HONOR is a company that stands among the best mid-range brands alongside other well-known names. However, today we have a model that leans more towards the flagship category—both in price and features—the HONOR 200 Pro. This new release boasts excellent cameras, outstanding performance thanks to the top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 2 chipset, an intriguing design, and wireless charging, including reverse charging capability. What more could you ask for?
Positioning and price
In the summer of 2024, HONOR introduced a new lineup comprising the HONOR 200, HONOR 200 Lite, and HONOR 200 Pro. The manufacturer highlights that this series focuses on high-quality imaging and an eye-catching design to stand out among competitors.
We’ve already reviewed the HONOR 200 Lite; it looks cool for a mid-range device but didn’t quite win us over with its technical specs. Now, we’re checking out the higher-end model. The smartphone comes in two colors: white and black. I’ve also seen blue and pink options, but unfortunately, they’re not available in Ukraine.
Now the question arises, is the $780 price tag justified? That’s something everyone has to decide for themselves. I’ll do my best to objectively highlight the strengths and point out the drawbacks that might deter you from purchasing it. Let’s start from the beginning—with the technical specifications.
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Technical specifications of HONOR 200 Pro
- Screen: OLED 6.78”, 1224×2700, 120 Hz, HDR 10, 100% DCI-P3, up to 4000 nits, PWM dimming 3840 Hz
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 (4 nm, 8 cores, 1×3.0 GHz Cortex-X4 and 4×2.8 GHz Cortex-A720 and 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A520)
- Video card: Adreno 735
- Operating system: Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0 shell, up to 4 major updates
- RAM: 12 GB
- ROM: 512 GB, no memory card slot
- Cameras:
- Main unit: 50 megapixels, 1/1.3, 1.197 microns, OIS
- Wide-angle: 12 megapixels, 112°
- Telephoto lens: 50 megapixel, Sony IMX856 sensor, OIS, 2.5x zoom
- Front camera: 50 megapixels, f/2.1
- Battery: 5200 mAh, 100W SuperCharge, 66W wireless charging + 5W recharge
- Connectivity: 5G, Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB Type-C, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- Fingerprint scanner: in-screen
- Protection: IP65
- Dimensions and weight: 163.3 × 75.2 × 8.2 mm, 199 g
Package contents
And here, unfortunately, I encountered my first disappointment. The usual components we expect are missing from the box. Firstly, there’s no charger included. While this isn’t a global catastrophe—most people have some sort of charger at home—the downside is that third-party chargers can significantly slow down the charging process unless you buy an official charger from HONOR. Unfortunately, I didn’t have one at home, so I had to use what I had available.
Another drawback is the absence of a case. Some might argue, “Why would you need a case when the back panel looks so beautiful?” I both agree and disagree. A case, at the very least, offers protection against scratches and minor drops.
The package includes only a charging cable and a SIM tray ejection tool. There is a protective film already applied to the screen, which I consider a big plus.
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Design and layout of elements
The design of this new model is impressive—just look at this “marble” finish. It reminds me of the pearlescent effect on the Huawei P60 Pro (which isn’t surprising, as Honor and Huawei, despite their official split, continue to collaborate, evident in their device designs and software). The overall look is both modern and minimalist.
On the right side, you’ll find the standard power and volume buttons. The left side is completely blank. At the top and bottom, there are a pair of stereo speakers, along with the SIM card tray.
The 3.5mm headphone jack is absent, and the fingerprint scanner is integrated into the screen.
The screen is “waterfall” style, covering almost the entire front panel. There’s no prominent chin, and the bezels almost “disappear” beyond the screen.
The display features a selfie camera with a 50 MP wide-angle module and an additional 2 MP depth sensor. Because of this, the camera cutout on the front is wider than usual, which personally I find a bit off-putting.
The edges of the body are rounded and appear gray compared to the back panel. The frame of the body is plastic, while the back is made of glass.
