HONOR 200 Smartphone Review
July 17, 2024
HONOR continues to release its camera-centric midrange phones as photography continues to be one of the brand’s selling point for its smartphones. This time around, HONOR releases the HONOR 200 and HONOR 200 Pro smartphones with AI capabilities, hence they are dubbed AI Portrait Master featuring a four-layer AI Architecture namely Cross-device & Cross-OS AI, Platform-level AI, App-level AI, and Interface to Cloud-AI services. In this review, we have the HONOR 200 to test out to see how the new hardware and AI-software features bring value to this Php 24,999 smartphone.
Unboxing and First Impressions
The HONOR 200 comes with your typical HONOR style packaging for its smartphones, plain white with no other text or markings apart from the phone number. I’m personally delighted with this approach considering that the HONOR 200 series is branded as the “AI Portrait Master,” HONOR didn’t double down on the AI hype and added AI markings on the packaging.
As far as inclusions go, you have the standard set 100W USB Type-C Charger, Type-C Cable, and silicon phone cover. The 100W Type-C adapter that came in our review sample is an EU plug which is incompatible with the PH outlets so you may need to use an adapter or plug it into the extension – if the PH retail units come with the same EU plug that we have.
The HONOR 200 sports a 6.7-inch 2664×1200 AMOLEDD Quad-curved display with a 120Hz refreshrate and 3840Hz PWM dimming. Underneath is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 CPU with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. Other regions have an 8GB+256GB and 12GB+256GB configuration but HONOR Philippines only offers the HONOR 200 with the 12GB+512GB config which is also the spec of our review unit.
Unlike the most recent HONOR X8b that we reviewed, the HONOR 200 doesn’t have any textured finish gimmicks. Instead, we are given a matte on our Black review sample. The HONOR 200 also comes in Coral Pink, Moonlight White, and Emerald Green. According to HONOR, they will not bring the Coral Pink colorway to the Philippines.
Both the volume rocker and the lock button are located on the upper right side of the device. I must say that the placement paired with its size is the most optimal for me compared to previous honor phone releases. Reaching for either button feels ergonomic and doesn’t strain my hand in general. The SIM Card tray is located at the bottom of the device next to the USB-C port. The USB-C port supports 100W HONOR SuperCharge feature.
HONOR 200 PERFORMANCE
HONOR 200 CAMERA SETUP
The Camera bump design is definitely not one of my favorites compared to the recent HONOR phone releases. The bump has a silver lining on the sides which makes it look larger. You have a 50MP f/1.95 SONY IMX906 sensor for the main camera, a 50MP f/2.4 Sony IMX856 telephoto camera, and a 12MP f/2.2 Ultrawide and Macro camera.
Honor 200 FRONT CAMERA
The HONOR 200 is equipped with a 50MP Selfie Camera positioned in the top center of the phone.
BATTERY LIFE
You have the same 5200mAh battery found on the HONOR 200 Pro installed on the HONOR 200. Its slightly smaller screen resolution and less powerful processor make the HONOR 200 last longer as it managed to last 12 hours and 9 minutes with our Work 3.0 battery life benchmark.
Conclusion
The HONOR 200 is priced at Php 24,999 while the HONOR 200 PRO is priced at Php 29,999 making the HONOR 200 hard-sell for those who can afford the PRO variant. That said, coming from a photography standpoint, the HONOR 200 does hold up its value with almost the same sensors as the pro variant and this is where the HONOR 200 shines. Paired with a 5,200mAh battery that could last to arguably a day, the HONOR 200 is a compelling phone for those who are into photography. That said, if you prioritize performance then the PRO variant might be the better option for you, that is if you have Php 5,000 to spare.
Overall the HONOR 200 is an ideal all-rounder phone thanks to a good balance of its specs particularly the CPU, RAM, Storage, Camera, and Battery that makes it above average in the market. That said, it’s also the device’s trade-off as there are other phones in the market that can edge out one of the aforementioned features of the HONOR 200 but of course, it comes at the cost of another feature. Nonetheless, the HONOR 200 offers good value for those looking for a photography-centric, well-rounded phone at the Php 24,999 price point.
