Honor Magic7 Pro: it breaks my heart

Honor has launched the new Magic7 Pro. When I first held it in my hands three weeks ago, it broke my little tech heart. I’ll explain why here, because on second look the device has an insane amount to offer.

Why the Magic7 Pro disappointed me at first

With the foldable Magic V3 last year, Honor delivered the smartphone sensation for me, so thin that folded it is thinner than some non-foldable smartphones. So my excitement was high when I unboxed the Magic7 Pro, and the disappointment was just as big. Compared to the Magic6 Pro, it is 1.3 mm narrower, but 0.1 mm thicker and 6 g heavier. I had hoped for the thinnest bar-style smartphone of all time.

The battery is smaller too: 5,270 mAh instead of the 5,600 mAh in the Magic6 Pro. In return it charges faster, at 100 watts wired and 80 watts wireless. The Chinese model has a much bigger battery. Presumably they all have the same body so there is room for the big battery that we don’t get here. The larger and better camera explains why the Magic7 Pro can’t be as thin as the V3.

Camera

The camera is almost identical to the Magic6 Pro, which I already loved, especially for videos with an almost 3D effect:

• 50-megapixel wide-angle main camera
• 50-megapixel ultrawide camera
• 200-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (instead of 180 megapixels before)
• 50-megapixel selfie camera

I was able to put the camera through its paces in the mountains. The main camera is top-notch.

Display and durability

The 6.8-inch display reaches up to 5,000 nits at its peak. That is wild and sometimes even unbearable in the dark, but in the sun it is simply top-notch. Honor displays always look so sharp to me that they seem like high-resolution prints, and I haven’t seen that from any other manufacturer. The glass is Honor Nano Crystal Shield, which according to Honor is supposed to be ten times more drop-resistant than others. For the test, Honor invited us to Bled in Slovenia, where it was insanely cold. There, among other things, a quad bike was driven over the smartphones, and apart from the slightly damaged screen protector, there was no scratch and no break.

AI features

This year Honor clearly bets on AI.

• AI Zoom: When you zoom beyond 30x, a small AI icon appears. When it’s activated, shots are not just optimized by AI but sometimes completely reworked. Sometimes very interesting things come out, sometimes incredibly beautiful pictures, and with the moon sometimes nothing at all. Criticism: It only works with internet and can’t be applied afterward. The 100x digital zoom is wild, but at that resolution the pictures are more mush.
• AI Portrait: It is supposed to optimize portraits, but it renders the face rather soft and turns the resolution down. There is also a portrait mode with three styles, which I find much nicer.
• AI Eraser in the Photos app.
• MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15: I find it insanely nicely animated, for example with the eraser or the notification panel. Some may find that too ornate, I like it.
• Gemini and Circle to Search are on board as well. Plus the Magic Portal: In the past you dragged a copied address to the edge and dropped it into Google Maps or the email. In the new version you circle, say, an address with your knuckle, no matter which app, and the Magic Portal opens on the right with suggestions for matching apps. That is Circle to Search in the advanced version, because it doesn’t only show Google search results. You just have to get used to it.

Storage and colors

You get 512 GB of storage and a choice of three colors, which all have something going for them. You’ll find the link to the current best prices in the video description.

Verdict: is the Magic7 Pro worth it?

An upgrade from the Magic6 Pro only makes sense if you want the AI features. For anyone with an older smartphone, the Magic7 Pro is a great current flagship with useful AI features, an outstanding camera and good looks. I would have wished for it to be thinner and lighter. Maybe that works out next year.