When a phone claims to see in the dark better than your own eyes, you expect a bit of exaggeration. After spending days testing the HONOR Magic8 Pro, I can confirm that the hype is very real.
This is not just another flagship camera phone. It is a night photography monster with a telephoto system that completely changes how you shoot the world after sunset.
And yes, the results genuinely left us speechless.
Ultra Night Telephoto Camera: A Genuine Leap Forward
During our tests, scenes that looked pitch black to the eye came out bright, detailed and shockingly clear. The Magic8 Pro did not just brighten the shadows. It preserved texture, colour and depth in a way that feels more DSLR than smartphone.
At 10 times zoom, the phone captured an owl sitting on a branch at night with impressive stabilisation. We tried the same shot handheld on an iPhone 17 Pro Max and the difference was obvious. The Magic8 Pro delivered more detail, less noise and significantly better colour preservation.
Night Engine: The Real Secret Weapon
HONOR’s new Night Engine brings three major advantages:
1. Detail precision in low light
Where many phones smooth out textures at night, the Magic8 Pro retains realistic detail. Tiles on rooftops, ridges on buildings and even fur on animals remained sharp up to 10 times zoom.
2. Reduced over exposure in bright highlights
City lights stayed crisp instead of glowing uncontrollably. Neon signs were readable. Street lamps retained shape and colour. This alone puts the Magic8 Pro ahead of several flagship rivals.
3. Accurate colours even at night
Many low light cameras turn everything yellow or green. The Magic8 Pro maintained natural tones regardless of lighting, beating the iPhone 17 Pro Max in side by side comparisons.
Blue hour in Kuala Lumpur has never looked this dramatic.
Stability Engine: DSLR Level Stability in Your Pocket
One of the most impressive parts of the Magic8 Pro is the CIPA 5 point 5 level image stabilisation. This is the same level of stabilisation found in professional DSLR cameras priced above two thousand pounds.
It uses both hardware and software stabilisation to keep telephoto shots blur free. Every shot remained impressively steady, even when taken handheld at night.
Portrait Engine: Faces Look Real and Beautiful
Portrait mode on the Magic8 Pro feels premium in a way that many phones still struggle to achieve. The Portrait Engine gives faces a natural 3D effect and balances light and shadow very intelligently.
Skin looks clean without losing texture. Tones remain true and never overly brightened.You also get more focus lengths than usual.
These allow users to capture studio quality portraits outdoors, indoors or even from a distance.
Real World Tests Across Malaysia
We tested the Magic8 Pro across various locations and the results were stunning. The zoom captured Merdeka 118 in rich blue hour colour and even delivered sharp, realistic tones when photographing a baby orangutan from afar.
It is no surprise that the Magic8 Pro has been selected as photography equipment for Visit Malaysia 2026.
Magic Colour: The Most Fun Feature on the Camera
This industry first feature might just be the reason creative users fall in love with the Magic8 Pro.
Magic Colour lets you recreate cinematic colours inspired by Leica, Zeiss, Hasselblad and other iconic film styles. You can even build your own template from any photo and shoot with it live.
We applied a cyberpunk style to Kuala Lumpur and the results looked like a scene from a science fiction film.
Other AI Powered Imaging Tools
HONOR added plenty of clever features for anyone who loves mobile photography:
- Magic Pose suggests creative poses
- AI Photo Agent edits images on command
- AI Remove Wrinkles and Moire for cleaner outfits
- AI Moving Photo with slow motion and motion trail
- Customisable AI Camera Button that gives instant access to your favourite tools
These features genuinely add value, especially for content creators and travellers.
A Night Photography Champion
The HONOR Magic8 Pro gives a better low light and telephoto experience than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and it is not even a close call.
You get:
- A massive 200MP Ultra Night Telephoto Camera
- A large 1 over 1.4 inch sensor
- Industry leading CIPA 5 point 5 stability
- Realistic portraits with natural skin tones
- Magic Colour for cinematic filters
- Stunning performance during blue hour, golden hour and very low light
If you want a smartphone that transforms your night photography and gives you real DSLR like performance in your pocket, the Magic8 Pro will absolutely blow you away.
And after trying it ourselves, we finally understand why everyone is talking about it. The telephoto system on this phone is genuinely next level.
For more information about the HONOR Magic8 Pro, visit HONOR Malaysia’s official website at www.honor.com/my/.
