Why This Affordable Camera Phone Works For All-Day Photography: The Honor Magic 8 Lite aims to deliver a lot for a relatively low price. It packs a huge battery, a tough build, a large and bright OLED screen, and a 108MP main camera. Honor’s flagship phones have impressed us with their cameras in the past, so there’s clear potential here too.
Why This Affordable Camera Phone Works For All-Day Photography
On paper, it looks like an amazing deal. But budget phones always involve trade-offs. To see where Honor may have cut corners, I used the Magic 8 Lite as my everyday phone for a couple of weeks.
Specifications at a Glance
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Launch Price | £399 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage Options | 256GB / 512GB |
| Display | 6.79-inch OLED |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | Up to 6000 nits |
| Rear Camera (Main) | 108MP, f/1.75 |
| Rear Camera (Ultrawide) | 5MP, f/2.2 |
| Telephoto Camera | None |
| Front Camera | 16MP, f/2.45 |
| Video Recording | Up to 4K at 30fps |
| Battery Capacity | 7500mAh |
| Charging | 66W fast charging |
| Operating System | MagicOS 9 based on Android 15 |
| Water & Dust Resistance | IP69K |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 76.1 x 7.76 mm |
| Weight | 189g |
| Colors Available | Forest Green, Midnight Black, Reddish Brown |
| Availability | UK and Europe (not available in the US) |
Price and Availability
The Honor Magic 8 Lite launched at £399 for the 8GB RAM and 512GB storage version, with support for microSD card expansion. As is often the case with Honor, early buyers can expect launch discounts and bundled accessories.
The phone is available in the UK and most European markets, but it will not be released in the US.
Design and Build Quality
Recent Magic Lite phones used curved displays, which helped them feel slim but also made them look a bit outdated. With the Magic 8 Lite, Honor has switched to flat, boxy edges, matching the design trend seen on many 2025 flagship phones.
This change makes the phone feel more modern and premium in the hand. The flat display also improves screen protector compatibility and reduces accidental edge touches.
The circular camera module on the back remains, and it still stands out from the crowd. It gives the phone a unique look that’s easy to recognize.
The Forest Green version is especially attractive. It has a soft matte finish that resists fingerprints well, and the color subtly shifts under different lighting. Other options include Midnight Black and Reddish Brown.
Durability is another strong point. The Magic 8 Lite carries an IP69K rating, offering strong protection against dust and water. Honor even claims it can survive blasts of hot water, though that’s not something most people will want to test.
While the frame is plastic and feels less premium than metal, it does not seem to affect durability. Honor says the phone can survive drops from up to 2.5 meters thanks to its internal structure, and the display glass has deeper tempering to resist scratches and impacts.
Display Quality
The screen is one of the highlights of the Magic 8 Lite. It easily outperforms most displays in this price range.
You get a large 6.79-inch OLED panel with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. It can reach up to 6000 nits of peak brightness, which is impressive even compared to some flagship phones. Bezels are slim and evenly sized, giving the phone a clean look.
The older pill-shaped cutout is gone, replaced by a smaller circular punch hole for the selfie camera. This frees up more usable screen space. The display also supports Honor’s AI Heavy Rain Touch feature, making it more responsive when used in wet conditions.
Camera Performance
The camera setup hasn’t changed from previous Magic Lite models, which is a bit disappointing.
On the back, there’s a 108MP main camera and a 5MP ultrawide lens. On the front, you get a 16MP selfie camera.
The main camera is the clear standout. It performs well in good lighting and is reasonably capable at night, though the smaller sensor limits what it can do. Despite the high resolution, digital zoom quality drops noticeably beyond around 3x, with aggressive AI processing becoming obvious.
The ultrawide camera is much weaker. Detail is limited, there’s no autofocus, and low-light shots often turn out noisy or blurry due to the small sensor.
The selfie camera is serviceable in bright conditions but struggles in low light. Portrait mode is basic, offering only an on or off blur option, and edge detection isn’t always accurate.
You can still get some pleasing shots with the Magic 8 Lite, and the built-in editing tools are helpful. Overall, though, camera performance is inconsistent and falls short of both Honor’s flagships and some rivals at a similar price.
Video recording tops out at 4K 30fps on the main camera, while other lenses are limited to 1080p. Stabilization and audio quality are average at best.
Performance and Battery Life
Battery life is where the Magic 8 Lite truly shines. The 7500mAh battery is enormous for a mainstream smartphone. With a more efficient processor inside, endurance is excellent.
During regular use, including office work and light browsing, the phone only used around 25 percent battery per day. That translated to nearly four days on a single charge. Even heavy users should comfortably get two full days.
Charging is also fast, with 66W support. The phone reaches 50 percent in about 30 minutes and fully charges in just over an hour, though no charger is included in the box.
The Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 chipset focuses on efficiency rather than raw power. Day-to-day tasks feel smooth most of the time, but occasional stutters and slower app loading can happen.
Gaming performance is limited. Demanding titles like Wuthering Waves run only on the lowest settings, and frame drops are common.
Storage options are generous, with 256GB or 512GB available alongside 8GB of RAM. It’s refreshing to see budget phones moving away from 128GB storage.
Software Experience
The Magic 8 Lite runs MagicOS 9, while some newer Honor devices have already moved to MagicOS 10. Still, Honor promises six years of software and security updates in Europe.
MagicOS has a look and feel inspired by iOS, which some users may enjoy and others may not. Despite this, it runs smoothly even on mid-range hardware.
Useful features include Magic Portal for dragging content between apps, Magic Pill for live notifications, and a wide range of AI-powered photo editing tools.
Final Verdict
The Honor Magic 8 Lite is a phone with very clear strengths and weaknesses.
Its standout features are the huge battery life, strong durability, and excellent OLED display. If you want a phone that lasts for days on a single charge and can handle rough use without worry, this is an excellent option.
However, the cameras are underwhelming, and the processor struggles with demanding tasks like gaming and video editing.
If photography is your top priority, this isn’t the best choice. But if you need a reliable, long-lasting phone for travel, outdoor adventures, or everyday use without constant charging, the Honor Magic 8 Lite makes a lot of sense.
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