A couple of years back, Honor was one of the most innovative and emerging brands in India. Then, in 2020, due to geopolitical tensions, the sub-brand of Huawei left India, and now, after a three-year hiatus, they made a comeback to India with the launch of a new smartphone, the Honor 90.
Design
The highlight of the Honor 90 is its display, and it makes you think twice – is it really an Honor device? Yes, it’s damn good. After the display, the camera module will catch your attention as it is something unique but looks pathetic compared to the overall body language of the device. The design of the Honor 90 seems premium and feels like a feathery soft. It has regular offerings such as volume and power rockers on the right profile, a USB-C slot, a SIM slot and speakers at the bottom profile. The Honor 90 offers a curved body, and one can easily operate the device with one hand.
Display
The display of the Honor 90 is something beyond expectations. The 6.7-inch OLED display offers a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz and can get up to 1,600 nits bright to make your outdoor outings effortless. The sharp display of Honor 90 has a high resolution of 1200×2664 pixels, referred to as 1.5K. When it comes to the display resolutions, the Honor 90 unveils a remarkable feature that sets it apart from the rest. The device allows you to choose your preferred display resolution from a selection of flawlessly crafted options but also possesses the remarkable ability to adapt itself seamlessly.
The Honor 90 emerges as a star of technological brilliance, especially in the High Dynamic Range (HDR) segment. It boasts HDR10+ hardware support for its display, unlocking a world of visual splendour that is nothing short of cinematic. In terms of software, the Honor 90 flexes its decoding prowess with the ability to decipher HLG, HDR10, and the coveted HDR10+ formats, ensuring that your content is delivered with unprecedented clarity and vibrancy. Honor takes the battle against eye strain to a new level with a groundbreaking 3840Hz PWM dimming rate; it’s the Usain Bolt of dimming rates in the industry!
Camera
The Honor 90 boasts an impressive 200MP primary camera featuring the Samsung ISOCELL HP3 sensor. The sensor boasts a Tetra pixel arrangement, 0.56 µm pixels, and an expansive 1/1.4″ sensor size. Along with the sensor, it has a robust Quad Phase Detection AutoFocus (QPD PDAF), all tucked behind an f/1.9 lens. In optimal daylight conditions, the primary camera of the Honor 90 captures photos with accurate colours and respectable dynamic range, though it may not outshine the competition. However, when zooming in, you might notice a slight drop in fine details, but overall, it delivers photos well-suited for social media sharing.
The Honor 90’s camera delivers sub-par results in low-light scenarios. In low light, it tends to oversaturate images and struggles with colour accuracy. Accompanying the primary camera is a 12MP ultrawide lens with a wide 112-degree field of view and an f/2.2 aperture. Notably, the ultrawide lens supports autofocus, allowing it to double as a macro camera when needed. The 50MP selfie camera on the Honor 90 impressively captures selfies at 12.5MP resolution, delivering images with excellent detail and texture. It excels in rendering natural skin tones and exhibits competent colour reproduction, resulting in high-quality self-portraits. Besides the display, the selfie camera is the second-best feature on the Honor 90.
Performance
The Honor 90 graces us with Android 13 and Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset adorned in the finery of Honor’s exquisite MagicOS 7.1 skin. Yet, the tale takes a twist as we traverse the realm of updates and security. Honor only offers two major Android updates and a mere three years of security patches for the Honor 90. An offering that pales against the generous support bestowed by titans like Samsung and Google in this price echelon.
The shadow of Android 14 looms, casting uncertainty upon the Honor 90’s update journey, for the first of its two updates draws close, sooner than one would desire. Historically, the software domain has been Honor’s Achilles’ heel, and alas, the Honor 90 tracks a familiar path. But don’t let the familiarity deceive you; Honor sprinkles delightful surprises in the mix.
Thoughtful gestures dance before your fingertips, like the art of double-knocking to summon a screenshot or a screen recording. A side panel emerges with a sly swipe, unveiling the magic of windowed apps, letting you multitask with the grace of a magician. It’s a device that doesn’t just keep up with the times but almost dances ahead of them, inviting you to join in the celebration of innovation and sophistication.
Verdict
Honor 90 radiates to those who cherish uniqueness, solid battery life and demand nothing short of an exquisite screen. If your heart beats to the rhythm of unconventional design, and your soul craves a device that will accompany you from sunrise to sunset without faltering, then the Honor 90 is your destined companion. However, if your desires tread a different path, one that meanders through the hallowed halls of regular software updates and the promise of a perfect camera, you should look elsewhere.