HONOR 20 PRO: Chic & Powerful flagship for less than you think

The HONOR 20 Pro is the latest flagship phone from the HONOR series, and is a feat of technology offered at an affordable price. The latest addition to HONOR's N series is a step up from its predecessor, with a better camera, longer-lasting battery, and larger storage space. The phone is packed with features, upgraded software and hardware, and extra perks to make this a leading contender in the electronics industry.

Over the last six months or so, HONOR has undertaken a rebranding exercise and grown its smartphone quality into a full-stack portfolio of powerful and chic-coloured devices appealing to a youthful audience. And don't worry about buying the China-manufactured Android phone. Recent verdict on US-Huawei trade is out and US tech firms like Google will continue to support the Chinese firm. This means that there's all the more reason to not think twice before opting for HONOR 20 Pro.

The HONOR 20 Pro can be described as a budget Huawei P30 Pro, bringing photography excellence and versatility to a younger, less affluent audience. Despite its low price, the phone still features Huawei's top-of-the-line Kirin 980 SoC as part of a spec sheet and a pro-grade quad camera system.

Let's take a look at my five reasons to buy this phone.

Body

On the outside, the HONOR 20 Pro is just like any other Android phone. But looks can be deceiving. The handset is comparatively large (154.60mm x 73.97mm x 8.44mm) but it's not heavy. Available in Phantom Black and Phantom Blue, the HONOR 20 Pro is visually striking, sleek, and modern in its aesthetic.

On the right side of the handset, you'll find HONOR 20 Pro's most useful features clubbed: the power button and fingerprint sensor are one and the same, allowing you to switch on and unlock your phone at the same time. The button's also at the perfect height to make it natural to use for most hands.

The phone is equipped with a USB-C port, and due to Bluetooth headphones being trendy amongst youth, hence no earphone jack.

Display

The display is 6.26 inches in size, and is a full HD display. The camera is planted into the screen, by setting a small, 4.5mm hole in the front display. There's virtually no notch intruding on the screen; instead Honor has a 'punch-hole' camera meaning the lens is cut out of the display. Honor claims this is the smallest punch-hole camera on the market, at only 4.5mm, but between the hole in the screen and the edge of the display is a fair amount of space that is empty, so in effect the screen space lost is around the same amount as would be lost to a notch.

The bezel also houses a speaker and notification light. Plus, they are helpful to hold onto the phone during the gaming sessions. This is not found on most phones today.

Battery

The phone appeals to a user like me who is mostly on the move, due to its large battery. Lasting up to 24 hours with moderate to heavy use; with light use, you can enjoy your phone for two days without being tethered to the charging cable. The Pro model is equipped with a 4,000mAh battery. So, the handset can be used generously all day long to watch YouTube, listen to podcasts or even browsing through your favourite social media. The 20 Pro support fast-charging via their USB-C ports of up to 22.5W, which Honor claims can restore 50 per cent of the phone's charge in 30 minutes.

Performance

Built on the same Kirin 980 processor as the Huawei P30 Pro, HONOR 20 Pro comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. In effect, this means the HONOR 20 Pro is a fast phone to use appealing to gamers, with 6GM of RAM, resulting in effortless performance. Furthermore, the phone features a surround sound system to provide a heightened mobile gaming experience. Multi-tasking is a plus while animations, scrolling, and the general experience are all very smooth.

Camera

The best feature of this phone is the camera, undoubtedly. For all the posers and selfie-takers, the HONOR 20 Pro's multiple rear cameras, including a 48-MP primary camera, a 2-MP macro camera, a 16-MP wide-angle sensor and an 8-MP sensor with a telephoto lens, give you the perfect reason to pick this phone up.

The 48 MP main camera lens is supported by an array of AI-powered software and hardware that allows users to shoot with greater clarity even in dimly-lit environments. Its wide aperture ring at f1.4 allows for more light to be transmitted through the lens, enhancing the low-light capability of the camera in general terms with the support of Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and Artificial Image Stabilization (AIS).

For the fashion enthusiasts, HONOR 20 Pro's wide-angled cameras come with specialised correction technology and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) that fight distortion. You just have to ensure that you have switched the camera to the Wide mode before clicking the photo.

Thanks to the telephoto lens, the HONOR 20 Pro is capable of an optical zoom of 3x, a hybrid zoom of 5x, as well as digitally allowing you to zoom in with a magnification of 30x. 

All these powerful cameras allow you to click crisp, clear photos no matter what time of day or night it may be. The cameras also offer multiple zoom options to capture detailed photos from afar. The front camera is 32-MP, so you can click the perfect selfie.

With this phone, photographers can click stunning pictures without investing in heavy-duty cameras. No doubt, that this phone recently was awarded the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) for its magnificent Al Quad camera.

So why go for it?

My reasons being

• Gaming
• Fantastic four-camera
• Easy-to-use fingerprint sensor

Vibrant display

Specifications

My verdict

For those who wish to invest, the HONOR 20 Pro is a solid investment that is capable of surviving for years. The faster performance, high-quality camera, extra storage, and sleek design will ensure that the phone stays functionally relevant for a long time coming, making this a smart purchase for those looking to settle down with a device.