Honor 50 Review: The Comeback Kid

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It’s all exchange for Honor nowadays. As soon as a part of Huawei, the logo was once spun off into its personal corporate closing 12 months to flee the worst have an effect on of a restrictive US business ban. It’s taken some time, however the Honor 50 is the primary phone the corporate has launched globally since putting out by itself.

That implies that the Honor 50 is the primary Honor phone in a while to send with complete reinforce for Google Mobile Products and services – however it’s additionally some of the first Honor telephones to make use of a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and to run on tool evolved a minimum of partially with out Huawei’s reinforce.

The excellent information is that Honor has hit the bottom working with a phone that matches proper in with its previous sport plan: flagship design, near-flagship efficiency, non-flagship value.

Design and construct

  • Vibrant finishes
  • Curved demonstrate & frame
  • Twin ring digital camera
  • No waterproofing

In some ways, this can be a lovely vintage trendy slab phone with acquainted touches like a curved demonstrate, slender bezels, and a reflective rear – all of which assist the phone really feel top rate, but additionally decidedly Honor.

Honor 50 display

I’ve been checking out the phone’s ‘Emerald Inexperienced’ end, however you’ll additionally to find it in ‘Frost Crystal’, ‘Middle of the night Black’, and ‘Honor Code’. I’m keen on the steadiness the fairway style moves between understatement and pizzazz, however this can be a fearsome fingerprint magnet, so chances are you’ll to find you wish to have to throw a case on it anyway.

Because of the massive demonstrate this surely isn’t a small phone, however Honor has saved it gentle (175g) and slender (7.8mm) so it feels some distance much less cumbersome than lots of its competitors. With the assistance of the curved demonstrate, it in truth feels quite narrow, so this must be a really perfect selection for somebody who likes small telephones in principle however can’t somewhat withstand the attract of a large display screen.

The digital camera module is clearly the opposite major speaking level. Honor says that the twin ring design is encouraged by means of twin-lens reflex cameras, and likewise compares it unsettlingly to a couple of eyes. I will’t say I like the design, however it’s a minimum of memorable and does assist the Honor 50 stand out.

Honor 50

It most effective sticks out up to now regardless that, as there’s every other phone with the very same design. It will appear Honor remains to be operating in the course of the unlock of telephones that have been designed whilst Huawei was once nonetheless paying the expenses, because the Honor 50 is the spitting symbol of the Huawei Nova 9, additionally launching in Europe q4.

The telephones have a lot in not unusual past their design, regardless that are in the end distinct – no longer least for the reason that Nova 9 can’t get entry to Google apps, together with the Play Retailer, giving the Honor 50 a transparent leg up. In design regardless that, there’s in reality not anything to tug them aside, so endure that during thoughts if it’s the cultured that you simply’re all in favour of.

Show and audio

  • Massive 6.57in demonstrate
  • 120Hz OLED with excessive color protection
  • Non-stereo audio system

Mid-range telephones have higher presentations than ever, and by chance, Honor has controlled no longer most effective to maintain, however to excel in comparison to maximum different telephones at this value.

The 6.57in panel right here ticks off an entire host of containers: curved, OLED, Complete HD+ solution, 120Hz refresh fee, 300Hz contact sampling fee, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut and reinforce for over one billion colors.

Honor 50 screen

If truth be told, it will be sooner to record the highest specifications this display screen doesn’t have: there’s no LTPO tech to dynamically adjust refresh fee (it could actually most effective leap between 60Hz and 120Hz); it doesn’t pass as much as Quad HD+ or 4K solution.

Assuming you’ll be able to are living with out the ones two – and in reality most of the people must be capable of – then there’s no explanation why to not be proud of the panel right here, which is shiny, brilliant, and vibrant it doesn’t matter what you throw at it.

The demonstrate additionally incorporates the phone’s under-screen fingerprint reader, which is set as immediate and dependable as they arrive. Face free up could also be to be had if you happen to desire, regardless that it’s the moderately unsecure type pushed by means of the solitary selfie digital camera present in a central punch-hole.

