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It’s uncommon that you’ll want to get into geopolitics on the outset of a smartphone overview, however it’s unimaginable to keep away from with the Honor 50. It’s the primary Honor-branded machine to launch outdoors of China because the model spun out from dad or mum firm Huawei final 12 months. It implies that regardless of Huawei’s continued presence on the USA’s entity checklist, Honor is now in a position to embody Google’s apps and providers on a brand new cellphone.
Getting access to these providers, which embody essential elements of the Android ecosystem like Google Play along with apps like Google Maps and YouTube, implies that the Honor 50 is the primary Honor cellphone in years to truly have a shot at being a viable buy for purchasers outdoors of China. Its midrange beginning worth of €529 (about $616) doesn’t harm, both.
However whereas leaving its former dad or mum firm has opened a Google-shaped window for Honor, it’s additionally closed a Huawei-shaped door. Honor is now by itself, with out the backing of probably the most well-resourced expertise corporations on the planet. Because of this, whereas not a foul cellphone, the Honor 50 finally ends up not feeling aggressive with different handsets in its worth vary.
Good Stuff
120Hz OLED display
Snappy efficiency
Good battery life
Unhealthy Stuff
So-so digicam
A lot of Honor bloatware
Not obtainable all over the place
The Honor 50 begins at €529 (round $616) for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of inner storage, which is the model I’ve been utilizing, however stepping as much as €599 (about $698) will get you 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. No matter which possibility you go for, you get the identical Snapdragon 778G processor and a 4,300mAh battery that may be quick charged at as much as 66W.
You get the selection of 6 or 8GB of RAM
Honor’s telephones have all the time been obtainable with loud designs, and the Honor 50 isn’t any totally different. My mannequin got here in a shiny white colorway, with the letters “HONOR” tiled throughout its again, and there’s additionally a garish sparkly silver shade possibility obtainable alongside extra standard black and inexperienced choices. Whereas I don’t love the colour choices, I believe Honor deserves credit score for its method to the dual-ring digicam bump on the Honor 50, which is much more attention-grabbing than the generic rectangles discovered on the backs of most gadgets (Huawei’s Nova 9 makes use of a really related design, which Honor says is as a result of the design was developed earlier than the break up).
Round entrance, the Honor 50 has a 6.57-inch 1080p OLED show, with a 19.5:9 facet ratio and a small centrally oriented hole-punch notch for the cellphone’s 32-megapixel selfie digicam, which reasonably curves across the left and proper edges of the cellphone. I can’t fault the display’s wealthy blacks or vibrant colours, and the under-display fingerprint sensor is quick and responsive. Should you don’t like curved shows, then you definitely gained’t just like the Honor 50’s, however no less than the cellphone doesn’t endure from any palm-rejection points.
A curved display won’t be to everybody’s tastes.
I just like the digicam bump greater than the colour.
The Honor 50’s display has a 120Hz refresh charge, which makes it really feel quick to make use of and easy to have a look at, and the Snapdragon 778G processor fortunately retains up, even whereas the display rapidly scrolling via visually intensive apps like Twitter. I had no issues with efficiency throughout my time with the cellphone.
There’s no IP-rating and no wi-fi charging
The remainder of the specs are extra primary. There’s no IP score for mud and water resistance and no wi-fi charging, and on the subject of audio, the cellphone outputs sound from a primary downward-firing speaker. It’s loud sufficient for listening round the home, however you’ll be reaching for a pair of headphones in noisier environments. Honor features a pair of USB-C headphones within the field, which is pretty uncommon today, and nearly makes up for the shortage of a headphone jack.
Honor’s Magic UI software program, which runs atop of Android 11 on the Honor 50, is broadly inoffensive. Nonetheless, it has its annoyances and, by default, is about up in a manner that I believe most individuals are going to wish to tweak. For starters, it makes use of Microsoft’s SwiftKey fairly than Google’s Gboard keyboard that I believe most Android customers can be extra accustomed to. There are additionally a ton of inventory Honor apps that I disabled in my first couple of days with the cellphone, and I don’t love the way in which Honor’s software program defaults to eschewing Android’s typical app drawer for an iOS-like homescreen. It’s simple sufficient to rectify with some tweaks, however it feels just a little cumbersome.
The cellphone has 4 rear cameras in its digicam bump.
I had no complaints with the battery lifetime of the Honor 50, averaging just a little over seven hours of display on time between costs. I by no means needed to put the cellphone on to cost on the finish of the day with lower than 40 p.c cost remaining. The Honor 50 helps 66W quick charging through an included charger that’s branded as Honor’s personal “SuperCharge” charging customary, which isn’t appropriate with third-party chargers. Honor claims the included charger can get the cellphone from 0 to 100% cost in 45 minutes (sadly, my overview pattern got here with an EU plug, so I used to be unable to confirm this declare myself). However a full cost in beneath an hour is nothing to be sniffed at.
The headline digicam specs of the Honor 50 look like spectacular at first look, however the satan’s within the element. Sure, it’s a 108-megapixel quad-camera array, however there’s no telephoto digicam, and past the primary sensor, the three extra cameras are a relatively low-resolution 8-megapixel ultra-wide angle, a 2-megapixel macro, and a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
Grid View
Issues don’t get off to a fantastic begin with the Honor 50’s fundamental digicam. Even in daylight, there is usually a distinct lack of element in its photographs, like within the shot of the black cat above, the place there’s little or no definition or texture in its fur. Colours are vibrant on the danger of being just a little oversaturated, and faces come out wanting just a little too vivid and textureless. White stability is no less than fairly pure, and I believe selfies come out typically wanting OK, helped by the truth that there’s an simply accessible shortcut to activate background blurring and a magnificence mode slider (if that’s a characteristic you’re keen on).
Low mild efficiency leaves lots to be desired, the place the Honor 50 produces photographs which can be darkish and muddy. However the greater drawback is that the cellphone takes manner too lengthy to take pictures in low mild. When making an attempt to take a shot of a bunch of individuals at a celebration, the Honor 50 refused to take a photograph for a number of agonizing moments, which is way longer than individuals at a celebration are prepared to attend to have their photograph taken for.
A USB-C and bottom-firing speaker, however no headphone jack.
The 120Hz show is difficult to fault.
At its beginning worth, the Honor 50 is a comfortably midrange machine. However there are quite a lot of completed smartphones obtainable at related costs. Telephones just like the OnePlus Nord 2 (€499 for its step-up 12GB RAM / 256GB storage mannequin) or the iPhone SE (€539 for its 128GB storage variant) are each wonderful telephones that supply a way more rounded expertise than the Honor 50. And for those who’re contemplating the Honor 50 with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, then you definitely’re simply €50 away from the just lately introduced Pixel 6.
It’s a crowded a part of the market, and easily getting access to Google’s apps and providers isn’t sufficient to make an impression. Honor’s software program can really feel bloated, and its digicam is sluggish and missing intimately. Speedy 66W quick charging and a slick 120Hz show aren’t sufficient to distract from the truth that the Honor 50 has some weak spots compared towards the perfect midrange handsets obtainable.
Honor may be a viable buy now that it will probably as soon as once more embody Google’s apps and providers on its gadgets. However it has extra work to do if it needs to be really aggressive.
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