Honor smartphone line - comparative overview of the model range

Honor is the best-selling smartphone brand in Russia in the first half of 2021. Huawei's subsidiary owes this popularity primarily to budget smartphones, but they also love it for its affordable flagships, which provide users with top-end specs and a good camera for reasonable money.

This year, the Chinese decided to outdo themselves and released Honor 20 Pro, a review of which is brought to your attention. This is undoubtedly the coolest smartphone in the entire history of the brand. But what did the manufacturer sacrifice for an advanced camera? Let's figure it out.

Characteristics of Honor 20 Pro:

• Screen: IPS, 6.26″, FHD+ (2340×1080 px, 412 ppi), 19.5:9;
• Processor: Kirin 980 (7 nm, 4 Cortex-A55 1.8 GHz cores × 2 Cortex-A76 1.92 GHz cores × 2 Cortex-A76 2.6 GHz cores), Mali-G76MP10 graphics (720 MHz, GPU Turbo 3.0);
• Permanent memory: 256 GB (UFS 2.1), without MicroSD support;
• RAM: 8 GB (LPDDR4X, 2133 MHz);
• Main camera: 48 MP (Sony IMX586, f/1.4, EGF 28 mm, OIS) + 16 MP (f/2.2, wide-angle, viewing angle 117 degrees, EGF 13 mm) + 8 MP (3x zoom, f/2.4, EGF 80 mm, OIS) + 2 MP (macro, f/2.4, EGF 27 mm), 4K/30fps video recording;
• Front camera: 32 MP (f/2.0, EGF 26 mm), portrait mode, 1080p/30fps;
• Battery: 4000 mAh (Li-Pol) fast charging 22.5 W;
• SIM: 2 x Nano-SIM;
• Communications: NFC, 4G, Bluetooth 5.0 (aptX HD), Wi-Fi 5 dual-band (802.11ac), SAR 1.08 W/kg;
• Connectors: USB Type-C (OTG);
• Security: fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock;
• OS: Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9.1 shell (Magic UI 2.1);
• Dimensions: 154.6 x 73.97 x 8.44 mm, weight 182 g;
• Colors: Phantom Blue, Phantom Black, Icelandic Illusion.

The presentation of Honor 20 Pro took place on May 21 in London, but a few days before that, the United States imposed sanctions on Huawei, as a result of which the release of the new product was in jeopardy - the flagship was not certified by Google. Fortunately, the issue was resolved and everything ended well. The device debuted in Russia on July 25, and on August 2, Honor 20 Pro went on sale.

Interesting fact: the official price of Honor 20 Pro in Russia is 10 thousand rubles lower than in Europe: 34,990 rubles versus 599 euros (~ 43.7 thousand). It’s better not to order a smartphone on Aliexpress; Chinese versions do not support LTE Band 7 and 20.

The delivery set is absolutely standard: a smartphone, a USB-C cable, a 22.5 W fast charging unit, a clip for the SIM tray, a warranty card and a user manual. The nice thing is that the protective film was applied directly from the factory. The sad thing is the lack of a case and an adapter from USB-C to a 3.5 mm jack, as an unobtrusive warning that there is no mini-jack in the smartphone.

Specifications

Well, before we start reviewing the Honor 20 Pro, let’s compare its characteristics with its other flagship brothers. On our website you can read a comparative review of Honor 20 Pro and Honor 20.

Design and ergonomics

Honor 20 Pro, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful Huawei smartphones in 2021. It is notable for its unusual colors with an interesting holographic 3D effect. The back of the smartphone is made of three layers of tempered glass at once - a regular, colored layer and the so-called depth layer. The purpose of the first two is obvious, but the latter consists of a huge number of tiny prisms, upon which light is scattered and illuminates neighboring pigments, thereby creating a three-dimensional effect. It looks really beautiful, but at the same time restrained, unlike the flashy gradients of most class=”aligncenter” width=”700″ height=”500″[/img]

Unlike the younger version with a flat back, the back cover here is noticeably curved at the edges. Due to this, the phone fits very comfortably in the hand, but the glass remains just as slippery and easily soiled.

The main camera lenses of all the latest Huawei smartphones are emphatically large, but the Honor 20 Pro has protruding optics for the purpose - there is optical stabilization on two modules at once. This is not particularly practical to use; on the table, the device wobbles noticeably when you tap on the screen. If this is a problem for you, buy a case that will cover the camera protrusion.

Against the backdrop of the dominance of similar devices, Honor 20 Pro managed to maintain recognition from the front. The cutout for the front camera on the left is a unique feature of Huawei; only Samsung flagships have this, but their camera island is located on the right side of the screen. Such cutouts are in no hurry to appear in more budget devices, so the device will look premium for a long time.

The bottom frame is slightly thicker than the symmetrical margins on top and sides of the screen, but this does not spoil the “frameless” feeling - the difference is insignificant. In the speaker grille above the screen there is a color notification indicator, which is clearly visible only if you look at the phone perpendicularly; if it is lying on the table in front of you, there may be problems with the visibility of the LED.

The connectors and buttons are arranged in a typical manner: at the bottom there is a USB Type-C port, a speaker and a microphone, at the top there is a second microphone and a proximity sensor. On the right are the volume and power keys, and on the left is the card tray, which, alas, does not support MicroSD.

At the top end, in an oval window, there is a proximity sensor, and not an IR port, which is erroneously indicated in some reviews. You cannot use a smartphone instead of a remote control, as was the case with Honor 10. The sensor itself works correctly.

But with the fingerprint scanner everything is much more interesting; it is located on the right side, directly in the power button of the smartphone. There are no complaints about the quality of the fingerprint sensor: it is very fast and accurate, it works almost instantly, and it is not necessary to press a key, a simple touch is enough.

But this location of the scanner cannot be called an unconditional advantage - it is convenient, since your finger immediately hits the button when you take the phone in your hand. But this solution is only suitable for right-handed people, and if the phone is lying on the table, you need to lift it to unlock it, since Huawei smartphones traditionally do not support turning on the screen by double tap. In addition, the scanner does not recognize gestures - viewing the notification shade and flipping through photos will not work.

By modern standards, the Honor 20 Pro has standard dimensions; the smartphone cannot be called a shovel, but it is also problematic to operate it with one hand; it is inconvenient to reach the top of the screen. Of course, the case could be thinner - here it is almost 8.5 mm, but then a capacious battery would not fit inside, so the dimensions are quite justified

Honor 30 Pro Plus review – an ideal smartphone with less than ideal software?

