Review Verdict: The HONOR 200 improves upon its predecessor when it comes to its camera hardware and software, though HONOR can still improve its battery life and gaming performance through software optimizations.

Pros

• Excellent camera performance
• Refreshing micro-curve display
• Great pricing

Cons

• Battery life could be better
• Needs optimization for gaming

HONOR’s decision to not bring the 100 series to the Philippines appears to be a good decision with the arrival of the 200 series. The inclusion of a telephoto camera makes the HONOR 200 a solid mid-range phone in the Philippines–but is its Php 25k asking price worth it?

 

HONOR 200 Review Philippines: Design

While it does not get a dual-tone texture like its Pro sibling, we like HONOR’s use of a matte finish on our Emerald Green review unit. Adding to the uniqueness of this matte back panel are the varying swirls that adorn it.

The oval-shaped camera module has a subtle asymmetrical design that’s aesthetically pleasing and more unique compared to other mid-range phones, and you still get stereo speakers with the HONOR 200.

 

HONOR 200 Review Philippines: Display and speakers

While it is technically the same 6.7-inch AMOLED display, HONOR went for a micro curved display instead of the usual curved panel. This makes it a balance between flat and curved displays as it gives good viewing angles even at the sides while keeping all four bezels symmetrical.

Another difference with the panel used on the HONOR 200 is that it has a higher peak brightness at 4000nits, matching what other flagship phones have to offer. The higher peak brightness is noticeable when using the HONOR 200 outdoors, as the display is more legible compared to our experience with the HONOR 90.

The HONOR 200’s stereo speakers have a better overall soundstage compared to other mid-range phones, and audio fidelity is well-maintained even when we push the volume close to max. The highs are crisp, and the mids are decent. There’s also a slight amount of bass felt with the HONOR 200’s speakers, which is good considering that this is a mid-range phone that does not prioritize speakers as its main feature.

HONOR 200 Review Philippines: Cameras

The HONOR 200 has a triple rear camera setup and is getting a telephoto camera for the first time. The telephoto camera uses an IMX886 sensor and provides a 2.5x optical zoom and OIS.

That’s a good zoom range for a mid-range phone, and the shots we got using the telephoto camera are well-detailed–it can rival the IMX906 sensor used for the main camera, making the HONOR 200 a well-rounded shooter.

Completing its cameras is a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, which is better than the usual 8-megapixel shooter we see on the majority of mid-range phones.

The higher resolution also translates to better image quality for ultra-wide shots–though we wished HONOR also made use of a 50-megapixel sensor on the ultra-wide camera like what it did on the HONOR 70.

You are also getting a high-resolution 50-megapixel selfie shooter with the HONOR 200, and it has better selfie quality compared to its predecessors.

 

When it comes to videos, all four cameras of the HONOR 200 can shoot in 4K, though the telephoto and ultra-wide cameras add a bit of cropping. This makes the HONOR 200 a rare mid-range phone that has a broad 4K video recording capability.

 

HONOR 200 Review Philippines: Internals and Battery Life

Powering the HONOR 200 is a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor, and the one that’s available in the Philippines comes with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage. When it comes to connectivity, the HONOR 200 is one of the few phones officially sold in the Philippines that has eSIM support.

We’re familiar with the performance of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, and it does provide a significant performance improvement compared to the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 used by its predecessor. Our overall experience with the HONOR 200 is smooth–but the same can’t be said when it comes to gaming.

With Genshin Impact, we were only getting an average of 34FPS in high graphics, and the results are more dismal with Wuthering Waves, where we only averaged 24FPS in advanced graphics settings. Since the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 should be capable enough to run both demanding titles, this is something that HONOR can improve upon through optimization and future updates.

The HONOR 200 makes use of the brand’s silicon carbon battery, though we only got 13 hours and 43 minutes of battery life with its 5200mAh cell. Similar to what we experienced with its gaming chops, the brand needs to optimize the HONOR 200’s power management to make good use of its larger-than-usual battery.

You are getting support for faster 100w wired charging speeds with the HONOR 200, and it took us around 30 minutes to top up the battery from 20% to 100%.

HONOR 200 Review Philippines: Wrap-up and Conclusion

While HONOR can still improve the 200 when it comes to gaming and battery life, there’s no question about its camera performance. Armed with a complete set of cameras that can shoot in 4K, the HONOR 200 is one of your best options at the under Php 25k segment if cameras are your main priority.

HONOR 200 Review Philippines: Price

The HONOR 200 is priced at Php 24,999.