Honor Magic 2 Complete Specs Pricing Pros & Cons

Overview

The Honor Magic 2, released in November 2018, is an innovative smartphone that captures attention with its unique design and strong performance capabilities. With a sliding mechanism that conceals the camera setup, it offers a bezel-less display experience and a focus on a full-screen design. Let's explore the various aspects of this device in detail.

Design and Build

The Honor Magic 2 is both elegant and robust, featuring a glass front and back with an aluminum frame that presents durability and a premium look. The device measures 157.3 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm and weighs 206 grams, making it feel solid in hand. Available in colors like Gradient Black, Gradient Red, and Gradient Blue, it appeals to users seeking customization in style. The lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack may inconvenience some, but the modern design compensates for this minor drawback.

Display

The smartphone boasts a 6.39-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. This results in a display density of approximately 403 ppi, providing vibrant colors and deep contrasts. The screen-to-body ratio is roughly 84.8%, facilitated by the slider mechanism that hides the front camera array, contributing to an immersive viewing experience without notches or punch holes.

Performance

Under the hood, the Honor Magic 2 runs on the Kirin 980 chipset, built on a 7nm process. The octa-core CPU is comprised of two Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.6 GHz, two Cortex-A76 cores at 1.92 GHz, and four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8 GHz. This structure ensures powerful performance with efficient power consumption. The Mali-G76 MP10 GPU caters to gaming and graphic-intensive applications with ease.

Memory and Storage

The device is equipped with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM, paired with 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. While the absence of a memory card slot might be a limitation for some users, the available storage options are sufficient for most usage scenarios, such as storing media files and applications.

Camera System

The rear camera setup on the Honor Magic 2 is impressive, featuring a triple-lens configuration with a 16 MP primary sensor (f/1.8), a 16 MP secondary sensor (f/2.2), and a 24 MP monochrome sensor (f/1.8). These cameras work together to produce high-quality images, particularly excelling in low-light conditions with support for features like LED flash, panorama, and HDR. The phone supports 4K video recording at 30fps and can also record in 1080p and 720p.

The selfie camera is equally noteworthy, hidden behind the slider with a 16 MP main sensor (f/2.0) and two additional 2 MP depth sensors (f/2.4). This manual pop-up mechanism not only enhances the aesthetic by eliminating screen obstructions but also allows users to take stunning selfies and videos, with video recording supported at 1080p@30fps.

Battery Life and Charging

Equipped with a non-removable Li-Po 3500 mAh battery, the Honor Magic 2 offers decent endurance. The device supports 40W wired charging, advertised to reach 50% charge in just 15 minutes and 85% in 30 minutes, which provides a convenient and fast charging experience.

Network and Connectivity

The phone supports GSM, CDMA, HSPA, and LTE technologies, ensuring wide compatibility with various networks globally. It offers dual SIM support, perfect for users needing separate work and personal numbers. On the connectivity front, it includes Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0 with A2DP and aptX HD, NFC, GPS with multiple satellite systems (GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS), and a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG support.

Software

Running on Android 9.0 (Pie) with either EMUI 9 or Magic UI 2, the software experience on the Honor Magic 2 is fluid and user-friendly. This operating system offers a customizable interface and the latest Android features, although updates to newer versions may depend on the manufacturer's policy.

Additional Features

Security wise, the Honor Magic 2 includes an under-display optical fingerprint sensor offering quick and secure unlocking. Additional sensors include an accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor, and compass, enhancing the phone's capability for gaming, navigation, and general use. Unfortunately, it lacks a radio feature, which might disappoint some users who enjoy listening to FM stations.

Performance in Benchmarks

In terms of performance, the Honor Magic 2 scores well on various benchmarks. On AnTuTu, it records scores of 274466 (v7) and 391467 (v8), while on GeekBench, it accrues 9887 points (v4.4). The GFXBench gives it a 26fps score (ES 3.1 onscreen), indicating its capability to handle graphic-intensive tasks efficiently.

Conclusion

The Honor Magic 2 is a standout smartphone in its class, offering a perfect blend of aesthetics and performance. Its innovative sliding design, powerful hardware, competent camera system, and robust battery make it an attractive choice for those who prioritize design and functionality in a mobile device. While it has limitations like the absence of expandable storage and a headphone jack, its strengths make it a worthy contender in the smartphone market for consumers looking for unique, high-performance devices.