As with maximum flagship telephones at the present time, you gained’t discover a 3.5mm headphone jack any place. As an alternative, you’ll need to make do with USB-C or Bluetooth headphones, or make do with the phone’s decent speaker sound – regardless that there’s no stereo reinforce.

Specifications and function

  • Mid-range – however tough – Snapdragon 778G chip
  • As much as 8GB RAM and 256GB garage
  • 5G and Wi-Fi 6

One of the vital different small compromises within the Honor 50 is at the chipset. You gained’t discover a flagship 8-series Qualcomm chip right here, however as a substitute the mid-range Snapdragon 778G.

Honor 50

I name this a compromise, however in all honesty, you’re no longer giving up a lot right here. Even paired with simply 6GB of RAM within the style I examined, which comes with 128GB garage, efficiency was once rock-solid all over my time with the phone and it’ll most likely be even higher within the 8+256GB model of the handset.

In our synthetic benchmarks, the Honor 50 posted an identical ratings to the Realme GT Grasp Version – which makes use of the similar chipset – and on CPU checks got here lovely shut to a few flagship Snapdragon 888-powered units. The ones tended to tug aside additional at the GPU-focussed GFXBench checks, however the Honor 50 nonetheless carried out solidly and can hang its personal whilst gaming.

That is one in every of Honor’s first telephones the usage of Qualcomm silicon, after most commonly the usage of Huawei’s personal Kirin chips prior to, and the corporate has indisputably confronted teething pains operating across the new {hardware}.

It says that tech like its GPU Turbo X graphics acceleration have already been tailored for Snapdragon, however it sort of feels believable – if no longer assured – that efficiency right here will most effective reinforce as Honor’s engineers get extra time to optimise the brand new {hardware}.

As for connectivity, the Snapdragon 778G does pull its weight right here. In conjunction with 5G reinforce you get NFC, Bluetooth 5.2, and Wi-Fi 6.

The lengthy and wanting it’s that whilst this surely isn’t probably the most tough phone in the marketplace, it’s no slouch. Think about the cost and the efficiency right here feels actually aggressive, with most effective the likes of the common Realme GT and a handful of gaming telephones handing over extra bang to your greenback.

Cameras

  • Spectacular 108Mp major digital camera
  • Forgettable further lenses
  • Robust on selfies

In terms of digital camera chops, the Honor 50 is somewhat of a combined bag. It has some plain strengths, and for most of the people, the succesful major digital camera and selfie shooter might be sufficient to fulfill however the loss of versatility might neatly frustrate others.

The headline is the 108Mp major lens, which takes up part of the rear digital camera array all on its own. That’s thank you partly to a big sensor, which is helping the lens seize extra gentle for higher ends up in nearly all lights prerequisites however particularly at midnight.

This digital camera is undeniably succesful, and I captured a couple of beautiful pictures in my week the usage of the Honor 50. As you’d be expecting from this kind of excessive solution digital camera it’s wealthy with crisp element, and in excellent lights, it produces punchy, colourful colors.

Honor 50 camera test

I’ve been just a little extra dissatisfied in efficiency in dimmer gentle. Now not most effective is element misplaced, however pictures continuously really feel gray and washed out, suggesting that Honor has some fine-tuning to do right here, regardless that the loss of any bodily optical symbol stabilisation (OIS) is indisputably taking part in a component too.

It’s been a up to date development to include increasingly night time mode options into the default capturing mode when it detects low gentle, however there’s no longer a lot signal of that right here. That suggests you’ll have to be mindful to modify to nighttime mode at midnight, which produces dramatically advanced effects. Take a look at my comparability pictures of 2 similar footage from London’s Leicester Sq., one with night time mode and one with out.

The selfie digital camera tells a an identical tale. The 32Mp sensor this is succesful of a few in reality wealthy, detailed pictures, however high quality drops off even in most effective quite dim lights. The portrait mode produces sexy bokeh, however was once just a little competitive on blurring my hairline. The {hardware} used this is succesful sufficient, so it suggests some algorithmic tweaks are had to profit from it.

