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HONOR 90 is a new premium mid-range device that was already launched in China last month. This device is also confirmed to arrive in the Malaysian market soon. The HONOR 90 has already arrived at the our lab and I have already been using the device for several hours. In this article I will share with you my initial opinion is this the device you should buy this year?
SPECIFICATIONS
HONOR 90 5G
Screen 6.7″ AMOLED Quad Curved Floating Display,
2664×1200, 120Hz, HDR10+
Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition processor (4nm)
1x 2.5 GHz Cortex-A710 chip
3x 2.36 GHz Cortex-A710
4x 1.8 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 644 Graphics Chip
RAM 12 Gigabyte LPDDR5
Internal Storage 512GB UFS 3.1
Main Camera 200MP Ultra Clear Camera, f/1.9, wide angle
12MP, f/2.2, ultra-wide angle/macro
2MP, f/2.4, depth sensor
AI Vlog, HDR Enhancement, AI Video
Front Camera 50MP, f/2.4
5000 mAh battery
66W wired charging
Dual SIM Nano / 5G SIM/Telephony
NFC Yes
Infrared None
Waterproof None
Fingerprint Scan System under the screen
Selling Price In China 12/256 GB around RM1600
(No 12/512 GB in China)
SCREEN
6.7-inch AMOLED screen with 2664×1200 pixel resolution, supports 120Hz refresh rate, can play HDR10+ content on Netflix and Prime Video, supports Circadian color temperature and night mode. HONOR also emphasized that their screens are safer and healthier for users' eyes because they received TUV Rheinland recognition with flicker-free support.
In terms of color, the HONOR 90 screen is quite beautiful and attractive. It's on par with most other mid-range devices. Brightness is also quite satisfactory with manual control can reach up to 1600 nits. Using the device under the scorching sun will not be a problem and even though the device does not use an LTPO screen, 120Hz is still quick and fast.
It's a little disappointing that 2160p 60FPS HDR videos can't be played on YouTube, only 1440p 60FPS HDR is smooth. However HDR videos on Netflix have no problem playing.
DESIGN
HONOR 90 at first glance seems to use a clichéd design. But if you look at the design of this device it is actually quite unique. The two camera bumps on the back look like a pair of vertical eyes. Then for my unit which is Peacock Blue the back panel uses a pattern that looks like a peacock feather with a gradient color that changes color according to the light shining on the body of the device.
The curved screen was obviously chosen to show off the features of a premium device. The bezel is not very thin but is quite even and the displayed content does not interfere with use. There is a hole in the top center for the selfie camera. Right at the top of the bezel there is a grid for the phone.
On top of the device there is a microphone hole, another same hole at the bottom along with a speaker grill, SIM card slot and USB-C port. The right side of the device is equipped with all the power buttons and volume buttons while there is nothing on the left side.
HONOR 90 offers three color options in Malaysia. Each color has a different pattern such as Emerald Green with a green gradient color with a dull finish and Diamond Silver color is like a plain two-tone above, below a songket-like pattern with raised texture.
USAGE EXPERIENCE
Like other HONOR devices in Malaysia, the HONOR 90 also runs MagicOS 7.1 based on Android 13. There is no denying that the overall user experience is still similar to using Huawei's EMUI device. Even so MagicOS comes with Google apps and services and also tries to integrate many stock Android features.
In my opinion, those who are used to using EMUI devices or HONOR devices before will find it easy to explore the interesting features and functions HONOR provides in MagicOS. The interface design is colorful and cheerful. The user experience is quite interesting, fast and smooth.
Performance as far as usage for a few hours is quite impressive and it is what I expected for a HONOR device with a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 (SD7G1) chip. According to HONOR Malaysia, the SD7G1 used is the Accelerated Edition 5G version which is faster and more efficient. But I can only share more about the performance in future reviews.
The features and various interesting functions that I like on this device are as follows;
HONOR Connect & HONOR Share
Fast tethering with other HONOR products and efficient file sharing feature for between HONOR devices.
Circadian display mode
Color temperature and display night mode that comply with National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) standards.