Especially considering the 30x zoom and 48 megapixel camera in the older version.

The continuation of the ideas of the last generation in the new version of Honor 30 with the Pro prefix is ​​a search for one’s own identity. And although the lack of Google services is a serious obstacle for the Chinese manufacturer on the way to conquering the smartphone market, Huawei is relying on its own software and continues to move forward.

Equipment

The Honor 30 Pro+ comes in a small white package with a gray dot texture. Inside the box is the smartphone itself, and under it there is another box with a key for the SIM card tray, a case and documentation.

At the very bottom of the box there is a charging block with a maximum current of 10A and a power of 40 W. This is a lot for the included charger, especially when compared with other manufacturers. Charging is so fast that it will more than remain relevant for several more years.

There are no headphones included in the package, which seems a serious omission, since the smartphone is first and foremost a flagship with excellent characteristics and a DAC.

Ergonomics

The Honor 30 Pro+ case is an almost exact copy of the Huawei P40 Pro. The dimensions of the Honor smartphone are 160.32 mm × 73.61 mm × 8.38 mm. It has curved edges, but there are no accidental touches on the screen.

The device fits comfortably in both the right and left hand, and does not slip at all either from the front or the back.

Let us immediately draw attention to a significant drawback. The smartphone will be inconvenient for right-handers, since all control buttons are located on the right side of the body. The thumb never hits the power button, pressing the volume buttons instead.

At the bottom of the device there is a tray, a microphone, a USB Type-C port and a multimedia speaker.

The external component also spoils the front two cameras, which block the useful space and already in games it becomes clear that you pay attention to them and they interfere with comfort.

Specifications

Honor 30 Pro+ runs on a single-chip HiSilicon Kirin 990 system-on-chip. The processor is divided into three clusters: two Cortex-A76 cores, again two Cortex-A76 cores and four Cortex-A55 cores, which operate at the highest frequencies. The Mali-G76 graphics core, released in 2018, is used.

The amount of RAM is 8 GB LPDDR4x type with a maximum clock frequency of 2133 MHz. The internal storage is based on the f2f file system, with a size of 256 GB without support for a memory card, including Huawei’s proprietary NM Card. Still, this is more than enough, considering that it may be even more than what is in the average laptop. But even this is indecently small for those who are going to shoot 4K video.

In AnTuTu, the device scores 428,872 points, which in the current ranking puts it in 25th place, behind the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro, but ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S10+. This is a very large reserve of power that will not be useful in real life for another couple of years.

The Geekbench 5 benchmark gives 755 points in Single-Core (single-core mode; by default, the slowest core from the clusters is selected). In Multi-Core mode – 2929. This is quite low, considering the maximum processor frequency of 2861 MHz.

The CPU Throttling Test runs unevenly, but without serious glitches, producing a maximum GIPS of 189 units, which is a very good result. The temperature is normal.

PUBG Mobile works perfectly, without freezing or stuttering. The frame rate is set to ultra, and the graphics are maximum. After 15 minutes of playing, heating is observed, which makes holding the smartphone in your hands uncomfortable.

Asphalt 9 runs at maximum settings without any lag. This is understandable, because the game is optimized for most platforms, especially for flagship devices. No heating is observed.

Display

The smartphone has an OLED display with a maximum resolution of 2340×1080 pixels with a density of 390 ppi. The screen size is 6.6 inches or 16.7 cm. There are almost no frames around the display, and the side edges are curved at the edges. The frame rate is 90 Hz. It is possible to switch to standard 60 Hz to reduce the load on the chipset and battery consumption.

There is a “Dark Mode” option. The “Electronic Book” mode is available, when the display changes the filter and becomes black and white, thereby reducing eye strain and increasing the convenience of reading books or texts.

There is an option “Permanent display” - this displays information about time, date and notifications on the locked screen with the ability to choose the style of display and dial. Moreover, the elements that will be shown on the screen are colored, which looks nicer than the monochrome version from most other manufacturers.

Software

Honor 30 Pro+ runs on Android AOSP 10 with Magic UI shell, which is similar to EMUI used in Huawei devices. There is no support for Google services.

In addition to Gmail and the Chrome browser, there will be no Google Pay - tap payment. Moreover, installing packages via HiSuite or another method will not work, since Google requires device identification in its database of trusted smartphones.

For applications, they use their own AppGallery store, which is growing every day and now you can find in it almost everything you might need for life. In addition, the President of Huawei Mobile Services and Vice President of Huawei CBG Alex Chang already announced last year that he began close cooperation with Sberbank in order for the Hiawei Pay service to work in Russia.

Otherwise, those applications that cannot be found in AppGallery and AppGo are available on popular forums on the Internet, where there are various assemblies compatible with the device.

Among the software features, it is worth noting Phone Clone, which allows you to transfer data from another iOS or Android smartphone, as well as HUAWEI Assistant, which affects the internal artificial intelligence settings for the camera, notifications, quick access and widgets.

There are two add-ons for battery management. These are “Battery” and “Digital Balance”. The first manages the allocation of resources of the battery itself, while the second is a detailed management of application roles and permissions. If you spend time on this, you can increase the battery life by several hours.

Huawei also offers the use of its own cloud account to contain contact information, payments and purchases, browser history, calendar events, notes, voice recorder audio recordings and a list of blocked contact information that is classified as spam. Data protection is carried out by backing up and searching for the phone if it is stolen or lost. Cloud storage capacity is 5 GB.

Cameras

Honor 30 Pro+ has a main camera with four photo modules:

• 50 MP wide-angle Sony IMX700 sensor with f/1.9 aperture and optical stabilization (similar to Huawei P40 Pro);
• 8 MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom (50x digital), f/3.4 aperture;
• 16 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with AI (f/2.2 aperture, autofocus);
• 2 MP ToF depth sensor.

The front camera has two modules:

• 32 MP (f/2.0 aperture, fixed focus);
• 8 MP (f/2.2 aperture, fixed focus).

In the camera settings, in addition to the main modes, there are advanced additional parameters. For example, it is very interesting to pay attention to the dual view, which allows you to use the front camera and the main one at the same time.

The main photo module shoots at a resolution of 12.5 megapixels by default, and you can use the 50 megapixel option in the HIGH-RES tab. At the same time, a 50 megapixel mode will be additionally available using artificial intelligence algorithms.

Next, we propose to compare photos in one frame in 50 megapixel mode, 50 megapixel using AI and in standard 12.5 megapixel resolution, respectively.

