Honor 90 Review: A Game-Changer in the Mid-Range Market

The Honor 90 has emerged as a strong contender in the mid-range smartphone market, challenging industry giants like Samsung and Google. With its impressive features and affordable price point, Honor has established itself as a brand to watch in the smartphone industry. Have a look at our Honor 90 review and see how it offers a sleek design, stunning display, powerful performance, and a versatile camera system that rivals flagship devices.

HONOR 90 – Technical Specifications

• 6.7-inch (2664×1200 pixels) FHD+ OLED 120Hz quad curved display, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, up to 1,600 nits peak brightness, 3840Hz high-frequency PWM dimming

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition (4nm) Mobile Platform with Adreno 644 GPU
• 8GB / 12GB RAM with 256GB / 512GB storage
• Android 13 based MagicOS 7.1
• Dual SIM (nano + nano)
• 200MP camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor, f/1.9 aperture, LED flash, 12MP ultra-wide camera with f/2.2 aperture, 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
• 50MP front camera with f/2.4 aperture, 2MP depth sensor with f/2.4 aperture
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• USB Type-C Audio, Stereo speakers
• 5G SA/NSA, Dual 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ax (2.4GHz/5GHz), Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, USB Type-C, NFC
• 5000 mAh battery with 66W SuperCharge fast charging
• Dimensions: 161.9×74.1×7.8mm; Weight: 183g
• Colors: Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Diamond Silver

The Honor 90 boasts an elegant and premium design that is sure to turn heads. With its thin and lightweight build, measuring just 161.9mm tall, 74.1mm wide, and 7.8mm thick, the Honor 90 is comfortable to hold and use. The shiny and textured brushed metal back adds a touch of sophistication and is resistant to fingerprint smudges. The curved edges and slim profile further contribute to its premium feel. Despite its lightweight design, the Honor 90 feels solid and well-built.

Display: Immersive Visual Experience

The Honor 90 features a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display that delivers an immersive visual experience. With a screen-to-body ratio of 93.3% and minimal bezels, the display offers a truly immersive experience. The dynamic refresh rate of 60 to 120Hz ensures smooth on-screen action, whether you’re gaming or scrolling through social media. The sharp resolution of 2664 x 1200 and HDR 10+ support enhance the clarity and vibrancy of the display. The Honor 90’s display is brighter than ever before, making it suitable for outdoor use.

 ‌

Honor 90 Review: Performance

Under the hood, the Honor 90 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition. While it may not be the latest chip on the market, it still delivers solid performance for everyday tasks and mobile gaming. With either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, the Honor 90 offers smooth multitasking and quick app loading. The phone’s storage options range from 256GB to 512GB, providing ample space for apps, games, and media.

Camera: Capture Every Moment

The Honor 90’s camera system is a standout feature of this mid-range smartphone. As for the images produced by the Honor 90, I think they’re best described as natural. In fact, it often looks like there’s barely any processing taking place. It features a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide and macro camera, and a 2MP depth camera. There’s no telephoto camera here, but the camera app offers a shortcut to a digital 2x zoom from the main lens which should help in a pinch. The main camera captures incredible detail and allows for zooming and cropping without significant loss of quality. The colors in photos can be slightly oversaturated, but overall, the camera produces natural-looking images.

The 12Mp ultrawide sounds much less impressive on paper, though doesn’t do badly so long as the lighting is good. It really struggles when it gets dark though, enough so that it’s not even worth trying to use in dimmer conditions.

The 50MP front-facing camera is perfect for high-quality selfies and video calls. The Honor 90’s camera system also supports multi-video mode, allowing you to shoot with both the subject and yourself in the frame simultaneously. The Honor 90 is refreshingly honest with the photos it produces. I particularly like how it doesn’t overdo blue skies and greenery, which never stray into ‘ouch’ territory (a common complaint I’ve always had with Samsung phones in particular).

As for video, the Honor 90 smashes it. There’s a concession on display here, which is the inability to shoot anything beyond 30fps in 4K (you can access 60fps, but only in 1080p), but that doesn’t matter at this price point.

Honor 90 Review: Battery Life and Charging

With its 5000mAh battery, the Honor 90 offers impressive battery life, easily lasting all day with moderate to heavy use. The phone also supports 66W Supercharging, which can quickly charge the battery to 45% in just 15 minutes. A full charge takes just over 40 minutes, ensuring that you spend less time waiting for your phone to charge and more time using it.

Unfortunately there’s no wireless charging support. Pixel 7a and Nothing Phone (1) both include wireless around the same price, so the omission is beginning to feel unacceptable in the upper mid-range.

MagicOS for a Customized Experience

The Honor 90 runs on MagicOS 7.1, a customized version of Android 13. As for MagicOS, this is my first experience with Honor’s operating system, and I’m happy to report that it is a considered, tasteful customization of Android 13.

MagicOS offers an attractive and user-friendly interface with various customization options. While it comes with pre-installed apps, they can be easily removed to personalize your device. Honor provides 2 years of OS updates and 3 years of security updates, ensuring that your phone stays up to date with the latest features and security patches.

Pricing and Availability

The Honor 90 is competitively priced, making it an excellent value for the features it offers. The base model with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage starts at £449, while the higher-end model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is priced at £499. The Honor 90 is available in Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Diamond Silver (exclusive to the Honor online store).

Honor 90 Review: Conclusion

In conclusion, the Honor 90 is a game-changing smartphone in the mid-range market. With its sleek design, stunning display, powerful performance, and versatile camera system, it easily rivals flagship devices. The affordable price point makes it an attractive option for those looking for a high-quality smartphone without breaking the bank. Whether you’re a casual user or a mobile gaming enthusiast, the Honor 90 delivers an exceptional user experience.