Review: Honor 90 holds its ground in the premium segment, but rivals loom large
6.7-inch quad-curved bezel-less display, 2664x1200p resolution, 1600 nits peak brightness, Android 14 on MagicOS 7.1, Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition, 8GB + 256GB / 12GB+512GB, 200MP + 12MP Ultra Wide + 2MP Depth Camera; 50MP Selfie camera, 5000 mAh battery, 66W charging adapter
- Oct 15, 2023,
- Updated Oct 17, 2023 11:25 AM IST
Many of you may not recall Honor, but approximately six years ago, it stood as a prominent Gen Z brand in India under the Huawei umbrella. It boasted a stylish design and a performance-oriented approach, but it encountered a significant setback in India due to the United States imposing restrictions on its parent company, Huawei. However, Honor soon transformed into an independent entity and has sustained robust sales in various Asian markets. If you are wondering why I am sharing this history about the brand, well Honor smartphones are back in India. The erstwhile Realme India head has started a new company - HTech - resurrect the Honor brand in India. The burning question is whether Honor can once again reach or even surpass the benchmarks it had previously set in India, especially in the face of stiff competition from other Chinese manufacturers.
Design: If I were to summarize the design of the Honor 90 in a single word, it would be "stunning." This is an elegantly crafted device with a distinct premium feel, and the emerald green colour is undeniably refreshing. It's worth noting that my personal bias leans towards green shades. However, if you're not particularly fond of this colour, there are alternative options available, such as Diamond Silver and Midnight Black.
Honor has integrated a spacious 6.7-inch screen while preserving a remarkably slim profile, measuring a mere 7.8mm in thickness. The device's ergonomic design features curved edges on both the front and rear, enhancing its comfort for prolonged use. Notably, in a departure from the common practice of many smartphones flaunting a metallic chassis, Honor has opted for a plastic chassis, while reinforcing it with durable glass on both the front and rear panels and not Corning Gorilla Glass. This doesn't translate into a subpar or fragile feel; the device maintains a robust and substantial quality.
However, a notable drawback lies in the absence of an IP rating, which could have granted it water and dust resistance capabilities. This missing feature is a noteworthy consideration for potential buyers who prioritize device durability and protection in adverse conditions.
Display: Smartphones with curved displays is a common trend these days but with the Honor 90 it isn’t restricted to just the sides. It has a curved bezel-less display on all the four sides, which deserves notable praise. This is clubbed with 120Hz refresh screen that ensures smooth navigation, and great sunlight legibility at 1600 nits peak brightness. Honor has also added 3840Hz ultra-high frequency PWM dimming that lowers screen flicker renders resulting in improved eye comfort but I could not experience any difference.
For those who enjoy indulging in shows, movies, and now, the Cricket World Cup, this smartphone proves to be an ideal companion. I enjoyed streaming the world cup matches, particularly in Max mode on like Disney+ Hotstar on this device. Additionally, the presence of a video enhancer option is a noteworthy highlight. This feature enhances the colour and contrast of full-screen videos, resulting in a vivid and immersive viewing experience, and it's supported by popular apps such as Netflix. YouTube and Facebook.
However, it's essential to mention a slight drawback with the mono speaker, which may not meet the highest audio quality expectations. For a truly immersive audio experience, it's advisable to opt for wireless headphones or earbuds, ensuring you don't miss a beat when enjoying your favourite content.
Performance: Honor 90 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition, paired with Android 14 on MagicOS 7.1. The user interface significantly differs from stock Android. Apps are spread across the home screens, with notifications accessible by swiping down from the top left, and the control center opening when swiping from the top right. If you appreciate the user interface found on Xiaomi smartphones, you'll feel right at home. While there's little to criticize about the user interface, it's important to note that the Honor 90 doesn't feature the latest-generation chipset. However, it performs reasonably well, both in real-world usage and in benchmark tests.
When used extensively for web browsing, content streaming, gaming, and even document editing, everything runs smoothly without any signs of lag. However, extended gaming sessions can cause the device to become warm. For those who are enthusiastic gamers, this might not be the best choice.
For those concerned about the absence of Google services on the Honor device, there's no need to worry because the complete Google Suite comes pre-installed. Some of my go-to Google apps include Gmail, Search, Photos, Docs, and Lens, and all of these apps work smoothly. Additionally, the Microsoft Office 365 suite is available for download from the Google Play store. The Honor 90 comes loaded with bloatware, and SwiftKey is the default keyboard, but you can also install Gboard.
Honor has committed to providing two software updates and three years of security updates for this device.
Camera: While the design and access to Google Services a great, a lot these days depend upon the camera. The Honor 90 does a fairly decent job with its triple camera setup comprising 200MP main camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor, a 12MP Ultra Wide camera, and a 2MP depth camera. By default, the phone captures images at 12MP resolution but there is an option to switch to 200MP as well. Capturing images using the default camera in favorable lighting conditions was undeniably impressive, rendering shots that could easily earn a spot-on Instagram feeds. However, the narrative takes a different turn in low-light settings and during nighttime photography. Here, the colors tend to be overly saturated, the finer details appear softer, and, in some instances, visible noise becomes apparent. The absence of optical image stabilization (OIS) further compounds the challenge of obtaining steady and clear images in dimly lit environments.
For selfie lovers, there is a 50MP front-facing camera with a 100-degree field of view and f/2.4 aperture, which does a fairly decent job.
Battery: The performance is backed by a 5,000mAh battery, that comfortably lasted me a day of extensive usage.
