I’ve spent years reviewing smartphones, and if there’s one aspect where Honor never fails to impress, it’s the bold design experiments. Earlier today, Honor gave us our first glimpse at the Magic 9 Pro Max flagship phone with ARRI camera imaging tech. The phone is scheduled for launch later this month in China, followed by wider availability in other markets.
Before we dig into the hardware specs, let’s talk about the design. The phone borrows inspiration from the iPhone 17 Pro, specifically the large camera island at the back and the dual-tone finish on the rear shell that combines glass and metal. Where the phone actually stands out is a separate circular camera bump that also houses the periscope-style telephoto zoom camera.
Another standout aspect, of course, is the paint job. This is the first time that I’m seeing a distinctively grass-inspired green shade on a smartphone. And I have to say, it looks fresh. The only other brand that has tried something similar is Google, which is offering a shade of olive green on its Pixel 11 Pro Fold foldable and the Pixel 11 Pro smartphones.
Honors China division, through a series of teasers, has already confirmed that the Honor Magic9 Pro Max will come equipped with two 200-megapixel camera sensors at the back. The main snapper employs a 200MP 1/1.28-inch sensor, while the telephoto camera relies on a 1/1.4-inch sensor with a matching resolution.
Taking the zoom output to the next level is a new 500mm teleconverter kit, tagging alongside the 200mm teleconverter hardware. Dedicated zoom extender kits are all the rage these days, as we have seen with the likes of Oppo Find X9 Ultra and the Vivo X300 Ultra. Over the front, you get a pill-shaped cutout for the front camera. It is significantly smaller than what you see on Apple’s current crop of smartphones.
Notably, the iPhone 18 Pro is expected to feature a smaller Face ID cutout, with some improvements to the underlying Live Activities system, as well. As far as the partnership goes, Honor is promising some big upgrades for creators. “For creators, ARRI LogC3 preserves more highlight and shadow information for post-production, while ARRI Wide Gamut 3 provides a broader color space and ARRI Looks offer controlled cinematic color styles,” says the company.
