Review-of-HONOR_90-Smartphone_in_the_UAE
[editorial-rating id=”30029″]
On 19th July 2023, Honor launched the Honor 90 (5G) smart mobile in the Middle East. The latest addition to the HONOR Series delivers remarkable upgrades across the display, battery, and performance with a 120Hz AMOLED Curved Display, massive 5000mAh battery, 512GB large storage and 12GB RAM + 7GB (Honor Turbo RAM) all packed in a compact design.
We got the opportunity to get the Honor 90 (5G) handset that was given to us at the launch event and below are the details and the review.
Body & Specification
Body Details
The Honor 90 (5G) smartphone (Model – REA-NX9) smartphone has a dimension of 6.37 x 2.92 x 0.31 in and it weighs 183 grams which includes a non-removal battery. It has an AMOLED 120Hz, 1600 nits capacitive touchscreen and a size of 6.67 inches with a resolution of 1200 x 2664 pixels with a screen ~435ppi density. It has a ~90.8% screen-to-body ratio. The body build has a plastic back and shiny black aluminum frame with the front AMOLED display which is very tough and the back panel comes with a black colour which has a shiny mirror finish.
The Honor 90 (5G) frame is thin as the display and back panel edges are curved to make the body very sleek and thin. The right side of the frame has the power button and volume rockers and the left-hand side is clean with no buttons or controls. Honor word is on the back panel on the lower side in silver print.
The fingerprint sensor is enabled in the AMOLED display. The phone has a Dual SIM (2 Nano SIMs) Card slot which has. The phone supports GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS, and QZSS. The bottom side of the phone has the dual SIM Tray, USB Type- C super-charge (66W) input, speaker grills and mic and the top side is clean with a single mic and thin ear speaker.
Hardware Specifications
The Honor 90 (5G) smartphone comes with Android 13 as the operating system with the Magic OS – 7.1. It uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen1 Accelerated Edition (4 nm) + (GPU) Adreno 644 with 12GB RAM + 7GB (HONOR RAM Turbo) and 512 GB ROM internal storage for the UAE market.
Cameras Details
It has Triple cameras on the rear 200 MP + 12 MP + 2 MP. The front round in-screen camera has a single 50 MP lens embedded into the display. The main cameras and the LED light are arranged on two circular discs that jute out of the body frame of the back panel. Below the camera module you the “MATRIX AI CAMERA” printed in silver colour.
The main camera can shoot video at 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS and the front camera can shoot video at 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS. Honor 90 smartphone features LED flash, HDR, and panorama
The Review
The device which I have received for review is Midnight Black and the back panel is made of plastic with a glossy shiny finish.
With the ~89.9% screen-to-body ratio, the bezel of the phone is thin and almost merges with the frame of the phone. The curved back panel and display make the phone sleek and very thin. The only thing you will notice is in the top area where it houses the single-lens camera in punch hole type embedded in the screen.
Honor 90 is a mid-range premium smartphone created for the audience who is looking for a good camera and work-horse phone.
Honor 90 (5G) Cameras
Front Camera
The front camera is a single 50MP (F/2.4) and the photo resolution is 3056 x 4080px at 72dpi. The camera comes with a sensor for instant Face detection & Auto tracking and the supports Bokeh effect. The camera in selfie photo mode also supports at least 2 face recognition with AI.
Some of the additional features of the front selfie camera under photo mode, in the AI setting, Auto Smile Capture and the palm gesture, so when you hold your open palm in front of the front camera, it gives you a 3-sec count and clicks a selfie.
Front Camera Video
Multi-Video option where you can record with main cameras and selfie camera recording simultaneously. You can record videos at 1080p@30/60fps and gyro-EIS. In video mode too, the camera supports multiple face recognition and via face lock, the camera lens remains focused on the subject which is great for Vloggers. And you can shoot 2160 x 3840 px video at 30fps. You can shoot 1080p videos with additional 6 filters – Genki, grey, elegant, blue, summer and B&W.
Under the photo and video option, you can shoot with Ai, FHD, and also HDR. During Selfie with Flash, where it uses the screen is full brightness white light as a flash or advanced AI light adjustment. You can also shoot selfies mode. Under the selfie portrait mode, you get a strong Bokeh effect with beautify.
Main Cameras
The back panel of the Honor 90 (5G) houses the triple cameras. The camera modules are designed on two oval-shaped circular disc which is little jutting out of the body. The circular discs are placed in the vertical design with 2 Cameras on the top disc. The second disc has the third camera, dual LED light in a ring design. The triple cameras consist of 200MP Main Camera (f/1.9, (wide), 1/1.4″, 0.56µm, PDAF), 12 MP (f/2.2, 112˚ (ultrawide), AF and 2 MP, f/2.4, (depth).
The main camera general setting can click images in 3048px X 4064px in 72dpi. In Hi-res mode, you get 12192 × 16256px in 72 dpi. In the video mode, the camera clicks 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS and also can shoot 4K videos.
