon as you zoom between 30x and 100x. But nothing happens for me. What am I doing wrong? Regards, Heddi
Zen
It has now arrived for me and I can confirm that many AI features are still missing!
Timo
Hi Heddi, the function doesn't seem to be included in the update yet. According to the changelog, only the AI portrait mode was initially activated. The AI zoom will probably come in the next update. The test device has a special firmware that already has the new AI functions. That's why I was able to try them out.
Kidney
I read in another test that there are problems with Google Wallet and that payments don't work with it. Can you confirm this?
Timo
Hi Rene, Google Wallet will work on the 7 Pro. I suspect the tester did not take into account that the test devices have a special service firmware installed that has not been certified by Google. But that does not apply to the regular devices in stores.
Heddie
I got mine today and was able to set up Google Wallet without any problems.
Abu
I'm currently using an M6P and I'm wondering if the AI functions will also be available on the M6P. Do we know anything about this yet?
Timo
Hi Abu, the functions are already being tested for the 6 Pro in China. I can't tell you yet whether and when the functions will be added to the 6 Pro via an update. The AI functions are an important selling point for the 7 Pro, so it's quite possible that the functions won't be added any time soon.
Question
Hey, I'd like to order it but I can't find it on Amazon. Is it coming soon or can you only buy it through Honor?
Timo
Hello, I don't have any information about that at the moment. What's wrong with the official HONOR store?
Question
Hi Timo, I have now ordered directly from Honor and am curious.
Nice
In which cycle are the updates distributed and how fast is Honor with new Android versions? Greetings
Timo
Hello Nice, Security updates and fixes will be released every month. Major operating system upgrades, i.e. Android 15 to Android 16, will be released 3-4 months after Google announces an upgrade. At least then you can try out the new version early as a beta.
Olli
I think the black design is really stylish. It's a shame that the larger battery is only available in Asia. Does anyone know if it still makes sense to import it? The Chinese model also has satellite communication. Is that missing in the EU model too?
Timo
Hi Olli, importing doesn't make sense here, even if the battery is a bit bigger. With other manufacturers you can usually flash the operating system to a different version, but that doesn't work with HONOR. Root, another operating system, etc. is not possible, at least not as of now. So you would have a Chinese operating system that can be set to German, but some Google services would not work.
The global version does not have satellite communication. However, I am not aware of any way in which the satellite communication of the Chinese model can be used effectively in this country.
Alex
Thanks for the tip about the updates. 5 years of security updates sounds good, but what about Android versions? Is there a guarantee for that too?
SV
It says so in the article. It's 5 years for system updates and 5 years for security patches up to Android 20.