The Honor brand has returned to the Indian market with the unveiling of the Honor 90 after a hiatus of nearly three years. It is the exact same device that was launched in the global market and China earlier this year, and now it has finally landed in India. Before the hiatus, Honor phones were mainly priced between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000. The newly announced Honor 90 is a mid-premium tier phone with a starting price of Rs 37,999 (~$457). The phone impresses in areas like design, display, cameras, and OS experience, but what about other departments? Continue reading this review to learn what else is in store for buyers of the Honor 90.
Honor 90 review: What’s in the box?
Here is a list of items that are included in the retail package of the Honor 90 review:
- Honor 90 handset
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- TPU case
- SIM ejector tool
- Safety Guide
- Quick Start Guide
Design and Display
| Dimensions | Display | |
| Size – 161.9 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm | 6.7-inch AMOLED display | DCI-P3 color gamut |
| Weight – 183 grams | 1200 x 2664 pixels (FHD+) | 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio |
| No IP rating | 19.98:9 aspect ratio | 10-bit colors |
| 120Hz refresh rate | 93.3% screen-to-body ratio | |
| 1600 nits peak brightness | 1500:1 contrast ratio | |
| 435ppi pixel density | Widevine L1 | |
| 3840Hz PWM dimming | HDR10+ |
Design and display are two of the strengths of the Honor 90. The device weighs 183 grams and is only 7.8mm thick. The Emerald Green variant that I received for review has a glass back with a matte finish, which is free from fingerprint marks and offers a good grip thanks to its tapered edges. The dual camera rings on the Honor 90’s rear panel are inspired by luxury jewellery. Overall, the device looks quite attractive and premium.
The Honor 90 has a plastic frame with a noise-cancelling microphone at the top and a SIM slot, microphone, USB-C port, and a speaker grille at the bottom. The left side of the device is bare, while its right edge has a volume rocker and power button. Those who prefer a glossy look can opt for the Diamond Silver and Midnight Black editions of the Honor 90.
The Honor 90 features a flagship-level 6.7-inch AMOLED display that is curved on all four sides, giving it a floating appearance. It supports a 1.5K resolution, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 3840Hz PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) dimming. It also comes with support for Widevine L1 and HDR10+. The screen offers 60Hz, 90Hz, 120Hz, and dynamic 120Hz (default) refresh rate options.
According to the international standard IEEE Std1789-2015, a screen flicker frequency exceeding 3125Hz is considered non-hazardous to human eyes. Therefore, the decision to implement a 3840Hz ultra-high frequency dimming display in the Honor 90 is undoubtedly a healthier option for eye comfort. The Honor 90 also incorporates a comprehensive 5-layer Eye Protection system, including dynamic dimming that mimics natural light patterns to reduce eye strain. It can also adjust screen color to minimize blue light for better sleep quality. The device’s hardware-level low blue light feature further safeguards visual health, while its extensive 400-grade dimming options enhance overall viewing comfort. It is worth mentioning that Honor has paid a lot of attention to eye health on the Honor 90.
The Honor 90 received an impressive DXO Mark display test score of 140, firmly establishing itself as a leading display in its price category. However, there is no available information about the specific toughened glass used to protect the front and rear sides of the device. Despite this, the device’s display has demonstrated its strength by passing tests such as the Walnut challenge and drop tests. Unfortunately, the device lacks an IP rating for water and dust resistance.
Performance and Software
| Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition | 5,000mAh battery |
| 8GB / 12GB of LPDDR4x RAM | 66W charging (comes with 30W complementary charger) |
| 256GB / 512GB of UFS 3.1storage | Android 13 OS, Magic OS 7.1 |
| 8GB of virtual RAM |
The Motorola Razr 40 is the only other device with a 2.4GHz Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor available in India apart from the Honor 90. The “Accelerated Edition” variant of the chip that powers the Honor 90 is a slightly overclocked version (2.5GHz) of the SD7G1. The SoC is supported by LPDDR4x RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.
In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 works similarly to the Snapdragon 778G and offers smooth performance. However, it seems less powerful than the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1-powered iQOO Neo 7 Pro and Snapdragon 7 Gen 2-powered POCO F5, which have been available for a couple of months in the market. As I mentioned, the performance of the Honor 90 is quite snappy, but intensive tasks such as gaming or video recording for a longer period can cause it to heat up a bit.
The Honor 90 is the only phone in its price segment to come with 512 GB of built-in storage in India. The phone comes with a 66W charger in other markets, but in India, the charger is not included in the box. This does not mean that buyers will have to spend more on a charger. When a buyer adds the Honor 90 to the Amazon cart in India, a complementary 30W Toreto-Htech TOR-566 charger worth Rs 699 is also added to the cart. Since I did not receive this charger with my review unit, I am not sure how long it takes to achieve a full charge. The 66W charger takes around 70 minutes to charge the Honor 90 completely. There is no support for wireless charging on the device. On a full charge, the device can comfortably last for the entire day.