The 16 MP ultra-wide-angle lens shoots at a focal length of 17 mm. During the daytime the correct exposure and white balance are obtained. The detailing in the center of the frame is excellent. The edges of the image, traditionally on sensors of this type, are blurred.

Below is an example of how night photos work in 50 megapixel, 50 megapixel mode using AI, 12.5 megapixel and ultra-wide-angle sensor, respectively.

In night photos, the differences in 50 MP images using AI photos are especially noticeable - details in the images become sharper, and the weight of the photo increases. The wide-angle sensor produces a lot of noise in low-light conditions.

The 50x magnification of the 8 MP periscope lens has not undergone any changes in terms of quality since the review of the Huawei P40 Pro. This is still a binocular camera that allows you to see objects at a great distance. Photo of the moon is attached.

The camera works well in macro mode, but there are problems with autofocusing on objects close to the lens.

Portrait mode does not work well, given that there is no smooth transition from the bokeh effect to the focus area.

The front camera has two 8-megapixel sensors for portraits and a 32-megapixel ultra-wide-angle one. Selfie quality is not the best, but the camera still produces good results in the daytime.

The video camera shoots at a maximum resolution of 4K (4096×3072 pixels) at 60 frames per second. Electronic stabilization is present. The shooting quality is good, but not perfect. There are barely noticeable twitches.

There is support for shooting slow-motion video, when the first second is recorded at a normal pace, then the number of frames can be increased from 120 to 1920 FPS.

There's an AR mode, but it doesn't have any practical use other than allowing you to take portrait shots with effects and 3D Qmoji, Apple's equivalent of Animoji. But it is not done so well and only children can use it.

Network and communications

The following frequency bands are supported: 2G/3G/4G, but the main feature of the smartphone is support for 5G networks. True, the Russian version of the smartphone will not be able to use support for fifth-generation networks in the next couple of years.

Communication via the Tele2 operator occurs without interruption. On a 5-point scale, all five values ​​are available even in those places where other smartphones showed 2-3 points due to the remoteness of the BS.

Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ax protocols up to 5 GHz are used, Wi-Fi Direct support; Bluetooth version 5.1, support AAC, SBC, LDAC; USB 3.0, Type-C, NFC.

NFC without Google services does not work to pay for goods and products through a cash register. Only data transmission is available over a distance of no more than 10 cm.

Supported by GPS, Russian GLONASS satellites, Chinese Beidou, European Galileo. The location is displayed in Yandex.Maps instantly and without any delays.

The front end has a noise reduction for the voice speaker, as well as an IR port to simulate a remote control for an air conditioner and TV.

There is an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, the operation of which does not depend on the humidity at the point where you press the screen. But at the same time, the in-display scanner is still not as accurate as physical scanners, and its unlocking speed is quite slow, even if you manage to get to the right place the first time. In the same Honor 20 Pro that we reviewed last year, the fingerprint sensor was physical and responded instantly.

Battery

Honor 30 Pro+ has a 4000 mAh lithium polymer battery. Due to the fact that the screen refresh rate of 90 Hz is initially used, the battery drains quite quickly and the smartphone lasts for a whole day or 1.5 days with a moderate load on the processor. The current output in standard mode ranges from 250 to 380 mAh.

When the gaming capabilities of the device are loaded, the discharge occurs in 8 hours. When using a frequency of 60 Hz, the smartphone will work for about 12 hours.

Sound

Unlike previous models and similar devices Huawei P40 and P40 Pro, there is stereo sound here. It is of excellent quality, bassy, ​​loud, rich.

The speaker is also loud, with detailed sound, expressive timbre and tonality. The multimedia speaker is good, but the sound is monotonous.

Bottom line

The Honor 30 Pro+ smartphone has excellent technical components, but the main innovation since the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro is stereo speakers, which already make it clear that this is a premium-class device.

Advantages:

• large OLED display;
• a wide range of camera modules and photography modes;
• excellent design conveying quality production and grace;
• a powerful gaming platform that will last for several years of work in powerful and resource-intensive applications;
• presence of stereo speakers.

Flaws

• control buttons are located on the right side - right-handed people will find it inconvenient to use smartphones;
• a block of two front cameras interferes with comfortable gaming and viewing content from various clients;
• There is no support for IP68 dust and moisture protection, which is standard for most modern flagships.

Display

Honor 20 Pro is one of the few flagships that uses an IPS screen. The display occupies 91.7% of the front panel area, the hole for the front camera is even smaller than in the Galaxy S10. The very location of the hole on the left is also less striking than that of the Koreans. When you hold the smartphone horizontally, for example during a game, it does not loom, but is covered with your thumb.

The screen itself is represented by a 6.26-inch matrix with FullHD+ resolution and a pixel density of 412 ppi. It has a fairly high brightness - up to 480 cd/m², the automatic adjustment function works correctly. When using it, the brightness of the display in the sun can increase above the maximum level, which can be set manually. In general, there are no questions about the readability of the display.

Everything is also excellent in terms of color rendering. This is a good IPS panel with natural but rich colors, a good level of contrast and viewing angles. By default, the screen is a little cold, but the white balance can be manually adjusted in the settings, and there are two color profiles to choose from (normal and bright).

EMUI offers the ability to reduce the resolution from FHD+ to HD+, which is presented as a tool for improving the autonomy of the smartphone, but in fact there is no particular effect from the function. There is a night mode that raises the color temperature of the screen, making it less irritating to the eyes at night. The settings even hide the notch, but then the screen will become very asymmetrical, with a large top frame, it looks frankly so-so.

Performance and OS

Honor 20 Pro received a top-end processor of Huawei's own production - Kirin 980, which is based on the latest 7 nm process technology. They didn’t save on memory either; there is even more of it than competitors of similar prices: 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of ROM. With such a volume, it is unlikely that anyone will be affected by the problem of the lack of a slot for MicroSD cards.

Although the smartphone is kept in AnTuTu at the level of last year’s flagships with Snapdragon 845, its performance is absolutely enough for absolutely any task. It is worth giving credit to Huawei for the high-quality optimization of the system; the interface here works simply with lightning speed - there are no crashes, no crashes, no brakes.

The Honor 20 Pro handles all games with ease, PUBG runs at maximum graphics settings, and any popular titles too. After 30 minutes of play, the case warms up to 43 degrees, throttling does not affect the frame rate, the picture remains smooth even during long-term gaming.

