What you need to know
- The Honor Magic 8 series is finally here, rocking Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC for a speedier, more intelligent device with YOYO AI software.
- The Magic 8 Pro takes center stage, arriving with Honor’s new Magic Color engine for professional-like film coloring, 120fps gaming capabilities, and more.
- Honor’s YOYO AI agent gets upgraded across the board, bringing “automatic execution” capabilities to handle user instructions.
Honor’s latest flagship smartphone is finally making its late 2025 debut after the company teased the device officially during Qualcomm’s Summit.
Today (Oct 15), the Honor Magic 8 series took the stage for the Chinese OEM, debuting with strong camera potential, a huge battery, and a large, flagship-level display for consumers. The company officially teased the device during the Snapdragon Summit 2025 event, stating that it will receive the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC for next-gen flagship phones. The Magic 8 Pro makes a statement with a 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz maximum refresh rate.
Paired with this display, Honor states the newest Snapdragon chip enables 120fps at 1080p for “demanding,” open-world games, such as Genshin Impact by Hoyoverse.
While the Magic 8 Pro’s design remains similar to the Magic 7 Pro (circular camera housing), Honor says, this time, it wanted to “redefine” its handheld photography. Honor’s brand of artificial intelligence comes through with the newest model, facilitating the arrival of the AiMAGE Camera System. Consumers will find a 200MP Ultra Night Telephoto camera with an f/2.6 aperture, which will help in low-light situations.
Joining this is a 50MP primary lens with OIS (optical image stabilization), f/1.6 aperture, and a 50MP ultra-wide lens with a 50MP selfie camera.
Honor’s taken its AI anti-shake software to new heights, improving it to a place where it states users can take “great zoomed images without a tripod or gimbal.” The company also announced an “industry-first” AI color engine called Magic Color. Using device-cloud technology, Honor states this color engine enables users to recreate cinematic styles, professional film tones, and build custom templates.
Honor’s YOYO AI is speedy & “Self-Evolving”
Honor’s YOYO AI has received upgrades this year, but there are none like what it’s reportedly bringing to the Magic 8 Pro. Per its press release, Honor states YOYO has picked upgrades across three key areas: hardware, system interaction, and application ecosystem. Most excitingly, Honor states its YOYO agent now features “automatic execution” capabilities. For example, if a user wants to see all their recent screenshots or wants a summary for a work task, the AI can do that for them—and even email results to a specific contact.
YOYO is now on-demand on the Magic 8 Pro with the company’s new AI Button. The device now sports a physical button that users can long-press to activate YOYO’s Video Call. This is kind of like Gemini Live, as YOYO can deliver information about the specific item you’re looking at through your camera. Double-pressing the AI Button brings up your camera for photography purposes.
Honor states users can customize this button, so they can instantly access specific on-device AI functions. One final feature included is YOYO Memories: a secure, end-to-end encrypted space where users can store their personal photos, chat records, documents, and more.
Outside of AI, the Magic 8 Pro’s software, Magic OS 10, brings seamless connectivity between Android, Windows, iOS, and HarmonyOS. Users can share files, sync tasks, and more effortlessly between their handheld devices and desktop computers (or laptops). Magic OS 10 has also taken on a visual overhaul, appearing a little more translucent for a lighter, clearer aesthetic for users.
Powering ahead to a “ROBOT” future
The Magic 8 Pro’s specifications wind down to mention its 7,200mAh battery with 120W wired charging strength (80W wireless). Of course, Honor’s slipped in some on-device AI capabilities to help manage your battery’s health to ensure it’s in it for the long run.
Starting today, the HONOR Magic 8 Series will be available for pre-order in China, with the HONOR Magic 8 starting from $630 and the HONOR Magic8 Pro starting from $798.
Finally, while we’re wrapped up in the Magic 8 series reveal, the company has teased something new: the “Honor Robot Phone.” The company says this is a “significant milestone” in its AI Alpha Plan strategy, which was announced earlier this year. This new “form factor” is said to integrate AI software with robotic functionality and handheld imaging capabilities. Honor wants to create a new future, redefined by its human-machine coexistence outlook.
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