So, the back panel is great; I like the design—it looks interesting and unconventional. However, to be honest, I’m not a fan of the camera island. Firstly, it sticks out quite a bit from the body, and secondly, the oval shape of the island doesn’t seem to fit with the classic look of the body.
The phone is IP65 rated, meaning it’s resistant to dust and water splashes, but it’s best not to submerge it or expose it to excessive moisture.
Read also: Honor 90 Review: “Flagship Killer” with a 200 MP Camera
Ergonomics
The phone is 8.2 mm thick and weighs 199 g, making it light and slim. While the camera island does affect the weight distribution slightly, you’ll likely get used to it. Despite the attractive design, the phone is quite slippery, so a case is advisable. Although the phone doesn’t make your hand tired during use, its length makes one-handed operation quite challenging.
Display
The display on the Honor 200 Pro is both beautiful and bright. It features a 6.78-inch 10-bit OLED screen with a resolution of 1224×2700. The screen supports a 120 Hz refresh rate and can reach a maximum brightness of up to 4000 nits, surpassing many flagship models. There is also a 60 Hz mode in the settings, which slightly reduces the screen’s refresh rate but helps save battery life.
The display delivers vibrant and contrast-rich visuals, with excellent viewing angles that are as wide as possible. Everything remains visible even under bright sunlight. As usual, you can adjust the font size in the settings, enable dark mode, and there’s also the Oasis Eye Protection feature. This helps reduce eye strain before bedtime by lowering the screen’s brightness and color temperature.
The Always-on Display mode offers two options: “Full Screen” and “Partial Screen.” The “Partial Screen” mode is the classic black screen with a clock and essential indicators. On the other hand, the “Full Screen” mode displays a dimmed version of the lock screen that brightens with a light touch. Both options work well, leaving the choice up to users.
The 200 Pro’s screen also supports HDR10+ and Widevine L1, enhancing the display when using VoD services. Additionally, the “Movie Enhancement” mode, available on Netflix or YouTube, improves the quality of the content being viewed.
Read also: HONOR Magic5 Lite Review: Nice Mid-range Device
HONOR 200 Pro cameras
As we mentioned earlier, HONOR always emphasizes its photographic capabilities, and the current lineup is no exception. The HONOR 200 Pro is no different, and here’s a little spoiler: the photos are excellent, even better than those I take daily with my iPhone 14.
On the back of the device, there are three cameras: a 50 MP main camera with a 1/1.3-inch sensor and optical image stabilization (OIS), a 50 MP telephoto lens with 2.5x optical zoom and OIS, and a 12 MP ultrawide camera with macro shooting capability.
The main camera performs well, offering vibrant colors and a good black balance. I liked how the greenery looks in the shots—it’s usually a clear indicator of the module’s quality. In this case, the foliage isn’t overly vivid, maintaining natural colors. There were no issues with taking photos; the shots are captured instantly. Each picture is detailed and contrast-rich, with no noise or blurring, even when photographing people.
The 2.5x optical zoom telephoto lens also delivers very good results. At 10x magnification, the image quality remains acceptable, with billboards and large objects being clearly visible and legible.
The ultra-wide camera didn’t disappoint either. It has a 16mm field of view and can take macro shots with autofocus. I was a bit annoyed that when switching to macro mode, the system would “freeze” for a second. Despite its lower resolution, the camera captures a lot of detail, although shots can be blurry in low light conditions.
Macro:
The selfie camera captures sharp and high-quality photos, and with the 50 MP wide-angle lens, you can easily take family selfies. I have no complaints about this sensor; it’s simply good. The portrait mode also performs well without any issues.
One of the most interesting features, in my opinion, is the portrait mode that utilizes both the main and telephoto lenses, developed in collaboration with the renowned Parisian studio, Studio Harcourt. This mode offers several AI-powered filters.
Harcourt Vibrant didn’t impress me as much as Harcourt Classic. Like the main module, it processes the colors in the photo. However, it might be useful for those who enjoy bright, colorful images. Note that these modes are not available for selfies.