Smart Resolution
Smart screen resolution that changes according to content to save device battery. Can change from 1998 x 900, 2442 x 1100 and to 2664 x 1200.
Rhythm to your heart
Features ringtones that collect themes like HONOR, Nature, Futuristic and more. Each theme is complete with ringtones, incoming message sounds, alarm sounds and other notification sounds.
YOYO
A service powered by its own AI engine. Can recommend Magic Text application and support.
Magic Text is for copying text from pictures, press text for quick access and more.
BENCH MARK
In the benchmark test, the HONOR 90 started to heat up after about 3 minutes of testing. The benchmark applications I use are the usual Geekbench 6, AnTuTu 3D and 3DMark. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip has capabilities similar to the Dimensity 7200 on the Vivo V27 and is slightly lower than the Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 used on the Poco F5. Although on paper the Honor 90 is as capable as the iQOO Z7 with the Snapdragon 782G chip, the Z7 lost on AnTuTu and 3DMark.
This device is seen to have a fairly reasonable score. Here is what the benchmark application notes;
Geekbench 6
HONOR 90 – 942/2,783
Poco F5 – 1,371/4,160
Vivo V27 – 1,201/2,699
iQOO Z7 – 1,125/3,001
AnTuTu 3D
HONOR 90 – 647,459
Poco F5 – 892,358
Vivo V27 – 624,369
iQOO Z7 – 588,831
3DMark
HONOR 90 – 861
Poco F5 – n/a
Vivo V27 – 1,158
iQOO Z7 – 808
CAMERA
The HONOR 90 is equipped with a tri-camera on the back that combines a 200MP Ultra Clear Camera sensor, f/1.9, wide angle + 12MP, f/2.2, ultra wide angle/macro + 2MP, f/2.4, depth sensor and a 50MP selfie camera. The camera application is also equipped with many new AI features such as AI Vlog Assistant, AI Video Quality Enhancement, supports its own HDR mode, can take high resolution mode photos and many other interesting features.
Here are some quite beautiful samples, bright with preserved details produced by the HONOR 90 camera. Every color also pops up and looks sharp.
Ultra wide angle – near dusk
Auto proximity – low light
Portrait mode
Night mode, 2x digital zoom and portrait selfies also deliver impressive results. I really like the colors of HONOR which are towards the colors that my eyes see in the real world and good focus. The problem arises only when using the camera, the viewfinder does not display the actual result.
Auto night mode
2x digital zoom
50MP selfie
BATTERY AND CHARGING
The HONOR 90 battery is 5000mAh with 66W HONOR SuperCharge fast charging support. This charging technology can charge the device from 0% – 60% within 20 minutes. Charging is via a USB-A to USB-C cable where both the cable and the charger plug are provided in the box. Sorry to be informed that there is no wireless charging support or wireless reverse on this device.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
Here's what's in the box for the HONOR 90 test unit;
1x Honor 90.
1x HONOR SuperCharge 66W Charger
1x USB-A to USB-C Cable
1x SIM Pin.
1x Silicone frame.
1x Guidebook and safety.
CONCLUSION
As far as usage for a few hours, there is not much I can reveal. What I can share is that the HONOR 90 will be one of the devices this year that joins the smartphone war with a 200MP camera. Beautiful screen, interesting software, big battery with fast charging and most importantly terrible camera capabilities for a premium mid-range device.
Using this device simultaneously with another yet-to-be-launched device that also has roughly the same specifications, HONOR has a tough challenger. Only the local selling price alone will determine whether this device is worth owning. If the 12/512 GB variant of my test unit is sold and the price is around below RM2500 there is no denying that this is a device you should buy for a satisfying experience.
Pro
The screen is beautiful, bright and fast.
200MP camera with high potential.
Interesting and unique design.
50MP selfie camera.
MagicOS 7.1 which is packed with interesting features/functions.
Cons
The design of MagicOS 7.1 is still similar to EMUI.
66W charging is not as fast as competing devices.
The camera viewfinder does not display the actual result.