Honor 200 Pro Review : A Powerhouse Photo Studio in your Hands

The HONOR 200 Pro and its sister, the HONOR 200 is an upper-midrange phone series that rivals the likes of flagship devices currently on the market, such as the Samsung Galaxy S24. It has a lovely screen, good battery life, fast charging, a versatile camera, and for the Pro, it also has the AI features of Honor’s flagship, Magic 6 Pro. It delivers in functionality and style. If you have been craving to get a proper taste of a top tier phone but is unsure yet to commit to the price, the HONOR 200 Pro is a great choice. HONOR does the improbable once again by bringing us quality flagship specs in an affordable price. 

For this one, we will be doing an in depth review of the HONOR 200 Pro, which we got in the color Ocean Cyan.

What's in the box of the HONOR 200 Pro

Things are kept simple with all necessities you might need, like a 100 watt Honor Supercharge power brick and usb-c cable, warranty card and manual, jelly case, sim ejector tool and the unit itself.

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HONOR 200 Pro Design, Build and Battery

The HONOR 200 Pro has a creative aesthetic that you rarely see nowadays on phones.  For the case of our unit, you get a two tone glossy back with a very subtle wavy pattern that refracts the light. It also takes inspiration from ocean waves, hence the name Ocean Cyan. 

You have your power and volume buttons that are quite clicky on the right side, a set of speakers and mic up top, the usb-c port, speakers and sim tray down below. 

The camera lenses are housed on the back left side, with its unique elongated circular camera surround. Apparently, this design is inspired by the shape of Barcelona’s Casa Milá, but it also reminds me of an airplane window, and with its back being fingerprint resistant except for the camera lenses, the whole thing looks like a very tasteful and elegant phone set up. 

The 200 Pro is light, slim, and curves front and back into the aluminum frame. It's very comfortable to hold, and does not feel cheap at 199 grams. 

Personally, after using another flagship phone with curved screen for a couple of years, and comparing it as well to the HONOR X9b, the curves of HONOR 200's screen feels more like a happy compromise between flat and curved screens. I would also love to use this better without the jelly case provided, as it retains its elegance that way. But alas, protection comes first, and the case is much needed especially if you have clumsy hands like me.

HONOR 200 Pro 5G Display and Performance

The HONOR 200 Pro was my companion during my week long Japan trip, and it was a blast to use. The included chipset for this is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8S Gen 3, it also packs in 12GB+512GB of RAM and storage. With general use, the phone absolutely flies. The 5200 battery is really efficient, and was able to last the whole day and night, with use of wifi, data via sim, occasional bingewatching and gaming as well as overworking its AI Portrait camera to capture all our vacation memories. There's no lag when you start up, and it flips between apps quickly when you’ve got a few open.

Best part is the included 100watt HONOR Supercharge, which meant I can have my phone fully charged in less than an hour, ready for the day's activities ahead.

I spent 4 seasons of Overlord anime on the plane and a couple of my favorite K-Dramas on this phone while I was on a 9 day trip in Japan. While I always rewatch this anime, the speakers were quite impressive, as it has a surround sound that immersed me into what I was watching. I loved how I felt Albedo's flying from the left to the right of the speaker, The display is also great for watching and gaming, and it was pretty immersive. 

The best part is how HONOR also cares for our eye health, as its display comes with a host of eye-comfort features, including:

3840Hz risk-free PWM dimming, AI Circadian Night Display, Adaptive Dimming, Natural Tone 2.0, and Low Blue Light hardware. It also is verified by the TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Display Certification and TÜV Rheinland Full Care Display Certification.

No problems with playing games too, cause this one can handle it pretty great with the specs it has.

HONOR 200 Pro 5G Camera Samples

The HONOR 200 Pro features a triple camera set up. You have your main camera with 50MP (f/1.9) Portrait Main Camera, a 50MP (f/2.4) Telephoto Camera and a 12MP (f/2.2) Ultra-wide and Macro Camera (FOV 112°). These come in with a Sony IMX 856 Sensor for the telephoto and Super Dynamic H9000 sensor 1/1.3”  for the main with OIS + EIS stabilization for photos and videos.

Front camera is equipped with a 50MP Portrait Selfie Camera that offers automatic FOV switching, producing exceptional selfies in any lighting condition.

