HONOR 200 Pro Review: A Solid Choice for Camera Enthusiasts

The HONOR 200 Pro, after much anticipation, has finally been launched in India. This upper mid-range device is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and features a set of amazing cameras, especially with the portrait mode. It’s even dubbed the Portrait Master. 

But how does it perform in other aspects? Let’s unpack the HONOR 200 Pro in this review. I’ll talk about the design, display, speakers, software, performance, cameras, gaming, and everything else you need to know about the Honor 200 Pro. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

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HONOR 200 Pro Review - Design & Build

The HONOR 200 Pro sports a rather unique design. At the back, there’s an oval-shaped camera module, and both the back and the frame are made of plastic. The frame has a glossy finish, while the back is matte, which means it doesn’t attract fingerprints, but the frame gets scratched easily, even with a case on.

At the top, you’ll find the secondary speaker, an IR blaster, and a secondary microphone. The left side is clean with no buttons, while the right side houses the power button and volume rockers. 

The bottom of the device has the SIM tray, supporting dual nano SIM cards, the primary microphone, a Type-C USB 2.0 port, and the primary speaker. There’s support for NFC and eSIM as well.

The device’s quad-curved display feels smoother due to the top and bottom curves, although they’re less pronounced than the curves on the left and right sides. The bezels are even but not the thinnest. 

The HONOR 200 Pro tips the scale at 199 grams but it feels balanced and not overly heavy in hand. If you have medium to large hands, holding the phone shouldn’t be an issue. It also is rated IP65 for dust and water resistance.

The 200 Pro features an under-display optical fingerprint sensor that’s fast and accurate. Face unlock is also available but it’s slower and less reliable. There’s no headphone jack, of course. Finally, the 200 Pro is available in Black and Ocean Cyan in India.

HONOR 200 Pro Review – Display and Speakers

The HONOR 200 Pro’s display is a 6.78-inch quad-curved screen with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1224 x 2700 pixels. This display is super sharp and vibrant, and it supports HDR on both Netflix and Amazon Prime. Plus, you get a video quality enhancement feature for YouTube and other entertainment apps.

This screen supports 1.07 billion colors with Delta E ~ 0.27 color accuracy, and it’s also DxO Mark certified for eye comfort. You’ve got a DCI-P3 wide color gamut and a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio. HONOR has also included 3,840 Hz PWM to protect you from eye fatigue.

The peak brightness hits 4000 Nits, but HONOR has not revealed the actual HBM brightness. However, in my testing, I found the display to be pretty bright, even outdoors in the sun. The display doesn’t get very dim, however, which is an issue for me. Also, if you’re wondering, there’s no such feature as dim mode.

Moreover, the 200 Pro’s display is not an LTPO one, which is a bit of a letdown at this price point. The adaptive refresh rate can switch between 60, 90, and 120 Hz, but it mostly sticks to 60 Hz in many apps, which is yet another let down. 

The stereo speakers are solid. There’s a dedicated speaker at the top in addition to the earpiece for a balanced stereo sound. The speakers are loud and clear, so your media consumption experience will be good. 

HONOR 200 Pro Review - Software and Haptics

When it comes to the software, the HONOR 200 Pro runs on MagicOS 8.0 skinned on top of Android 14. MagicOS is an evolution of the EMUI skin that we all know of. The animations on the HONOR 200 Pro are buttery smooth.

As for ads and recommendations, MagicOS does not enable them by default but they’re there. Also, when you first set up your HONOR 200 Pro, you’ll be promoted to sign in/ sign up using an HONOR account, although this is completely skippable.

The HONOR 200 Pro comes with 47 pre-installed apps, out of which, five can be classified as bloatware—Bing, Booking.com, Netflix, WPS Office, and Facebook.

MagicOS has got a ton of features, like Magic Capsule, Magic Portal, Magic Text, and some AI features like Smart Sensing, Air Gestures, and AI Suggestions. However, there are a few little quirks that frustrate me.

For example, MagicOS doesn’t allow you to access an app’s info from the home screen or the recents menu. Or, it doesn’t allow you to pin an app to the RAM. The lock screen customization options are pretty limited.