The night mode is useful when it gets dark and you want to capture good quality even in low light conditions. As you can see, there are differences between the modes, but they are not very pronounced. For instance, night mode tends to soften the image and emphasize light elements. Additionally, the photo-taking process is relatively quick, unlike some other devices in this price range.
Regarding video recording, the Honor 200 Pro supports 4K video at 60 frames per second for both the main and telephoto cameras. The ultra-wide and front cameras can record up to 4K at 30 frames per second. The footage is detailed and features good stabilization, and the camera software offers a range of functions, including full manual control. You can find video samples at this link.
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Unlocking methods
I immediately tested the two most popular unlocking methods on the device—Face ID and the fingerprint scanner. There’s not much to say here—both are good. The fingerprint scanner is positioned at a convenient height and unlocks the phone quickly. Face unlock also performed well; it’s fast and effective in any lighting conditions, even in the dark I passed HONOR’s “identity check.”
Sound
The Honor 200 Pro features full stereo speakers—one at the bottom and one at the top. They perform excellently, delivering noticeable bass, treble, and midrange frequencies. The bass is also quite adequate. In the settings, there are options for adjusting headphone sound. HONOR Histen Spatial creates a spatial sound effect, while HONOR Histen Stereo enhances the stereo experience even further. It’s impressive to see such features (even if borrowed from Huawei).
Connectivity and communications
The device has all the necessary connectivity modules, including support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.3. It also features NFC for contactless payments and navigation modules GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, and BDS.
Software
The Honor 200 Pro runs on Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0. The system is well-designed and offers all the features needed for comfortable work, whether for office tasks, entertainment, or everyday use. It’s worth noting that there are quite a few hidden “gems” in it. MagicOS 8.0 includes AI features that set it apart from competitors. One of these is AI Suggestions, which handles apps and shortcuts, such as auto-rotation and eye protection mode. Of course, we have the full suite of Google services, as Honor is not Huawei.
One particularly cool feature is Magic Text, which lets you quickly extract text from photos or screenshots. Another interesting option is Magic Portal. For example, if you want to quickly transfer content from a photo to TikTok or an email, just hold down on the object in the photo or message and drag the selected item to the right edge of the screen. A side panel will then appear with apps you can interact with.
In this section, there are gesture controls and intelligent recognition features to help you interact with the phone without words. For example, there are functions to keep the screen on while you’re looking at it and to lower the volume of incoming calls when you glance at the phone. There’s even a mini capsule, similar to what you find on Realme (or Apple) smartphones—useful information and notifications near the front cameras.
The system might seem simple, but it has a number of interesting features that aren’t immediately obvious. For example, swiping from right to left activates the multi-window mode, and there’s also a smart remote control option for managing your SmartHome devices.
Unfortunately, there is a downside—bloatware. Although it’s minimal, I still had to remove unnecessary apps because they just took up space on the phone without adding any value.
The smartphone receives 4 major Android updates from the manufacturer and 5 years of security patches—not bad!
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Hardware and performance
The Honor 200 Pro offers strong performance thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset. This octa-core chipset ensures fast and smooth operation even with the most demanding tasks. It differs from the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 by having slightly lower frequencies and lacking 8K video recording capabilities, though it also has somewhat lower power consumption. If you don’t focus on the frequencies, you won’t notice much difference compared to models with the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The Adreno 735 GPU raises the bar for graphics, allowing games and apps to run seamlessly in high resolution. Additionally, it comes with 12 GB of RAM, and you can significantly expand this with virtual RAM by default.
In practice, this means the Honor 200 Pro excels at multitasking—switching between apps is lightning-fast, and it handles resource-intensive tasks like video editing and modern mobile games effortlessly. The smartphone is also ideal for everyday use, offering smooth web browsing, quick app launches, and more. It will also function as a gaming phone with minimal heating issues.
