Honor Magic 7 Lite review: Budget battery king

The Honor Magic 7 Lite is a finances cellphone that excels in battery life, sturdiness, and stable digicam efficiency for the value.

Nonetheless, it struggles to maintain tempo with rivals when it comes to design, efficiency, and software program updates. Whereas its curved design may attraction to some, it feels dated in a market dominated by flat-sided gadgets.

In the event you want a cellphone that lasts for days and prioritises reliability, the Magic 7 Lite deserves your consideration. Right here’s our full overview.

Design & Construct

• Slim and sturdy at 7.98mm thick and 189g
• Curved-edge glass feels outdated
• Enhanced drop safety and IP64 resistance

The Honor Magic 7 Lite has a particular design, however not essentially for the proper causes. The curved-edge glass, whereas as soon as a premium hallmark, now seems like a relic of older cellphone tendencies. Rivals just like the Samsung Galaxy A55 and Nothing Cellphone (2a) have embraced flat-sided designs which might be extra up to date and ergonomic.

Secure to say that I’m not a fan of curved glass edges, and I don’t assume there are various different redeeming design qualities. Whereas the Titanium Purple end is initially placing, catching the sunshine with a Porsche-esque frozen berry hue that provides a contact of aptitude, more often than not it seems to be like a fake marble reproduction.

In all honesty, I discover it just a little cheesy. That is very a lot a love-it-or-hate-it form of design, although, so that you might be a fan.

When it comes to construct high quality, nevertheless, Honor has outdone itself. Regardless of its modern profile, the Magic 7 Lite boasts spectacular sturdiness, surviving 2m drops onto onerous surfaces with out injury.

Whereas I haven’t dropped one myself, Honor has been eager to indicate examples of the cellphone being dropped. That is because of its enhanced nook safety and rugged supplies, which make it a superb selection for accident-prone customers.

It additionally boasts an IP64 ranking, which means it’s absolutely protected towards mud and may survive splashes of water from any path – assume getting caught in a rain bathe.

Display screen & Audio system

• Shiny 6.78-inch AMOLED show
• Adaptive 120Hz ensures clean scrolling
• Improved audio stability and readability

The 6.78-inch AMOLED show is without doubt one of the Magic 7 Lite’s standout options. The 2700×1224 decision ensures crisp visuals, whereas the dynamic refresh fee seamlessly switches to 120Hz for fluid scrolling and gaming.

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Watching movies or shopping images is an fulfilling expertise, because of the panel’s wealthy distinction and vibrant colors, which will definitely seize your consideration. That mentioned, it doesn’t fairly match the brightness or color accuracy of pricier rivals just like the Pixel 8a.

Audio has seen a marked enchancment in comparison with the Magic 6 Lite. The twin audio system produce a extra balanced sound profile, delivering clear vocals and acceptable quantity ranges.

Whereas bass is missing, that’s anticipated at this value level, the audio system are greater than sufficient for informal media consumption. In fact, I’d all the time counsel that you just use a set of headphones for severe listening – you’ll nearly all the time get higher sound.

Specs & Efficiency

• Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 struggles to maintain up with fashionable rivals
• 8GB RAM ensures clean app-switching
• Falls behind rivals just like the Galaxy A54 and Pixel 8a

The Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset powers the Magic 7 Lite, providing dependable however unremarkable efficiency. For fundamental duties like messaging, internet shopping, and streaming, the gadget performs properly.

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Nonetheless, extra demanding functions and multitasking reveal its limitations. Apps load slower in comparison with rivals, and heavy gaming pushes the chipset to its limits. When making an attempt to multitask with a number of apps, I actually felt the gadget start to decelerate and run out of steam.

In the meantime, the Adreno GPU handles easier video games with ease however struggles with graphic-intensive titles. This isn’t the cellphone to purchase in order for you a top-tier gaming expertise.

Honor Magic 7 Lite benchmarks

The one configuration of the Magic 7 Lite accessible provides 8GB of RAM and 512GB of inside storage. The latter can be lots for most individuals, although it’s value noting that there’s no help for expandable storage by way of Micro-SD.

Cameras

• 108Mp sensor with OIS delivers detailed pictures
• Weak ultrawide lens struggles with element
• 16Mp entrance digicam supplies first rate selfies

The 108Mp principal digicam on the Magic 7 Lite is a spotlight, delivering detailed pictures in good lighting. Optical picture stabilisation ensures sharper low-light pictures, making it a dependable performer for evening images.

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However I have to say, I’m fairly dissatisfied by the cameras total. Whereas pictures are detailed, they lack a sure sharpness. They really feel flat, such as you’re taking a look at a photograph from a smartphone digicam from a decade in the past. Colors and tones really feel muted, with the picture processing choosing a cool tone.

