Honor launched its premium smartphone, Honor Magic 8 Pro Air, in China on January 19. The new handset has already started conversations among tech enthusiasts, as it clearly follows the design path set by Apple’s iPhone Air. However, the idea of an ultra-thin phone is still better executed by Apple.
At first look, Honor Magic 8 Pro Air feels very familiar. The flat sides, clean frame, and wide camera strip make it look almost identical to the iPhone Air. Many users feel the phone looks like a blend of multiple recent iPhone models rather than something fresh from Honor. The design feels safe and premium but lacks originality.
Honor has promoted the Magic 8 Pro Air as a slim flagship device. The phone measures about 6.1mm in thickness and weighs close to 155 grams. While this makes it light and comfortable, Apple’s iPhone Air is slimmer at 5.6mm. This minor difference becomes crucial when thin design is the main selling point.
Instead of chasing extreme thinness, Honor focused on adding more hardware. The latest model includes a large 5,500mAh silicon-carbon battery, which is larger than iPhone Air’s battery. This choice improves daily usage and reduces charging stress, but it also adds to the phone’s thickness.
Charging speed is another strong area for Honor. The Magic 8 Pro Air supports 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. These speeds clearly beat Apple’s charging setup and make the device more practical for heavy users.
The display is also impressive with a 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED screen that supports a 120Hz refresh rate. It can reach up to 6,000 nits of peak brightness, which helps during outdoor use. Scrolling feels smooth, and the screen quality matches other top-end flagship phones.
The camera hardware gives Honor Magic 8 Pro Air an added advantage. It features a triple rear camera system that includes a 50MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide lens, and a 64MP periscope telephoto camera. This setup offers more flexibility than the single rear camera found in iPhone Air.
The MediaTek Dimensity 9500 chipset is key to the strong performance of the device. The smartphone provides a maximum of 16GB RAM and a maximum of 1TB internal storage. It powers MagicOS 10 on Android 16 and features an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and a high IP rating for water resistance.
The mid-price range gives Honor an edge in many markets. Honor Magic 8 Pro Air starts at CNY 4,999, which is approximately Rs. 58,000, making it more affordable than the iPhone Air while offering more hardware features. Currently, the phone is only available in China, and Honor has not confirmed a global launch.
Honor delivers a powerful phone with strong specs and fast charging. However, the heavy influence of Apple's design sparks debate. While Honor Magic 8 Pro Air is a rip-off of the iPhone Air, it misses the core idea of a thin-and-light design.
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