Battery and operating time
We already know that the HONOR 200 Pro comes without a charger, so I used the Baseus 60W charger I had on hand. Charging from 5% to 60% took just 30 minutes. What does the manufacturer say about the “official” charger? 60% in 15 minutes and 100% in 41 minutes. However, I would recommend getting the official adapter.
As expected from a flagship, there’s also wireless charging with an impressive 66W power output. Of course, you’ll need a specific fast charger for this, but the manufacturer claims it can charge up to 64% in 30 minutes. A cool feature is reverse charging, meaning you can charge another smartphone or watch/headphones using the HONOR 200 Pro (though it may be limited to 5W, but it’s better than nothing).
As for battery life, in my case, the phone usually lasted 1.5 days. I consider this a good result, as even modern flagships don’t always offer such longevity, especially considering that the HONOR 200 Pro has a decent camera setup, a large screen, and solid hardware.
Read also: HONOR 200 Lite Smartphone Review: An Imperfect Mid-Ranger
Conclusions and competitors
Today, we’ve explored another member of the HONOR lineup, this time at the flagship level. The HONOR 200 Pro is a solid choice, especially for those seeking a phone with an attractive design and high-quality cameras. The model features an OLED screen with technologies that enhance the user experience. It also boasts respectable battery life, good performance, wireless charging, and advanced AI features, along with Android 14 and a well-designed MagicOS 8 overlay.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that no device is perfect, so here are some drawbacks: the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot, the odd appearance of the camera island, and the plastic frame. Additionally, the package doesn’t include a charger, and compatible ones are expensive. Water resistance could also be better.
As for competitors, we’re looking at top-tier options. For instance, the Motorola Edge 50 Ultra offers a more refined design (including a version with eco-leather), better water resistance, superior zoom capabilities, pure Android, and even faster charging! It also supports PC mode when connected to a monitor or TV (Smart Connect). On the other hand, the Honor 200 Pro might only offer more interesting portrait photography. The Motorola Edge 50 Ultra is more expensive, but it might be worth the extra cost.
It’s also worth mentioning the Xiaomi 14. This smartphone features a relatively compact design with IP68 protection and runs on the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. It stands out for its excellent cameras, developed in collaboration with Leica. If you’re okay with a not-so-large screen, I believe you won’t find a better smartphone for the price.
The OnePlus 12 with 16/512 GB is quite intriguing. It’s IP68 certified, features a sleek design (especially the green version), and comes with a 5400 mAh battery and the top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. The cameras are good, but not as strong in portrait and selfie photography, where the Honor 200 Pro has the edge.
The Samsung Galaxy S24+ is also a good alternative. It features an aluminum body with IP68 protection and has excellent cameras (though the selfie module is weaker compared to the Honor). Officially, it’s more expensive, but you can find it cheaper online. You could also save some money by opting for the standard S24 in a more compact design, but it only has a 4000 mAh battery.
You might also consider the Huawei Pura 70. It’s more affordable, offers a high-quality camera with better zoom, and has IP68 protection. However, it charges more slowly, has a slightly smaller battery capacity, and lacks 5G support and Google services due to Huawei’s restrictions (though the latter can be improved with some adjustments).
You might also consider the Google Pixel 8 Pro. It features IP68 protection, a clean and well-optimized Android experience, excellent cameras, and a screen with a resolution of 3200×1440 pixels. However, it has a battery capacity of only 4600 mAh and does have some issues with overheating.
If super-mega cameras aren’t your top priority, consider the POCO F6 Pro in its flagship version with 16 GB of RAM and 1 TB of storage. It offers last year’s top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 120W HyperCharge, an excellent screen with a resolution of 3200×1440 pixels, and IP68 protection. At this price, it’s a real bargain. The camera quality will be quite satisfactory for most users.
Summary: Despite some drawbacks, the HONOR 200 Pro remains a strong option for those who value cutting-edge technology, an interesting design, and excellent cameras. While competitors may excel in certain areas, they generally come at a higher price.
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