The operating system is Android 9 Pie with Magic UI 2.1 shell. Essentially, this is a complete copy of EMUI 9.1 from smartphones under the Huawei brand. The firmware is known for its controversial design, but good functionality and customization options. In the coming months, an update to EMUI 10 is expected, the visual part of which the Chinese have significantly redesigned for the better.

Main technical characteristics of Honor 20 Pro:

• display: 6.26 inches, 1080 × 2340 (FullHD+), IPS;
• body: glass, aluminum;
• colors: shimmering black-violet, shimmering turquoise;
• processor: eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 980 (2×2.6 GHz Cortex-A76, 2×1.92 GHz Cortex-A76 and 4×1.8
• GHz Cortex-A55);
• RAM: 8 GB;
• memory for data storage: 256 GB;
• Card slot: 2 Nano SIM slots;
• connector: Type-C;
• main camera: 48 MP, f/1.4 + 16 MP, f/2.2 (wide-angle) + 8 MP, f/2.4 (telephoto) + 2 MP, f/2.4 (macro lens);
• front camera: 32 MP, f/2.0;
• networks: 4G/3G/2G;
• wireless connection: WI-FI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0;
• NFC support: yes;
• navigation: GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, Beidou, QZSS;
• bio-identification: fingerprint sensor, face scanner;
• battery: 4000 mAh, fast charging;
• dimensions: 154.6 × 74 × 8.4 mm;
• weight: 186.1 grams;
• OS: Android 9.0, proprietary Magic UI 2.1 shell.

Honor 20 Pro camera review

The key difference between the Honor 20 Pro and the standard version of the flagship is the main camera. It also consists of four lenses, but all modules are used for business - there are no useless depth sensors here.

The 48 MP main module is represented by the flagship Sony IMX 586 sensor, it has optical stabilization and optics with an outstanding f/1.4 aperture, which together provides excellent results when shooting in low light conditions.

Left - Honor 20, right - Honor 20 Pro

The second camera is an 8MP telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture and 80mm equivalent focal length that offers 3x optical zoom or 5x hybrid zoom. The telephoto is also equipped with an optical stabilization system.

The third module is a 16 megapixel camera for wide-angle shots, but unlike the first two, it does not have OIS or autofocus. And finally, the fourth lens is a 2 MP macro camera that has a fixed focus at a distance of 4 cm.

Photos taken with the Honor 20 Pro during the day look great. They are sharp, have natural color reproduction and a wide dynamic range. It is better to use the main camera in standard 12 MP mode. Increasing the resolution to 48 MP does not provide a noticeable increase in detail, and the amount of digital noise increases even with ideal lighting.

Examples of 12 MP photos:

The inclusion of AI algorithms leads to an increase in contrast and saturation; such pictures can be posted on social networks without any processing.

In low light, the Honor 20 Pro is also very good. The presence of optical stabilization minimizes the problem of blurry pictures and fully reveals the night mode, which, when activated, improves the clarity and dynamic range of photographs.

The results of the telephoto lens at 3x optical zoom during the day are not very different from the pictures taken with the main camera. The photos are also pleasing with wide pixel resolution and natural color reproduction, and even 5x zoom looks quite good on the phone screen.

Telephoto also greatly benefits from night mode, which allows you to get much more detail and reduce noise levels. The presence of OIS is very helpful here.

The ultra-wide-angle camera of the Honor 20 Pro is slightly inferior to the other modules; its images differ slightly in color rendition, and comparable sharpness is achieved through aggressive software sharpening. But in general, the width is not bad, and in terms of the quality of daytime photos it can be compared with that of the Huawei P30.

You can take normal photos with a wide-angle camera at night, but the lack of stabilization and fixed focus affect the final result.

The Honor 20 Pro is surprisingly good at shooting in portrait mode; the pictures are pleasing with natural skin color, detail and the right bokeh effect.

The same applies to selfies with the front camera. It can also blur the background, but errors in the contours of the object are more common here, especially when separating hair from the background.

What's not impressive is the macro camera, which is just as useless here as in the regular Honor 20. Close-up photos taken with a telephoto camera with 3x zoom look better than photos with a macro module, both in terms of detail, as well as in contrast and color rendition.

Honor 20 Pro can record video in 4K/30fps and 1080p/60fps; all three main cameras shoot in 4K. During the day, the videos look great; thanks to optical stabilization, the picture is smooth, with a good dynamic range, rich colors and no visible noise.

At night, the best result can be obtained when shooting FHD/60fps, since in UHD the picture noticeably doubles when moving. The sound recording quality and autofocus performance are good regardless of the shooting conditions.

Review of the Honor 20 Pro smartphone

At the end of last spring, Huawei held a world presentation of its new Honor 20 series smartphones in London. The line includes three models - Honor 20 Lite, Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro. Fortunately, fears that the older modification of the family might not reach the Russian market at all were not justified. Honor 20 Pro is the most technologically innovative smartphone in the entire Honor line. Perhaps, by the way, this is one of the last “normal” mobile devices from the manufacturer on Android, since now no one can know for sure what the future relationship between Chinese Huawei and American Google will be due to the complicated relations between the countries.

In China itself, Honor 20 Pro sales exceeded 100 million yuan (approximately $15 million) shortly after the smartphone went on sale. It will be all the more interesting to consider in detail one of the most interesting recent creations of the giant of Chinese industry - a smartphone, which has now become not only the flagship, but also the personification of the entire legendary Honor family.

Main characteristics of Honor 20 Pro (model YAL-L41)

• SoC Huawei Kirin 980, 8 cores: 2×Cortex-A76 @2.6 GHz, 2×Cortex-A76 @1.9 GHz, 4×Cortex-A55 @1.8 GHz
• GPU Mali-G76 MP10
• Operating system Android 9, Magic UI 2.1
• Touch display IPS 6.26″, 2340×1080, 19.5:9, 412 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 8 GB, internal memory 256 GB
• No memory card support
• Nano-SIM support (2 pcs.)
• GSM/WCDMA networks
• LTE Cat.21 networks LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 18(800), 19 (800), 20(800), 26(850), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500)
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS, Galileo, QZSS
• Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz)
• Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, aptX HD, LE
• NFC
• USB 2.0, Type-C connector, USB OTG
• No headphone audio output (3.5mm)
• Main camera: 48 MP (f/1.4) + 16 MP (f/2.2) + 8 MP (f/2.4) + 2 MP (f/2.4)
• Front camera 32 MP (f/2.0)
• Proximity and lighting sensors, magnetic field, accelerometer, gyroscope
• Fingerprint scanner (built into the power button)
• 4000 mAh battery, SuperCharge fast charging
• Dimensions 155x74x8.4 mm
• Weight 182 g

Appearance and ease of use

Honor 20 Pro turned out to be more strict and solid than most of its relatives in the Honor family, which now, due to their bright gradient rear panel, sparkle in the sun like Christmas tree decorations. Honor 20 Pro also has a gradient transition in color, but here everything is somehow calmer, more balanced and not so flashy.

