Honor 400 series: Six years of software support and an Android bonus to top it off
While we're "patiently" waiting for Honor to drop the world's thinnest foldable, a.k.a. the Magic V5, the company is getting ready to unveil the Honor 400 series, coming on May 22.Honor is closely collaborating with Google, which means that the Honor 400 models will arrive with plenty of AI goodies on board and a cool Android experience for those who dare to try an exotic brand outside the Apple-Samsung-Google triumvirate.One example of this collaboration is the integration of Google's advanced video generation model, Veo 2, via Google Cloud's Vertex AI. This technology enables users to create short, five-second videos from static images – be it personal photos, AI-generated art, or old pictures. These dynamic visuals will debut with the Honor 400 Series and are designed to be easily shared on social platforms, compatible with both Android and iOS.Apart from that, the Honor 400 series will bring along something that many will applaud: a six-year commitment to Android software updates! Personally, I also expect six years of security updates as well. The upcoming lineup will also get Android 16 in 2025, so no delays are expected on that front. Wink-wink, Samsung!
Image by Honor The company assures developers that they'll have early access to new Android versions thanks to their Google collaboration, thus allowing Honor users to benefit from the most up-to-date and secure Android features without unnecessary delays.
Last year, Honor was among pretty quick in rolling out the Android 15 Beta to its developer community. Currently, the Android 16 Beta 3 has been available to developers on the Honor Magic 7 Pro for two weeks now – Honor is walking the walk, when it comes to early innovation.
Besides the upcoming Honor 400 series, Honor Magic 7 Pro and Honor Magic V3 owners are expected to receive MagicOS updates based on Android 16 in 2025.
As leaks suggest, the next Android version is aimed at enhancing user experience, security, and device adaptability. The new Material 3 Expressive design revamps the interface with vibrant colors, dynamic animations, and a more cohesive layout across notifications, quick settings, and the lock screen.
Android 16 will also deliver major improvements in security, usability, and adaptability. Automatic protection of sensitive notifications to combat scams are expected, as well as Live Updates for real-time tracking on the lock screen. And, of course, enhanced support for large screens ( foldable fans should rejoice).
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Honor's new 400 and 400 Pro phones went on sale on Friday last week – did you buy one? Do you plan to? Let's talk about this new pair of phones equipped with 200MP cameras. The duo features 200MP 1/1.4' sensors with OIS in their main cameras, plus 50MP selfie cameras – both are capable of 4K video recording. There's also a 12MP ultra-wide on each with a 112° lens with autofocus, enabling macro mode. Honor 400 Pro The Honor 400 Pro stands out with a dedicated tele camera – a 50MP 1/2.0' sensor with an OIS-enabled 3x lens. The 200MP main will do well at 2x, but image quality typically drops off at 3x and 4x. That is something that we will explore in our upcoming review of the Pro. By the way, the Pro has a pill-shaped notch as it houses a 2MP depth sensor for face unlock next to the selfie camera. The 400 Pro also has more processing power with its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a larger 6.7' display and more versatile charging options for the battery – 100W wired and 50W wireless. The battery has 5,300mAh capacity for Europe and 6,000mAh for the rest of the world. This model also has a higher water resistance rating, IP68/IP69, for submersion and water jets. Honor 400 The Honor 400 misses out on the tele camera, so it relies on the 200MP for all zooming tasks – again, this is something to explore in its upcoming review. The vanilla model is a bit smaller with its 6.55' display and features a mid-range Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset paired with 8GB of RAM (vs. 12GB on the Pro). The battery – 5,300mAh for Europe, 6,000mAh everywhere else – does 66W/80W wired-only charging. Other things to note are no Wi-Fi 7 and a lower IP65/IP66 rating. Key features: Honor 400 • Honor 400 Pro Here is the pricing info for the UK and Europe for the Honor 400 and 400 Pro: Honor 400 Honor 400 Pro 8/256GB 8/512GB 12/512GB UK £400 £450 £700 EU €500 €550 €800 Let's have a brief look at the competition – there isn't much below the flagship segment, if we're looking at phones with 200MP cameras. Really, it's only the Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro and Pro+. The Pro+ model has a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, so it's no match even for the vanilla 400, never mind the 400 Pro. But it does have an IP68 rating and 120W charging for its 5,110mAh battery. As for the cameras, both Pro and Pro+ have 200MP mains and 8MP ultra-wides, neither has a telephoto. Note that these two launched with Android 14 and Xiaomi has only promised 3 OS updates. Meanwhile, the Honor 400s come with Android 15 out of the box and will receive 6 OS updates. On the plus side, even the Pro+ is quite cheap at €380 for a 12/512GB model (compared to €550 for an 8/512GB Honor 400). Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro 5G (Global) • Xiaomi Redmi Note 14 Pro+ 5G • Nothing Phone (3a) Pro The Nothing Phone (3a) Pro also uses the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3, but forgoes the 200MP main camera (it has a 50MP 1/1.56' module instead) in favor of a 50MP 3x telephoto. It also has an 8MP ultra-wide and a 50MP selfie camera. The 5,000mAh battery with 50W wired-only charging and IP64 rating are not great, but the €460 price undercuts the Honor 400. The Poco F7 Ultra flaunts Snapdragon 8 Elite power, giving it the upper hand in processing power. However, its cameras are more limited – 50MP main (1/1.55', OIS), 50MP 2x tele and 32MP ultra-wide. The 5,300mAh battery has 120W wired and 50W wireless charging and the phone is rated IP68. You can grab a 12/256GB model for €700. Xiaomi Poco F7 Ultra • Realme GT 7 5G • OnePlus 13T The new Realme GT 7 features the Dimensity 9400e instead. It has a 6.78' LTPO display and a 50MP 2x tele camera in addition to the 50MP main (1/1.56') and 8MP ultra-wide. 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But it does have a €250/£250 premium over the vanilla model and that's looking at the pricier 512GB variant. Now the Honor 400. If you can fit within 256GB storage, the price gap to the Pro opens up to €300/£300. The Pro costs nearly twice as much – is it twice as good? PS. Have a look at your local site – e.g. in the UK, the Honor 400 Pro has a £150 discount coupon (plus free TWS buds and charger), the Honor 400 gets a free storage upgrade on top of a £50 coupon. Do these deals change your outlook on the Honor 400 and 400 Pro? Honor 400 Pro 5G Honor 400 5G
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