HONOR has marked its triumphant return with the launch of the HONOR 50 in 2021. A year later, it debuted a successor in the N-series called the HONOR 70.

With an eerily familiar look and the promise of Google Mobile Services, along with top-class photography and videography capabilities, can the HONOR 70 be your GadgetMatch?

Specs

Just to get it out of the way for the spec-obsessed, here are the key specifications of the HONOR 70.

An exquisite colorway

I used to think I live a colorful life. Not until I got my hands on the HONOR 70 in its Crystal Silver colorway. With diamond patterns encompassing its rear body and glitter glimmering on its bottom half — I knew it was designed to stand out.

HONOR drew inspiration from jewelry, especially in the way light radiates over a diamond. If you’re fond of silver or white gold, the smartphone can instantly complement your outfit and even become a fashion accessory.

Though it looks like HONOR puts the spotlight on its Crystal Silver colorway, there are splendid colors to choose from if that’s not your cup of tea.

There’s Midnight Black for the serious types, an Emerald Green for those who want the subtle blend of power and beauty, and an Icelandic Frost for the charmer.

Taller, sturdier

Side-by-side, the HONOR 50 and the HONOR 70 give an impression that they came from the same brand. What with the shining, shimmering design along with the right curves and the humongous camera system?

Comparing the two, the HONOR 70 is scantily taller and sturdier which might seem inconsequential but trust me, there’s a difference.

The most noticeable is the heft. The HONOR 70 feels sturdier and more secure in my grip, despite being a bit heavier than its predecessor. However, it’s still lightweight enough that it’s easy to slip into your pockets, hold the device for quite a while, and even use it while walking.

You’ll still barely feel its weight. I actually like how it gives a serious vibe with its tall, slim, and symmetrical disposition.
What I didn’t like about it is how I can’t easily reach the volume rockers when playing a game or watching a show, due to its taller screen. It’s a small inconvenience, but it’s worth noting.

Curved madness

Curved displays are still here, evident in the HONOR 70. But like I’ve said about the HONOR 50, I’ve grown indifferent towards curved screens.

Nevertheless, the 6.67-inch OLED display is impossible to ignore. It has ultra-slim bezels on its left and right frames, and when paired with the curved design, it simply has an immersive experience.

The colors are punchy, the details are crisp and sharp, and it’s HDR10+ certified. Meaning, the visuals are stunning and the color quality is excellently true-to-life.

Fluid gameplay

I recently had an unbearably stressful month, both on the personal and work fronts. I would’ve used my Switch to cope and let out my frustrations, but I would prefer a game that wouldn’t require any thinking.

That’s when I remembered how I play One Piece: Bounty Rush on the HONOR 50. I transferred the data to the HONOR 70, put it on the highest settings, and reveled in the vivid and dynamic visuals of the game.

The 120Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate came into play when I started the matches against other players. I get engulfed by the game and the ability to be fluid when switching my camera angles.

It helped me determine the positions of my opponents, allowing me to act quickly whether escaping the strong ones, or fighting head-on.

One might say the game is simple enough to be using a high refresh rate, but like most Android fanboys said before: Once you go 120Hz, you can never go back.

Running on midrange power

What surprised me is how the HONOR 70 performed. With only a Snapdragon 778G+, you’d think a midrange chipset wouldn’t be able to run graphics-intensive games.

Fret not, I ran Tower of Fantasy and it was still able to deliver smooth gameplay. Of course, there are occasional delays here and there when it comes to the game’s animations, but still fluid nonetheless. My only gripe would be the heat produced when playing a graphics-intensive game.

Nonetheless, the HONOR 70 still proved it’s a capable device when it comes to multitasking. Switching between apps seems easy even if there are plenty of background apps running.

HONOR attributes this to its self-developed OS Turbo X technology, which keeps more apps alive by preventing background processes from stopping whenever users switch an app.

User… friendly?

The HONOR 70 comes with the latest Magic UI 6.1 based on Android 12. At a glance, you’ll find it eerily similar to EMUI. If you’ve used plenty of Huawei phones in the past, the interface will be familiar, making it easy to use.

Of course, as a brand trying to shy away from its previous parent company, we would expect that HONOR will deviate from that familiar appeal.

At a press conference, GadgetMatch asked HONOR if it has any plans for MagicUI to deviate in the future.

The company confirms that Magic UI will continue to develop, promising a new identity and new user experience that will set it apart from the competition. Here’s to believing they will, hopefully by next year.

For now, let’s take a look at what HONOR and Magic UI have in store for us.

Made for efficiency

The HONOR 70 puts efficiency at its front, enabling a split-screen through Multi-Window Mode. The feature can be accessed by swiping in from the left or right edge of the screen, enabling you to display the dock.

To enable split-screen, you just need to hold an app icon in the dock, then drag it to the side of the screen.

HONOR has also improved its file management. Through “My Files”, you can locate all types of content — from images, documents, videos, and more.

A growing ecosystem

Like many other smartphone brands, HONOR is growing its ecosystem through the Internet of Things (IoT).

It has HONOR Share — like Huawei Share and Quikshare functioning like the Airdrop — that enables rapid cross-system file transfers.