Quite the contrary: the Honor 20 Pro is worth a look for those users who want their mobile assistant to look serious, strict, expensive and fit their respectable image. Moreover, this is one of those rare cases when the most technically equipped flagship has not become larger in size than the simpler models in the series.

And it is precisely for these convenient dimensions that the graceful Honor 20 Pro can be forgiven a lot. But, in general, there is nothing to forgive. Even in the design of its forms, it outperforms the same Huawei P30 Pro with its pointed sides that rotate in the palm of your hand. Here the edges are wide and less convex, so the small device is held much more securely in the hand.

The manufacturer has also done a good job of ensuring that the smartphone does not slip in your fingers: neither the side frame nor the glass of the back panel can be called slippery. The high-quality oleophobic coating behind the glass does not become covered with fingerprints too quickly and is easily wiped off. As a result, a glossy smartphone never looks sloppy.

There are certain complaints about the strongly protruding module with cameras. Due to it, a smartphone lying on a hard surface sways whenever you touch the screen, like a paperweight. Thus, it is absolutely impossible to work with the Honor 20 Pro lying on the table.

However, this is just an annoying detail compared to the endlessly convenient fingerprint scanner integrated directly into the side power button. With it you can truly take a break from the sluggish, newfangled under-screen sensors that, as if on cue, began to be installed in all mobile devices worth the slightest bit of money. Everything is logical here: the power button activates the smartphone and simultaneously authenticates the owner. What else is needed?

It’s also very impressive that they didn’t make retractable modules with cameras here, which waste battery energy on operating the additional motor. In Honor 20 Pro, the front camera looks through a 4.5 mm hole cut directly into the display matrix. Perhaps this is the best option we have come up with.

Due to the absence of any “notch” and a thin frame around it, the screen occupies 91.7% of the front surface of the body.

The Nano-SIM dual card tray is not hybrid and does not support microSD memory cards. However, to our surprise, it does not support Huawei’s own NM (Nano Memory) cards, which is strange for the flagship of the company that developed this format.

All other elements are installed at the bottom end of the case: speaker, USB Type-C connector and microphone. It's a shame, but the smartphone does not have a 3.5 mm audio output. Obviously, this can be considered a kind of “measure of coolness” that the manufacturer is guided by: flagships are automatically deprived of a minijack, simply “because they can.”

For Honor 20 Pro, there are only two color options: black and blue (Phantom Blue, Phantom Black). In the company pictures, everything is slightly exaggerated, but “black” really has a lilac tint, and “blue” has a green tint. The smartphone did not receive full protection from water and dust.

Screen

Honor 20 Pro is equipped with a 6.26-inch IPS display with a resolution of 2340×1080. The display is covered with almost flat glass that does not reflect glare at the edges. The physical dimensions of the screen are 67x144 mm, the aspect ratio is 19.5:9, and the pixel density is 412 ppi. The frame around the screen is about 3.5 mm wide on the sides and top, and 6 mm at the bottom. The display occupies 91.7% of the front surface area.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are better than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (Nexus 7 on the left, Honor 20 Pro on the right, then they can be distinguished by size):

The screen of the Honor 20 Pro is noticeably darker (brightness according to photographs is 110 versus 120 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Honor 20 Pro screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, which is slightly better in efficiency than that of the Nexus 7, so fingerprints are removed much more easily and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 505 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, therefore, given the excellent anti-glare properties, screen readability even on a sunny day outdoors should be at an acceptable level. The minimum brightness value is 1 cd/m². In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker cutout on the upper edge of the front panel). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider: with it the user can try to set the desired brightness level in the current conditions. If you do not interfere, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 5 cd/m² (a bit dark), in an office illuminated by artificial light (approximately 550 lux) it sets it to 135 cd/m² (normal), in a very bright environment (corresponds to clear lighting during the day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more) increases to 560 cd/m² (which is even more than with manual adjustment). The backlight brightness level depends on the position of the slider in dark and average conditions, and in very bright environments it is always set to maximum. We weren't happy with the default result, so we moved the slider a little to the right in complete darkness and for the three conditions above, we got 15, 165 and 560 cd/m² (the perfect combination). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flicker.

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Honor 20 Pro and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K.

There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field.

And a test picture:

The colors on the Honor 20 Pro's screen are clearly oversaturated, and the color balance varies greatly between screens. Let us remind you that the photograph cannot serve as a reliable source of information about the quality of color rendering and is provided only for conditional visual illustration. The reason is that the spectral sensitivity of the camera sensor does not exactly match this characteristic of human vision.

Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the Honor 20 Pro the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the greater highlighting of blacks.

And a white field:

The brightness of the screens at an angle has decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the Honor 20 Pro's screen is still a little darker. When deviated diagonally, the black field is brightened greatly, but remains conditionally neutral gray. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is excellent:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high - about 1100:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 20 ms (10 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 33 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.06, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve noticeably deviates from the power-law dependence:

This is due to the fact that this device has a dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness with an unobvious dependence on time and on the nature of the displayed image. As a result, the resulting dependence of brightness on hue (gamma curve) may not correspond to the gamma curve of a static image, since the measurements were carried out with sequential display of shades of gray on almost the entire screen. For this reason, we carried out a number of tests - determining contrast and response time, comparing black illumination at angles - (however, as always) when displaying special templates with a constant average brightness, and not monochromatic fields in the entire screen. In general, such non-disabled brightness correction does nothing but harm, since constantly changing the screen brightness can at least cause some discomfort.

The color gamut is wider than sRGB and almost equal to DCI:

Let's look at the spectra:

The spectra of the components are quite well separated, which determines the wide color gamut. For a consumer device, a wide color gamut is a disadvantage because it results in unnaturally saturated colors in images—drawings, photographs, and movies—that are oriented to the sRGB space (which is the vast majority of them). This is especially noticeable on recognizable shades, such as skin tones. The result is shown in the photographs above.

However, not everything is so bad: when you select the Normal , the coverage is compressed to the sRGB boundaries.