The autofocus is good, with half-second delays measured under even easy lighting conditions. It also has the pro mode where you can do manual adjustment of exposure value (EV), white balance (WB), Focus (AF), Exposure (ISO), Shutter speed and also meter bracketing. The ISO works from low 50 to 6400 and the shutter speed from 30 to 1/6400. You can shoot images in 0.6 (wide angle), 1x and 2x and has a digital zoom of 10x.
Main Cameras Video
Under Video mode, you get 0.7 (Wide angle), 1x and 2x and a digital zoom of 6x. Under the aperture mode, you have the option to change the aperture from F 0.95 to F 16.
In the video, you can do a time-lapse and story. The camera records FullHD 1920 x 1080 at 30FPS and sound capture is pretty good the camera automatically focuses on the subject and creates a Bokeh effect and also allows to fix focus (AE/AF lock) when clicking on the subject via holding the finger for few seconds on the screen.
(Please note: AE/AF Lock to be used sensibly as it may cause out of focus of the video if moved from the subject with the locked to another far away subject)
Operating System and Software
The operating system of Honor 90 (5G), has the latest Android 13 as the operating system with the Magic UI – 7.1 as the user interface. So, with Android 13.0, the Honor 90 (5G), has all the latest features like AI beautification, creamy Bokeh for portraits, and AI recognition of up to 500 scenes. The Honor 90 (5G) smartphone comes with Android 13 as the operating system with the Magic OS – 7.1. It uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen1 Accelerated Edition (4 nm) + (GPU) Adreno 644 with 12GB RAM + 7GB (HONOR RAM Turbo) and 512 GB ROM internal storage for the UAE market. Android 13 also helps in better more accurate facial brightness, contrast for selfies on the front cameras and scene-by-scene optimizations for shots taken on the rear and enhancing the photography effects. There was no major lag between screens or scrolling the apps, it was quite smooth and fast.
The phone comes with Honor Share, Nearby Share, 5G button, Screenshot, Screen Recorder, link to Windows and other buttons from the top of the screen menu.
Sound & Audio
Honor 90 (5G), has a single-side speaker grill you can hear sound coming from the bottom side when you are holding the smartphone vertically and horizontally.
The trebles, mid-level was clear and the bass was decent for the value of the smartphone. The volume is quite clear. The device comes with two mics – on top and bottom and on the bottom beside the USB Type C charging port. The device supports Hi-Res audio format.
Honor 90 (5G) performed exceptionally well in video and music tests compared to other competitors in its price range.
(Please note: The smartphone was held at a distance of 1- 2 feet while testing the audio quality)
Honor 90 (5G) for Gaming
The performance while playing Asphalt 9 was really good. With 12GB RAM + 7GB (HONOR RAM Turbo) and 120Hz refresh rate screen and good audio, my experience while playing was satisfying. The smartphone speakers are good and loud. And you have the option to take screenshots while playing the game and a lot more.
Connectivity & Battery
The smartphone has a fingerprint sensor, face detection, pattern and pin for accessing the smartphone. The Smartphone supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct and Bluetooth which supports 5.2, A2DP, LE, and aptX HD. The smartphone comes with a non-removable Li-Po 5000 mAh battery which can last more than 2+ days with average usage. The smartphone comes with USB Type- C charging input which can charge the phone at 66W fast charging and I could get 60% charge in 20mins.
Conclusion
Honor 90 (5G) is a good smartphone for the price, the phone is a mid-range with all the great features for gaming, and watching online entertainment. The built quality and colour make the phone very rich and stylish. The display screen and body are very strong and reliable. It comes with a 0 Risk Eye-Comfort Display which is helpful during low-light reading or viewing. 200MP Ultra-Clear triple cameras with AI support make this smartphone one of the best in the competition. As for the selfies, the single 50MP lens can make a difference with the Ai function which can give a very nice creamy Bokeh effect and focus on your face with auto tracking when clicked on the screen for focus. It has a quick and sharp focus system.
With 512GB ROM is quite good enough for storage and with the Dual Card SIM Tray, it is a good smartphone for the price and can run for the money to its competitors.
The “Al Vlog Master” as the brand calls it, has all the great features for videos like creating Instant Videos on the phone with various transitions and effects. There are Solo-Cut, PiP Videos, Slow Motion, Hyper-lapse and a lot more. This phone is perfect for Vloggers and video filmmakers.
The daylight shot was sharp and good and 50MP selfies were natural and the colour output was great. The zoom has 10x which could have been better. Under low light or night photography, the output was good with the colour saturated with the AI.
Overall, for the price and in the Mid-range phone, it is a good buy for the consumer.
Packaging of Honor 90 (5G) & Price
The Honor 90 smartphone comes in white packing with Gold embossed “Honor 90” printed on all sides. On opening the box, you will find the smartphone in a translucent cover in a plastic tray. Digging further you will find the white paper sleeve which has a transparent protective back cover with a SIM card removal tool, quick guide and warranty card. Below the sleeve, you will find the 66W super-charger plug, and the USB Type C charging cable.
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