Honor divested itself from Huawei at the end of 2020, and it made a lot of positive moves following its rebirth as a standalone entity. Foldables are a key area of focus for Honor as it seeks to regain its global market share, and the brand has also released enticing mid-range and value-focused flagships. The biggest difference is that thanks to its newfound footing as a standalone manufacturer, Honor phones once again come with the Google Play Store and other Google services out of the box, just like the best Android phones. So if you’re in the market for a new device, these are the best Honor phones currently available.
Android phones that have pride and Honor
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Thin is in
The Magic V2 is one of the thinnest foldables you can buy today, and it looks absolutely amazing. Everything about the device feels futuristic, and it is noticeably thinner, lighter, and easier to use than Samsung’s foldables. You also get a hinge that closes fully flat, and is smooth to articulate. The hardware is on par with the best foldables, you get outstanding cameras, and the screens on the inside and out are among the best in this segment. You even get a large battery and fast charging, and while the phone still isn’t available outside China, that should change very soon.
Top of the pyramid
The Honor Magic 5 Pro is the best Honor phone you can get if you’re not sold on foldables just yet. It has a gorgeous AMOLED panel, and you get the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and 12GB of RAM with 512GB storage. Everything is high-end about this Android 13 device, from the trio of 50MP cameras to the insane battery and charging tech.Â
Mid-range marvel
The Honor 90 is one of my favorite mid-range phones. It has a gorgeous design at the back that makes it look rather distinctive, and you get a thin chassis that somehow houses powerful hardware and a large 5000mAh battery. This is a phone that looks and feels a lot costlier than what it actually costs, and it is great in daily use. With the phone now available in the U.K. and India, now is the best time to pick it up.
Still a great choice
The Honor 70 has been around for a while now, but it is still a good option to consider. What I like about the device is that it has a similarly-thin profile as the Honor 90, and you get reliable hardware that holds up well in daily use, and cameras that take good photos in any situation. And with the phone now discounted, it is a great value.
A Lite option
This variant of the Magic 5 Pro boasts a stunning 6.67-inch 120Hz curved AMOLED panel. The Magic 5 Lite maintains the 5,100mAh battery but switches out 66W for 40W fast charging. You also get a 64MP camera, a Snapdragon 695 5G in a 6GB/128GB variant, and useful software. Basically, you get the same great design, but in a much more affordable package.Â
Budget buster
With the Honor X8a, the brand offers a affordable Android phone that doesn’t miss out on performance. It’s powered by the mid-range Mediatek Helio G88 chipset, has a 100MP camera at the back, and the 4,500mAh battery easily lasts two days between charges. Let’s not forget the bold and beautiful pattern on the back. Although you only get an LCD screen, it has a 90Hz refresh.
Honor’s latest phones are among its best
I used the Magic V2 extensively, and it is honestly a game-changer for foldable devices. The ultra-thin design makes it look like a regular phone, but you still get all the benefits of a fold-out design.Â
The screens are particularly great, and the color vibrancy and saturation levels are on par with what you get on Samsung’s devices. What I like the most is the hinge system; it is smoother than Samsung’s own hinge, it closes flat, and you don’t get a crease that’s as visible. What’s also great is that Honor was able to cram a larger battery than usual in the Magic V2, and that allows the device to last a day with relative ease.
But I get it; you don’t want a foldable yet — in that case, you should look at the Magic 5 Pro. The phone has a great design, outstanding cameras at the back, and you get a 120Hz AMOLED panel that’s among the best of any phone, and the latest hardware. There isn’t much missing here, and the value you’re getting with the device makes it worthy of consideration — the only issue is that it isn’t available in many global markets.Â
In a similar vein, the Honor 90 is a great mid-range option. It has a thin chassis with an iridescent pattern at the back, and you get decent hardware, good cameras, and standout battery.Â
The best part is that all of Honor’s phones outlined here come with Google Play services out of the box, so you can get install everything you need from the Play Store and use all of Google’s services just like you would on any other device.Â
There are plenty of great Android phones available at all price points, and to its credit, Honor’s devices hold their own against the likes of what Samsung and Xiaomi have to offer. It’s no wonder that Honor was able to swiftly climb up the ranks in China over the course of the last 18 months,Â
