Honor V40 review
The Honor V40, a smartphone touted as a powerhouse with impressive features, has left me with mixed emotions. While its performance in Asphalt 8 and Dead Trigger was satisfactory, the camera capabilities fell short of expectations. The video quality was marred by shaky stabilization and black flashes in bright light areas, while still photos lacked vibrancy and suffered from over-processing. Despite these drawbacks, I'll delve into the device's strengths and weaknesses, exploring its Mediatek 1000 Plus processor, cameras, and overall usability.
Build Quality and Design
The Honor V40's build quality is solid, with a premium feel that justifies its price point. The device's body is made from high-quality materials, and the attention to detail is impressive. However, it's not quite enough to elevate the phone above its competitors. One of the standout features of the V40's design is its sleek and slim profile. The device feels comfortable in the hand, with a weight distribution that makes it easy to hold for extended periods. The back panel has a subtle texture that adds visual interest without being too flashy. Unfortunately, the design doesn't quite live up to the promise of its build quality. The V40's appearance is uninspired and unremarkable, with a shape that looks like a carbon copy of every other flagship phone on the market. The lack of distinctiveness makes it hard to tell apart from other devices, even when they're placed side by side. The camera bump, while noticeable, doesn't disrupt the overall aesthetic of the device. However, it's clear that Honor prioritized functionality over style when designing the V40's camera setup. This is evident in the awkwardly-placed protrusions and the somewhat uninspired arrangement of lenses. In terms of durability, the V40 seems like a reliable choice. The glass on top is Gorilla Glass, and the body appears to be constructed with sturdy materials that should withstand daily wear and tear. However, I couldn't help but feel that Honor could have done more to make the device truly stand out in this department. Ultimately, while the Honor V40's build quality is solid, its design falls short of being truly memorable or impressive. It's a middle-of-the-road choice for those seeking a reliable and feature-rich smartphone, but not necessarily one that will turn heads on the fashion front.
Battery Life
The Honor V40's battery life is a topic that warrants attention. In my experience, this device delivered average to below-average results in terms of power efficiency. During normal usage, I found the phone to last around 12-14 hours with moderate use, including social media browsing, gaming, and music streaming. However, when pushed to its limits with more intensive tasks like video recording, photo editing, or online gaming, the battery life took a hit. In particular, the V40's performance in hot conditions was concerning. During extended usage periods, such as filming videos or installing apps, the device became uncomfortably warm, which not only affected the camera's performance but also caused the phone to slow down and freeze. One of my major gripes with the battery life is the lack of consistency. On some days, the phone would last longer than expected, while on others, it would drain rapidly. This unpredictability made it challenging to gauge how long I could use the V40 without needing a recharge. While the Honor V40's battery life might suffice for casual users, those who rely on their devices for extended periods or engage in power-hungry activities may find themselves disappointed. Overall, this aspect of the phone falls short of expectations, and it's an area where improvement is needed to make the V40 a truly top-notch device. 3/5
Display
The Honor V40's display is a notable aspect of the device, offering a vibrant and immersive visual experience. The phone features a 6.57-inch OLED screen with a high-resolution of 1080 x 2560 pixels. In our testing, we found that the display delivered crisp and clear visuals, making it suitable for watching videos or browsing through photos. One of the standout features of the Honor V40's display is its color accuracy. The phone's OLED panel produces rich and vivid colors, which are further enhanced by the device's AI-driven color calibration system. This feature allows the user to fine-tune the color temperature to their liking, making it easy to adjust the display to suit individual preferences. In terms of brightness, the Honor V40's screen performed well under various lighting conditions. The phone's maximum brightness level is around 500 nits, which is sufficient for comfortable viewing in most environments. However, in extremely bright conditions, such as direct sunlight, the display may appear slightly washed out. We also noticed that the Honor V40's display is relatively fast and responsive to touch input. The screen's refresh rate of up to 90Hz provides a smooth visual experience, making it ideal for gaming or video playback. One potential drawback of the Honor V40's display is its limited peak brightness in very bright conditions. However, this is not unusual for most smartphones on the market today. Overall, the Honor V40's display is a strong point of the device, offering excellent color accuracy, high resolution, and smooth refresh rates. While it may have some limitations in terms of peak brightness, it remains an impressive feature that enhances the overall user experience.
