The coming year brings another step in the evolution of smartphones in Europe. Data shows that users today want devices that not only provide speed and durability, but also advanced performance optimization, longer battery life, superior photo quality and strong AI support. Series Honor Magic8announced for January 2026, is a response to these real user expectations.
Europe and CEE: reasonable price, high quality, longer life of the device
The European smartphone market went through a difficult second quarter of 2025, recording a significant drop in the total number of devices shipped. Although Europe still remains one of the key markets, it was the region with the weakest results in smartphone sales during this period. According to data from Canalys, a leading global market analysis company, the market shrank by 9%, with the total number of devices shipped falling to 28.7 million units. This is a challenging time for manufacturers, who continue to struggle due to reduced demand and economic uncertainty.
It is important to note that in this challenging environment, one brand managed to stand out. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor it recorded growth, contrary to the general downward trend. Honor’s shipments in Europe grew by 11% year-on-year. This growth is, among other things, the result of a strong understanding of consumer needs: customers are looking for a combination of robust construction, good performance, strong camera capabilities, and a reasonable price.
HonorAnalyzes show a clear increase in the share of users who keep their smartphones for three years or longer, whereby decisions to replace devices increasingly depend on real need, and not just on the duration of the contract. As a result, users expect long-term support from manufacturers. The European Union also aims to extend the lifespan of smartphones: its policies are designed to increase the average lifespan of mid-range devices from 3.0 to 4.1 years. What will soon become a standard in the EU, Honor has long recognized, because it already provides 6 years of support for its devices, both in terms of software updates and hardware.
Durability: A smartphone built to last
New EU ecodesign regulations for smartphones and tablets, in force from mid-2025, significantly raise the durability standards and lifespan of devices. Legislators require, among other things, greater resistance to falls, dust and water, as well as batteries that retain at least 80% capacity after approximately 800 charging cycles. The goal is to extend the actual use of smartphones and reduce the need for frequent device replacement.
From the user’s point of view, this means that a smartphone purchased in 2026 should be ready for several years of intensive use – in terms of physical durability, long-term performance and duration of software support. Honor takes these requirements into account already at the product design stage, and new smartphone models, including the Magic8 series, are designed to withstand everyday challenges: from accidental drops and carrying in a backpack or bag, to intensive use during travel. Their durability is confirmed by certificates such as IP68 and IP69K.
Intelligent optimization: more power and longer battery life
Better and longer-lasting performance is provided not only by top-quality components, but above all by intelligent optimization. The combination of next-generation processors, dedicated NPU units and advanced AI algorithms allows for longer battery life in real-world use compared to typical 2024 devices. In practice, this means that the phone manages energy more intelligently, allocates resources more efficiently and reduces unnecessary background processes.
HonorThis is even more pronounced with the upcoming Honor Magic8 Lite and Honor Magic8 Pro models, where Honor focuses on more advanced chipsets with dedicated NPU units for AI data processing on the device itself. Intelligent algorithms use these units to optimize performance, battery life, temperature management and resource prioritization in real time. As a result, the smartphone continues to run smoothly even after several years, and users feel that the device keeps up with their needs without frequent hardware upgrades.
Cameras and artificial intelligence: mobile photography as a central part of the experience
Statistics confirm that the quality of the camera still remains one of the key factors when choosing a new phone. Users expect not only high resolution, but above all better image quality in difficult lighting conditions, stable video, natural color reproduction and intuitive use.
Manufacturers, including Honor, are responding to these expectations by investing in larger sensors, more advanced optics and new image processing algorithms. The upcoming models Honor Magic8 Lite and Honor Magic8 Pro continue this philosophy in the premium and upper middle segment. The use of larger sensors, more advanced optics and improved zoom, combined with on-device AI, will enable advanced features such as detail reconstruction, intelligent object removal, video correction and image stabilization directly on the phone. This provides users with editing tools that are closer to professional solutions, without the need for external applications or sending content to the cloud – which is also important from a privacy perspective.
Experts from Honor point out that the upcoming Magic8 Pro and Magic8 Lite models are a continuation of the brand’s philosophy, in which a smartphone is not just a means of communication, but a comprehensive center of mobile creativity – durable, powerful and ready for years of use.