In the world of smartphones, Huawei had been a dominant force, with its subsidiary brand, Honor, offering a selection of options for consumers. However, the American technological embargo against Huawei had a significant impact on the brand, causing it to suffer greatly. As a result, Honor had to separate from Huawei to avoid being subject to sanctions.
Now independent, Honor has returned to the smartphone market, developing its own range of smartphones. In 2023, Honor is set to release the Magic 5 lite and the Magic 5 Pro. Which were present at MWC 2023. While the desire to appear fully separate from Huawei is apparent, the first generation of independent Honor smartphones has a resemblance to the models of the former parent company.
Despite this, Honor’s return to the smartphone market is a significant development. The brand has launched several new models, including the Honor 70, the Honor 50, the Honor X8, and the Honor Magic 4 Lite. However, the Honor Magic 4 Pro stands out as the best smartphone in the brand’s lineup. It boasts impressive features such as a high-quality camera, fast performance, and a sleek design.
The Honor 70, on the other hand, is a mid-range smartphone that offers good value for money. It features a decent camera, smooth performance, and a stylish design. The Honor 50, meanwhile, marks Honor’s return to the market after the separation from Huawei. This smartphone offers good performance and features, making it a solid choice for consumers.
For those looking for a budget option, the Honor X8 is a great choice. It features a decent camera, fast performance, and a low price point. Finally, the Honor Magic 4 Lite is a mid-range smartphone that offers good features at an affordable price.
Top Honor smartphones in 2023
Honor Magic 4 Pro
Honor’s return to the forefront of the smartphone market is marked by the release of its flagship model, the Honor Magic 4 Pro. This phone boasts high-end features and design, making it a worthy competitor in the premium smartphone category.
Starting with the design, the Honor Magic 4 Pro’s dimensions and grip give it an air of prestige. The camera on the back adds to the phone’s design, ticking all the boxes of a good high-end smartphone.
However, the phone’s superb touchscreen is its standout feature. Equipped with a 6.81-inch OLED panel with adaptive refresh at 120 Hz, the color fidelity is good, especially when favoring the normal temperature mode. The brightness reaches an impressive 837 cd / m2, making the screen of the phone one of its strongest points.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and supported by 8 GB of RAM, the Honor Magic 4 Pro is capable of launching any game. However, heat management should be considered during intensive use. The MagicUI 6.0 software offers the latest features in Android 12 for everyday use, providing a seamless user experience. Battery life is all day, but the Magic 4 Pro comes with 100W fast charging, ensuring you can get back to using your phone quickly.
The phone’s camera capabilities are also impressive, with the camera module integrated in a large circle and composed of three complementary lenses that offer excellent versatility, regardless of the conditions. The Honor Magic 4 Pro’s performance in this regard is one of the best in its class.
It is worth noting that the Honor Magic 5 Pro, the successor to the Magic 4 Pro, is set to be released soon and looks very promising, especially in the camera department.
Overall, the Honor Magic 4 Pro is a strong entry into the premium smartphone market, with its high-end features and design making it a worthy competitor to other top-of-the-line models. With the release of its successor, the Magic 5 Pro, Honor is likely to continue impressing consumers with its smartphones.
Honor 70
Honor has released the Honor 70, a mid range smartphone that boasts impressive qualities. The Honor 70 has an elegant design with slim finishes, although it’s not without its flaws. The edges are quite angular, which can make the grip of the phone feel uncomfortable.
The Honor 70 has a quality screen that measures 6.67 inches and is a curved OLED. It’s perfect for daily use, with Full HD+ definition and an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The brightness recorded in tests peaks at 808 cd/m², but the color palette offered is slightly less impressive.
In terms of photography, the Honor 70 performs exceptionally well. The phone features a triple camera setup on the back, with a main 54 megapixel lens and a 50 megapixel ultra wide angle lens. The Honor 70 is highly versatile and has good color management, making it a great option for those who enjoy taking photos.
The Honor 70 is powered by a well made Snapdragon 778 G SoC, providing seamless performance when running resource intensive mobile games. The battery life of the phone is outstanding, lasting a day and a half in versatile use. It comes with a 66W fast charging block, which can quickly power up the phone when needed.
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Overall, the Honor 70 is an excellent mid range smartphone that offers high quality features and performance. Despite a few minor drawbacks, such as the angular edges, it’s definitely worth considering if you’re in the market for a new phone.
Honor 50
The highly anticipated Honor 50 marks a significant moment for the brand as it is the first smartphone to officially feature Google services since 2019. Despite its striking similarity to the Huawei Nova 9 in terms of design, the Honor 50 is a lightweight and slim device that feels comfortable in the hand, although some of the colors may be a bit flashy.
The device boasts a good quality screen with an adaptive 120 Hz OLED panel that is bright and provides relatively decent colors. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 778G SoC, a mid range chip with solid performance, allowing for a smooth user experience and seamless gaming. However, the phone’s endurance is pretty average. With a battery life lasting for a full day and fast charging taking about 45 minutes.
As for the camera, the Honor 50’s four sensor setup fails to impress. With the main sensor producing underwhelming colorimetric shots and disappointing additional sensors. The phone does, however, perform well in low-light conditions.
On the software front, the Honor 50 runs on Magic UI 4.2, which is essentially a copy of Huawei’s EMUI. The interface is polished and customizable, with the added benefit of Google services.
Overall, the Honor 50 is a well balanced phone that may struggle to stand out from the competition. Although it marks a solid, if not revolutionary, comeback for the brand. It is evident that the connection with Huawei remains strong, both in terms of hardware and software.
Honor X8
Honor has come up with some innovative design choices for its entry level smartphone. It features flat edges and a photo module that resembles what Apple does with its iPhones. The 6.67 inch FHD+ screen has a respectable refresh rate of 90 Hz.
To power this affordable smartphone, Honor chose the reliable Snapdragon 680 chip, paired with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. There are four sensors on the back. The main 64 MP sensor performs adequately. But the shots are not particularly exceptional photography is not the phone’s strong suit.
Like its counterparts, the phone runs on Magic UI based on Android 11. Given its sale price, we should not expect 5G connectivity or Wi-Fi 6. It might be wise to wait for price reductions before making a purchase – it will become more appealing that way.
Honor Magic 4 Lite
The Honor Magic 4 Lite falls short in many aspects. Its LCD screen technology is not up to par with the price point and year of release. Lacking proper color calibration and brightness.
However, the phone makes up for it in battery life, boasting two-day battery life and quick charging capabilities of 66W. Its main camera sensor at 48 megapixels, performs well, especially in favorable lighting conditions, and its portrait mode is decent. Additionally, its graphics performance is respectable, allowing for smooth gameplay of popular titles like Fortnite and Genshin Impact without overheating.
Overall, while the Honor Magic 4 Lite may not be the best option in its price range, due in large part to its subpar screen quality, it could be a suitable choice for those solely seeking a budget friendly Honor smartphone with decent power.
Verdict
Honor, similar to other Chinese electronics brands, primarily focused on offering affordable entry and mid range smartphones in the past, while also releasing a few high end models. Nonetheless, the brand’s goal remains to provide budget friendly smartphones. With that said, Honor has expanded its product range and now includes premium smartphones. Such as the Honor Magic 4 Pro.
Overall, Honor’s return to the smartphone market is an exciting development for consumers. While the brand‘s first generation of independent smartphones may bear a resemblance to Huawei’s models, the brand is still able to offer competitive features and pricing. As Honor continues to develop its range of smartphones, it will be interesting to see how it distinguishes itself from its former parent company and establishes its own identity in the market.