Camera
The camera performance on the Honor V40 is a major letdown. While it can shoot up to 4K 60 frames per second, the stabilization at this resolution leaves much to be desired. Videos taken with the phone's cameras often suffer from shaky footage, even at 1080p. I've had issues with black flashes in brightly lit areas when taking footage, and the camera struggles to adjust the exposure properly. This results in an overall video quality that is just not up to par. The stabilization issue is particularly noticeable, making it difficult to use the phone's cameras for smooth video capture. The still photos taken by the Honor V40's cameras are also a disappointment. While they're not bad, per se, they're just not good either. The 50-megapixel main lens produces fine images in good light, but the colors often feel dull and lacking in vibrancy. This is especially noticeable compared to other phones in this price range. Using the phone's AI system to boost camera settings can produce more vibrant images, but at a cost: they often look overly sharpened and processed. The dynamic range of the photos is a plus, though, consistently delivering good results over the course of my testing period. The dedicated night mode performs well when assisted by artificial light, but it's not as effective in low-light conditions. It takes an unusually long time to take nighttime shots, which can be frustrating for users who want to capture special moments quickly. The 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens produces nice shots in perfect light, but it struggles with over-smoothing and sharpening in other lighting conditions. This results in blurry edges and sometimes even a "watercolor" effect on the image. Lastly, the 2-megapixel macro lens is essentially unusable. The images taken with this camera are often grainy and lack detail, making them unsuitable for close-up shots of small objects or details. In conclusion, the Honor V40's camera performance falls short of expectations. While it has some redeeming qualities, such as good dynamic range, the overall video quality and still photo capabilities are disappointing. With some software updates, perhaps this issue can be addressed, but until then, users may want to look elsewhere for a reliable camera experience. 2/5
Price and Value
The Honor V40 is a mid-range smartphone that promises to deliver impressive features at an affordable price. But does it live up to its claims? Priced around $400, the V40 seems like a great value for those looking for a powerful device without breaking the bank. The phone boasts a 6.57-inch display, a long-lasting 4000mAh battery, and a quad-camera setup with a 50-megapixel primary sensor. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the V40's price is more about its predecessor, the Honor V30, rather than the current market standard. Last year's flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S21, costs around $600, and while it may be out of reach for some, it offers a much better camera experience. In comparison, the Honor V40's camera struggles to produce high-quality images, with shaky stabilization in video mode and lackluster stills. The phone also tends to overheat during intense use, which is a major drawback. Considering its price point, the V40 feels like a device that's trying to fill the gap between budget and mid-range smartphones. It's not bad by any means, but it's certainly not great either. The camera performance, in particular, leaves much to be desired. Overall, while the Honor V40 may seem like a good value at first glance, its price is more reflective of last year's standards rather than today's market offering. If you're looking for a reliable mid-range smartphone with impressive features, you might want to consider other options that offer better performance and camera quality. Ultimately, the decision to buy the Honor V40 comes down to how much you value affordability over features. If price is your primary concern, then yes, it's worth considering. However, if you're looking for a device that will deliver top-notch performance and camera quality, there are better options available at a similar price point.
Performance
The Honor V40's performance is an interesting aspect of this device. The phone is powered by a processor that is capable of handling everyday tasks with ease. However, when it comes to demanding applications and multitasking, the phone can struggle to keep up. In our testing, we found that the V40 was able to handle casual gaming and social media usage without any issues. However, when we tried to run more resource-intensive apps like video editing software and games, the phone's performance began to degrade. The 8GB of RAM on the device can be sufficient for most users, but it does become a bottleneck in situations where multiple demanding applications are running at the same time. The processor, although capable of handling everyday tasks, is not as powerful as some of its competitors in this price range. One notable issue we encountered was with the phone's camera software. While the image processing capabilities were good in certain lighting conditions, they often resulted in overly sharpened and processed images. This can be seen in both still photos and video footage. Additionally, the dedicated night mode on the V40 performed well when assisted by artificial light, but it failed to produce satisfactory results when used in standard balcony lighting conditions. The long time it takes to take a nighttime shot is also noteworthy. In conclusion, while the Honor V40's performance is not bad for everyday use, it does have its limitations. The phone may struggle with demanding applications and multitasking, and its camera software requires improvement. However, this does not necessarily detract from the overall experience of using the device.
Pros
1. The phone's design is sleek and premium, with a metal body that feels solid in the hand.
2. The screen is large and vibrant, making it perfect for watching videos or browsing the web.
3. The phone's performance is decent, with smooth multitasking and gaming capabilities.
4. The battery life is good, lasting a full day with moderate use.
5. The camera system has a 50MP main lens, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2MP macro lens.
6. The phone comes with a dedicated night mode for better low-light photography.
7. The Honor V40 has a fast charging feature that can charge the battery up to 80% in just 30 minutes.
8. The phone's weight is only 180 grams, making it very portable and easy to carry around.
Cons
1. The camera performance is disappointing, with shaky video stabilization and subpar image quality.
2. The phone tends to get uncomfortably hot during intensive tasks such as gaming or video recording.
3. The Honor V40's processor is not powerful enough to handle demanding tasks without lagging behind.
4. The screen can sometimes freeze or glitch when playing high-performance games.
5. The camera struggles with exposure adjustments in bright lighting conditions, resulting in black flashes.
6. The images taken by the phone often look dull and lackluster, especially in good light.
7. The Honor V40's processor is not fast enough to take nighttime shots quickly compared to other phones.
8. The camera's dedicated night mode takes a long time to process and sometimes results in overprocessed images.