Day by day more and more smartphones with 200MP cameras are launched. Since last month I have tested two devices namely HONOR 90 and realme 11 Pro+ which use 200MP cameras. Both have their own uniqueness making many wonder which phone should be the choice. In this review article I will share my experience using the HONOR 90 and why this is a premium mid-range phone that you should have.
SPECIFICATIONS
HONOR 90
6.7″ AMOLED screen, 1.5K, 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
12GB RAM + 7GB Virtual
256/512 GB Internal Storage
Main Camera 200MP f/1.9 OIS (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle/Macro)
2MP f/2.4 (Depth)
Hi-Res, HDR, Solo cut
Selfie Camera 50 Megapixel f/2.4
4900 mAh battery
66W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM nano / 5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof None
Scan System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Selling Price RM 1799 (12/256 GB)
RM 2099 (12/512 GB)
SCREEN
6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2664×1200 pixels, supports a refresh rate of 120Hz, and also HDR10+. The device is confirmed to be able to play HDR10+ content on Netflix and even Prime Video which in my tests was very bright and provided a viewing experience close to a flagship device.
Making the screen of this device even more interesting is the support for color temperature and Circadian night mode. This mode can ensure that the user's eyes do not hurt when using the device at night or in a dark environment. Not only that, HONOR also insists that the screen of this device is safer because it received the recognition of TUV Rheinland with free flashing support.
The 120Hz support on this device is smooth and fast unlike the realme 11 Pro+. Although not using the LTPO panel, it can still change according to the content displayed with the algorithm on MagicOS 7.1. Scrolling through this screen is no problem at all and throughout use I have not experienced any lag issues.
HONOR 90 also uses a quad-curved screen like Huawei where it is not only curved on both sides but every corner as well. Watching videos on this device isn't annoying because of this curved screen, but I don't like it because of the uneven bezels.
FINGERPRINT SCANNER
The HONOR 90's fingerprint scanner is close to the chin of the screen but I feel the shape of the device makes it more comfortable to use than competing devices. The device's under-screen fingerprint scanner is also one of the fastest in its class. Even though my fingers are dirty it can still scan fine. An alternative is a face scan using a selfie camera which is also ultra fast.
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 that shines 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 on the top bezel there is a grid for the phone handle.
On the top of the device there is a microphone hole, another similar hole at the bottom along with the speaker grille, 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 on top, under a songket-like pattern with raised texture.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE – REALME UI 4.0
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.
Previously I had tested the Huawei Mate X3 and using the HONOR 90 it gave more or less the same experience. Many features and functions more than just rebranding make MagicOS 7.1 a global product suitable for everyone.
Despite that HONOR is still trying to give its own identity by trying to offer more or less the same features and functions on stock Android or competing devices with their iterations. This makes MagicOS 7.1 more fun to use unlike Oxygen OS, Color OS and realme UI which are more or less the same with the only difference being in the name.
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.
BENCHMARK – Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition
Playing for the first time on this device is not the best experience. It has more or less the same problem on the realme 11 Pro+, where the device heats up easily and lags. But the lag time on this device is not bad it's just because MagicOS 7.1 is a bit heavy and loaded with many system apps running in the background.
When playing Asphalt 9, Marvel SNAP and COD Mobile the device is still able to handle high graphics well. Although the specifications of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition chip are more or less the same as the 8+ Gen 1, it has heating problems unlike its flagship chip.
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 has the capabilities of the iQOO Z7 with the Snapdragon 782G chip, the Z7 lost in AnTuTu 3D 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
Realme 11 Pro+ – 946/2382
Poco F5 – 1,371/4,160
Vivo V27 – 1,201/2,699
iQOO Z7 – 1,125/3,001
AnTuTu 3D
HONOR 90 – 647,459
realme 11 Pro+ – 562,446
Poco F5 – 892,358
Vivo V27 – 624,369
iQOO Z7 – 588,831
3DMark
HONOR 90 – 861
realme 11 Pro+ – 562,446
Poco F5 – n/a
Vivo V27 – 1,158
iQOO Z7 – 808
TELEPHONY And GPS
For phone calls this device has performance like most premium mid-range devices which is fine. The mobile data connection is quite balanced with stable 4G and 5G depending on the area. As far as my usage goes, Maxis SIM cards don't support 5G yet but the 4G connection is fast enough and the signal is rarely low. GPS is fast enough to lock the location regardless of Waze or Google Maps, making it easier for me to use this device when traveling.
CAMERA
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.
Auto, twilight mode that displays natural colors as seen by the eye.
The pretty good 200MP mode looks like it was taken with a flagship camera that sells for twice the price.
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.
The best 2x digital zoom for a device in this class.
The 4x zoom is a bit blurry because but still tries to render natural colors and preserve details.
The macro mode has erratic focus issues, but when it does it looks beautiful.
Portrait mode looks neat, the tip of each feather is not blurred, but the focus is not satisfactory.
Ultra wide angle mode that displays colors well and preserves clear details.
The colors of the selfies are pleasing to the eye, but the auto beauty mode softens the skin on the face.
The auto night mode is quite satisfactory with sharp colors, details although a little soft if just shared on social media it still looks amazing.
For video recording, the HONOR 90 has slightly better quality for a device in its class. But sharing on social media is still not satisfactory. Interestingly, HONOR also includes AI features for editing such as Solo Cut which makes it easy to edit videos and photos into one complete video with captions and editing for Reels or TikTok.
BATTERY
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.
As for battery life, the HONOR 90 has no problem reaching up to 8 hours SOT of light use in almost two days and around 6 hours SOT of heavy use in one full day. This is commendable battery performance as it is quite good despite being 100mAh less than competitors in the market.
AUDIO
There's a lot that's good about this device but when it comes to audio the HONOR 90 continues to disappoint. This is because the price of the device reaches RM2000 but still uses mono speakers. Even the Histen technology that is always used is not integrated in MagicOS 7.1. There is no doubt that the speaker of this device is good, loud and has a good bang when watching videos or playing games. For my ears when the audio isn't balanced I keep getting annoyed and forcing me to use TWS all the time.
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
After using three smartphones with 200MP cameras since last year namely Xiaomi 12T Pro, then this year realme 11 Pro+ and HONOR 90 – so far in terms of camera for me Xiaomi is still the best even though there are problems with the camera artificial intelligence system. For HONOR 90 however it is better when compared to realme 11 Pro+.
HONOR is obviously very serious about trying to entice people to use their devices. The selling price is also competitive starting at RM1799. With a quality screen, chip specifications almost identical to Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a long-lasting battery and a sexy design – HONOR 90 is a premium mid-range device you should own.
There is no doubt that MagicOS 7.1 still has similarities with EMUI, but daily use becomes more fun with GMS. If you want to find a device around RM2000 with a satisfactory screen and sure that your eyes will be healthy, HONOR 90 is the device you should choose.
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.