Honor 90 Review: You’ve Never Seen Screen Like This Before!
The Honor 90 is a mid-range smartphone that offers an attractive design, a high-resolution camera, ample storage, and fast charging capabilities. With its affordable price, Honor aims to cater to consumers who seek a balance between performance and cost. The Honor 90 stands out as a compelling option in the mid-range segment, bringing a host of features typically associated with higher-priced devices.
In a market dominated by premium smartphones, the mid-range segment often gets overshadowed. However, Honor recognizes the demand for affordable yet powerful devices, and the Honor 90 aims to fill that gap.
Officially announced in China at the end of May and subsequently launched in Europe, the Honor 90 complements the already available Honor 90 Lite.
Honor 90: Video Review
| Specs | Honor 90 |
| Display | 6.7 inches, AMOLED, 1200 x 2664 pixels, 1B colors, 120Hz, 1600 nits (peak) |
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition (4 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 644 |
| RAM | 8GB, 12GB, 16GB |
| ROM | 256GB, 512GB |
| Card slot | No |
| OS | Android 13, MagicOS 7.1 |
| Main Camera | 200 MP, f/1.9, (wide) + 12 MP, f/2.2, 112˚ (ultrawide), + 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth) |
| Selfie Camera | 50 MP, f/2.4, 100˚, (ultrawide) |
| NFC | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh |
| Charging | 66W wired + 5W reverse wired |
| Dimensions | 161.9 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm (6.37 x 2.92 x 0.31 in) |
| Weight | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| Colors | Midnight Black, Emerald Green, Diamond Silver, Peacock Blue |
Design
One of the standout features of the HONOR 90 is its meticulous design. With a front-to-back four-curve symmetrical design, this phone not only looks elegant but also feels comfortable in your hand. With a slim thickness of only 7.8mm and weighing just 183g, it is lightweight and easy to hold, enhancing the overall user experience. The company has maintained its commitment to a linear design, resulting in a smartphone that is impeccably built and stands out in its market segment.
The double camera bump on the back of the device adds a touch of uniqueness to the rear cover, which maintains a similar configuration to the previous Honor 70 model. However, the addition of small side finishes in well-shaped steel ensures that the protrusion is not left bare and raw, setting it apart from the norm.
The front of the HONOR 90 follows an extremely minimalistic design. The small centrally located hole houses the front camera, while the narrow bezels on all four sides contribute to an immersive display experience. The biometric sensor, conveniently placed under the unlocking screen, offers quick and secure access to your device. Its low and central positioning makes it suitable for left-handed users, ensuring a comfortable experience for all.
The rest of the device’s layout remains unchanged. The right side houses the familiar volume rocker and power button, while the bottom features the USB-C connector, speaker, microphone, and a tray for two Nano SIM cards (unfortunately, there is no memory expansion option). On the left and upper sides, the company has left the space completely clean, maintaining a sleek and uncluttered appearance.
Available in four stunning colors – Diamond Silver, Peacock Blue, Emerald Green, and Midnight Black – each with unique tactile finishes, this device offers a range of options to suit your personal style. Whether you prefer an opaque, glossy, or reflective surface, the HONOR 90 has a design that is sure to catch your eye.
Screen
The Honor 90 comes equipped with an impressive 6.7-inch display panel that boasts a resolution of 2664 x 1200 pixels. The AMOLED matrix ensures vibrant and vivid colors, while offering 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, providing an immersive visual experience. What sets this display apart is its dynamic refresh rate, which can reach up to 120 Hz, allowing for smooth and fluid animations and interactions.
The screen of the Honor 90 delivers exceptional colors that are bright and well-calibrated. However, the standout feature lies in its maximum brightness capabilities. It surpasses the values of its predecessor by more than 60%, reaching peaks of up to 1600 nits, which is among the highest ever marketed. In comparison with other smartphones in the same price range, the Honor 90 outclasses its competitors in terms of both panel quality and maximum brightness.
One remarkable aspect that the Honor 90 boasts is its industry-leading PWM dimming frequency, which is set at 3840 Hz. This feature effectively reduces eye strain for users, particularly when the brightness is set to low levels. While this has been a standard feature in Honor’s high-end models, the Honor 90 takes it even further with this higher frequency, providing a more comfortable viewing experience.
Furthermore, the Honor 90 is equipped with HDR10+, Amazon Prime Video HDR, and Netflix HDR certifications. This means that the display is capable of delivering cinematic experiences of the highest order. Whether you’re a movie enthusiast or a dedicated binge-watcher of TV series, the Honor 90 ensures that you can enjoy content with enhanced dynamic range and vibrant colors, meeting the demands of even the most discerning users.
Honor 90: Performance and Software
The Honor 90 continues the tradition of using Qualcomm processors, a choice seen in many of Honor’s mid-range smartphones. This year, the chosen processor is the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 4nm Accelerated Edition. Compared to the traditional variant of the SoC, this version has a slightly higher clock speed of around 100MHz, although this detail has only a minimal impact on benchmarks. Currently, this Qualcomm SoC is exclusive to the Honor 90.
The GPU accompanying the processor is the Adreno 644. The device offers two memory options: 8/256 GB and 12/512 GB. Additionally, Honor includes 7 GB of virtual RAM with HONOR RAM Turbo. With these specifications, Honor pushes beyond the boundaries of typical mid-range devices, satisfying even more demanding users in terms of hardware. This demonstrates that, with proper optimization, a smartphone doesn’t necessarily need top-of-the-line hardware to provide a high-performance experience. Honor proves that you won’t feel the need for a more expensive or high-performance device in your hands.
