Honor made a name for itself for years as the cheaper, youth-oriented division of Huawei, but now that it’s been sold by the Chinese giant Honor has had to strike off on its own as an independent company. That’s brought both challenges – forming its own R&D, manufacture, and distribution channels – and benefits, as Honor is finally free from the US trade restrictions that have crippled Huawei’s ability to make phones, and so from now on Honor devices can ship globally with full Google software. The result is that this is a relatively short list, as Honor hasn’t released that many phones since it began shipping Google software again. The Honor 50 and Magic 4 series were the first to ship worldwide with Google, as do the more recent Honor 70 and Magic 5 Lite. The company has also launched the Honor 80 series and the Magic Vs foldable in China, with the latter now set to launch internationally alongside the new Magic 5 Pro at MWC this month. Best Honor phones 2023 1. Honor Magic 4 Pro – Best Honor phone Pros Powerful performance Beautiful display Excellent camera Full Google support Cons Only 2 years of Android updates Unreliable with 3rd-party chargers The Magic 4 Pro is a full-on flagship, with top specs in almost every respect. That means a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, a 120Hz LTPO OLED display, and incredibly fast charging: 100W wired and wireless. The camera is committed too, with a triple lens setup including a powerful 64Mp periscope lens. Still, this isn’t a perfect phone. There’s no IP rating, unlike some similarly priced rivals, and small flaws frustrate, like unreliable performance with unofficial chargers. Compared to other flagships, Honor’s commitment to only two years of software updates can’t quite compete either. This is the most impressive phone Honor makes though, and with strong specs and a competitive price it’s well worth considering. Read our full Honor Magic 4 Pro review 2. Honor 70 – Best mid-range Pros Lovely design Strong camera performance Good battery life Curved OLED 120Hz screen Cons Poor software update promise No waterproofing The Honor 70 is an accomplished mid-range phone, a confident step forward for the company after its breakaway from Huawei. With Google services and apps, a thoughtful and attractive design, strong performance, and good battery life, this is one of the better phones in this price range in the UK and Europe – sorry US friends. It’s up against stiff competition from the likes of the Pixel 6a, Nothing Phone (1), and OnePlus Nord 2T, which are all a little bit cheaper and sometimes have an edge on hardware. Crucially, all three also run on slicker software, with better long-term support promised too. But with a 120Hz display and very good main camera, the Honor 70 is still a solid choice. Read our full Honor 70 review 3. Honor Magic 5 Lite – Best design Pros Beautiful, refined design Strong battery life Accurate OLED display Cons Outdated chipset No bundled charger Mono speaker The Magic 5 Lite is an affordable mid-ranger that excels most of all in how it looks, with a sleek, slender design that could belong to a phone at least twice its price. Brilliant battery life helps the phone stand out too, though it’s let down a little by an older chipset (the same found in the older Magic 4 Lite, below), slow charging (with no charger in the box), and a camera that’s good but not great. Still, if you want a phone that looks and feels like a flagship for a fraction of the cost, you could do an awful lot worse. 4. Honor 50 – Best value Pros Slim and light Beautiful display Full Google support Cons No waterproofing Mixed camera performance The Honor 50 was the company’s first phone to get a global release since going independent, and also the first to feature Google support. It was a great buy at launch, and is even better now that it’s dropped significantly in price. The design and display are the biggest selling points here – the Honor 50 looks and feels great, and it’s both slim (7.8mm) and light (175g). The curved 120Hz OLED display is also one of the best you’ll find in any phone at this price. The 108Mp rear camera is pretty strong, though the other rear lenses disappoint a bit. The selfie camera is still good though, and at 32Mp it’s one of the higher-resolution front-facing cameras around. Read our full Honor 50 review 5. Honor Magic 4 Lite 5G – Best budget Pros 66W charging Big 120Hz display Cheap 5G Cons Android 11 Inconsistent cameras LCD screen The Honor Magic 4 Lite 5G – also known as the X9 5G in some markets – is an impressive 5G device when it comes to performance. There’s a lot to like. The battery life is good, the screen is huge, and it offers solid performance alongside its 5G connectivity. It’s a shame that huge screen is LCD rather than OLED, but at this prices compromises have to come somewhere, and that’s the trade-off made for a 120Hz refresh rate. Inconsistent cameras hold it back a little further, as does the choice to ship the phone with the now-old Android 11, but overall this is still a capable cheap mid-ranger. Read our full Honor Magic 4 Lite review 6. Honor 50 Lite Pros 66W charging Big display Cons No 5G 60Hz screen The Honor 50 Lite is a chunk cheaper than the regular Honor 50. If you can afford the upgrade it’s worthwhile, but if not then the 50 Lite isn’t a bad option. The large 6.67in display is welcome at this price point (even if it only has a 60Hz refresh rate), and you’re also getting a decent 64Mp main rear camera and really fast 66W charging – genuinely impressive at this price point. There’s no 5G support, and the design isn’t a match for its sibling, but for the price this really isn’t too shabby. Read our full Honor 50 Lite review Related stories for further reading Best phone deals Best smartphones Best budget Chinese phones Best Huawei phones Best new phones coming soon Budget smartphones, Mid-range smartphones, Smartphones
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