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While premium smartphone users might decry the notion of more affordable budget devices, there’s no denying that many smartphone buyers around the world still place a lot of importance on affordable pricing, as long as their phone can get the basics done. While the Honor Magic 7 Lite (aka the Honor X9c in some markets) is a good example of this wallet-friendly price segment, it’s not exactly a low-end pushover.
That being said, you might be curious if the Magic 7 Lite is worth it, or does it have too many compromises in terms of the overall features – let’s take a look!
Honor Magic 7 Lite Specs:
- 6.78-inch AMOLED display, 120Hz, 4,000 nits (peak)
- HONOR Anti-drop Display
- Plastic body, IP64 dust and water protection
- Snapdragon 6 Gen 1; up to 12GB RAM + 512GB storage
- 108MP main camera, 5MP ultra-wide camera; 16MP front camera
- MagicOS 8.0 (Android 14)
- 6,600 mAh battery, 66W charging
Design and Display
In terms of aesthetics, the Honor Magic 7 Lite is a sleek-looking device, with a smooth matte rear panel that melds into a slim frame and continues into the phone’s curved display. Given that the Honor Magic 7 Lite is essentially the same model as the Honor X9c, the handset features a lot of the same durable design elements such as the IP64 rating and drop-resistant glass, and so far it does feel like a well-built smartphone.
As for the display, the Magic 7 Lite’s screen is bright and smooth, and doesn’t struggle with outdoor visibility. The 2700×1224 resolution should be ideal for content consumption, and even a bit of gaming every now and then. The display also houses the front camera cutout which Honor refers to as the “Magic Capsule” system for notifications (it does look a bit too familiar, if you ask me). There’s also an in-display biometric scanner which is reasonably fast.
Internals and Performance
Speaking of gaming, this is one area where you might want to keep some reservations about the phone. Powering the Magic 7 Lite is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, a budget smartphone chip that’s paired with 8 GB of RAM. Let’s get this out of the way – it’s not going to be the best smartphone to play heavy titles like Genshin Impact on, but less graphically-intensive games and day-to-day tasks should be fine. If you were eyeing this phone in the first place, you probably don’t have gaming as a major priority anyway.
As for software, the Honor Magic 7 Lite is running on Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0. As expected with other Honor devices, the Magic 7 Lite comes with a plethora of pre-installed third-party apps in addition to Honor’s own exclusive apps and software services. To be fair though, it’s a smooth experience for the most part, but then again I would’ve preferred a cleaner approach to Android. On the other hand, users who prefer a bit more personalization will like what the MagicOS offers.
Battery life has been decent. As I’ve said before in other reviews, individual usage will play a factor in to how long your smartphone battery lasts, but with the Honor Magic 7 Lite I can say that it’s an all-day phone, with the massive 6,600 mAh capacity and doesn’t give me battery anxiety thanks to the power efficiency of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 inside.
Cameras
For cameras, the Honor Magic 7 Lite packs a 108MP main sensor accompanied by a 5MP ultra-wide camera, as well as a 16MP front camera. Images look good for the most part with enough saturation that doesn’t go overboard, and while dynamic range is decent photos tend to lean towards heavy contrast even in the default shooting mode. There’s a good amount of exposure in low-light shots, although details tend to look softer overall in less than ideal conditions. Check out the samples below:
Final Thoughts
At a price that rests between 200-300 USD (when converted), the Honor Magic 7 Lite’s impressive design and build quality, good-looking display, capable battery and generally smooth performance make for a solid everyday smartphone. Folks looking to save a bit of cash will find a lot to love about the Magic 7 Lite, as long as they keep their expectations in check.
On the other hand the low-end chipset, pre-installed apps and overall camera performance might leave you wanting a little more, and people who prioritize these areas will have to spend a bit more to get the device they want. At the end of the day though it’s a solid phone that plays it safe without attempting to punch higher than its weight class.
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