Amateur Photographer verdict
While the cameras remain fairly modest, they are dependable enough for daily use. The Magic8 Lite truly makes up for its average optics with top-tier battery life and a rugged, sturdy build
- Outstanding 3-day battery life
- IP69K rating and underwater photography mode
- Enhanced durability
- Premium, stylish aesthetics
- Awkward camera placement (easy to cover lenses)
- Same cameras as before
- Inconsistent HDR
Honor Magic8 Lite at a glance:
- 108MP wide-angle, f/1.75, 24mm equivalent, OIS
- 8MP, f/2.2, 17mm equivalent
- 16MP, f/2.45 selfie camera
- 4K 30fps video
- 6.79-inch OLED, 120Hz, 6000 nits peak brightness
- 7500mAh, 66W wired charging
- 8GB RAM, 512GB storage
The Honor Magic8 Lite is a mid-range phone in terms of price, yet it sits next to Honor’s new flagship the Magic8 Pro in the company’s premium category, which produced some of the best smartphones for photography. This means you can expect it to punch above its weight and bring some premium features to the affordable segment.
It carries over the same camera hardware from the previous generation, but with a design overhaul which introduced several improvements to the overall handling and durability of the device. The standout feature is the staggering 7500mAh battery which can last up to three days – rare even among flagships.
How I test
I review smartphones from the perspective of its photography and camera performance. I look at what the Honor Magic8 Lite offers, and the features included for photography and video, paying particular attention to the cameras, and new features, photo editing capabilities, as well as the output from each lens, and the features offered.
Honor Magic8 Lite – Features
As the camera setup is seems to be very similar if not identical to the previous Magic7 Lite, we get two lenses at the rear. A 108MP wide-angle with a bright f/1.75 aperture and both optical and electronic image stabilisation alongside a 5MP f/2.2 ultra wide lens. As a common cost saving measure there’s no telephoto lens on board, so the Magic8 Lite relies on the main sensor’s resolution to deliver digital zoom up to 10x.
This main 108MP sensor, employs pixel binning to enhance low light performance and reduce noise by combining pixels together, resulting in a12MP image output.
The selfie camera with 16MP and f/2.45 aperture is pretty standard for a budget device, but despite not having autofocus, it delivers sharp and detailed images.
Video recording for the main lens tops out at 4K30p with Full HD60p also available, while the front camera offers FullHD30p only.
What really sets the Magic8 lite apart is its staggering 7500mAh battery which is even bigger than the flagship Magic8Pro’s and can last up to three days without recharge. It supports 66W fast charging and 7.5W reverse charging to power up other devices. I used it to top up my camera battery and although I didn’t wait for it to fully charge it proved to be a useful backup in a pinch.
Honor Magic8 Lite – Build and Handling
Honor has prioritised durability here. The Magic8 Lite features a flat 6.79-inch OLED display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and a special internal layer to absorb shocks. It’s also very bright, hitting a peak at 6000nits it is easy to see in bright sunlight and ideal for outdoor photography.
The IP69K is the highest level of water and dust resistance rating available, denoting protection against dust, high pressure water jets and heat. You can immerse the Magic8 Lite in water up to 1m for 30 minutes and even record in the meantime. While I didn’t go diving, the Underwater photo mode (which includes a clever water-ejection feature for the speakers) makes it a confident companion for shooting in heavy rain or snow.
The Magic8 Lite has a striking design, with a circular and very flat camera bump, and easily slides into your pocket. But when it comes to taking photos in landscape format, you will surely stick your finger in the frame, thanks to the position of the ultra wide lens on the circular camera isle.
Honor Magic8 Lite – Native Camera App
With AI photography enabled in the settings,the Edge8 Lite can automatically suggest the best shooting modes. You get a 0.6x, 1x and 3x option with a fan-shaped zoom up to 10x in the main photo mode.
There’s an option for moving photo too which can be useful for capturing fast-moving subjects, and acoid motion blur. Note that it deactivates when the conditions are too dark.
