Honor has launched its flagship smartphone Magic 9 in China, with a relatively compact 6.37-inch display, two 200-megapixel ARRI cameras, an 8000mAh battery and a new MagicOS 11 soft shell.
Image source: Honor
Even though the Magic 9 is the most compact flagship of the three devices in the new series shown today (the other two smartphones being the Magic 9 Ultra Edition and Magic 9 Pro Max), Honor didn’t skimp on the device’s camera hardware. The smartphone comes with a 200 MP ARRI primary camera and an ARRI telephoto lens with the same 200 MP resolution – a similar package is also found in the Magic9 Pro Max model. Magic 9 also supports Honor’s proprietary external teleconverter.
The Magic 9 is equipped with a flat OLED display with a diagonal of 6.37 inches, a resolution of 2664×1236 pixels, and a refresh rate of 120Hz. This panel uses LTPS technology and has a bezel width of only 0.95mm. Peak screen brightness reaches 10,000 cd/m22global brightness is 2000 cd/m22. If necessary (eg in low light conditions) the brightness can be reduced to 1 cd/m2. This monitor supports Dolby Vision technology.
Honor integrates Oasis vision protection technology into smartphones. This monitor supports PWM brightness control up to 3840 Hz, hardware blue light suppression, AI defocus, natural light mode and AI sleep support. According to Honor, Magic 9 is the first smartphone to receive TÜV Rheinland’s global eye protection 6.0 certification. The smartphone body is made of solid glass with a cold-engraved process (3D design), and the design of the camera module is inspired by classic movie cameras. The Magic 9 is 8.49mm thick and weighs 209 grams.
The camera system is a key feature of the Magic 9. Honor has partnered with German cinema camera manufacturer ARRI to introduce proprietary color rendering algorithms and tools for creating “cinematic” images in smartphones, including two 200 MP cameras on the rear panel.
The main camera is equipped with a 200-megapixel 1/1.4-inch sensor, an f/1.9 aperture lens, and a CIPA 7.5-level image stabilization system. It’s designed to take detailed photos in daylight and low-light conditions. The second camera is a 200-megapixel telephoto lens with a 1/1.56-inch sensor, f/2.6 aperture, and 85mm equivalent focal length (offering 3.5x optical zoom). It also has a CIPA 7.5 stability rating and supports up to 120x digital zoom.
The camera system on the rear panel features a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle module with f/2.0 aperture. There is a 55-megapixel camera on the front panel with f/2.0 aperture and 1/2.74-inch sensor. It features a square sensor that lets you switch between 1:1, 16:9 and 9:16 aspect ratios without the limitations of a traditional rectangular front-facing lens.
Honor uses a proprietary H1 chip in the device to reduce the load on the main processor when processing images. It is manufactured using 6nm process technology and supports video noise reduction technology without loss of quality during RAW data processing. According to Honor, this chip can increase the signal-to-noise ratio by 8 dB, helping to retain more image details under difficult lighting conditions.
The collaboration between Magic 9 models and ARRI is not limited to color filters. This smartphone supports the ARRI LogC3 video pipeline, providing users with greater flexibility when grading materials. There are also 87 official ARRI Looks presets, allowing you to apply a variety of cinematic color palettes directly to your footage.
Another great feature is the ARRI Movie Live mode. It uses a cinema widescreen 2.39:1 aspect ratio and can record continuously for three seconds after pressing the shutter button. This feature allows you to take a short video instead of just a still photo. The smartphone also supports 4K recording using theater settings.
Magic 9 also supports 200MP portrait shooting with zoom and flash, combining the power of a high-resolution telephoto lens with flash effects for more precise control of lighting for shooting. Honor is positioning this feature as a solution for day and night portrait photography.
For users who need a longer focal length, the Honor G200 teleconverter can be purchased separately. It weighs 88 grams and is 81 mm long. Honor says the system can deliver an equivalent focal length of 200mm when used with the smartphone’s 85mm telephoto lens.
Magic 9 is powered by Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 processor with a frequency of up to 4.6 GHz and integrated Adreno 840 graphics card. This last year’s flagship chip is capable of handling most modern tasks. The smartphone comes with LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.1 storage. Honor promises that the smartphone will operate smoothly under specified test conditions and will not experience delays, crashes, frame rate drops, connection losses or freezing.
It is powered by a Qinghai Lake battery with a capacity of 8000mAh. The battery uses materials with a high silicon content (25%). The device supports wired charging up to 80W and wireless charging up to 50W. In addition, Honor claims that the wireless charging system is compatible with more than 300 car models using appropriate hardware.
Honor Magic 9 series smartphones become the first operating system to run MagicOS 11, which offers many new features based on artificial intelligence and implemented around Honor’s proprietary YOYO assistant. One of the key innovations is a dedicated AI button: with just one click you can record the funniest moments in a film, and additional clicks can assign other actions. YOYO can also perform tasks such as creating subtitle collages, trimming videos, and converting videos to instant image formats.
AI functions include YOYO tasks and YOYO proactive services. They allow you to manage scheduled tasks and remind you of important events, such as the code you need to pick up an order from a restaurant or receive a package. The system is also able to organize daily life and display relevant information at the right time. There are also AI call assistants, AI calendars, AI recorders, AI notes, AI file management, etc. In addition, Honor has also launched a cross-device connection function, allowing Magic9 to be used with Apple devices through the Honor Connect app. These include call notification sync and cloud photo sync.
In addition, Magic 9 is also equipped with the third-generation Honor chip C3 RF, which improves the quality of wireless communication. It works in conjunction with a seven-core RF architecture and an AI-based network selection system. According to Honor, the system can intelligently switch between 356 frequency band combinations and optimize the connection quality in 38 different usage scenarios.
This smartphone supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 standards, and is also equipped with an NFC module and an infrared port. Other hardware features include an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner (3D), dedicated camera button, stereo speakers, and three microphones.
Magic 9 meets IP68, IP69 and IP69K protection standards (tested under controlled laboratory conditions). Honor points out that these certifications do not guarantee that the device will always be waterproof, and damage caused by liquids is not covered by the warranty. Honor Magic9 has four configurations:
- 12/256 GB – 4,999 yuan (approximately US$745);
- 12/512 GB – 5,499 yuan (approximately US$819);
- 16/512 GB – 5,999 yuan (approximately US$894);
- 16 GB/1 TB – 6999 yuan (approximately US$1043).
This model is currently available for pre-order in China and comes in four colors: popcorn yellow, open white, cloth black, and olive green.
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