I really enjoyed using Magic Portal and the knuckle gestures more than anything else. Magic Portal allows you to quickly drag and drop text and images from an app to another app and perform quick actions. It even allows you to save the text and images to the Favourites Space.

As for the knuckle gestures, you can double knock your knuckle on the screen to quickly take a screenshot, draw an “S” with your knuckle to take a long screenshot, draw a circle to screenshot a specific area, or double knock your two knuckles to start screen recording.

Speaking of which, MagicOS’s screen recording is very lackluster. All you can do is turn on/ off the mic, and that’s it. There’s no option to adjust the bit rate, resolution, or even turn off system sound.

As for software updates, HONOR has promised 2 major OS updates and 3 years of security updates for the 200 Pro. Compared to the competition, you’ll get up to 4 OS updates and 6 years of security updates, or, at least, 3 OS updates and 4 years of security updates. Further, HONOR’s track record with updates is also… well, not good.

The haptics on the HONOR 200 Pro aren’t anything exciting; they simply do the job. Sure, they’re not as bad as the ones on budget phones but they definitely lack the tightness that you would expect from a phone that costs ₹58,000.

HONOR 200 Pro Review – Performance

The HONOR 200 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 SoC. While this SoC is powerful, other devices in the same price range, like the iQOO 12 and the OnePlus 12, also feature the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, making it a bit less impressive. 

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 has 1x Cortex-X4 CPU core clocked at 3 GHz, 4x Cortex-A720 cores clocked at 2.8 GHz, and 3x Cortex-A520 cores clocked at 2.0 GHz. This chip is built on 4 nm TSMC fabrication and supports both OpenCL and Vulkan. 

The HONOR 200 Pro comes with up to 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM clocked at 4200 MHz and 512 GB of UFS 3.1 storage, whereas competitors offer UFS 4.0 storage, which is a downside.

Synthetic Benchmarks 

To test the performance, I ran a few benchmarks. On AnTuTu v10, the HONOR 200 Pro scored 1,170,437 in the first round and 1,048,332 in the second round, conducted back-to-back.

In Geekbench 6, it achieved a single-core score of 1572 and a multi-core score of 4454. 

I also ran the AnTuTu v10 storage test, where it scored 102,290, with random read speeds of 978 MBps and random write speeds of 6639 MBps. While these are impressive for UFS 3.1, they definitely fall short compared to UFS 4.0.

For graphics, the 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test gave an overall score of 2817 and an average FPS of 16.87. In the Wild Life Extreme Stress test, it achieved a best loop score of 2765 and a lowest loop score of 2204, with a stability of 79.7%, which is good. 

In Geekbench GPU benchmarks, it scored 8635 in OpenCL and 9937 in Vulkan. 

I also ran the CPU throttling test of 50 threads for 30 minutes, where the HONOR 200 Pro throttled to 66% of its max performance. The average GIPS score was 282,862 while the device temperature was 42 °C.

From the benchmark results, I can say that the HONOR 200 Pro effectively uses the power of the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and UFS 3.1, but UFS 4.0 would have been a better choice. The device did not overheat even after extensive benchmarking, not exceeding 45–46 °C. The 5,564 mm² VC cooling sheet definitely helps.

Benchmark	Test	Score/Result
AnTuTu v10	First Round Score	1,170,437
	Second Round Score	1,048,332
Geekbench 6	Single-Core Score	1572
	Multi-Core Score	4454
AnTuTu v10 Storage	Storage Score	102,290
	Random Read Speed	978 MBps
	Random Write Speed	6639 MBps
3DMark Wild Life Extreme	Overall Score	2817
	Average FPS	16.87
3DMark Wild Life Extreme Stress	Best Loop Score	2765
	Lowest Loop Score	2204
	Stability	79.7%
Geekbench GPU	OpenCL Score	8635
	Vulkan Score	9937
CPU Throttling Test	Average GIPS Score	282,862
	Throttling Level	66%
	Device Temperature	42 °C

Gaming

I also played a few games on the HONOR 200 Pro to test out the real-world performance. In Asphalt 9, it achieved an average FPS of 54.4 in Default graphics and 56.8 in Performance graphics. 

