Honor 200 Pro review: portraits like from a Paris photo studio

The Honor 200 Pro was unveiled in Paris, and I got to be there live at the event. The location was no coincidence: for the 200 Pro, Honor is partnering with the renowned Paris photo studio Harcourt, where big stars and politicians have their portraits taken. The studio was there with its staff, and I was able to have a portrait taken. The photo was actually shot with the 200 Pro, with plenty of lighting, of course. I find what the smartphone is capable of with portraits extraordinary.

Camera and Harcourt portrait modes

The camera module consists of:

• 50-megapixel main camera
• 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera
• 50-megapixel portrait telephoto camera with a Sony sensor for precise light detection and detailed shots of distant objects

On top of that comes a new AI Portrait Engine that controls exposure in bright areas and preserves fine details in dark surroundings. You get the Harcourt look through three portrait modes in the camera app: a dynamic filter, a special color filter, and the Harcourt Classic filter. This produces very good portraits even without professional lighting.

Outside of portrait mode, the camera also won me over, both in daylight and in low light. The 50-megapixel selfie camera takes nice, sharp shots. I would have liked to be able to use the Harcourt modes there, at least AI-based. The selfie portraits are good, but once you have taken portraits with the main camera, everything else feels dull. The Harcourt portraits look insanely elegant, and I hardly felt like photographing people without this mode anymore.

Design and display

Honor has carried the elegance of the studio over to the whole device. It is super slim and, at 199 g, surprisingly light. The back is matte and feels velvety soft, which continues in the oval camera bar. I have rarely experienced such a coherent overall concept.

The display is slightly curved. You have to like that, but on the 200 Pro, a flat display would have disturbed the look. The edges of the 6.78-inch AMOLED display disappear into the curve, it looks almost bezel-free from the front, and accidental inputs at the edge are avoided.

• Peak brightness of up to 4,000 nits: the display is perfectly readable even in the sun.
• Full HD+ resolution. I didn’t notice it, because OLED stands for high contrast and realistic colors.
• 120 Hz, everything runs nice and smooth.

Performance and software

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 and 12 GB of RAM ensure smooth operation. The 200 Pro only comes with 512 GB of storage. The interface is MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14. I especially like the context-aware menu: when you drag a photo or an address to the edge, a different menu opens depending on the content, such as email for sending the picture or Google Maps for the address. The AI learns over time what you want to do with photos or addresses.

Battery and unlocking

The battery has 5,200 mAh and is therefore above average in size. For comparison, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has 4,422 mAh. For me, it lasts 8 to 9 hours of screen-on time, so a full two days. If you spend less time on your phone, you get two and a half days. Those are not the numbers of a mid-range smartphone but of a premium device. Wireless charging and reverse wireless charging are on board, so you can charge other devices on the back.

The in-display fingerprint scanner and Face Unlock work super reliably and quickly.

Price and verdict

Honor has succeeded in pouring Parisian flair with its elegance into a smartphone, from portrait mode to design. If you value elegance paired with performance, you will enjoy the 200 Pro.

The RRP is €799. To me, the 200 Pro is a total no-brainer and would be my choice if I were looking for a mid-range smartphone that is actually a premium smartphone.