The first Huawei Honor Magic phone was announced in December 2016, but the device never got a successor the following year. The wait for the Honor Magic 2 brought us to the IFA 2018 event, which is when the company teased the device without mentioning the expected official release date. Well, we are here with details of the Honor Magic 2 following its launch in China.
The Honor Magic 2 becomes the first smartphone in the world to rock up to six camera lenses – three on the back and three on the front. The phone, being a flagship, also ships with the latest high-end processor from its parent company, Huawei, alongside a flurry of other premium specs and features.
Related: The best Honor phones
Honor Magic 2 specs
- 6.39-inch 19.5:9 FHD+ (2340 x 1080) AMOLED display
- Kirin 980 processor
- 6GB or 8GB RAM
- 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB non-expandable storage
- Tri-lens 16MP + 24MP + 16MP main camera
- Tri-lens 16MP + 2MP + 2MP front camera
- 3400mAh battery
- Android 9 Pie with Magic UI
- Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, In-display FPS, Dual 4G VoLTE, AI dual-frequency GPS, 40W (10V/4A) Magic Charge, etc.
Honor is Huawei’s sub-brand, but the two like to be treated as separate entities. How Huawei swallowed the bitter pill of letting Honor be the first to announce a smartphone powered by the new Kirin 980 processor at the IFA 2018 still remains unknown to us, but it appears the Chinese tech behemoth was okay with this move as it knew the first device to hit the market with the processor under the hood, the Huawei Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro, would be its own.
That aside, the specs of the Honor Magic 2 speak volumes about this device. For starters, it’s a flagship device, just like its predecessor, the Honor Magic. As expected, it borrows a few things from the parent company’s flagships, the P20 and Mate 20 series, mainly the chipset from the latter and the camera placement from the former
The huge 6.39-inch AMOLED display mostly matches the Mate 20 Pro size, but it loses out when it comes to its 1080p screen resolution. The Kirin 980 chipset will be mated with an 8GB RAM and 256GB of non-expandable storage, although the base model will get 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. There is a 512GB storage variant scheduled to launch in December 2018, which also includes support for 3D face unlock technology.
Of course, the major highlight of Honor Magic 2 is the camera. There are three lenses on the back – a standard, super wide-angle, and monochrome lens – and three on the back as well – a standard lens and two depth-sensing lenses. What is even more interesting about the Magic 2 is how it bypasses the notch that has become a mainstay since its debut in 2017. Like the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3, you get a mechanically retractable slider that reveals the tri-lens selfie camera. It appears that we are reliving the mobile phone industry, only that this design has gotten sleeker.
The Magic 2 also comes a fingerprint scanner under the display screen and a 3400mAh battery that supports 40W super-fast charging technology via a USB-C port, promising up to 85% juice in just 30 minutes. In terms of software, Android 9 Pie runs the show out of the box with Honor Magic 2.0 top, which is just a tweaked version of EMUI 9.
Update [Nov 14]: Honors Magic UI 2.0 is now rolling out in China to the Magic 2, bringing along a new Android security patch for November 2018.
Honor Magic 2 price and availability
In China, the Honor Magic 2 has a starting price of CNY 3,799. The middle 8/128GB model is valued at CNY 4,299 while the 256GB variant goes for CNY 4,799. The 8/512GB variant will be available in December 2018 priced at CNY 5,799. When converted, here is what you can expect to pay for the Magic 2 in your local market.
| Model | USA | UK | India |
| 6/128GB | $545 | £425 | INR 40,300 |
| 8/128GB | $620 | £485 | INR 45,600 |
| 8/256GB | $690 | £540 | INR 51,000 |
| 8/512GB | $830 | £650 | INR 61,500 |
The Honor Magic 2 can be had in three gradients of Blue, Black, and Red.
