Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR review - A stylish luxury smartphone with a powerful battery
The Magic6 RSR is the second smartphone that has come out of the cooperation between Honor and the famous German company Porsche Design. Previously, they launched the foldable Magic V2 RSR.
From a tech standpoint, the Magic6 RSR is nearly identical to the Honor Magic6 Pro, however, it uses higher-quality materials, an exclusive design and features more storage. Within the Porsche universe, the suffix RSR in its name stands for RennSport racing car and is intended for purely competition versions of vehicles which don't have road approval.
Possible competitors compared
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.7 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Honor Magic6 RSR SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750 | 237 g | 1 TB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.80" | 2800x1280 | |
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2024 | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, Adreno 750 | 232 g | 256 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.80" | 3120x1440 | |
| 89.2 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2024 | Xiaomi 14 Ultra SD 8 Gen 3, Adreno 750 | 219.8 g | 512 GB UFS 4.0 Flash | 6.73" | 3200x1440 | |
| 91.1 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2023 | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max A17 Pro, A17 Pro GPU | 221 g | 256 GB NVMe | 6.70" | 2796x1290 |
Case and connectivity - The Magic6 RSR with NanoCrystal Shield and titanium elements
The Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR is available in the colors Agate Gray and Frozen Berry and during our test, it proved to be very well made. Its eye-catching looks are immediately reminiscent of the design language used for the Magic V2 RSR. The screen protector that has already been applied can be easily removed, which significantly improves how smooth the touchscreen feels.
Despite its higher weight compared to the Magic6 Pro, the RSR is very comfortable to hold. Fingerprints are clearly visible on both the back and the frame, but the supplied leather-look cover can remedy this. The display is protected by Honor's NanoCrystal Shield and the smartphone is dust and waterproof in accordance with IP68. The hexagonal camera module is surrounded by a stylish titanium frame and is a real eye-catcher.
Its technical features are identical to those of the Magic6 Pro. Only its memory is more generous with 24 GB RAM and 1,024 GB internal storage. The phone's scope of delivery has also been greatly expanded. In addition to the smartphone, two power adapters are included, one with a Type-C connector and one with a Type-G connector, two USB cables (USB 2.0, Type-A to Type-C), a stylish Porsche SIM tool and the aforementioned faux leather case, which is covered with fabric on the inside.
Communication, software and operation
Thanks to its broad support for cellular frequencies, the Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR should have no problems establishing a connection anywhere on the planet. Its WLAN does support Wi-Fi 7, but without the modern 6 GHz band. Its telephone features are on par with the Magic6 Pro and we are big fans of them in everyday use.
Google Android 14 is used as the phone's operating system, over which Honor has installed its own MagicOS 8.0. The functions familiar from the Pro model—such as Magic Capsule and Magic Portal—are also on board. The RSR will be supplied with security patches for five years (which will be rolled out monthly), and will receive four version updates (up to Android 18). At the time of testing, both its security updates and the Play system updates were up to date as of April 1, 2024.
The device's linear vibration motor provides crisp and tangible haptic feedback and it isn't too loud. The Magic6 RSR also supports knuckle gestures, a one-hand mode, touchless gestures and much more. Biometric security is taken care of by an optical fingerprint sensor with very good and fast recognition rates. Alternatively or additionally, 3D facial recognition can be set up via the front-facing camera and the adjacent ToF sensor—it does not require any compromises to be made in terms of speed or security.
| Networking | |
| Honor Magic6 RSR | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Xiaomi 14 Ultra | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
Cameras - Lots of megapixels for great results
The Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR's camera setup is identical to that of the Magic6 Pro, and our verdict is just as positive. Its front-facing camera features a 50 MPix sensor and generates 12 MPix pictures through the use of pixel binning, whereas videos can only be recorded in Ultra HD and at 30fps at best.
There are two 50 MPix sensors on the back and another with a 180 MPix resolution. The latter is the zoom lens, which allows 2.5x optical and 100x digital magnification and features optical image stabilization (OIS). Using this lens, videos can be recorded in Ultra HD at up to 60fps.
Image comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain camera5x zoom5x zoomLow light
Display - The Magic6 RSR with dual-layer OLED
On its data sheet, the Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR's display is identical to that of the Magic6 Pro—except for one small detail: the new dual-layer OLED technology. Two OLED layers are placed on top of each other, which should theoretically result in higher brightness values or extend its lifespan. Honor has opted for the latter and claims that the display's lifespan is seven times longer than that of a conventional OLED panel. This feature was previously reserved for the Magic6 Ultimate.
Its brightness is on par with the Magic6 Pro and the specified peak brightness of up to 5,000 cd/m² can only be achieved when displaying Ultra HDR photos. To protect your eyes, Honor uses high-frequency PWM dimming at up to 4,320 Hz. At minimum brightness, we measured flickering at 360 Hz, but its amplitude was quite flat. This may be due to Black Frame Insertion (BFI), which is used to reduce motion blur and as burn-in protection. We believe that complaints due to display flickering are unlikely.