Colors in images become less saturated (and color balance changes slightly):

The balance of shades on the gray scale after selecting the Normal is acceptable, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K (about 6900 K on a white field), and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is much lower than 10 - 2.1, also on a white field , which is considered an excellent indicator for a consumer device.

This device has the ability to adjust the color balance by adjusting the hue on the color wheel or simply by selecting one of three preset profiles.

In the graphs below, the Vivid correspond to the results without any color balance correction ( Vivid ), and the Normal curves, corr. — data obtained after selecting the Normal and manual color balance correction (the point on the correction circle is like in the picture above). (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

It can be seen that the change in balance corresponds to the expected result, since ΔE has decreased, and the color temperature has moved even closer to the standard 6500 K. There is some benefit from such a correction. Note that this function is implemented more for show, since there is no numerical reflection of the correction and there is no special field for measuring color balance.

There is a fancy setting that allows you to reduce the intensity of the blue component.

Marketers tried to intimidate the user in order to show the level of care of the manufacturer. Of course, there is no harmful UV radiation (see spectrum above), and there is no eye fatigue caused specifically by blue light. In principle, bright light can lead to disruption of the circadian rhythm (see the article about the iPad Pro with a 9.7-inch display), but everything can be solved by adjusting the brightness to a comfortable level, and there is absolutely no way to distort the color balance, reducing the contribution of blue sense.

To summarize: the screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. Also, the advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, high contrast, excellent uniformity of the black field, sRGB color gamut and good color balance (when choosing the right profile and after a small correction). The disadvantages are the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane. Considering the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered very high.

Camera

The front camera uses a module with a 32 megapixel matrix (pixel size - 0.8 microns) and a lens with an f/2.0 aperture without autofocus. There is electronic stabilization.

The camera is decent. The detail and sharpness of the images are impressive, the color rendition is generally normal, the camera does not give up in any lighting, successfully crops out the object when the background is blurred, and in general its capabilities will be quite sufficient for most users.

The camera application interface for Huawei and Honor smartphones is the same, it is unusually wide in capabilities - maybe even redundant. There is AI support, a manual mode with the ability to save pictures in RAW, a portrait background blur mode, monochrome, macro and a lot of different scene modes.

The main module of the rear camera has a Sony IMX589 sensor (matrix size 1/2″, pixel size 1.6 microns) with a resolution of 48 megapixels and a coated lens with an f/1.4 aperture, uses laser autofocus and optical stabilization. For maximum resolution, there is also an AI Ultra Clarity mode. However, the camera app interface means that users will mostly shoot at 12MP resolution: it is set by default, while 48MP resolution is hidden from view, must be manually selected in the settings, and the zoom switch disappears from the viewfinder.

12 MP, f/1.4 48 MP, f/1.4

12 MP, f/1.4 48 MP, f/1.4 12 MP, f/1.4 48 MP, f/1.4 12 MP, f/1.4 48 MP, f/1.4

As for the mentioned AI Ultra Clarity mode, it is designed to take high-definition photos, and it can be enabled in the settings separately from the regular 48 MP shooting mode. According to the description, the camera takes a series of sequential images of one frame, after which intelligent algorithms select the clearest fragments from all the resulting images and combine them into one 48-megapixel “super photo”, which should be better in quality than a regular photo of the same resolution. Here is a comparison of the results (note the detailing of the shadow areas):

48 MP, regular 48 MP, Ultra Clarity

Indeed, in AI Ultra Clarity mode we see a picture similar to what Google Camera produces in HDR+ mode: instead of “plasticine” (noise is destroyed along with details), by averaging several images we manage to leave a picture that more or less reflects reality, albeit with a lot of discolored noise. Of course, the detail in this mode is still quite low, not at all at 48 megapixels, but this is already a complaint about a tiny sensor, and the camera software does everything possible. However, as far as we could understand, the camera does not refocus before each of the shots in the series (probably to reduce the overall time for creating a photo), so we did not see a demonstration of selecting the most successful areas of the frame. As a result, we cannot say that with AI Ultra Clarity more details are recorded, but in general it is much more pleasant to look at such a picture.

The second module is ultra-wide-angle. It has a 16 MP sensor and an f/2.2 aperture lens without autofocus.

Normal, 12 MP, f/1.4 Wide, 16 MP, f/2.2 Normal, 12 MP, f/1.4

Wide, 16 MP, f/2.2 Normal, 12 MP, f/1.4

Wide, 16 MP, f/2.2

The wide-angle module is traditionally inferior to the main one in picture quality, and besides, the pictures taken with it are unstable: sometimes noticeably worse, and sometimes quite decent. In general, if you have enough time to shoot, check the result and reshoot (if necessary), this module will be a completely workable addition for those cases when you want to fit as much as possible into the frame.

The third module (8 MP, 1/4.4″) uses a long-focus lens (f/2.4). It is equipped with PDAF/laser autofocus, an optical image stabilization system and realizes 3x optical zoom. The maximum digital zoom is 30×.

12 MP, f/2.4, optical zoom 3× 12 MP, f/2.4, digital zoom 5× 12 MP, f/2.4, digital zoom 30× 12 MP, f/2.4, optical zoom 3×

12 MP, f/2.4, digital zoom 5×

12 MP, f/2.4, digital zoom 30×

We can note the 5× “hybrid” zoom that pleasantly surprised us - it seems that the programmers have finally found a processing algorithm in which digital zoom successfully emphasizes what it is, in principle, able to emphasize (it is clear that real details have nowhere to come from). In general, the telephoto produces a quite decent picture, no worse than the main module, so looking at distant details with its help is a pleasure.

Finally, the fourth module (2 MP sensor, f/2.4 lens) serves as a separate camera for macro photography.

2 MP, f/2.4, macro

2 MP, f/2.4, macro

2 MP, f/2.4, macro

2 MP, f/2.4, macro

The camera shoots video in maximum formats 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps. You can choose the compression codec yourself (H.264 or H.265). There is digital stabilization, called “intelligent” - Ai-stabilization. The quality of shooting in both higher modes in terms of detail is good, no complaints. Smooth handheld shooting on the go thanks to optical stabilization is also comfortable. The sound recording system records sound quite high quality.