You can quickly transfer your files between the HONOR 70, the HONOR MagicBook 14, and the HONOR Pad 8. It also identifies other HONOR products, making the smartphone a central hub to connect with different devices.

With HONOR also pushing for interconnectivity between different operating systems, it won’t be long to see the usability of the HONOR ecosystem working seamlessly with other devices.

Entertainment

Although we’ve discussed how the display is perfect for watching your favorite visual content, I haven’t stressed how the HONOR 70 looks perfect as an entertainment device.

It’s lightweight, has a 20:9 aspect ratio that’s wide enough to play cinematic content, and visually-pleasing screen.

From watching my comfort shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Great News to watching HDR-certified shows and the latest K-dramas such as Extraordinary Attorney Woo — the experience is quite delightful.

Not to mention, the speakers are loud enough to fill a 16sqm room. Sometimes, I don’t connect the HONOR 70 to my favorite Soundcore 3 portable speaker when I watch my favorite shows.  Go, save that battery from another Bluetooth connection!

Although, on another note, audiophiles won’t be pleased with the sound the HONOR 70 produces. It’s too loud, and cranky at most, but the regular audience typically doesn’t complain about this part.

Battery & Charging

Now that we’re on that topic, the HONOR 70 surprisingly lasts for a day with a 4800mAh battery. It only drains quickly when you’re playing games, especially the graphics-intensive ones, and when you keep using mobile data. But for the most part, it lasts a full-day use — even if you use it as a hotspot.

I got to go around the city in the morning, run with music playback while connected to my wireless earbuds, take photos and video clips along the way, scroll through social media, and even watch video content.

With its 66W SuperCharge technology, juicing up can be done in less than an hour. Whenever my battery reaches 20%, I plug it in to quickly fill it up. I could take a bath, do some chores, or even take a nap.

When I’m done, I’m always giddy to find that I can use the phone again. iPhones, please keep up.

Taking photographs

Onto the most exciting part, the HONOR 70 prides itself on the 54-megapixel Sony IMX1800 Super Sensing Main Camera. The lens is located on the upper ring together with the 2-megapixel depth camera.

Meanwhile, the bottom ring contains the 50-megapixel ultra-wide and macro main camera, along with the flashlight.

Here are some samples using the default mode:

Night mode which was automatically activated upon scene detection

We also tried Portrait Mode to see if it already improved. Of course, it did. We were delighted that for a midrange smartphone, Portraits are looking polished, vibrant, and detailed.

It’s something that’s usually reserved for higher-end smartphones, particularly one that can cost your kidneys or a fortune.

The prowess of the combined 50-megapixel ultra-wide and macro camera is also explored. Here are some samples for you to peruse:

Ultra Wide Angle

4x Zoom

Of course, we took several selfies. As usual, without beauty mode, the HONOR 70 already pads beautification.

Video-centric masterpiece

Aside from the Sony IMX800 functioning as the cream of the crop, the HONOR 70 takes pride in its videography capabilities. More people have been making vlogs and other video content, which is why HONOR packed the device with enhanced features.

For instance, you can now shoot 4K video recordings at 30fps. There’s also a Solo Cut Mode Vlog with autofocus tracking technology, so you can keep the focus on you.

There’s also a multi-video mode for one-take recording. You can talk about your day using your front camera, while also recording the surroundings with your rear camera.

Price and availability

The HONOR 70 retails in China for CNY 2699. In Europe, it officially retails for EUR 549 for the 8GB/128GB variant, and EUR 599 for the 8GB/256GB variant.

However, due to differences in regulations between regions, some markets have unusually cheaper prices for the HONOR 70. For instance, the 8GB/256GB variant retails for RM 1999 in Malaysia.

Now, depending on your region, the HONOR 70 might be pitted against several midrange competitors. There are the headliners of the Galaxy A series, along with the vivo V25 series, and Xiaomi’s midrange lineup like the Xiaomi 12 Lite. In some markets, it might even go higher and the HONOR 70 might clash with the likes of realme GT 2 Pro.

But surprisingly, even HONOR admitted that it intends to compete with the Nothing Phone (1). After all, they have the most similarities in terms of specifications.

Nevertheless, the HONOR 70 is now available in Europe and other select markets.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The HONOR 70, surprisingly, for a base unit on a lineup, performs like a high-end flagship. It reminds me of the time when the Huawei P9 — even as a base — garnered attention with its flagship performance at an affordable price.

When you compare it to the devices in its price range, the HONOR 70 certainly stands out. Beauty mode and that familiar EMUI look aside, there’s not much to dislike about this smartphone.

It has that vibrant and immersive display, a latency-free performance, an impressive set of cameras, and video-centric features that will make you want to be your own creator.

Add to the fact that it’s a premium-looking device without much of an exorbitant price tag. It’s a pretty sweet deal.

If you’re in the market for an upper midrange smartphone with a strong focus on photography and videography, the HONOR 70 can easily be your GadgetMatch. It certainly captures the needs of everyday consumers and aspiring rookies in the field of content creation.

SEE ALSO: Bringing back HONOR with Magic