Both Portrait and Night modes relies on the main sensor as the ultra wide lens lacks autofocus and it’s smaller sensor struggles in low light. With Portrait mode you get a 1x and 2x option, and adjustable bokeh when using the main camera and a fixed bokeh effect when taking selfies.
You get a wide range of AI editing features like reflection removal, eraser, outpainting and face tune to fix closed-eye shots, as well as other capture modes like Aperture, Pro, Panorama, Time-lapse, Underwater, High-res, Slow-motion, Multi-Video and Scan.
Honor Magic8 Lite – Image Quality
In practice, the 108MP main sensor is a solid performer. I personally like the “postcard-like” blue skies. Overall colours appear punchy and saturated, even if they aren’t strictly true to life. They look great on the phone’s vibrant screen and are ready for social media with zero editing.
However HDR can get a little temperamental, occasionally blowing out highlights and setting back shadows in high contrast scenarios. Noting a few extra takes wouldn’t fix, but not as smooth as I would expected it to be.
You can adjust the amount of background blur in Portrait mode, and it combines with the selfie camera as well, outlines look well defined and it copes with fuzzy hair pretty well. The quality of the background blur is pleasing, even close to the highest setting.
Low light shots with the 1x lens deliver more detail and sharpness as well as more moderate noise. But the ultra-wide is emitted from the Night photo mode for a reason. Much softer and noisy than the main camera, this is something to avoid in truly dark conditions.
Without a dedicated Macro lens or support for close focusing, I’ve found that using the 2x or 3x zoom in Photo mode, I can get surprisingly good close-up results. While controlling the bokeh amount through the Portrait mode and 2x zoom is a great alternative too.
Honor Magic8 Lite – Value for Money
The Magic 8 Lite is available in most territories, but unfortunately not officially sold in the US. In the UK, it retails for £399 and comes with 512GB of storage.
The Google Pixel 9a (£499/128GB) offers similarly performing cameras and near-flagship features, but it is set at £100 above. With the Samsung Galaxy A56, (£424/256GB) you get a third camera at the rear, albeit only a 5MP macro unit that wouldn’t really tip the scales in its favour. The Nothing phone 3A (£329/256GB) is a similarly priced device where you get a telephoto lens, a rarity for a budget phone. Lastly, the Motorola G86 Power (£280) has a comparable dual camera setup and a large battery.
But note that all of these devices come with a 256GB or smaller storage, and apart from the G86 Power much smaller battery capacity. Honor has designed the Magic8 Lite to excel in practical terms, making it a standout choice for everyday use.
Verdict
The Honor Magic8 Lite stands out as one of the most compelling budget phones thanks to its exceptional 7500mAh battery life, easily lasting up to three days, and its flagship-level durability with IP69K water resistance. While the camera hardware is unchanged from its predecessor, the 108MP main sensor still delivers pleasing, punchy images in good light, and clever software features help extend its versatility.
The ultra-wide camera is weaker, but usable in good light, and selfies are sharp despite the fixed focus. A generous storage, solid build, and long-lasting battery make the Magic8 Lite an excellent choice for users who prioritise longevity and reliability with a little compromise on cameras, which are not quite cutting edge but remain perfectly usable for everyday photography.
Related reading:
- Honor Magic V3 review – The perfect folding phone?
- Honor 400 Pro Review – your next favourite for portraits
- Honor 400 review – sweet spot between price and performance
Full Specifications
| Main, wide angle camera | 108MP (f/1.75) 1/1.67”, OIS+EIS |
| Ultrawide camera | 5MP (f/2.2) Ultra-Wide Camera |
| Selfie camera | 16MP (f/2.45) Front Camera |
| Telephoto camera | N/A |
| Video | 4K30p |
| Screen | 6.79-inch OLED 120Hz, 6000nits |
| Battery | 7500mAh, 66W fast charging |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 6 Gen 4 |
| Operating system | MagicOS 9.0 (Android 15) |
| Memory (RAM) | 8GB |
| Storage | 512GB |
| Dimensions | 161.9mm (L) x 76.1mm (W) x 7.76mm (D) |
| Weight | 193g |
| Dust and water resistance | IP69K |
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