For Genshin Impact, the device managed an average FPS of 29.71 on Low settings and 27.89 on Medium (default) settings. When set to Custom 60 FPS, it managed an average of 55.59 FPS, with the frames dropping during intense gameplay. The device got a bit warmer than usual at 43 °C, though.

In BGMI, it gave me an average FPS of 39.01 with Ultra HDR + Ultra settings and 88.5 FPS with Smooth + Extreme+ (90 FPS) settings. In HDR + Extreme, it averaged 59.3 FPS. 

For Call of Duty, the device reached an average FPS of 59.9 on High + Max settings. Of course, you can switch to Medium/Low to get 90 FPS or even 120 FPS gameplay in COD.

Game	Graphics Settings	Average FPS
Asphalt 9	Default	54.4
	Performance	56.8
Genshin Impact	Low	29.71
	Medium (Default)	27.89
	Custom 60 FPS	55.59
BGMI	Ultra HDR + Ultra	39.01
	Smooth + Extreme+ (90 FPS)	88.5
	HDR + Extreme	59.3
Call of Duty	High + Max	59.9
	Medium/Low	90/120

HONOR 200 Pro Review – Cameras

The HONOR 200 Pro packs some serious camera hardware, and it’s definitely something worth talking about. Let’s break down its performance, from the highs to the lows, and everything in between. But before that, here are the camera specs:

• Main: 50 MP OV50H 1/1.3” f/1.9 OIS 27 mm equivalent AF
• Telephoto: 50 MP Sony IMX856 1/2.51” OIS f/2.4 68 mm equivalent AF
• Ultra-wide: 12 MP f/2.2 16 mm equivalent AF
• Front: 50 MP 1/2.6” f/2.1 21 mm equivalent AF
• Video: 
  • Main—4K 30/60 fps, 1080p 30/60 fps, 720p 30/60 fps, 1080p HDR 30/60 fps
  • Telephoto—4K 30/60 fps, 1080p 30/60 fps, 720p 30/60 fps, 1080p HDR 30/60 fps
  • Ultra-wide—4K/1080p/720p 30 fps
  • Front—4K 30 fps, 1080p 30/60 fps, 720p 30/60 fps, 1080p HDR 30/60 fps

Main 

We’re looking at a 50 MP OV50H sensor with a 1/1.3” size and an f/1.9 aperture, complete with OIS. This is your main camera, and it delivers vibrant, balanced colors. 

Reds and greens are pretty close to natural, not overly saturated. Shadow detail is great, though highlights could use a bit more finesse. Shutter speed is impressive, but there’s always room for improvement. 

HDR is decent but struggles with tricky lighting. Low-light shots are good with minimal noise, but the reds and greens need some tweaking. The natural bokeh is breathtaking, and overall, shots are sharp and clear. When it comes to human subjects, though, skin tones need a bit of work. 

Macro

The HONOR 200 Pro has an automatic macro mode (can also be accessed manually) that triggers when you get close to the subject. This macro mode activates in both the main lens and the ultra-wide lens. Activating on the main lens is an advantage because you’ll get in much more light, leading to a better macro shot.

Telephoto 

The 50 MP Sony IMX 856 sensor (1/2.51”) with OIS and a 2.5x optical zoom (68mm equivalent) doesn’t disappoint. Colors stay mostly consistent and the HDR is on point. Detail is sharp and clear without looking over-processed. 

Harcourt Portraits 

HONOR has partnered with a studio in Paris, Harcourt, to bring studio-level portraits for everyone. There are three Harcourt modes—Harcourt Classic, Harcourt Color, and Harcourt Vibrant—add some flair, though Vibrant messes with skin tones. 

• Harcourt Classic: This black and white focuses on enhancing contrast and detail, giving your photos a timeless look with excellent edge detection and bokeh. 
• Harcourt Color: My personal favorite, this mode boosts colors just enough to make them pop without looking fake. Skin tones also appear more natural in this mode.
• Harcourt Vibrant: While this mode aims to make colors more vivid, it sometimes goes overboard, especially with skin tones. The edge detection and the bokeh drop-off is excellent, though.

