Summary created by Smart Answers AI
In summary:
- Honor is launching the ultra-slim Magic 8 Pro Air smartphone in China on January 19, competing directly with Apple’s iPhone Air and Samsung’s thin phone offerings.
- Tech Advisor reports the device is expected to be 6.1mm thick, weigh 155g, and feature a 5500mAh battery with wireless charging capabilities.
- Global availability remains uncertain, with pricing strategy being crucial for success against expensive rivals like the £999 iPhone Air.
2025 was arguably the year of the ultra-slim phone, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing in 2026.
Fresh from the global launch of its Magic 8 Pro flagship, Honor has confirmed that it’ll be joining Apple, Samsung, and Motorola in launching a super-thin smartphone.
Its name? The Honor Magic 8 Pro Air. No prize for guessing who it’s trying to compete with there.
Honor has also confirmed a launch date for the phone in China: 19 January. While little else has been officially revealed, leaks paint a detailed picture of what to expect.
The new ultra-slim phone to beat?
The big selling point of any ultra-slim phone is its thickness (or lack thereof), but it looks like Honor will be relatively cautious in this area.
According to leaker Beginner’s Review on Weibo, the Magic 8 Pro Air will come in at 6.1mm, making it thicker than all three of its main rivals: the iPhone Air (5.6mm), the Galaxy S25 Edge (5.8mm), and Edge 70 (5.99mm).
![\"Honor](\"https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/honor-magic-8-pro-air-2.jpg?quality=50&strip=all\")
Paper-wrapped toy machine / Weibo
However, the benefit of this approach is room for a bigger battery, with the phone supposedly sporting an impressive 5500mAh silicon-carbon (Si-C) cell and wireless charging. And at just 155g, it’d be the lightest of the lot.
Leaked images from the same post suggest the Magic 8 Pro Air will feature a triple rear camera system, though the specs of these lenses aren’t known.
If Honor is able to address battery life and cameras, the two most common weaknesses of ultra-slim handsets, the company could be onto a winner.
As you can see from the Sparrows News video above, it looks like the phone will be available in four colors: black, white, purple, and orange.
Big global launch questions remain
So, we know that the Magic 8 Pro Air is coming to China this month, but what about a global launch?
At this stage, it’s unclear when (or indeed if) the handset will be available in Europe, with nothing revealed at the Magic 8 Pro launch.
If it does arrive in the UK, pricing is another big question mark. Aside from the £699 Edge 70, ultra-slim phones don’t come cheap, with the iPhone Air starting at £999/$99 and the Galaxy S25 Edge even more expensive.
As a result, the success of the Magic 8 Pro Air will likely hinge on how aggressively Honor chooses to price it.
