The Honor Magic8 family finally welcomes its super-luxe member, the RSR collaboration model with Porsche Design. Not going to lie, I had to do a double-take when I first saw the product images. The design looked kinda familiar. While it does look very different from its predecessor, it also resembles the Huawei Mate 80 RS Ultimate Design and, to some extent, the Mate 40 RS Porsche Design.
The camera bump sits on a raised “plateau” that gradually slopes and narrows toward the bottom, much like the Realme GT 7 Dream Edition. It even has similar lines that convey the aerodynamic cues of a sports car. I am not thrashing the design. There is no doubt that the new Honor Magic8 RSR Porsche Design [CH] is a beautiful phone. I am just saying it bears resemblance to certain designs. Perhaps it is a case of most cars looking alike. Anyhoo, the design does express speed, sportiness, and elegance all at the same time. And like the Porsche cars it draws inspiration from, it is luxe in craftsmanship.
The back cover is crafted from ultra-microcrystalline nano-ceramic and sculpted in an aerodynamic streamlined form inspired by Porsche’s classic aesthetics. For this all-new RSR, Honor also parted ways with the hexagon camera module used for the past two generations, opting instead for a squircle design meant to echo the Porsche 911’s headlights. Beyond the obvious aesthetic distinction from the rest of the Magic8 lineup, this Porsche edition also benefits from a custom black-and-gold Porsche UI.
The rest of the hardware is largely carried over from the Magic8 Pro, including the aluminum alloy frame, the 120 Hz 6.71-inch OLED Honor AI Eye Comfort Display, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC. That said, there are a few less obvious differences. While the RSR shares the same 200 MP ultra-night telephoto camera, 50 MP ultra-night main camera, 50 MP ultra-wide camera, and 50 MP front-facing camera with a 3D depth sensor, it boasts industry-leading CIPA 6.5 stabilization, compared to CIPA 5.5 on the Pro.
It also gets the full suite of imaging AI, including the AiMAGE original color engine, night photography engine, stabilization engine, and portrait engine. For photography enthusiasts, Honor offers an optional professional photography bundle featuring a magnetic camera grip, a 67 mm filter adapter ring, and a 2.35x teleconverter that extends the telephoto focal length to 200–540 mm.
Connectivity is another area where the RSR pulls ahead. It supports Honor Hongyan Dual Satellite Communication, Tiantong plus BeiDou, powered by a second-generation self-developed satellite chipset. This enables BeiDou images, voice messages, and text messages, as well as Tiantong satellite calls. The Pro model only supports BeiDou text messaging. It also adds a barometer, which is strangely missing from the Pro, and one additional 5G band, 25 versus 24, covering over 200 countries and more than 1,000 carriers. Google Mobile Services support is present as well.
Other familiar highlights include a 7,200 mAh first-generation Qinghai battery with 120 W wired fast charging and 80 W wireless fast charging, AI battery management, IP68 and IP69K ratings, and the YOYO AI companion that enables one-click shopping, food, travel, and more.
The Honor Magic8 RSR Porsche Design is offered in 16 GB and 24 GB configurations, with pricing starting at 7,999 yuan [CH], roughly US$1,150.
Images: Honor [CH].
