Compact phone for PWM sufferers and OLED fans: Honor Magic 8 Pro Air review verdict
The most common method used to control the brightness of an OLED display is found in nearly every current smartphone with such a panel, namely pulse width modulation. PWM flicker, especially at low frequencies, can be perceptible to the human eye and may lead to eye strain, eye irritation or headaches.
Thanks to high-frequency PWM dimming, such as in the Honor Magic 8 Pro Air with up to 4,320 Hz, modern OLED panels are relatively easy on the eyes. However, due to the often low base frequency, issues for sensitive users cannot be completely ruled out, including on the Honor smartphone.
Honor also equips the Magic 8 Pro Air with many additional adjustment options in the settings for sensitive users. MagicOS 10 is therefore ahead of other Android interfaces in this regard.
Android smartphone with DC dimming and PWM dimming
The Magic8 Pro Air offers two modes to reduce potential eye strain caused by OLED flicker. In addition to high-frequency PWM dimming, which can operate at 3,840 Hz as well as 4,320 Hz at low display brightness, users can also choose between two different DC dimming options at medium and high brightness levels. Whether this has a noticeable effect in everyday use is difficult to quantify and depends on individual perception. However, the availability of these options is clearly an advantage for affected users.
The "eye comfort display" settings menu also includes several features, such as a contrast test and a color vision test. In addition, a feature called "defocus" is implemented in the system. According to Honor, defocus simulates looking into the distance to help reduce eye strain.
Additional features of the Magic8 Pro Air include "natural tone", which adjusts screen colors to match ambient lighting, as well as a "circadian night display", which reduces the amount of blue light emitted.
How well the OLED panel performs in the display measurements and whether the compact flagship phone is worth considering are covered in the full review. In terms of pricing, the Honor device is already very attractive compared to Apple’s ultra-thin iPhone Air. The Magic8 Pro Air starts at around €700 as an import from our partner Trading Shenzhen.
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