• Video No. 1 (104 MB, 3840× [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 2 (114 MB, 3840× [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video No. 3 (70 MB, 1920× [email protected] fps, H.264, AAC)
• Video #4 (12 MB, 1280× [email protected] , H.264)

Telephone and communications

The Kirin 980 SoC supports LTE Cat.21. In theory, it should be able to wirelessly transfer data at speeds of up to 1400 Mbit/s for downloading and 200 Mbit/s for uploading). The smartphone supports a large number of frequencies, including all LTE FDD bands common in Russia (Band 3, 7, 20), as well as LTE TDD Band 38. In practice, within the city limits of the Moscow region, the device demonstrates reliable operation in wireless networks, not loses connection, quickly restores connection after a forced break. There are also no complaints about the operation of the Wi-Fi module (2.4 and 5 GHz, with support for 802.11ac). There is Bluetooth 5.0 and an NFC module.

The navigation module works with GPS (dual-frequency, with A-GPS), with the domestic Glonass, with the Chinese Beidou and with the European Galileo. During a cold start, the first satellites are detected quickly, within the first seconds, and the positioning accuracy does not cause any complaints. A magnetic compass, necessary for navigation programs, is installed in the device.

The phone application supports Smart Dial, that is, while dialing a phone number, a search is immediately carried out by the first letters in contacts. Methods for sorting and displaying contacts are standard for the Android interface; it is possible to block unwanted contacts. The vibration alert is more or less noticeable. The voice of the interlocutor in the speaker is intelligible, the sound is clear, but the volume reserve is not maximum.

Software and multimedia

The software platform is Google Android version 9 with Honor's own shell - Magic UI 2.1. It's practically the same EMUI, just under a different name. Once it was relevant only for China, but now the manufacturer seems to have decided to pre-install Magic UI on all Honor smartphones. In general, it differed only in the presence of the smart assistant Yoyo (Chinese replacement for the Google assistant). It is not here, but, keeping in mind the complicated relationship with Google, we can assume that it will appear in the updated versions.

There is a face unlock function, but it is implemented only on the basis of a single front camera without the ability to build a three-dimensional image grid, since there is no second sensor here. Accordingly, this is not the most reliable level of protection. In the dark, face unlock does not work. There is also the ability to control gestures with one hand, there is a GPU Turbo 3.0 mode that improves performance in games, and much more. If you are annoyed by the round camera eye, you can disguise it by drawing a dark strip along the top of the screen.

The Honor 20 Pro does not have particularly bright sound. It does not have stereo speakers, and the smartphone sounds at an average level, both through a single speaker and through headphones. The sound is not very loud, sometimes “rough”, and it clearly lacks volume. There is a high-quality voice recorder, but there is no FM radio installed in the smartphone.

Performance

The hardware platform in the Honor 20 Pro is the flagship SoC Huawei Kirin 980, manufactured using a 7-nanometer process technology. The SoC configuration includes three CPU clusters: two Cortex-A76 cores with a frequency of 2.6 GHz, two of the same cores with a frequency of 1.9 GHz and four Cortex-A55 with a frequency of 1.8 GHz. The Mali-G76 MP10 GPU is responsible for graphics performance.

The RAM capacity is 8 GB, the storage capacity is 256 GB without the possibility of expansion through memory cards. But even without this, only a little less than 230 GB is initially available to the user; this should be enough for any needs. You can also use the mode for connecting drives and other devices to the USB Type-C port in USB OTG mode.

Huawei Kirin 980 is the manufacturer’s top platform, on which all current Huawei and Honor flagships are now built. It is not the most powerful in the world, it is slightly inferior in tests, especially in terms of graphics, to the leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 and Samsung Exynos 9820, but it is still in the top three, closing it.

In real-life usage scenarios, there are no obstacles for the Kirin 980; it confidently copes with any tasks and the most demanding games. All tested games, including Injustice 2 and PUBG, run confidently without the slightest slowdown with maximum graphics quality. It is worth noting here the presence of the already mentioned GPU Turbo 3.0 mode, which improves performance in games. And the Graphene Cooling Sheet cooling technology, according to the manufacturer, provides 27% more efficient cooling compared to Graphite Sheet technology.

Testing in comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark and GFXBenchmark gaming tests:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

Testing in browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

AndroBench memory speed test results:

Heat

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface obtained after 15 minutes of fighting with a gorilla in the game Injustice 2 (this test is also used to determine autonomy in 3D games):

Heating is greater at the top of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip, but overall heating of the rear panel is uniform. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 38 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), which is not very much.

Playing video

This device does not appear to support DisplayPort Alt Mode for USB Type-C - outputting image and sound to an external device when connected to a USB port - which was discovered using the Aten UH3234 docking station. (Report from usbview.exe program.)

To test the output of video files on the screen of the device itself, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p), 1920 by 1080 (1080p) and 3840 by 2160 (4K) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: If both columns Uniformity and Skips have green ratings, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and skipping of frames will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect comfort viewing. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is very good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. We note the high stability of these results - this is rare for Android smartphones. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p), the image of the video file itself is displayed one-to-one pixel by pixel, exactly at the height of the screen (in landscape orientation) and in true Full HD resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights. Note that this smartphone has support for hardware decoding of H.265 files with a color depth of 10 bits per color, while gradients are output to the screen with better quality than in the case of 8-bit files (however, this is not proof of true 10-bit output). Display of HDR files is also supported.

Battery life

Honor 20 Pro has an impressive 4000 mAh battery. The level of autonomy of the hero of the review is quite good, although not record-breaking - after all, this is not an AMOLED screen and not the most economical hardware platform. In real life, a smartphone can confidently survive a day, but you still can’t do without daily night charging.

Testing has traditionally been carried out at the usual level of power consumption without using power saving functions, although the device has them.

Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted 18 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) at the same level brightness via a home Wi-Fi network, the device operates for up to 16 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone can work up to 8 hours, depending on the specific game.

The smartphone supports fast charging; from the supplied AC adapter it is fully charged in just an hour and a half with an initial current of 3.3 A at a voltage of 4.5 V (15 W). The device can be recharged to 50% in just half an hour. There is no support for wireless charging.

Bottom line

Sales of the regular version of Honor 20 began back in June, but the Pro version only began at the end of summer, on August 2. The official price of the smartphone in Russia is 35 thousand rubles; now only one modification with 8/256 GB of memory is available at retail. The price is fantastic. Considering the advanced camera system for a smartphone, the market does not provide anything like this for that kind of money. Among the flagships, only Xiaomi Mi 9 is officially sold for the same 35 thousand, with half the memory capacity, a smaller battery, and, of course, a much simpler camera. And devices with more or less similar capabilities cost 60 thousand.

