HONOR has launched the HONOR 200, with the aim to focus on it’s portrait taking capabilities as it’s main feature. I spent some time with the device to see if it lives up to the hype.
Design and Build
The HONOR 200 boasts a sleek and modern design. Our review unit came in black, featuring a glossy finish on the back that gives it a premium look at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, you’ll notice it’s plastic. While some users might prefer a glass or metal back for a more luxurious feel, the plastic construction helps keep the weight down, making it comfortable to hold for extended periods. And it helps that even with the material, the phone looks luxurious.
The front features a large 6.7-inch display with a minimal bezel design. The bezels are slightly thicker around the corners, but this isn’t very noticeable during everyday use. A waterdrop notch houses the front-facing camera. The display itself utilizes IPS LCD technology and boasts a 120Hz refresh rate. This translates to a smooth and responsive user experience, especially when scrolling through social media feeds or gaming. The resolution is Full HD+ (2664 x 1200), offering sharp visuals and vibrant colors.
The down facing speakers are there to bring the oomp whether you’re watching videos or listening to music. The audio does feel a little hollow when the volume is at max.
Performance
The HONOR 200 is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, paired with 12GB + 512GB of Memory. This chipset is a solid choice for a mid-range phone, offering enough processing power for everyday tasks like browsing the web, using social media apps, and streaming videos. During our testing, the phone navigated through menus and apps smoothly. Multitasking between several apps was manageable without any significant lag.
The high memory of the phone is great for those who love to take photos and for those who want a great every day unit. The UI, looks elegant and reaction to swipes is really smooth. The phone’s OS MagicOS 8.0, does bring in a few bloatware apps that you would still want to delete. Though it’s not as bad as other brands, it does get a little annoying to clean up a phone that you get fresh on out of the box.
Battery Life and Charging
As a daily driver, the HONOR 200 does not disappoint. With moderate usage, we were able to achieve a full day of use on a single charge. This included browsing social media, streaming videos, making calls, and using light productivity apps. Power users might need to top up the battery before the end of the day, but overall, the battery life is dependable.
The HONOR 200 also supports 66W fast charging. This allows you to quickly top up the battery when needed. In our tests, a 30-minute charge provided enough juice to reach around 70%, perfect for those who are always on the go
Camera System
Now we talk about the HONOR 200‘s main feature, the camera. For a mid-range phone, the HONOR 200‘s camera system is so robust that it can even rival some flagship camera phones. The triple-camera setup performs well under well lit situations. The main 50MP sensor captures detailed shots with accurate colors. The ultra-wide lens is a useful addition. The macro lens also works better than expected. Partnered with the HONOR AI Portrait Engine, the HONOR 200 is a killer combo an in fact is a good phone to grab if you like taking a lot of pictures.
Studio Harcourt Shots on the phone
The HONOR 200 uses a tri-camera setup with a 50MP Portrait Main Camera, 50MP Telephoto Camera, and a 12MP Ultra-wide and Macro Camera. The 50MP Telephoto camera uses the Sony IMX 856 senor which is great for taking portrait photos. The sensor allows to take clear and precise captures of distant objects with exceptional detail.
Another key feature for the HONOR 200 is the Studio Harcourt Portrait feature built into the phone. You can easily create dramatic portraits using the Harcourt style of shooting. In fact, there are three shoot modes for Harcourt: Harcourt Vibrant, Harcourt Classic, and Harcourt Colour which provides you more options for your shots.
On top of that you can also take clear selfies with the 50MP Portrait selfie camera.
Sample shots
Verdict
The HONOR 200 is a competent mid-range smartphone. Its design, display, and battery life are commendable. What sets the phone apart is the HONOR AI Portrait Engine that provides an increased quality in shots taken with the phone. Add the Harcourt Portrait modes, and you’ve got a phone that’s not only a great every day driver, but a phone that you can easily grab for great photos.
With a price tag of ₱24,999 the phone has all the features you can look for in a camera phone and then some. You can grab the HONOR 200 via Shopee, Lazada, and Tiktok, or you can search through the HONOR official stores via , or at the nearest HONOR kiosk near you.
Specs
| Colors | • Moonlight White • Emerald Green • Black |
| Processor | • Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 • Adreno 720 (GPU) |
| Memory | • 12GB + 512GB |
| Display | • 6.7" • Resolution: FHD+2664x1200 • Aspect Ratio: 19.98:9 • AMOLED |
| Charging & Battery | • 5200 mAh • Lithium polymer battery (Silicon-Carbon Battery) • HONOR 100W SuperCharge |
| Cameras | Front Camera • 50MP (f/2.1 aperture) • Image Resolution: 8192 x 6144 pixels • Video Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels • Video Shooting: Support 4K (3840 x 2160) Rear Camera • 50MP Wide Camera(f/1.95 aperture, OIS) • 50MP Telephoto Camera (f/2.4 aperture, OIS) • 12MP Ultra Wide Camera (f/2.2 aperture) • Image Resolution: 8192 x 6144 pixels • Video Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels • Video Shooting: Support 4K (3840 x 2160) • Rear Flashlight: Rear Single LED flash |
| Network | Networks • 5G (NR) • 4G (LTE TDD/LTE FDD) • 3G (WCDMA) • 2G (GSM) Sim Card • SIM Card 1 - Nano SIM Card • SIM Card 2 - eSIM |
| Dimensions & Weight | • Height: 161.5 mm • Width: 74.6 mm • Depth: 7.7 mm • Weight: Approx. 187 g |
| Buttons & Ports | • USB Type-C, USB 2.0 • Earjack: USB Type-C |
| Operating System | • Operating System: MagicOS 8.0 (Based on Android 14) • User Interface: MagicOS 8.0 |
| Package Inclusions | • Phone(Built-in battery) x 1 • HONOR SuperCharge x 1* • Type-C Cable x 1 • TPU Protective cover x 1* • Quick Start Guide x 1 • Eject Tool x 1 • Warranty Card x 1* • TP protective film (Attached on the phone before delivery) x 12. HONOR SuperCharge x 1* |