Honor Technology, or HTech, has launched a new smartphone in India called the Honor 90 5G, thus reviving the brand name here after a long hiatus. Some recent models from Realme, Motorola, and OnePlus have also upped the competition in this segment, so Honor has some challenging work ahead of it. The 90 is priced at Rs 37999 and features a 200MP camera, which I’ll discuss in detail in my review.
The Honor 90 is a well-rounded phone in many ways. It is slick, light, and stylish, with a decently sized display that is sharp and vibrant thanks to 3840Hz PWM Dimming tech, which reduces eye strain and allows the screen to be used comfortably outdoors in sunlight. The display is also HDR-capable and can playback videos in full resolution.
The 90 runs Android 13 on the software side with Honor’s MagicOS 7.1 layered on top. This version of Android has full compatibility with Google apps and services, which should be a plus for those familiar with the platform. The phone can be unlocked via 2D facial recognition and an optical fingerprint sensor under the display. It works reliably, although it could be faster and more prominent.
During our tests, the Honor 90 was snappy, responsive for everyday tasks, and able to handle some fairly demanding games at lower settings. However, it does heat quite a bit under load, and the high power consumption rates indicate that there are better gaming smartphones than this one. Its 5,000 mAh battery supports 66 W fast charging and can provide sufficient runtimes for most users. Honor guarantees two years of Android upgrades and three years of security updates on this phone.
In our benchmark tests, the 90 performed okay but did not score very well compared to similar devices from other brands. The main reason is the use of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, which is a step down from what you would expect in a phone with this price tag. In terms of battery life, the phone can easily last a day with average use and can be charged back to complete in less than three hours using the included wired charger.
The cameras are easily the 90’s most significant selling point, and from my brief testing, the camera software appears to have been optimized well for this device. The 200MP primary camera seems to click good photos and record stable videos. The 12MP ultra-wide and 2MP depth cameras also offered satisfactory performance.
The Honor 90 is a well-rounded smartphone offering plenty of value for the money. It has an excellent display, a solid camera, and a large battery that can quickly get you through the day. The high power consumption and shorter update support are significant downsides compared to other competing smartphones in this price range. Nevertheless, I’d recommend checking out this smartphone if you are looking for a new midrange option that can compete with Xiaomi and OnePlus.