Honor 50 camera

There are 3 extra cameras at the rear to believe, however don’t get too excited – like on many mid-range telephones, those appear to have been added most commonly to make up the numbers.

The 8Mp ultrawide is an actual sadness, with a chasmic gulf in high quality between it and the principle sensor. Should you in reality want to shoot extensive landscapes it’s an possibility, however you gained’t need to depend on it.

The 2Mp intensity sensor will assist with portrait mode however isn’t used in a different way, and the 2Mp macro digital camera isn’t the worst I’ve examined, however like many devoted macro lenses it feels superfluous – Apple has confirmed with the iPhone 13 {that a} robust ultrawide digital camera with a macro mode is a more practical resolution.

One different space that Honor has put paintings in is the phone’s video features, in an open try to court docket bloggers. Along with common video capturing modes, there’s a ‘multi-video’ possibility that lets you report split-screen or picture-in-picture video the usage of a mixture of the principle, ultrawide, and selfie lenses.

Honor 50 multi-video

In itself that is not anything new, however Honor has labored exhausting to expand an interface that makes it impressively simple to modify between digital camera choices (even whilst recording, albeit with a second-long blurry transition) and seize nonetheless pictures concurrently.

There are two large downsides regardless that. First up, the aforementioned loss of OIS manner you’ll be capable of report extra strong video in other places. 2nd, whilst the principle rear digital camera can shoot [email protected], the front-facing digital camera is proscribed to 1080p regardless of being high-res sufficient to take care of 4K. So whilst ease-of-use is best notch right here, there are some strict boundaries on ultimate high quality.

Battery and charging

  • Respectable battery existence
  • Tremendous-fast 66W stressed charging
  • No wi-fi charging

The Honor 50 provides spectacular battery existence, regardless that it’s probably not to set any data.

Similar to many mid-tier Android telephones, the 4300mAh battery right here will simply closing a complete day with out breaking a sweat, even with 120Hz refresh fee and the always-on demonstrate enabled – two of the most important battery drains round.

Making it to the tip of the second one day is extra of a stretch, however with gentle use the phone will make it. After all, that’s with a brand-new overview pattern, so be expecting battery existence to go to pot just a little through the years – however until you’re an especially heavy person, I don’t suppose there’s the rest to be involved in right here.

Honor 50

The phone additionally takes what’s turning into a well-known stance in mid-range Android telephones: ship lightning immediate stressed charging speeds by means of ditching wi-fi fully.

The 66W stressed charger – which is integrated within the field, don’t fear – crowned the phone all of the manner as much as 52% in simply quarter-hour in my checking out, hitting 83% by means of the 30 minutes mark. It takes neatly under an hour to get a complete price.

This is a disgrace to not get any wi-fi charging possibility now that we’re seeing it paintings down into different mid-range choices just like the OnePlus 9 and Pixel 6. Nonetheless, the ones are the exceptions quite than the norm, and the Honor 50 stays inexpensive than both of them, which justifies the omission reasonably.

Instrument and updates

  • Complete Google reinforce
  • MagicUI 4.2 on Android 11
  • No replace promise

The large information with the Honor 50 isn’t in reality the rest to do with Honor itself, or the phone: it’s the truth that it features a complete, up-to-date model of Android with whole reinforce for Google Mobile Products and services.

Honor 50 Google

Over the past two years, Honor telephones were topic to the similar business restrictions that crippled Huawei, which averted the corporate from licensing Google’s smartphone tool. Now that Honor is an impartial corporate, that’s not the case.

Sure, this runs Android 11 quite than the newest Android 12, however it’s pop out just a bit too early to present Honor time to enforce that replace. But even so, it’s value it simply as well up an Honor software and spot all of the usual Google apps pre-installed – together with the Play Retailer for get entry to to the overall Android ecosystem.

Honor’s personal Magic UI runs on best of Android, and no longer an excessive amount of has modified right here. The interface will really feel lovely acquainted to somebody who’s used a Huawei or Honor handset prior to, with a blank white-and-blue color palette – I will be curious to peer how this develops now that Honor is unfastened to design its personal tool.

