Introduction
Last month was a hectic month for Huawei and HONOR, we all know what happened between the company and Google, the US government, precisely. Surely this is currently the biggest problem, but let’s just put it aside and focus on the phone today. This is the HONOR 20, the latest flagship by the subsidiary of Huawei. So, is this the real flagship killer you’ve been looking for? Let’s dive into the HONOR 20 review!
Unboxing
The unboxing experience of HONOR smartphones is pretty much the same for all. You’ll get the phone itself, USB-C cable, HONOR SuperCharge charging brick, transparent protective case, SIM ejector tool, USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack adapter, and some paperwork. Having the USB-C to 3.5mm audio jack adapter means the phone doesn’t have an audio jack. RIP Jack!
Design
In terms of design, the HONOR 20 inherits the design over its predecessors. The glass-sandwich design language has been around since the HONOR 8, let alone the nice pattern as the light reflects. However, it seems that HONOR has taken a different approach, more like being low-profile. There’s no longer a color changing back when the light reflects on different angles.
Similar to the HONOR View20, the front of the HONOR 20 is all about the screen, with a hole punch camera cutout. We’ll cover more about the 6.26-inch screen later on. The pre-installed screen protector also shows the cutout for the light sensor and the tiny earpiece is sitting above the display. Speaking about the earpiece, the call quality of the phone is rather disappointing, the caller from the other side doesn’t sound clear and there’s some distortion for the audio quality.
The side of the phone has the volume rocker and the power button, which also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor. To be honest, I was surprised to see the side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which you don’t normally see on an HONOR smartphone. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor works accurately and pretty fast, just rest your fingertip on it and the phone will unlock. The fingerprint sensor is located at a position where your thumb will naturally rest on. That’s not really a good thing, though, as I find myself sometimes just want to hold the phone and the fingerprint sensor instantly detected my fingerprint, which then unlocked my phone.
The bottom of the phone houses the microphone, USB-C port, and the mono speaker. Yet again, HONOR seems to be skipping the dual stereo speakers setup, and it’s pretty easy to cover up the bottom speaker when you are holding the phone in landscape. Obviously, the audio is a weak part of this phone.
Display
The HONOR 20 sports a 6.26-inch Full HD+ IPS all-view display with a hole punch camera cutout. Let’s talk about the camera cutout first. Like the notch, I don’t really bother much about it. In fact, it’s even better now as the size is even smaller.
The IPS panel isn’t as eye-pleasing as an AMOLED panel, but I’m still okay with it. You just have to deal with things like not having deep blacks and less vivid colors. But seriously, normal consumers wouldn’t really mind.
Performance
Powering the HONOR 20 is the company’s own 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. Performance wise, the phone can handle PUBG Mobile in HDR graphics and ultra frame rate without a problem. Like last year, it also comes with GPU Turbo 3.0 for a better gaming experience. Overall, I would say the performance of the HONOR 20 is quite competitive, though I still feel that Qualcomm makes a better chipset with the Snapdragon 855 SoC.
Software
The HONOR 20 runs on Magic UI 2.1 based on Android 9.0 Pie. Nope, it’s not a completely different software from Huawei phones, Magic UI is pretty much the same as EMUI, just a different name.
The software experience is pretty much the same as before, the entire UI hasn’t been redesigned nor new features being added. The company focuses on improving the speed and performance, hence there’s the new GPU Turbo 3.0.
To be honest, whether it’s Magic UI or EMUI, it’s still not my taste. However, the future of Huawei and HONOR devices will be different, guess now it’s the time to cherish every moment when the Google Play services are still available.
Camera
The HONOR 20 comes with a quad-camera setup on the back — 48MP Sony IMX586 f/1.8 camera + 16MP super wide-angle camera + 2MP depth assist camera + 2MP macro camera. Selfie wise, there’s a 32MP AI front camera.
Image quality generally is quite good, though it’s still not the P30 level. The macro camera isn’t really useful since it only has a 2MP resolution, we are living in 2019 and even though megapixel isn’t really important, 2MP can’t really capture a detailed image. The 16MP super wide-angle camera is a joy to use, it can even capture good enough low-light images. The Super Night Mode captures sharp and clear photos even without a tripod.
Battery
The phone comes with a 3,750mAh battery with HONOR SuperCharge, which charges up the phone from 15% to 100% in less than one and a half hour. In terms of battery life, the phone can last through a day easily with nearly 7 hours of screen-on-time, that’s impressive!
Final Words
Retailing at RM1,699, HONOR Malaysia kept the same price as its predecessor (HONOR 10). This is a phone for those who don’t want to spend a lot and get the P30 experience, though the camera department is lacking behind. Compared to last year’s HONOR 10, the HONOR 20 definitely feels more premium and better in every aspect. Once again, HONOR has managed to produce a beautiful phone with flagship specs but not flagship price. You still can’t find a flagship phone at this price tag!
Yay
- Premium design
- Impressive battery life
- Good value
Nay
- No 3.5mm audio jack
Probably no more Android in the future