Honor recently launched its latest smartphone series at an event in Paris — the Honor 200 Lite, the Honor 200 and the Honor 200 Pro. I've been trying out the mid-range Honor 200, and at only £499, it's a worthy rival to top Android phones in the same price bracket, like the Google Pixel 8a and the Nothing Phone (2a).
The camera is its crowning glory and in comparison to the competition, this phone excels at snapping photos of people in particular. Whether you take portraits before you go out, or you love getting group shots of friends and family, the Honor 200 will make the results look stunning.
HONOR 200 Smartphone, 5G Mobile Phone
The camera system is made up of a 50MP portrait main camera, a 50MP telephoto camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 50MP portrait selfie camera. It's a strong setup and not that different to the Pro model which just uses a slightly different sensor for its main lens. The Honor 200 still has a larger sensor than most similarly-priced handsets, so it should let in more light for better results in dimmer lighting conditions.
I took the Honor 200 out and about with me in Paris, and the results speak for themselves. Before I say any more, take a look at the gallery below to see some examples of unedited photos taken on the handset.
The pictures I took are detailed and bright with lots of depth and bucket-loads of colour, adding a vibrant glow to the scene. They are slightly oversaturated but as a result, they look full of energy. It's a shame the ultrawide lens doesn't produce sharper shots but you can't have it all!
The Honor 200 really comes into its own shooting portrait photography. Whether you're using the rear or the front cameras, this smartphone produces flattering shots of people thanks to the dedicated portrait mode with beauty settings and bokeh blurring.
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The rear camera takes things a step further with its AI-powered Harcourt Portrait Mode, made in collaboration with the iconic French photography studio that has shot everyone from Karl Lagerfeld to Édith Piaf and Audrey Hepburn. I tried it out and you can see some of the shots I took below.
You can shoot in the Harcourt Classic mode for dramatic black-and-white shots, or there are two coloured options for more vibrant true-to-life results. They all play around with light and shadow to make photos look like a professional has taken them.
To add to the impressive snapper, the Honor 200 is super sleek, slim and seriously stylish. I've been trying out the Emerald Green device and it looks a lot more premium than it actually is, with soft curves, metallic details and a bright 6.7-inch OLED display. Plus there's a huge 5200mAh battery, super fast 100W charging and a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor under the hood.
I've been using the Honor 200 for a couple of weeks, and I'm impressed by what it has to offer. The best smartphones for photography usually come with an eye-watering price tag, yet the Honor 200 delivers solid hardware and clever AI camera features for less than £500. Read DS's full Honor 200 review.
The Honor 200 is available to buy now from Honor and Amazon in the UK.
