Honor 70 review
The Honor 70 is a mid-range phone that marks the brand's entry into Western markets with Google services on board. As a successor to last year's Honor 50, it brings some upgrades, including a refreshed chipset, larger battery, and new cameras. Design-wise, the phone has almost no change from its predecessor, with a lightweight build, frosted glass back, and glossy plastic frame. The camera bump is now separated into two parts. The curved OLED display is similar to last year's model but slightly bigger at 6.67 inches, with a 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The phone's performance is solid for an upper mid-range device, thanks to the Snapdragon 778G+ chipset. However, thermal management is not as effective under heavy stress. The battery life hasn't seen an improvement, with the same 100-hour endurance rating as last year's model. Charging speed has improved, though, with the phone able to charge from zero to 71% in half an hour. The camera department is the biggest upgrade over the Honor 50, with a new 54-megapixel main cam and 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera with autofocus. Photos are good, with sharp images and saturated colors, although dynamic range could be better. The ultrawide camera delivers images with good detail and punchy colors. The phone's selfie camera produces excellent results, with great sharpness and detail. Video recording capabilities include up to 4k resolution with both rear cameras, with good sharpness and detail from the main cam. Overall, the Honor 70 is a notable mid-ranger that offers Google services, lightweight design, curved OLED display, decent battery life, and above-average cameras for its price. However, its price point may not be as competitive as other flagship killers in the market.
Build Quality and Design
The Honor 70 boasts a lightweight design with a frosted glass back, giving it a premium feel. The most notable difference from its predecessor is the camera bump, which has been separated into two distinct parts, making it less obtrusive. The phone's curved OLED display, measuring 6.67 inches, offers a crisp and vibrant viewing experience. Although it doesn't have an official ingress protection rating like some other phones in its class, the Honor 70 still feels robust and well-made. The build quality is impressive, with a sleek and slender design that makes it easy to hold and use one-handed. The plastic frame on the phone's sides is glossy, adding to the overall premium feel of the device. While some may find the lack of an official IP rating concerning, the Honor 70 has held up well in our testing, showing no signs of water or dust ingress. The display itself is a significant upgrade over its predecessor, offering improved brightness and color accuracy. With a maximum brightness of around 510 nits and support for HDR10+, this screen is perfect for watching videos or browsing through your favorite apps. However, the lack of an adaptive refresh rate at lower power consumption might be a drawback for some users. Overall, the Honor 70's build quality and design are notable strengths of the device. While it may not have all the bells and whistles of more expensive phones on the market, its sleek and premium feel make it a compelling choice for those looking for a well-made mid-range phone.
Battery Life
In our tests, the Honor 70 was able to score the same 100 hour endurance rating as its predecessor, which is just decent for a phone with a battery capacity of 4,800mAh. While this may not be a major disappointment, it's clear that the larger battery size hasn't resulted in a significant improvement in overall battery life. One would expect a more substantial gain in battery performance given the increased capacity, but unfortunately, that's not the case here. Despite this, the Honor 70 still manages to deliver decent battery life, making it suitable for daily use without excessive charging. However, those who rely heavily on their phone throughout the day may find themselves needing to top up more frequently than they'd like. The fact that the battery life hasn't improved significantly despite a larger capacity is a bit of a letdown, especially considering the price point of the Honor 70. It's worth noting that the phone's 66W charging speed has been improved, allowing for faster recharging times. We were able to charge from zero to 71% in just half an hour, which is certainly a positive aspect of the battery performance. Overall, while the battery life on the Honor 70 is decent, it falls short of what one might expect given the increased capacity and charging speed. Still, it's not a major red flag, and those who don't need excessively long battery life will likely find this phone to be sufficient for their needs.
Display
The Honor 70's display is one of its standout features. Measuring 6.67 inches, it's slightly larger than the previous model and boasts a 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. While the predecessor was already quite bright, the new model takes it to another level with a maximum brightness of around 510 nits in manual mode and 790 nits in auto mode. The display itself is sharp and contrasty, making it a pleasure to use. The color accuracy can be excellent depending on the color mode chosen in settings, and the support for 10-bit color and HDR 10+ adds to its visual appeal. One notable omission, however, is the adaptive refresh rate at 120Hz. While it does smooth out swiping and scrolling, the screen doesn't dial down any lower when you stop interacting with it. This might not be a deal-breaker for everyone, but it's worth noting nonetheless. In terms of design, the Honor 70's display is curved into the edges, making it feel more premium than it already does. The back made from frosted glass and the glossy plastic frame also contribute to its sleek appearance. Overall, the Honor 70's display is a highlight of this mid-range phone, offering excellent brightness, sharpness, and color accuracy. If you're in the market for a new smartphone with a great screen, the Honor 70 is definitely worth considering.