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Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 1575 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.83
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
99.7% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.22
| Honor Magic6 RSR OLED, 2800x1280, 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 3120x1440, 6.8" | Xiaomi 14 Ultra AMOLED, 3200x1440, 6.7" | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max Super Retina XDR Display, OLED, 2796x1290, 6.7" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Response Times | -46% | 9% | 26% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 2.38 ? | 3.8 ? -60% | 1.55 ? 35% | 1.58 ? 34% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 1.07 ? | 1.41 ? -32% | 1.26 ? -18% | 0.88 ? 18% |
| PWM Frequency | 360 | 480 | 120 | 240 |
| Screen | -27% | -3% | 7% | |
| Brightness middle | 1575 | 1317 -16% | 997 -37% | 1102 -30% |
| Brightness | 1508 | 1365 -9% | 1002 -34% | 1102 -27% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 94 6% | 96 8% | 98 10% |
| Black Level * | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 3.4 -100% | 1.6 6% | 1.1 35% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.9 | 5 -28% | 3.3 15% | 3.1 21% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 2.8 -17% | 1.8 25% | 1.6 33% |
| Gamma | 2.22 99% | 2 110% | 2.19 100% | 2.19 100% |
| CCT | 6398 102% | 6458 101% | 6493 100% | 6555 99% |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -37% /
-32% | 3% /
0% | 17% /
12% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1.07 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 0.5295 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 0.539 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 3 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 2.38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.291 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.085 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 9 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.1 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 360 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 360 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 360 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8356 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Measurement series with fixed zoom level and different brightness settings (the amplitude curve at minimum brightness looks flat, but this is due to the scaling. The info box shows the enlarged version of the amplitude at minimum brightness).
Performance, emissions and battery life
The Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR is powered by the fast Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and has 24 GB of LPDDR5x RAM. Its system performance is correspondingly high. However, its performance dropped sharply during the stress test, and Honor could really do with offering more efficient cooling.
The phone's two speakers offer a good sound backdrop and are among the better ones inside a smartphone. Even low tones are easy to hear—the sound only becomes a little tinny at full volume.
Its 2nd generation silicon-carbon battery with a 5,600 mAh capacity gives the Magic6 RSR enormously long runtimes. Fast charging (wired up to 80 watts, wireless up to 66 watts) means the Honor smartphone can be fully charged again within 51 minutes.
| Honor Magic6 RSR | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | Xiaomi 14 Ultra | Google Pixel 8 Pro | Average 1 TB UFS 4.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -30% | -10% | -69% | -11% | -45% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 3631.39 | 3610.25 -1% | 4102.56 13% | 1501.13 -59% | 3434 ? -5% | 2106 ? -42% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 3875.03 | 1893.63 -51% | 3095.36 -20% | 257.28 -93% | 3229 ? -17% | 1709 ? -56% |
| Random Read 4KB | 415 | 437.12 5% | 362.88 -13% | 156.16 -62% | 389 ? -6% | 290 ? -30% |
| Random Write 4KB | 662.63 | 181.55 -73% | 527.15 -20% | 258.92 -61% | 550 ? -17% | 334 ? -50% |
Temperature
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.3 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.9 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.6 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
3DMark Wild Life Stress Test
Speakers
Honor Magic6 RSR audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 1% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 19% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 77% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (93 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.6% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 12% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 32% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Runtimes
| Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing | |
| Honor Magic6 RSR | |
| Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
| Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
| Average of class Smartphone (575 - 3244, n=209, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi 14 Ultra | |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - The sleek Magic6 RSR with lots of storage
The Porsche Design | Honor Magic6 RSR offers all the features of the Magic6 Pro, such as a powerful camera setup, enormously long battery life and comprehensive features—but with an eye-catching design and a generous scope of delivery.
The Magic6 RSR is another chapter in the successful collaboration between Honor and Porsche Design.
From a technical standpoint, its dual-layer OLED panel is an innovation that should significantly extend the display's battery life. The phone also comes with more storage. Unfortunately, however, the technical flaws of its sister model also remain. Whether this justifies the surcharge of around US$600 is probably a matter of taste and your own wallet. In any case, the Magic6 RSR is a very good smartphone.
If you like the Porsche design look but would prefer to use a foldable phone, you should take a closer look at the Magic V2 RSR. Alternatively, both the Galaxy S24 Ultra (MRSP: US$1,659.99) and the iPhone 15 Pro Max (MRSP: US$1,599) are available in 1 TB versions and are similarly priced.
Price and availability
Currently, the Magic6 RSR is not available to purchase in the United States. You can, however, purchase its sister model, the Magic6 Pro, from Amazon.
Honor Magic6 RSR
- 05/21/2024 v7 (old)
Daniel Schmidt
Transparency
The selection of devices to be reviewed is made by our editorial team. The test sample was provided to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or retailer for the purpose of this review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review. We never accept compensation or payment in return for our reviews. As an independent media company, Notebookcheck is not subjected to the authority of manufacturers, retailers or publishers.
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