2025 has just started, and we already have our first AI flagship smartphone: HONOR Magic7 Pro. Packed with cutting-edge AI features, next-gen performance, and innovative design elements, this phone raises the question: is it the blueprint for AI smartphones in 2025? There's only one way to find out.
Editor
Jennifer chevron_right
Table of Contents
Design & Build
Like its predecessors, the Magic7 Pro remains impressively slim at just 8.8mm thick. It was nice to hold, with just enough heft to feel premium yet not too burdensome. The overall design is pretty elegant as well—while I’m generally not a fan of large camera modules on the back that seems to be slowly taking over most Android phone designs, the HONOR Magic7 Pro’s perfectly symmetrical design did start to grow on me after a while.
The same company that came up with the virtually indestructible HONOR X9c definitely isn’t going to hold back on durability when it comes to their flagships, so naturally, the Magic7 Pro also comes with similar protections. The HONOR NanoCrystal Shield ensures it’s as tough as it is sleek, offering 10x the drop resistance of standard glass.
I’ve dropped the phone from table height a few times with nary a scratch. While I didn’t dare push it to the limit, its IP68 and IP69 ratings provide peace of mind for anyone worried about spills, dust, or harsher environments.
Display
HONOR has always focused on eyecare when it comes to displays, and it’s no different on the HONOR Magic7 Pro—if anything, they’ve gone above and beyond, introducing Dry Eye Relief technology that tracks your blinking patterns and adjusts the display settings to minimize eye strain. The screen, dubbed the AI Eye Comfort Display, is probably one of the most thoughtful displays I’ve seen on smartphones.
HONOR also includes TÜV Rheinland Full Care Display 4.0 certification, Circular Polarization, and Flicker-Free, so you know the display isn’t just gimmicky; it’s genuinely designed to prioritize eye health.
However, probably because of the various eyecare features on the display, I found that the HONOR Magic7 Pro’s screen isn’t the brightest or the most vibrant display out there. To be fair, this is only really noticeable if you’re actively pitching two phones against each other. On its own, the Magic7 Pro’s display is quite good for a flagship.
Performance
The HONOR Magic7 Pro is one of the first smartphones to adopt Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8 Elite Mobile Platform. Being the newest and most advanced, it’s only expected for the phone to breeze through tasks effortlessly. From gaming to multitasking, the phone never faltered, even during intensive sessions.
Something to note is the advanced biometric security with 3D Face Unlock. Now, in the past, none of the Android users I know used the phone’s inbuild facial recognition system because of some of the serious fails—you can unlock a phone using a photograph, for example—but HONOR has actually solved this particular pain point using the 3D Face Unlock. Plus, the new ultrasonic fingerprint scanner is better than ever before, giving you versatility and peace of mind when it comes to unlocking your device.
Of course, we can’t start 2025 off without the most important buzzword of 2024: AI. The HONOR Magic7 Pro is, of course, an AI smartphone, just like its predecessor, the HONOR Magic6 Pro, was. Perhaps it’s more apt to refer to the HONOR Magic V3 for its robust AI features because the Magic7 Pro really built onto last year’s features to add so much more.
AI Deepfake Detection
One of the most intriguing and forward-thinking features of the HONOR Magic7 Pro is its AI Deepfake Detection. In a world where manipulated media is increasingly prevalent, this is a feature that feels not only innovative but also essential.
The AI Deepfake Detection feature works seamlessly in the background during video calls, analysing eye movement, lighting, and video quality to spot any signs of manipulation. If the caller is detected to have manipulated their faces in any way, a warning will appear on the phone’s screen to alert the user within three seconds.
Now, I have to admit that I don’t actually get a lot of fake video calls in my daily life—or really, calls in general, because who even calls nowadays? — but I definitely see the appeal of the AI Deepfake Detection feature. This level of proactive security is groundbreaking for a smartphone, giving users an additional layer of trust in their digital interactions.