Notably, you can only take portraits in the Harcourt mode. Harcourt Classic and Harcourt Color modes are my favorites. The portraits are simply breath-taking. However, they don’t look very good when taken indoors or in low-light.

Occasionally, the bokeh effect doesn’t kick in even when set to strong. However, if these occasional issues are put aside, the portraits are amazing.

Low light

Low light is always a challenge, but the HONOR 200 Pro’s telephoto lens holds its own. While it can’t completely eliminate noise, it does a commendable job of maintaining detail and sharpness. 

The OIS helps a lot in these scenarios. However, HDR performance in low light could use some work, as the dynamic range takes a hit.

Ultra-Wide 

The 12 MP ultra-wide lens (0.6x, 16mm equivalent) lacks OIS but has autofocus. Shots are detailed with a wide field of view, though there’s a slight color shift from the main camera. 

HDR performance is okay but needs refinement, especially in strong lighting. Shadows aren’t always well-exposed, but highlights are managed well. There is your typical distortion around the edges but the image is, overall, nice.

In low light, the ultra-wide lens does introduce some noise and loses a bit of detail. The lack of OIS here means you need a steady hand or a stable surface to get the best results. 

Front 

The 50 MP front camera captures decent selfies with good color reproduction and detail in well-lit conditions. The colors are pretty natural, not overly saturated, which is great for a more realistic look. 

However, the images can appear a bit soft, and details might get lost, especially around the edges. The dynamic range is decent, nothing impressive. The portrait mode is okay-ish; not as impressive as the rear camera. There’s auto focus in the front camera, which is appreciable.

In low-light, selfies often lack the vibrancy and sharpness seen in better-lit conditions. There is also the introduction of noise in these shots. HONOR could definitely do much better with the kind of hardware this is.

Oh, and there’s an additional 2 MP camera on the front. I’m still scratching my head over what it does, though.

Video 

For video, the main and telephoto cameras can shoot up to 4K at 60 fps with vibrant colors and good dynamic range. The ultra-wide camera can give you usable footage up to 4K at 30 fps, though it can’t do any 60 fps videos. 

The selfie camera can handle 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 30/60 fps. Gyro electronic image stabilization (EIS) keeps footage smooth. The video quality is good in well-lit conditions but drops in low light with increased noise.

The default video codec is H.264, but you can switch to H.265 for better compression. Low-light video is a mixed bag, with the telephoto lens struggling with dynamic range. There’s a Night Mode Video option at 1080p 24 fps, but it doesn’t drastically improve performance.

Overall 

The HONOR 200 Pro’s camera setup is solid, especially with the Harcourt portraits. However, it needs some tweaks in HDR and low-light performance. Selfies could be better, but overall, it’s a strong choice for anyone looking to capture some great photos and videos. 

HONOR 200 Pro Review – Battery Life and Charging

The HONOR 200 Pro packs a hefty 5200 mAh battery with support for 100W fast proprietary charging. However, it’s a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to charging. First off, there’s no charger included in the box. You have to spend an extra ₹3,000 for the 100W proprietary charger.

While it supports PD charging, HONOR hasn’t disclosed the maximum wattage for the same. I used a 65W PD charger, and it charged the device at 60W. From 0% to 81%, it took 38 minutes, and from 0% to 91% (another test), it took 52 minutes. So, a full charge generally takes around an hour using the 65W PD charger.

For wireless charging, the HONOR 200 Pro supports 66W, but unfortunately, HONOR doesn’t sell the 66W wireless charger in India. However, it does work with Qi wireless chargers. I tested it with a Qi charger, and it performed as expected, though the exact speeds are uncertain.

In terms of battery life, the HONOR 200 Pro easily delivers 8 to 9 hours of screen-on time with my usage, which includes social media, document writing, and playing lightweight to moderate games like Clash of Clans and BGMI. Of course, your usage may vary, but you can generally expect good battery life.

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the HONOR 200 Pro?