The ultrawide lens leaves a lot to be desired. Its 5Mp decision leads to softer particulars and inconsistent color copy, limiting its usefulness. Equally, portrait mode is fairly ineffective on each the entrance and rear cameras. With no devoted depth sensor, this could solely be all the way down to the software-based picture processing.

Selfies taken with the 16Mp entrance digicam are greater than sufficient for social media. In reality, I’d say they’re near flagship cellphone stage. Nonetheless, the shortage of superior processing options means outcomes might be hit and miss in difficult lighting circumstances.

Battery Life & Charging

• 6600mAh battery simply lasts 2-3 days
• 66W charging restores 50% in below half-hour
• No wi-fi charging

The Magic 7 Lite’s battery is its most spectacular characteristic. With a 6600mAh capability, it outlasts nearly each competitor in its value vary, making it ideally suited for customers who want a cellphone that received’t stop midway by way of the day.

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Throughout testing, the gadget constantly delivered two full days of use with average exercise. Gentle customers may even stretch that to 3 days.

It was really fairly useful over the previous few weeks throughout quite a lot of flights, which means I may overlook a few cable or energy financial institution for in-flight charging. Even on my heaviest days of utilization, I don’t assume I ended up beneath 10%.

The gadget constantly delivered two full days of use with average exercise. Gentle customers may even stretch that to 3 days

Charging speeds are equally commendable, with the 66W wired charging restoring 50% in simply half-hour.

Nonetheless, the shortage of wi-fi charging seems like a missed alternative, particularly as rivals are beginning to embrace the characteristic even in finances fashions. There’s no bodily motive wi-fi charging couldn’t make an look from the gadget’s supplies, so this was seemingly all the way down to finances.

Software program & Options

• Ships with Android 14 as a substitute of the newest Android 15
• Pre-loaded bloatware requires cleanup out of the field
• MagicOS provides some helpful options

Honor’s MagicOS 8.0 feels useful however unremarkable. The outdated Android 14 base is a downside, particularly when many rivals ship with Android 15 and promise higher long-term help.

Software program help is robust, with Honor providing 5 years of each OS and safety updates on the Magic 7 Lite. At this value, you received’t discover many corporations which may match that.

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As somebody who hates bloatware on telephones, I wasn’t blissful to see quite a lot of pre-loaded apps on the gadget. It took just a little little bit of time to clear them off when establishing the Magic 7 Lite out of the field. That mentioned, I’ve seen extra egregious examples just lately, so I received’t complain an excessive amount of right here.

In fact, in 2025, you’re going to seek out some gimmicky options on a handset, even at this value. Magic Capsule and Magic Portal are intriguing options, however their restricted performance means they received’t be important instruments for most individuals.

Loads of different options are given AI branding, however these typically don’t make any significant distinction in day-to-day utilization.

Value & Availability

The Honor Magic 7 Lite is priced at £399 within the UK and is available in two color choices: Titanium Purple and Titanium Black. Each supply 8GB of RAM and 512GB of on-device storage.

You should buy the cellphone outright, immediately from Honor or via Very. No suppliers are providing the cellphone on contract, so that you’ll must pair it with a SIM-only deal as a substitute. See the very best choices beneath:

Like all Honor gadgets, the Magic 7 Lite isn’t accessible within the US.

Nonetheless, there are many nice rivals round this value level, together with the Samsung Galaxy A35 5G and Nothing Cellphone (2a) Plus. And whereas the Pixel 8a often begins at £499, there are sometimes offers round.

Do you have to purchase the Honor Magic 7 Lite?

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The Honor Magic 7 Lite excels in areas like battery life, sturdiness, and principal digicam efficiency, making it a dependable selection for customers who worth longevity and practicality.

Nonetheless, its dated design, common efficiency, and restricted software program help go away it trailing behind rivals within the fiercely aggressive mid-range market.

If battery life is your prime precedence, the Magic 7 Lite is a transparent winner. However for these in search of a extra well-rounded gadget, there are higher choices accessible.

Specs

• Display screen: 6.78-inch AMOLED, 2700×1224 decision, 120Hz refresh fee
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
• Reminiscence: 8GB RAM
• Storage: 512GB
• Rear Cameras: 108Mp (f/1.8, OIS) + 5Mp ultrawide (f/2.2)
• Entrance Digicam: 16Mp (f/2.5)
• Battery: 6600mAh, 66W wired charging
• Software program: Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0
• Dimensions: 163 x 76 x 8mm, 189g