On the occasion of MWC 2023, Honor has just launched a brand new high-end smartphone: the Magic5 Pro. Like his successor, he promises to focus on photography, but not only.
After a generally very convincing Magic4 Pro in 2022, Honor is back this year with a new generation, the Magic5 Pro. While Xiaomi already presented its new Xiaomi 13 yesterday, including the Xiaomi 13 Pro that we tested, it is now Honor’s turn to launch its high-end 202 smartphone at MWC 2023.
Like its rivals, the new Honor Magic5 Pro is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, but has many tricks up its sleeve to stand out from the competition. As often, it is especially at the photo level that the Chinese manufacturer wants to shine.
The Magic5 Pro is entitled to 3 cameras of 50 MP
On the back of its Magic4 Pro, Honor has placed in a circular photo module three large cameras of 50 MP each. First of all, there is a large 1/1.2 inch sensor. It is accompanied by an ultra-wide-angle sensor with a 122-degree field of view, as well as an IMX858 periscope offering 3.5x optical zoom and up to 100x digital. For appeal, this is exactly the sensor that we will later find in the Xiaomi 13 Ultra.
In the front, the selfie part is provided by a 12 MP camera and a 3D sensor for depth. As was the case last year, the two sensors are placed at the top left of the screen in a double pill-shaped punch.
Some of the improvements that can be expected in photo include improved speed when capturing a photo. Honor also rolled out its AI Motion-Sensing Capture technology, which detects movement and captures lots of photos in burst mode, before picking the best shot of the lot. There is also Ultra Fusion Computational Photography, which should merge photos from two sensors on certain zoom ratios.
The Honor Magic5 Pro has a huge screen
On the front of the Magic5 Pro, there is a large 6.81-inch screen with an unusual definition of 1312 x 2848 pixels. It is a slab AMOLED LTPO (1Hz to 120Hz) curved on all sides. Honor promises 2160 brightness levels and up to 1800nits.
To power it, the smartphone can count on a large battery of 5100mAh, which is much more than on the flagships of other manufacturers. However, fast charging will be limited to “only” 66W wired, and 50W wireless. However, this remains much more than at Apple and Samsung, but less than at Chinese competitors.
Note also that the smartphone measures 162.9 x 76.7 x 8.77 mm for approximately 219 gramsand that it is certified IP68 for water and dust resistance. In terms of connectivity, Honor announces Bluetooth 5.2 (and not 5.3), and does not mention the presence of Wi-Fi 7. It will therefore be necessary for the moment to be satisfied with Wi-Fi 6E at most. The smartphone is compatible with eSIMs.
Finally, in terms of software, the Honor Magic5 Pro arrives with Android 13 based on Magic OS 7.1. Honor promises 2 years of major Android updates and 4 years of security patches.
Price and availability
This year, Honor follows the trend imposed by its rivals and slightly increases its prices. While the Honor Magic4 Pro had arrived at 1099 euros, the Honor Magic5 Pro will be offered from 1199 euros. It is therefore placed at a more competitive price than the Xiaomi 13 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra. Two colors will be available: Meadow Green (green) and Black (black).
Unfortunately, we will have to wait a few more weeks before we see the smartphone arrive with us. Honor indeed announces that marketing will not take place before the springwithout further details.