Whether to express ourselves, communicate or to kick back and relax, our smartphones have become an integral part of life. But no smartphone is complete without a great user experience. We often want the most advanced display, smooth performance and a great camera packaged into a device that is not so heavy on the pocket. Thankfully, the latest Honor 90 goes above and beyond, boasting the best camera and display on a mid-range smartphone and building on the brand’s commitment to human-centric innovation.
Capturing and sharing with ease
Honor 90 makes your life easier when it comes to videos. For example, many of us struggle to choose a video mode when recording but with Honor’s AI Video Recommendation, the camera can recommend the most appropriate video mode from a range of five options – Portrait Video, HDR Video, Close-up, Multi-video and Solo-cut. There is another feature called AI Sharpening Technology, which sharpens every frame of your video for higher dynamic range. The front 50MP camera can also be used for videos and pairs particularly well with the dual-microphone setup on the device and AI Noise Cancellation, a feature that removes background noise from your videos. This effectively means whether you are filming with the primary or front cameras, your vlogs will have both the best quality video and audio.
In fact, because of this ease of convenience, we found ourselves taking more videos when using Honor 90. But editing them can be time-consuming and challenging. Honor has gone the extra mile even here, with its AI Vlog Assistant feature. This analyses key details of your videos in real time and by selecting Instant Movie, you get a social media-ready 15 second video clip to share in an instant.
The triple-camera setup is no slouch when taking photos either. Firstly, you find a 200MP primary ultra-clear camera with a large 1/1.4-inch sensor meaning more light is captured when taking photos. Compared to its previous generation, this is a 25 per cent increase in size improving the light-sensing ability of the lens. This also means more detailed images with 200 million pixels in each shot, an enhanced portrait mode and better low-light and night performance. Usually, the latter means having to toggle a night mode setting on a typical smartphone. But we found Honor 90’s night mode experience to be quite refreshing because you do not have to wait after pressing the shutter when shooting with it. Instead, the picture is clicked almost instantly thanks to Honor’s Image Engine.
Alongside this, you find a 12MP ultra-wide and macro lens, which can be used to capture wide 112-degree field of view images of expansive landscapes or close-up images of small objects. Lastly, there is a third 2MP depth camera used for portraits that completes the setup.
Industry-leading floating display
The display on a smartphone can make or break an experience because it is the basis of our interaction. On Honor 90, you find a 6.7-inch 2,664x1,200 resolution AMOLED panel capable of displaying more than 1 billion colours. As soon as you look at it, it is noticeably more vibrant than other smartphones. This is because of its peak HDR brightness of 1,600 nits, which not only makes content consumption enjoyable especially with HDR support on both Amazon Prime Video and Netflix but also allows you to use the smartphone under direct sunlight with ease. To top that off, the curved design means greater immersion, which comes in handy for longer videos and TV shows.
A trademark feature of Honor devices has been the Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) Dimming technology. And it is no surprise that it returns on Honor 90, better than ever. The display pulses at a rate of up to 3,840Hz, which means it is easier on the eye and does not flicker even at lower brightness. Being able to do this with its display has made Honor the recipient of the TUV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification and risk-free dimming level, which makes it perfect for today’s entertainment-hungry generation. There are also features that help with eye comfort built into the panel including blue light reduction and auto adjustment of brightness based on external lighting conditions.
In our fast-paced lives, we rarely like skipping a beat and for just that, Honor 90’s screen features up to a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. This helps with smooth and consistent performance where required such as gaming and a more battery sustainable experience in less intense scenarios such as reading. Moreover, you can use the built-in options to configure the display so that it automatically and intelligently adjusts its refresh rate based on the applications you have open allowing for a layer of added customisation.
An all-rounded package
Honor 90 delivers with its display and camera, but that doesn’t mean it has sacrificed other aspects. The quad-curved design measuring just 7.8mm and 183g makes it sleek. Despite this, it has a huge 5,000mAh battery on board, which is more than enough for a day and a half of moderate usage. We were also blown away by how fast the battery charges, going from almost flat to 20 per cent in five minutes and approximately 50 per cent in 15 minutes thanks to Honor’s 66W wired SuperCharge technology.
Ticking inside is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen1 Accelerated Edition, which is a 4nm chip supporting 5G. From browsing the web, opening demanding spreadsheets, and gaming, the processor can handle it all without causing sluggishness. Moreover, the software in MagicOS 7.1 on top of Android 13 is well optimised and highly customisable to everyone’s preferences.
Our verdict
Honor knows how to deliver a mid-range smartphone that continues to push the envelope when it comes to features and performance. Its AI-powered technologies for vlogging and photography and standout display are a testament to this and thankfully, these are not at the expense of any of the other features on the smartphone. Honor 90 is available to pre-order at leading retailers in the UAE from Dh1,599 for the 19GB (12+7) + 256GB version and Dh1,999 for the 19GB (12+7) + 512GB version with free gifts worth Dh597 including Honor Choice Earbuds X3 and one year of screen protection via Hihonor.com
