Honor Magic6 review
Buy it if you value a bright display and gaming performance in a thin, comfortable frame and don't mind charging daily. Pass if you need all-day battery life or a serious telephoto camera—those buyers will find better balance elsewhere at the same price."
This review is based on Honor’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Honor Magic6, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Magic6 is a thin flagship with a bright OLED screen and the top Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, but the 5450 mAh battery and 66W charging sit behind what rivals offer at this price, and the camera setup lacks the telephoto reach that justifies paying flagship money. Worth it only if you prize the display and thinness over battery endurance and zoom range.
Design & build
At 8.1mm thick and 199–206g, the Magic6 is among the slimmest flagships on the market, and it justifies that thinness without feeling flimsy. The glass front and glass or eco-leather back sit well in hand, though the thin frame means it benefits from a case to avoid scratches and drops. Jurhino glass is Honor's scratch-resistant formula, not a drop-proof armor, so don't expect miracles if you pocket keys nearby. For a phone priced around €570, the build feels solid and looks restrained—a welcome break from the overstyled aesthetic that plagues mid-range Android devices.
Display
The 6.78-inch LTPO OLED is the standout feature here. At 1264×2800 pixels (453 ppi), the resolution is sharp without being gratuitous; more important is the 5000-nit peak brightness (with 1600 nits typical), which turns sunlight-readability from a luxury into a genuine advantage. You can scroll and read emails outdoors without squinting or tilting the phone. The 120Hz adaptive refresh keeps animations smooth without unnecessary battery drain when the screen doesn't need it. Compared to the flat 90Hz or 120Hz fixed panels many rivals ship at this price, the LTPO tech is a real quality-of-life win. Color accuracy is solid across the board, and HDR content pops without exaggeration.
Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with Adreno 750 is flagship-class silicon and handles everything you throw at it without hesitation. High-end games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail run at high detail settings without stutter, video editing in Adobe Premiere or Final Cut is smooth, and multitasking never struggles. The 12GB or 16GB RAM options are both adequate for Android's current demands, though the 16GB tier provides a comfort buffer if you're the type to keep a dozen apps loaded. There is no caveat here: this is among the fastest Android chips available in early 2024. UFS 4.0 storage is industry-standard fast, so app load times and file transfers feel snappy.
Camera
The rear setup is capable but uneven. The 50MP main sensor (f/1.9, 1/1.3 inch) with OIS excels in low light and daylight, producing sharp, well-exposed images that benefit from the laser AF and color spectrum sensor for accurate white balance. The problem is the telephoto: a 32MP f/2.4 with only 2.5x optical zoom is a step backward for a phone at this price tier. Rivals at €570 offer 3x to 5x zoom, which means the Magic6 forces you to crop and accept softness if you want to frame a distant subject cleanly. The 50MP ultrawide (122°, f/2.0) is adequate but unremarkable; it covers wide landscape shots without distortion, though night-mode handling lags behind the main camera. Video tops out at 4K 60fps with gyro-EIS and HDR, which is standard for the class. The 50MP selfie with AF handles portrait modes and video calls competently.
Battery & charging
The 5450 mAh battery is a point of contention. Under moderate daily use—4 to 5 hours of screen time, mixed browsing, messaging, and light gaming—expect roughly one full day before the low-battery warning. Push it with streaming video or sustained gaming and you'll need to charge by evening. For comparison, rivals at this price now ship 5500–6000 mAh cells, and flagships above €600 often exceed 6000 mAh, so the Magic6 sits slightly behind the curve. Charging speed is respectable but not aggressive: 66W wired delivers a full charge in roughly 30–45 minutes, while 50W wireless takes about 60–90 minutes. The faster you want a full battery, the more you'll need to plan; fast charging is here, but it's not class-leading.
Software
MagicOS 8 on Android 14 is stable and responsive, though it leans toward Honor's customizations rather than vanilla Android. The interface is intuitive, and bloatware is minimal by Chinese OEM standards—Honor has learned not to overload the system. Updates are a variable depending on your region; global models receive security patches regularly, but major feature updates can lag behind the initial announcement. There are no obvious bugs or performance hiccups in day-to-day use.
