Honor has been making significant strides in India with a series of new product launches. The company has recently unveiled the Honor 200 series in the country, aiming to enhance its offerings in both the mid-range and premium markets. While the Honor 200 Pro is designed for the premium segment, it is the Honor 200 that is expected to encounter the most competition in the Indian smartphone arena. The latest model is available at a price of Rs 34,999 for the 8GB + 256GB variant and Rs 39,999 for the 12GB + 512GB option.
The Honor 200 boasts several appealing features and an upscale design. This iteration places a particular emphasis on its camera capabilities, which have been co-developed with Studio Harcourt, a renowned photography studio celebrated for its portrait work. The question remains: will these attributes be sufficient to persuade consumers to choose this device over its rivals? This review aims to explore that inquiry.
Honor 200 Design: Sleek and Stylish
- Dimensions – 161.5 x 74.6 x 7.7mm
- Weight – 187g
- Colours – Moonlight White and Black
Honor has been among the select brands that approached smartphone design with a significant level of seriousness, even during its earlier operations in India prior to the ban. Today, remnants of that same design ethos can be observed in the Honor 200. This smartphone stands out as distinctive and fashionable within its price range. For this review, I received the Moonlight White color variant, which immediately conveys an air of elegance, a quality that is uncommon in this price category.
The wave pattern featured on the rear panel is visually appealing, and the oval-shaped camera module enhances its aesthetic. However, this camera module does cause the device to wobble when placed on flat surfaces. The device feels comfortable in hand, although the plastic frame is somewhat disappointing.
With a slim profile of 7.7mm and a weight of 187 grams, the handset is competitive within its category. A notable drawback of the design is its slippery nature, necessitating the use of a case, particularly since it lacks official Gorilla Glass protection. Additionally, the absence of an official IP rating is a significant concern at this price level.
Honor’s latest smartphone boasts a quad-curved display that delivers sharp and vibrant visuals. It features a peak brightness of 4,000 nits, ensuring excellent visibility in outdoor settings.
The device offers a 120Hz refresh rate, resulting in a smooth scrolling experience. The premium appearance of the quad-curved screen also helps reduce accidental touches. For content consumption, this device excels. While viewing ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ on Apple TV+, the color saturation was impressive, and the darker scenes posed no issues.
Furthermore, the phone supports Widevine L1 and HDR10+, allowing for enjoyable HDR content viewing on Netflix. Users can choose between Normal and Vivid modes to suit their preferences, though I recommend using Vivid mode for optimal results.
Honor 200 Display: Crisp and Vibrant
- Display – 6.7-inch 1.5K AMOLED curved display
- Refresh Rate – 120Hz screen refresh rate
- Other Features – 3840Hz PWM Dimming, 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut, , 4,000nits peak brightness
The Honor 200 Software: Bloatware-Heavy
Software – MagicOS 8.0
Version – Android 14
Updates Promised – 3 Years of OS updates and 4 years of security patches
The Honor 200 is equipped with MagicOS 8.0, which is built on the Android 14 platform. The user interface is intuitive and provides a range of customization options and features. The manufacturer asserts that it has incorporated several AI functionalities, including Magic Capsule, Magic Portal, and Magic Ring, among others. While some of these features prove to be beneficial, others appear to be more superficial in nature.
One notable feature is the Magic Portal, which facilitates the seamless transfer of text, images, and videos between applications. For instance, users can easily copy text from Instagram by long-pressing it until a blue highlight appears, allowing them to drag the content into applications such as Notes, Gmail, or WhatsApp. Additionally, the Favorite Space feature enables users to store and access their screenshots and videos at any time.
Conversely, the Magic Capsule seems to lack substance and resembles a gimmick. Although inspired by Apple’s Dynamic Island, it falls short of offering a comprehensive set of features. Currently, it displays music playback and a timer, but it is hoped that the brand will enhance its functionality in future updates.
Overall, the user interface provides a commendable level of customization. However, the presence of bloatware remains an issue, resulting in duplicate applications for Email, Gallery, app market, calculator, and documents, among others. Fortunately, users are spared from intrusive notifications from these applications, which is a welcome relief.
Honor 200 Performance: Adequate for Everyday Use
Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
Memory – Up to 12GB (LPDDR5)
Storage – Up to 512GB (UFS 2.2)
The Honor 200 is equipped with commendable hardware for its price range. It is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, which is also utilized in devices such as the Vivo V30, OnePlus Nord CE4, and Motorola Edge 50 Pro, among others. Nevertheless, when compared to its rivals in the same price category, the performance of this phone is somewhat lacking, as evidenced by synthetic benchmark comparisons.
In everyday usage, users will not encounter significant issues or lag. Even during resource-intensive tasks, the device maintains performance without considerable throttling, which is a positive aspect.
Regarding gaming capabilities, the Honor 200 can handle most standard gaming experiences with ease. For instance, playing Call of Duty: Mobile at default settings with High and Very High graphics and frame rates yields a seamless experience. Even when set to Very High Quality and maximum frame rate, I did not observe any frame drops. However, the device did become slightly warm around the camera area, though this was not concerning.
Honor 200 Cameras: Almost Exceptional
Rear – 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 sensor with f/1.95 aperture + 12-megapixel Ultra-Wide Camera + 50-megapixel Sony IMX856 2.5x portrait sensor
Front – 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 sensor with f/2.1 aperture
The camera system is arguably the standout feature of the Honor 200. It boasts a well-rounded camera configuration that encompasses all the essential elements for a high-quality camera-focused smartphone.