Verdict: With a starting price of Rs 37,999, the Honor 90 shines in terms of its sleek design and overall performance. However, it does not shine in the camera department. Overall, the Honor 90 faces stiff competition from the likes of OnePlus, Vivo, and Reno smartphones in this price category.
Price: Rs 37,999 onwards
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Many of you may not recall Honor, but approximately six years ago, it stood as a prominent Gen Z brand in India under the Huawei umbrella. It boasted a stylish design and a performance-oriented approach, but it encountered a significant setback in India due to the United States imposing restrictions on its parent company, Huawei. However, Honor soon transformed into an independent entity and has sustained robust sales in various Asian markets. If you are wondering why I am sharing this history about the brand, well Honor smartphones are back in India. The erstwhile Realme India head has started a new company - HTech - resurrect the Honor brand in India. The burning question is whether Honor can once again reach or even surpass the benchmarks it had previously set in India, especially in the face of stiff competition from other Chinese manufacturers.
Design: If I were to summarize the design of the Honor 90 in a single word, it would be "stunning." This is an elegantly crafted device with a distinct premium feel, and the emerald green colour is undeniably refreshing. It's worth noting that my personal bias leans towards green shades. However, if you're not particularly fond of this colour, there are alternative options available, such as Diamond Silver and Midnight Black.
Honor has integrated a spacious 6.7-inch screen while preserving a remarkably slim profile, measuring a mere 7.8mm in thickness. The device's ergonomic design features curved edges on both the front and rear, enhancing its comfort for prolonged use. Notably, in a departure from the common practice of many smartphones flaunting a metallic chassis, Honor has opted for a plastic chassis, while reinforcing it with durable glass on both the front and rear panels and not Corning Gorilla Glass. This doesn't translate into a subpar or fragile feel; the device maintains a robust and substantial quality.
However, a notable drawback lies in the absence of an IP rating, which could have granted it water and dust resistance capabilities. This missing feature is a noteworthy consideration for potential buyers who prioritize device durability and protection in adverse conditions.
Display: Smartphones with curved displays is a common trend these days but with the Honor 90 it isn’t restricted to just the sides. It has a curved bezel-less display on all the four sides, which deserves notable praise. This is clubbed with 120Hz refresh screen that ensures smooth navigation, and great sunlight legibility at 1600 nits peak brightness. Honor has also added 3840Hz ultra-high frequency PWM dimming that lowers screen flicker renders resulting in improved eye comfort but I could not experience any difference.
For those who enjoy indulging in shows, movies, and now, the Cricket World Cup, this smartphone proves to be an ideal companion. I enjoyed streaming the world cup matches, particularly in Max mode on like Disney+ Hotstar on this device. Additionally, the presence of a video enhancer option is a noteworthy highlight. This feature enhances the colour and contrast of full-screen videos, resulting in a vivid and immersive viewing experience, and it's supported by popular apps such as Netflix. YouTube and Facebook.
However, it's essential to mention a slight drawback with the mono speaker, which may not meet the highest audio quality expectations. For a truly immersive audio experience, it's advisable to opt for wireless headphones or earbuds, ensuring you don't miss a beat when enjoying your favourite content.
Performance: Honor 90 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition, paired with Android 14 on MagicOS 7.1. The user interface significantly differs from stock Android. Apps are spread across the home screens, with notifications accessible by swiping down from the top left, and the control center opening when swiping from the top right. If you appreciate the user interface found on Xiaomi smartphones, you'll feel right at home. While there's little to criticize about the user interface, it's important to note that the Honor 90 doesn't feature the latest-generation chipset. However, it performs reasonably well, both in real-world usage and in benchmark tests.
When used extensively for web browsing, content streaming, gaming, and even document editing, everything runs smoothly without any signs of lag. However, extended gaming sessions can cause the device to become warm. For those who are enthusiastic gamers, this might not be the best choice.
For those concerned about the absence of Google services on the Honor device, there's no need to worry because the complete Google Suite comes pre-installed. Some of my go-to Google apps include Gmail, Search, Photos, Docs, and Lens, and all of these apps work smoothly. Additionally, the Microsoft Office 365 suite is available for download from the Google Play store. The Honor 90 comes loaded with bloatware, and SwiftKey is the default keyboard, but you can also install Gboard.
Honor has committed to providing two software updates and three years of security updates for this device.
Camera: While the design and access to Google Services a great, a lot these days depend upon the camera. The Honor 90 does a fairly decent job with its triple camera setup comprising 200MP main camera with 1/1.4-inch sensor, a 12MP Ultra Wide camera, and a 2MP depth camera. By default, the phone captures images at 12MP resolution but there is an option to switch to 200MP as well. Capturing images using the default camera in favorable lighting conditions was undeniably impressive, rendering shots that could easily earn a spot-on Instagram feeds. However, the narrative takes a different turn in low-light settings and during nighttime photography. Here, the colors tend to be overly saturated, the finer details appear softer, and, in some instances, visible noise becomes apparent. The absence of optical image stabilization (OIS) further compounds the challenge of obtaining steady and clear images in dimly lit environments.
For selfie lovers, there is a 50MP front-facing camera with a 100-degree field of view and f/2.4 aperture, which does a fairly decent job.
Battery: The performance is backed by a 5,000mAh battery, that comfortably lasted me a day of extensive usage.
Verdict: With a starting price of Rs 37,999, the Honor 90 shines in terms of its sleek design and overall performance. However, it does not shine in the camera department. Overall, the Honor 90 faces stiff competition from the likes of OnePlus, Vivo, and Reno smartphones in this price category.
Price: Rs 37,999 onwards
For Unparalleled coverage of India's Businesses and Economy – Subscribe to Business Today Magazine