It is a combination of the sensors, camera capabilities and its AI Portrait engine that makes this the ultimate phone to have when capturing snappy memories in a studio like quality. Their partnership with Studio Harcourt to co-engineer the AI-enhanced HONOR AI Portrait Engine is what makes this camera set up be exceptional.

The Portrait Mode that they built is quite flexible, not just for use on portraits but any type of photography, from food to landscapes and even macro shots. It comes with three filters, Harcourt Vibrant, Color and Classic that all offer a different flavor to pictures taken.

here portrait

I’d argue that the Harcourt Classic mode is the most reminiscent of the known black-and-white style of Harcourt Studio. The difference from the usual black and white filter of a camera comes in the AI Processing that they gave this phone, and coupled with the large image sensor, lets one have a portrat that feels like taken from an actual DSLR. Unfortunately, it’s not available through the selfie camera, which feels like a missed opportunity.

Another thing to note is the AI Motion Sensing process that takes the best pictures possible during “action” moments. If you're like me who has rowdy, hyperactive kids, having this in your arsenal is a great way to never miss a moment.

Video wise, the Optical Image Stabilization and EIS it comes with also makes this phone an absolute treasure, something that I usually never see with a mid range phone.

Full Specifications:

Processor:

Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Mobile Platform CPU: 1×Cortex-X4 3.0GHz+3×Cortex-A720 2.8GHz+4×Cortex- A520 2.0GHz

GPU: Adreno 735

Memory:

12GB+512GB

Operating system:

AI-powered MagicOS 8.0, based on Android 14

Connection:

WIFI: 2.4G/5GHz

Bluetooth 5.3

HONOR C1 + RF Enhanced Chipset

Type-C Connector

Dual SIM

Global Favorites

Magic Capsule

Air Gestures

Magic Lock Screen

HONOR Platform-level AI:

• Magic Portal

Battery: 

5200mAh Silicon-carbon Battery9

Charging

• 100W Wired HONOR SuperCharge

• 66W Wireless HONOR SuperCharge11

• Reverse Charging Support

Photo and Video:

Studio-level Portrait MAIN Camera:

• 50MP (f/1.9) Portrait Main Camera (OIS + EIS)

Super Dynamic H9000 Sensor 1/1.3”

• 50MP (f/2.4) Telephoto Camera (OIS + EIS)

Sony IMX 856 Sensor

• 12MP (f/2.2) Ultra-wide and Macro Camera (FOV 112°)

Front Camera: 50MP Portrait Selfie Camera

HONOR AI Portrait Engine:

• AI Shadow and Light Enhancement

• AI Optical Effects Enhancement

• AI Artistic Style Enhancement

Professional Harcourt Portrait Modes:

• Harcourt Vibrant

• Harcourt Color

• Harcourt Classic

Unique Experience:

• HDR Dual Style

• Memories

• Instant Movie

• AI Motion Sensing Capture

6.78-inch AMOLED Quad-curved Floating Display4

Super Dynamic Vivid Display

Refresh Rate5: 120Hz

Resolution6: 2700*1224

4000nits Peak Brightness7

437PPI

HONOR Eye Comfort Display:

• Adaptive Dimming

• 3840Hz Risk-free PWM Dimming8

• AI Circadian Night Display

• Natural Tone 2.0

• Low Blue Light

• TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification

• TÜV Rheinland Full Care Display Certification

Price, Colors and Availability

You can get the HONOR 200 Pro in three nature-inspired colorways: Moonlight White, Ocean Cyan, and Black for only PHP 29,999. I suggest you pre-order either the HOONOR 200 or the Pro to also get a free pair of JBL Soundgear Frames worth PHP 9,499. The HONOR 200 on the other hand, with its 12GB + 512GB configuration is priced at PHP 24,999.

Price and Overall Thoughts

Honor 200 Pro is significantly cheaper than the Magic 6 Pro, but doesn’t look to be much of a downgrade on paper and in real life. This phone is really great for individuals who needs a phone that can deliver great photos, smooth gaming and everyday functions, and can handle having to charge in the morning instead of letting things be at night to prioritize battery health, but are also mindful of cost vs function considerations.