Camera
The camera department is where the Honor 70 truly shines. The phone packs a new 54-megapixel main cam, which delivers excellent results in various lighting conditions. Photos from this sensor come out sharp and detailed, with good contrast and saturated colors. Dynamic range is also impressive, allowing for well-balanced highlights and shadows. One of the standout features of the Honor 70's camera system is its ability to capture great close-up shots using the ultra-wide-angle lens. This feature allows users to take high-quality macro-style photos without having a dedicated macro camera on board. In low light, these images are particularly impressive, boasting a good amount of detail and sharpness. The main cam also performs commendably in night mode, delivering well-balanced results with good contrast, saturated colors, and highlights that are neither blown out nor lost in darkness. Shadows become slightly brighter, and light sources become more balanced, although the overall effect is not drastically different from standard mode. The ultra-wide-angle camera on the Honor 70 also performs admirably, particularly in low-light conditions. It produces images with good contrast, a wide enough dynamic range, and plenty of color sharpness. Night mode further enhances these results, yielding sharp images with fine detail and saturated colors. For selfies, the Honor 70 uses its 32-megapixel front-facing camera, which delivers excellent quality, especially considering the price point. The amount of sharpness and detail in these shots is impressive for this class of device. The Honor 70 can also record videos in up to 4K resolution using both rear cameras. Video from the main cam boasts good sharpness and detail, a wide dynamic range, low noise, and punchy colors, with contrast that's always on point. The new "Solo Cut" mode is particularly clever, using AI to track one person out of a group and put them in the spotlight. Overall, the Honor 70's camera system is a significant improvement over its predecessor, offering excellent results in various scenarios. While it may not match the performance of top-tier flagships, it provides above-average cameras for the price, making it a compelling option for those seeking high-quality imaging without breaking the bank.
Price and Value
Priced as one of the most affordable options in its lineup, the Honor 70 aims to deliver top-notch features at an unbeatable price point. With Google services on board, this phone is being released directly into Western markets, making it a compelling choice for consumers. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the Honor 70's value proposition is somewhat marred by its relatively high price. For the same amount of money, buyers can find flagship killers with stereo speakers and more powerful chipsets that outshine the Honor 70 in several key areas. One major downside to the Honor 70's pricing strategy is its dearth of premium features. The phone's lightweight design and great curved OLED display are undoubtedly positives, but they're not exactly unique selling points at this price point. Similarly, while the camera department has seen significant upgrades over last year's model, it still lags behind in terms of sheer resolution and quality. Furthermore, when compared to other mid-range phones on the market, the Honor 70's thermal management issues and limited storage options (128-512 GB, non-expandable) start to feel like compromises rather than concessions. The adaptive refresh rate at 120 Hz is also underwhelming, as it doesn't dynamically adjust its speed based on usage. Ultimately, while the Honor 70 is a solid mid-ranger in many respects, its price feels inflated for what you're getting in return. For a similar amount of money, buyers can find more powerful devices with better thermals and higher-quality audio. As such, we'd advise potential customers to shop around and weigh their options carefully before making a purchase decision. 7/10 - The Honor 70 is a capable mid-range phone that's let down by its pricing strategy. While it has some notable strengths, including a great display and improved cameras, the price feels inflated for what you're getting in return.
Performance
The Honor 70 is a mid-range smartphone that upgrades from last year's model with a refreshed chipset, larger battery, and new cameras. One notable change in this device is the adoption of Google services directly in Western markets. Under the hood, you'll find a Snapdragon 778G+ chipset, which offers a slight increase in clock speed over its predecessor. In terms of performance, the Honor 70 delivers largely similar results to last year's model, providing solid upper-mid-range power that isn't quite flagship-grade. One issue with thermal management was observed during heavy stress tests, where the CPU performance would periodically dip to just 20% of its maximum level. In terms of benchmarking, we recorded scores that were comparable to last year's Honor 50. While the device handled everyday tasks and apps with ease, it didn't quite impress in demanding scenarios or when multitasking. The chipset upgrade is noticeable in paper form but doesn't translate directly to user experience. Gaming performance was smooth, but the phone struggled to maintain high frame rates for extended periods. Real-world usage showed that the Honor 70's performance was decent but not exceptional. During our battery life test, the device lasted around 100 hours, which is average for a smartphone with this size of battery. Charging speed improved significantly, taking just half an hour to reach 71% from zero to full charge. In conclusion, while the Honor 70 offers some improvements over its predecessor, it doesn't quite live up to expectations in terms of performance. The device's smooth daily usage and acceptable gaming experience are let down by subpar thermals and average benchmark scores. Considering the available options at this price point, there may be better alternatives that offer more comprehensive upgrades and improved performance.