HONOR introduced the HONOR 50 mid-range smartphone for the global markets yesterday at an event in Europe, after it went official in China back in July. The main difference between the Chinese and global version is that this runs runs Android 11 with Magic UI 4.2 on top with Google Mobile Services instead of HONOR Mobile Services. We got to check out the phone, and here are our first impressions.
Box Contents
- HONOR 50 8GB + 128GB version in Frost Crystal colour variant
- Clear protective case
- USB Type-C Cable
- 66W (11V-6A) HONOR SuperCharge fast charger
- SIM Ejector tool
- USB type-C headset
- User manual
Starting with the screen, the phone has a 6.57-inch Full HD+ AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, 1.07 billion colors and DCI-P3 wide color gamut. The screen has a 75° 2.5D polishing glass edges on both upper and lower sides of the display and the phone features ultra-slim bezel on the front. Powered by the latest Snapdragon 778G 6nm Mobile Platform, the phone comes with up to 8GB of RAM
The phone runs Android 11 with Magic UI on top, and the global version doesn’t miss out on the Google Mobile Services, including the Google Play Store which is missing from the HUAWEI phones that run Harmony OS. There is a 32MP front camera inside the tiny punch-hole.
Regarding button placements and ports, the power button and the volume rockers are present on the right side. There is nothing on the left. There is a microphone on the top. The SIM slot, primary microphone, USB Type-C Port and the speaker grill are present in the bottom. It doesn’t have expandable memory.
The phone has a 108MP main camera, 8MP ultra wide-angle camera, 2MP macro and 2MP depth-of-field cameras that are arranged in a dual ring camera design made up of two concentric circles on the back. Check out some camera samples below.
The Frost Crystal colour variant that we have is inspired by snow crystals and creates a dreamy diamond-like finish. When the phone is tilted against the light at different angles, it glitters and shimmers.
The HONOR 50 also comes in HONOR Code, an innovative colourway incorporating the “HONOR” logo across the back cover, as well as an Emerald Green and Midnight Black colours.
The phone is just 7.78mm thin. Even though the phone has a glass back, the sides have have a plastic finish, yet the overall build quality is pretty good. It has a 4,300mAh battery with 66W fast charging that can charge from 0 to 70% in 20 minutes and 100% in 45 minutes.
The HONOR 50 starts at 529 Euros (US$ 614 / Rs. 46,060 approx.) for the 8GB + 128GB version which is steep compared to RM 1699 (US$ 508 / Rs. 30,580 approx.) starting price in Malaysia. It is available to order in Europe from today, October 27th and will go on sale from November 4th.
HONOR said that the phone will roll out in UK and European markets including France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as other markets like Egypt, the UAE, and South Africa. No details about the India launch yet.