In Honor 20 Pro, the user receives a luxurious design with a “dynamic holography” effect on the back, a high-quality screen, a top-end hardware platform, and ample communication capabilities. Well, the most powerful quad camera with a 48 megapixel main module and a fast lens, a wide-angle lens, a telephoto lens with optical zoom and optical image stabilization, perhaps, overshadows any shortcomings, of which the Honor 20 Pro has almost none.

Sound

Honor 20 Pro has only one speaker at the bottom of the case. The speaker copes with its tasks well, although without any special frills. It is loud - you can hear it even in difficult conditions, be it in a crowd or a shower, there is no wheezing or distortion even at maximum volume. But in terms of volumetric sound and low-frequency processing, it is far from the stereo speakers of more expensive flagships.

In headphones, the smartphone sounds standard, and the volume is good. However, there is no headphone jack; you will have to connect them through the adapter that comes with the phone. All necessary wireless codecs are supported: aptX HD, LDAC, AAC and others.

Connection quality

Huawei smartphones are famous for their excellent call quality, and the Honor 20 Pro is no exception. The device maintains excellent communication even in problem areas and has a high-quality microphone. At first you will have to get used to the conversational speaker; for the sake of framelessness, it has shrunk to a small slot, and therefore sometimes you will have to adjust and find in what position you can hear your interlocutor better.

The smartphone works in LTE networks and has fast Wi-Fi, of course dual-band. Navigation is also in perfect order - with active GPS, the phone does not heat up, the geolocation is accurate, and connection to satellites in the cold is carried out in 10-15 seconds. There is also an NFC module that supports contactless payment and travel card emulation. In general, there are no complaints about the communication capabilities of the Honor 20 Pro.

Bottom line

A smartphone with the most powerful hardware, excellent cameras, a full set of communication modules, and full support for Google services can be purchased at a price of 30 thousand rubles.

And this is in certified domestic retail, and not some Chinese online store. At this price, the smartphone is still quite interesting, given the popularity of the brand, although even more affordable autumn new products are already on its heels - 64 MP “quad-camera” cameras from Xiaomi and Realme, so the hero of the review now has someone to compete with.

Autonomy

The battery, in comparison with the younger Honor 20, has grown from 3750 to 4000 mAh, which has a positive effect on battery life. With a mixed load (without games), the device provides an average of 8 hours of screen time; it is almost impossible to discharge it in a day.

How Honor 20 Pro discharges (display brightness 50%):

• 2 hours of watching Youtube - 11%
• 2 hours of playing Asphalt 9 - 28%
• 2 hours of Internet surfing – 16%
• 30 minutes of FHD video recording – 10%

The smartphone comes with a 22.5 W fast charger, which charges the smartphone by 46% in half an hour, and in an hour it reaches 84% ​​of the charge. A full charging cycle lasts exactly one and a half hours - for a 4000 mAh battery this is a good indicator.

Verdict, competitors

What we liked about Honor 20 Pro:

• design, 3D design of the back cover;
• excellent all-round camera;
• speed and productivity;
• a lot of memory;
• battery life;

Flaws:

• lack of a slot for MicroSD;
• no minijack for headphones.

Controversial points:

• Useless camera for macro photography.
• no IR port (was in Honor 10);
• Fingerprint scanner on the side.

Honor 20 Pro is an excellent alternative to more expensive flagships. This is a comprehensively balanced and cool-looking smartphone with an excellent camera, performance and a powerful battery, which costs an adequate 35 thousand rubles in official retail.

Of course, there are some annoying limitations such as the lack of a headphone jack and non-expandable memory, but in terms of price-quality ratio, this is one of the best devices in its segment. The Honor 20 Pro has plenty of alternatives, but compared to the flagships of other Chinese manufacturers, our hero stands out due to a truly top-end camera.

Cameras

Honor 20 Pro has four modules on the back, the older one has a resolution of 48 megapixels, so together it is called “Quad Camera 48M”.

The camera control interface includes support for AI that controls scene auto shooting modes, and a manual mode with the ability to save images in RAW, as well as portrait background blur mode, macro, monochrome and others.

The one with 48 megapixels is a Sony IMX589 sensor (with a matrix size of 1/2″, pixel size of 1.6 microns). It has bright optics with an f/1.4 aperture, as well as laser autofocus and optical stabilization. Standardly, for this kind of modern “multi-pixel” resolutions, it is considered optimal (and suggested by default) to shoot at a resolution four times lower (in this case, 10 megapixels) in order to use the ability to virtually combine four pixels into one to get more light onto the matrix. In general, this is justified, and if you do not prepare a photo, for example, for printing, then 10 megapixel photographs look more interesting.

It’s interesting that there are even two 48 megapixel modes: in addition to the usual one, there is also AI Ultra Clarity 48 megapixel, which by averaging the data of several consecutive shots tries to take the clearest photo possible. Intelligent algorithms select the clearest fragments from all received images and compile them into one.

48MP AI Ultra Clarity 48MP

A wide-angle module with a 16 MP sensor and a lens with an f/2.2 aperture without autofocus traditionally produces lower quality, but sometimes on the smartphone screen the pictures look decent, and sometimes it’s better to retake the result. In general, this kind of wide shot is unstable.

The telemodule (8 MP, 1/4.4″, f/2.4) implements a three-fold optical zoom, also has PDAF/laser autofocus and an optical image stabilization system. But not only the three-fold optical zoom, but also the five-fold hybrid zoom produces a completely detailed and clear picture of something that, in principle, is impossible to see well with one’s own eyes. Maximum digital zoom is 30x.

There are also no complaints about the portrait mode: the object is cropped clearly, the background is softly and evenly blurred, the colors are correct. You can, of course, see spots of blur here and there on the object, but here, too, it’s not necessary, overall it’s still almost perfect.

The fourth module with a 2 MP sensor and an f/2.4 lens acts as a separate camera for macro photography, and there are no complaints here either.

The Honor 20 Pro takes selfies, perhaps even better than the Mate 30 Pro. All the advantages are there, including a wide dynamic range that does not allow the sky behind you to be overexposed, and at the same time there is no such whiteness and lack of contrast as in selfie shots of the Mate 30 Pro. In general, according to this parameter, the hero of the review is the best in his family.

The video camera shoots in a maximum resolution of 4K@30 fps, or can produce 60 fps at 1080p. As usual, there are two codecs to choose from: H.264 or H.265. There is optical image stabilization, so there are no complaints about the smoothness of handheld shooting on the go. The picture is sharp, detailed, and there are no issues with autofocus. The sound is recorded cleanly without distortion.