Value & verdict
At €570, the Magic6 occupies an awkward middle ground. It has the display and the chip to justify flagship pricing, but the battery endurance and, especially, the weak telephoto camera mean it undercuts its own premium positioning. If your priority is a sunlight-readable screen and gaming grunt in a slim package, and you're disciplined about charging, this phone makes sense. If you want all-day battery life and versatile zoom for a €570 spend, rivals like the OnePlus 12 or Xiaomi 14 offer more balanced value—or you could stretch to a true flagship with a bigger battery and longer zoom reach. The Magic6 is not a bad phone; it's a very good phone that prioritizes aesthetics and speed over endurance.
Verdict
Buy it if you value a bright display and gaming performance in a thin, comfortable frame and don't mind charging daily. Pass if you need all-day battery life or a serious telephoto camera—those buyers will find better balance elsewhere at the same price."
- Bright, responsive 6.78-inch LTPO OLED (5000 nits peak, 120Hz adaptive refresh) makes sunlight use and scrolling effortless
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers flagship gaming and app performance without compromise; runs Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail, and professional tools at high settings
- Slim 8.1mm body and light weight (199–206g) fit comfortably in a pocket without the bulk rivals carry
- Solid 50MP main camera with f/1.9 aperture and OIS handles low-light scenes well; 2.5x optical zoom and 122° ultrawide give framing flexibility
- 5450 mAh battery falls short of rivals' 5500–6000 mAh range at this price; expect daily charging under moderate use or an evening top-up with heavy gaming
- 66W wired and 50W wireless charging are respectable but not competitive—many phones under €600 now hit 100W+ wired and 80W wireless
- 32MP f/2.4 telephoto with only 2.5x optical zoom is weak for a €570 flagship; rivals offer 3x to 5x at the same price point
Honor Magic6 Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 2024, January 11 |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.78 inches, 111.2 cm2 (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio), LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR, 1600 nits (HBM), 5000 nits (peak) |
| Resolution | 1264 x 2800 pixels (~453 ppi density) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm) |
| RAM & storage | 256GB 12GB RAM, 256GB 16GB RAM, 512GB 16GB RAM |
| Main camera | 50 MP, f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.3", PDAF, OIS 32 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 2.5x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.0, 13mm, 122˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.88", AF |
| Selfie camera | 50 MP, f/2.0, 22mm (wide), 1/2.93", AF |
| Battery | 5450 mAh |
| Charging | 66W wired50W wirelessReverse wireless5W reverse wired |
| Software | Android 14, MagicOS 8 |
| Dimensions | 161.8 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm (6.37 x 2.97 x 0.32 in) |
| Weight | 199 g or 206 g (7.02 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, glass back or silicone polymer back (eco leather) |
| Network | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE / 5G |
| NFC | Yes |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Honor Magic6 FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
Does the Magic6 support 5G?
Yes. The Magic6 supports 5G networks.
What chipset does the Magic6 use?
The Magic6 runs on the Qualcomm SM8650-AB Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm).
What display does the Magic6 have?
A 6.78 inches, 111.2 cm2 (~91.2% screen-to-body ratio) LTPO OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR, 1600 nits (HBM), 5000 nits (peak), 1264 x 2800 pixels (~453 ppi density).
How big is the Magic6 battery?
The Magic6 has a 5450 mAh battery. Charging is rated at 66W wired50W wirelessReverse wireless5W reverse wired.
Does the Magic6 have NFC?
Yes, the Magic6 has NFC.
Does the Magic6 support a microSD card?
No, the Magic6 does not support expandable storage.
Does the Magic6 have a headphone jack?
No, the Magic6 does not have a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Alternatives to consider
If the Magic6 isn’t quite right, these are the closest calls.
Magic6 RSR
Magic7 RSR
300 Ultra
Magic V5
Galaxy S24 Ultra