Honor 50

The major space that Honor has already made its mark is within the new always-on demonstrate choices. There are a couple of acquainted quirky clocks and textual content choices, however the spotlight is new summary ‘inventive designs’. Those echo the ‘Subject matter You’ design language of the brand new Pixel tool by means of permitting you to extract 3 colors from a photograph (or simply use pre-set choices) to create customized designs.

As I discussed, the Honor 50 doesn’t send with Android 12, and it’s no longer but transparent when the brand new model of the OS will arrive at the handset. Extra to the purpose, Honor hasn’t but promised any set selection of years wherein it is going to supply tool and safety updates to the software, so it’s exhausting to understand what kind of long-term tool reinforce you must be expecting – a undeniable drawback if you happen to’re hoping for a phone that’ll closing you for a couple of years.

Worth and availability

The Honor 50 is launching globally in markets throughout Europe, the Heart East, and Asia – regardless that up to now there aren’t any plans to unlock it in North The united states. In maximum markets pre-orders are to be had now, with the phone delivery someday in November 2021 – in the United Kingdom it is from 12 November.

It’s to be had in two variations with other RAM and garage:

  • 6+128GB: £449/€529
  • 8+256GB: £529/€599

That value level places it proper in the midst of what we believe a mid-range phone, with contemporary festival together with the OnePlus 9, Pixel 6, and Realme GT. The ones all price just a little greater than the Honor 50, regardless that it additionally has to stand up towards our present favorite mid-ranger, the even inexpensive OnePlus Nord 2.

That’s lovely tricky festival for Honor to stand, and whilst I’m keen on the Honor 50 I can admit that you need to most probably discover a higher digital camera within the Pixel 6, extra energy within the Realme GT, and smoother tool in both of the OnePlus telephones. Nonetheless, this can be a succesful all-rounder, and relying to your style may simply be your favorite of the lot in relation to the design and demonstrate high quality.

Verdict

The Honor 50 is a welcome go back to the worldwide marketplace from Honor, regardless that it hasn’t somewhat carried out sufficient to stick out from a aggressive pack – but.

The design is the most important standout function, as whilst the cultured is just a little generic – massive digital camera circles apart – the slender construct and top rate end make this really feel just a little dearer than maximum different telephones round the similar value, helped by means of a demonstrate that’s tricky to overcome.

Battery existence, charging, and processor efficiency all galvanize, regardless that none excel. It’s a an identical tale with the digital camera: the principle lens proves tough, however lacklustre secondary lenses hang this again towards the digital camera festival.

In brief, the Honor 50 is excellent, however it’s no longer somewhat nice – regardless that if the cultured appeals, the phone most likely may not disappoint.

Plus, it after all has Google, and that’s sufficient to make this handily the most productive Honor phone in years – and a excellent signal of items to return from the corporate’s comeback. With the flagship Honor Magic 3 set for an international unlock subsequent, let’s hope that is just the beginning.

Specifications

Honor 50: Specifications

  • 6.57in 120Hz curved Complete HD+ (2340×1080) OLED demonstrate
  • All the time-on demonstrate capability
  • In-display fingerprint sensor
  • 108Mp major digital camera w/ 0.7µm pixels, f/1.9, 1/1.52in symbol sensor, EIS
  • 8Mp ultrawide digital camera, f/2.2, 120° FoV
  • 2Mp macro digital camera, f/2.4
  • 2Mp intensity sensor
  • 32Mp hole-punch entrance digital camera, f/2.2
  • USB-C
  • Twin SIM
  • 4300mAh battery
  • Stressed out charging as much as 66W
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G chipset
  • 6/8GB RAM
  • 128/256GB garage
  • Android 11 with Magic UI 4.2
  • WiFi 6
  • Bluetooth 5.2
  • NFC
  • 175g
  • 160 x 73.8 x 7.8mm
  • Colors: Frost Crystal, Emerald Inexperienced, Middle of the night Black, Honor Code



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