And while the feature isn’t perfect—it only works on video calls, not on social media videos, which is really where the danger is—but I appreciate the cautious approach.
Magic Portal
No HONOR phone is complete without the famed Magic Portal, one of the best features on smartphones, in my opinion. The Magic Portal makes it so much easier to share content between multiple apps without having to switch between them as often.
Pairing this with Circle to Do More—HONOR’s take on Google’s Circle to Search but, well, more—makes using the phone so much more streamlined. You can simply draw on the screen with your knuckle to crop images or capture text, and the phone automatically shares it with your favourite apps, like Notepad or Instagram.
AI Work Suite
Of course, AI is nothing if not to help with productivity. HONOR’s AI Work Suite, most of which were first introduced with the HONOR Magic V3 last year, is designed to make the phone your ultimate productivity powerhouse.
- AI Notes automatically organizes your notes, categorizing key points with just a tap of your finger.
- AI Summary can turn lengthy emails and articles into concise, easy-to-digest overviews. It’s a lifesaver for anyone dealing with information overload—which I often do.
- AI Transcribe flawlessly converts audio into text. Blanking out during a meeting that absolutely could’ve been an email? AI Transcribe can do that for you!
- AI Format makes your messy notes look sophisticated instantly. Whether it was preparing reports or aligning text, this one-tap solution eliminated the need for tedious manual adjustments.
- AI Minutes captures and organizes highlights from meetings.
Magic Avatar
Jumping onto the digital avatar bandwagon, HONOR has also introduced the Magic Avatar, an AI tool that allows you to create a digital version of yourself, complete with lifelike expressions for emoticons.
The Magic Avatar is created using the phone’s advanced AI and 3D scanning capabilities. You can use the Magic Avatar as your lock screen image, cover photo or profile picture.
Camera
It seems like we hit the bottleneck for smartphone cameras back in 2023–-since the introduction of the first 200MP camera, all the other Android flagships have been stuck there for some time, at least when it comes to hardware. The HONOR Magic7 Pro is no different, with a 200MP main camera, a 50MP wide camera, and a 50MP ultrawide, all standard flagship hardware specs.
It’s on the software side that makes every phone different—for most, it’s the AI processing power. The Magic7 Pro can deliver pretty great detail between the 12 - 30x zoom, thanks to cloud-based AI zoom technology. While it doesn’t quite outpace the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in extreme long-range zoom, it holds its own admirably and feels more versatile overall.
Besides that, the HONOR Magic7 Pro also does impressively well when it comes to Portraits. Since last year, HONOR has collaborated with the famous French photography studio, Harcourt, to produce cameras that can take pro-level portraits with natural bokeh effects and refined details.
There are plenty of other AI-powered enhancements on the camera side, like the AI Motion Sensing Capture, AI Enhanced Portrait, and AI Super Zoom, and for post-processing, there’s also the more advanced AI Eraser and AI cutout that allows you to manipulate your photos easily. On the whole, the camera suite feels comprehensive, catering to both casual users and photography enthusiasts.
Battery
In my experience, the HONOR Magic7 Pro’s 5,850mAh battery easily lasted through a full day of heavy use, with enough juice left over to keep going into the next. When it did run low, the 100W wired charging was great at re-juicing in just under an hour.
The 80W wireless charging is equally fast and convenient, though I did notice that the phone tended to overheat a little while charging wirelessly.
Conclusion
The HONOR Magic7 Pro is starting 2025 strong with its pretty robust AI suite, though I have to say that the hardware upgrades are more incremental (compared to the HONOR Magic6 Pro).
What’s most impressive is how seamlessly these features integrate into the overall experience. HONOR has managed to make AI feel pretty intuitive and accessible, especially the Magic Portal 2.0. Whether you seek professional-grade photography, unparalleled durability, or AI-powered convenience, the HONOR Magic7 Pro delivers in every aspect.