HONOR’s Magic9 series could adopt a square 1:1 selfie sensor that lets users capture footage while holding the phone in one orientation, then choose a vertical or horizontal framing afterward. The claim comes from leaker Digital Chat Station in a new post on Weibo.
A square sensor can retain more image area for different aspect-ratio crops than a conventional rectangular front camera. That could make it easier to produce both portrait-format social clips and landscape video from the same recording. Apple has already used a related approach for the iPhone 17 front camera, and HONOR could be among the first Android flagship makers to bring the concept to its lineup.
The same report adds a new claim about the Magic9’s rear imaging hardware: its rumored 200MP main camera may offer optical image stabilization with movement of up to 3 degrees. If accurate, that could benefit handheld video and low-light shooting, although HONOR has not confirmed the stabilization specification.
Previous leaks have pointed to an ambitious camera setup consisting of a 200MP, 1/1.28-inch f/1.57 main sensor; a 200MP periscope telephoto camera using a 1/1.4-inch sensor and an f/2.6 aperture; and a 50MP ultrawide camera. The square front sensor would be a further addition to that reported configuration.
HONOR has confirmed the Magic9 series and its imaging direction involving ARRI, but it has not released a complete camera specification sheet. The company and ARRI have a joint research lab, while HONOR’s experimental Robot Phone has demonstrated ARRI LogC3, ARRI Wide Gamut 3 and ARRI Looks as part of a video-focused workflow. Magic9 may be where elements of that work reach a conventional flagship phone.
The Magic9 family is expected in September, with multiple models anticipated. It remains unclear whether the dual-200MP arrangement, the 3-degree OIS claim and the square selfie camera would be exclusive to the top-tier version or shared more widely across the range.