The Honor 90 is a smartphone that performs exceptionally well in daily use. Benchmarks results exceed expectations, and the device’s temperature management is impeccable, thanks to an expansive vapor chamber. This vapor chamber covers an area of 4483 mm², which is evident during intensive gaming or benchmarking sessions. Even under demanding conditions, such as an hour of high-precision gaming on Call of Duty or stress tests with apps like GFXBench or Antutu, the CPU temperature never exceeds 60 degrees Celsius. These temperatures are quite remarkable and showcase the device’s efficient heat dissipation capabilities.
In the event of severe overheating, the Honor 90 does not limit performance but reduces the screen brightness, even when the brightness selector is set to maximum. This helps to prevent discomfort and further aids in temperature management.
The device runs on Android version 13, while MagicOS is at version 7.1, with security patches updated until June 1, 2023.
The Honor 90 is the first smartphone from Honor to adopt the latest version of MagicOS. This update brings a refreshed user experience in various aspects. Notably, Honor Share, a feature that enables fast file transfers between the smartphone and PC, has been improved. Additionally, the device introduces the new Magic Text feature, which automatically recognizes textual content in photos and converts it into editable text, allowing for easy sharing in PDF format.
Camera
The Honor 90 is equipped with an impressive camera setup that allows users to capture stunning photos and videos. The main lens features a super-large 1/1.4-inch 200MP sensor, ensuring exceptional image quality. It is accompanied by a 12MP f/2.2 sensor for ultra-wide and macro shots, as well as a 2MP depth lens.
The importance of the selfie camera is not overlooked in the Honor 90, as it boasts a powerful 50MP lens. This high-resolution front camera ensures that you can capture great selfies in various conditions.
While the hardware details are significant, it is the software optimization that truly sets the Honor 90 apart. The device incorporates the Honor Image Engine engine, which guarantees vivid colors and good definition, particularly in point-and-shoot mode. The software improvements are noticeable, enhancing the shooting experience and delivering impressive final results without distortion.
During the day and in well-lit conditions, photos captured with the Honor 90 exhibit vivid and realistic colors, excellent definition, and fast focusing. The software enhancements play a crucial role in achieving these impressive results. At night, the main camera performs well, thanks to the larger sensor size and the use of binning 16-in-1 pixel technology, which significantly improves low-light performance.
Surprisingly, the ultra-wide camera, despite its 12MP resolution, performs exceptionally well during the day, delivering good definition and colors that closely match the main lens. While there may be some disparity in terms of definition, the photos retain a pleasing quality, and the low-light performance is also commendable.
The 50MP selfie camera is another strong aspect of the Honor 90. It offers a wide view with a 100° field of view, allowing for standard selfies as well as wide-angle shots with multiple people. The quality of selfies taken with this camera exceeds expectations, surpassing competitors in the same price range and performing well in both daytime and nighttime conditions.
In terms of video recording capabilities, Honor showcases its commitment to supporting creators and catering to a young audience. The device employs artificial intelligence to enhance video recording convenience, with features such as automatic scene recognition and optimization. Users can record videos in 4K at 60fps, and the Honor 90 also offers multi-camera modes that allow simultaneous video recording using both the front and rear lenses.
Battery
The Honor 90 brings significant improvements in the battery department. Despite maintaining the same weight as its predecessor, the Honor 70, and an impressively slim profile, the device packs a powerful 5000 mAh battery. This increased amperage translates into exceptional battery life, allowing you to comfortably get through the day, regardless of how you use your smartphone.
The Honor 90 continues to support 66W fast charging, which ensures rapid recharging times. With this feature, you can reach a 0-20% charge in just around 5 minutes, providing a quick boost when you’re in a hurry. Additionally, a full charge can be achieved in less than an hour, allowing you to spend more time using your device and less time waiting for it to recharge.
Honor 90: Conclusion
The Honor 90 is a standout mid-range smartphone that offers a compelling package of design, features, and performance. With its sleek and symmetrical design, it exudes a premium look and feel. The device boasts a stunning 6.7-inch display with a high resolution and a dynamic refresh rate, delivering an immersive visual experience.
The Honor 90 impresses with its camera capabilities, featuring a large 200MP main sensor, a versatile 12MP ultra-wide and macro sensor, and a depth lens. The photos captured with the device exhibit vivid colors, good definition, and excellent low-light performance. The 50MP selfie camera offers a wide-angle view and delivers impressive results, exceeding expectations in both day and night conditions.
The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 4nm Accelerated Edition processor, providing reliable performance for various tasks. The optimization of the software, coupled with the Honor Image Engine, ensures a smooth and efficient user experience.
The battery life of the Honor 90 is exceptional, thanks to its 5000 mAh capacity. Combined with 66W fast charging, the device offers convenient recharging times, allowing you to stay powered up throughout the day.
Overall, the Honor 90 stands out as a mid-range smartphone that exceeds expectations in terms of design, camera performance, software optimization, and battery life. It offers a compelling package for users seeking a powerful yet affordable device. The Honor 90 showcases that a mid-range smartphone can deliver a premium experience without compromising on essential features.
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