The Honor 90 runs on Magic OS 7.1 based on Android 13, which includes Google apps and services. The smartphone is confirmed to receive Android 14 and Android 15 OS upgrades as well as security updates for several years. The phone comes with some of Honor’s native apps, some Google apps, some Microsoft apps, and a few third-party apps that can be uninstalled. There is no bloatware or unnecessary pop-ups. As far as Magic OS 7.1 is concerned, it offers a smooth experience and comes packed with numerous features and customizations. Here is a look at how the device performed on benchmark apps.
Photography and Other Features
| Rear Camera | Other features | |
| 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HP3 | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner | Single speaker |
| 12MP | Face unlock | x-axis linear motor |
| 2MP | Wi-Fi 802.11ax | NFC |
| Bluetooth 5.2 | ||
| 5G (5G bands unspecified) | ||
| Front Camera | GPS | |
| 50MP camera | USB-C |
Starting with the Honor 90’s camera app, it offers users options such as Aperture, Portrait, Photo, Video, Multi-Video, Pro, Slow-mo, Panorama, HDR Photo, HDR Video, Time-lapse, stickers, Super macro, High-res, Solo cut, Story, and Scan document, along with quick toggles for flash, AI, motion photo, and filters at the top. Additionally, on the viewfinder, you’ll find three zoom toggles: 0.6x for ultrawide, 1x for the primary camera, and 2x for zoom with the main camera.
The Honor 90 features a substantial 200-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL HP3 primary camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor size. In daylight conditions, it captures decent photos with accurate colors, good detail, and a respectable dynamic range. There is no telephoto camera on the device for optical zoom. Instead, the main camera offers up to 10x digital zoom. While the Honor 90’s night mode may experience a brief delay in focusing, it is important to note that for low-light outdoor photography, using the standard photo mode can actually result in improved images. However, the lack of OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) can be felt in low-light conditions.
The Honor 90 also has the option to capture images at an impressive 200-megapixel resolution using the main camera. However, please note that this high-resolution capture may take a few seconds to capture a shot. For portrait mode, in good lighting conditions, the Honor 90’s portrait mode excels, with the depth sensor effectively separating the subject from the background, creating a natural bokeh effect, and adding sophistication to the images. It also offers a 2x zoom toggle for portrait shots. Even non-human subjects are captured well in the portrait shots.
There is a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 112-degree field of view (FOV) onboard. Unfortunately, there is no information about the exact camera sensor available on the Honor 90. The ultrawide camera performs well when there is sufficient light, and the color reproduction is almost consistent with the primary camera. In low-light indoor settings, it may struggle, introducing noticeable noise. A good thing is that it comes with support for autofocus, which allows it to function as a macro camera when needed. The macro mode on the Honor 90 allows you to get remarkably close to your subject while maintaining focus, producing detailed and accurate close-up shots.
The Honor 90 is blessed with a 50-megapixel front camera with a 100-degree FOV that captures selfies at 12.5-megapixel resolution by default. Again, there is no information about the camera sensor available for the selfie camera. Nevertheless, it excels at rendering natural skin tones and exhibits competent color reproduction. Selfie portraits also come out well, as it manages to separate the subject well from the background, along with a pleasing background blur. The night mode on the front camera may have performance issues, similar to the main camera’s night mode.
The Honor 90’s front and rear cameras (primary and ultra-wide) can record 4K videos at 30fps. In the absence of OIS, the Honor 90 manages to churn out stabilized videos thanks to EIS on both ends. The main camera captures excellent 4K video with vibrant colors. However, there is a set limit of 15 minutes. There are a couple of vlogging features onboard, such as AI Vlog Master and Multi-Video. The former offers smart editing options for posting on social media sites without spending much time on editing. There is also AI Instant Movie, which lets users select some photos and videos to create a short video by adding cinematic effects, text overlays, and background music using the Honor 90’s AI algorithm. In addition, there is an AI noise cancellation mode that cuts down background noise from videos.
When it comes to 4K video recording with the front camera, the Honor 90 impresses with sharp details and minimal noise. Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) does a good job of recording stable videos using the front camera. Sometimes the colors may appear a bit more saturated. However, it’s worth noting that colors might appear slightly oversaturated.
Coming to the remaining features of the Honor 90, the in-screen fingerprint scanner is positioned well and works as expected. Honor 90’s single speaker offers decent audio output, but the absence of another speaker for stereo output is something I miss on the device.
Verdict
The Honor 90 is a well-rounded mid-premium smartphone that makes a triumphant comeback to the Indian market. It has a stylish design, a flagship-level display, capable cameras with lots of modes, and a smooth software experience. Also, if you are a vlogger, this phone is surely going to impress you. Despite a few shortcomings, the Honor 90 offers a balanced smartphone experience that is sure to appeal to many buyers in its price segment. Honor’s return to India is also likely to spark a competitive landscape, as other brands will likely be inspired to up their game to match this renewed contender.
Variants, Price and Availability
In India, the Honor 90 is available in the following variants:
- 8 GB RAM + 256 GB storage: Rs 37,999 (~$457)
- 12 GB RAM + 512 GB storage: Rs 39,999 (~$481)
- Colors: Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Diamond Silver
Disclaimer: All of the opinions in this Honor 90 review are mine and based on my own experiences. There has been no editorial input from Honor.
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