Honor 90 5G: A Stylish Mid-Range Contender
The smartphone market is fiercely competitive, especially in the sub-Rs 40,000 category. Honor, after a long hiatus, is back in the Indian market with the Honor 90 5G, a device aiming to make its mark. This smartphone boasts a premium design with a captivating curved-edge display, a powerful 200-megapixel main rear camera, and a range of features that aim to cater to a diverse user base. In this first look, we delve into the design, display, performance and camera prowess of the Honor 90 5G to see if it has what it takes to stand out in a crowded market.
A Premium Design with a Focus on Aesthetics
The Honor 90 5G makes a strong first impression with its sleek and sophisticated design. The glass back paired with a polycarbonate frame gives it a premium feel in hand. The dual camera bumps, resembling rings, are accentuated by a shiny trim, adding a touch of elegance. The dotted patterns on the back panel, while adding grip, also effectively prevent fingerprints, making it a practical design choice.
The glossy frame houses the power button and volume rocker on the right side. The bottom edge accommodates the SIM tray, USB Type-C port, and a single speaker grill. Notably, the phone features thin bezels surrounding the curved-edge display, with a slightly thicker bottom bezel. The selfie camera rests in a notch at the top center of the display.
With a thickness of only 7.8mm and a weight of 183g, the Honor 90 5G sits comfortably in the hand. The phone’s overall design is undeniably attractive, making it easily identifiable even in a crowd of smartphones.
A Captivating Display Experience
The Honor 90 5G boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED curved-edge floating display with a 120Hz refresh rate, offering a smooth and responsive user experience. The display boasts a resolution of 2664×1200 pixels, ensuring sharp and vibrant visuals. Furthermore, the phone boasts a peak HDR brightness of 1,600 nits, making it ideal for consuming content even in bright outdoor conditions.
The display is further enhanced by HDR10+ certification and HDR certification for Netflix, guaranteeing a captivating visual experience. Honor has also implemented 3,840Hz PWM display dimming technology, designed to reduce eye strain during extended usage. Early impressions suggest the display is impressive, delivering crisp, vivid content with punchy colors.
Powering Through Performance with Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
The Honor 90 5G is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, a popular choice in the mid-range segment. Built on a 4nm process, this processor offers ample performance, particularly for everyday tasks like social media browsing, content streaming, and light gaming. The review unit came equipped with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of storage, providing ample space for apps, photos, and videos.
The processor’s capabilities were noticeable during initial testing, smoothly handling demanding applications, but a full review with comprehensive benchmarks will provide a detailed analysis of its performance. To prevent overheating during intense usage, Honor has incorporated a graphite sheet and an AI-based thermal management system in the Honor 90 5G.
Capturing Moments with a 200-megapixel Main Camera
The Honor 90 5G boasts a powerful camera system, featuring a 200-megapixel main rear camera alongside a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and macro camera and a depth camera. The main rear camera leverages a 1/1.4-inch sensor, capturing a large amount of light for enhanced detail and clarity. The ultra-wide camera offers a 112-degree field of view, ideal for capturing wide landscapes.
The camera app offers a wide range of modes, including HDR, portrait, multi-video, solo cut, and close up, allowing for versatile photography. The main rear camera supports 4K video recording at 30fps, while the 50-megapixel front camera also captures 4K 30fps videos. The phone also comes with 10x digital zoom for the main rear camera. Initial pictures taken with the main camera seemed satisfactory, while the selfie camera initially impressed, with a full review providing a detailed analysis of the camera’s performance.
A Long-Lasting Battery with Fast Charging Support
The Honor 90 5G features a 5,000mAh battery that easily lasted for a full day during initial usage. While the phone does not include a charger in the box, it comes with a USB Type-A to Type-C cable. Further testing will delve into battery life, charging speed, and overall battery performance.
Software and Features
The Honor 90 5G runs on Magic OS 7.1 based on Android 13. The phone comes with a few pre-loaded apps that can be uninstalled. The phone also features RAM Turbo, allowing for virtual RAM expansion up to 5GB. Additionally, the phone boasts NFC, an in-display fingerprint sensor, and UFS 3.1 storage. Honor also promises two years of software updates and three years of security updates.
Conclusion: A Promising Mid-Range Contender
The Honor 90 5G presents a compelling package for users seeking a well-rounded smartphone in the mid-range segment. The device boasts a premium design with a stunning curved-edge display, powerful performance, and a versatile camera system. The device’s long-lasting battery and comprehensive software features further add to its value proposition. While a full review is necessary to fully evaluate its performance, initial impressions suggest the Honor 90 5G has the potential to significantly impact the competitive mid-range market.
