The HONOR 90 5G is one of the latest premium phones from HONOR. The smartphone boasts a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display, a powerful Snapdragon 7 Gen1 processor, and a whopping 200MP main camera that can capture every detail in your photos and videos.
But is it worth your money? And how does it compare to other premium phones in the market? In this review, we will take a closer look at the HONOR 90 5G, and see if it can live up to its hype.
Design & Display
The HONOR 90 5G comes with an eye-catching design that has been crafted with both aesthetics and usability in mind. The device features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display which boasts a QHD resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz. It also has a peak brightness of 1600 nits and can display over 1 billion colors. The display supports HDR10+ and has a 93.30% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to the curved sides, ultra-thin bezels, and the punch-hole selfie camera.
The HONOR 90 5G’s display is one of the best in its class. It is beautiful and vibrant and delivers a superb viewing experience in most scenarios. Moreover, it also received a high score of 140 on DxOMark and has been awarded the DxOMark Display Gold Label for its excellent screen performance.
Another remarkable feature of the HONOR 90 5G’s display is that it is the world’s first Zero-Flicker Screen display on a smartphone device. This means that the display does not produce any noticeable flickering even at low brightness levels, which can reduce eye strain and fatigue. It also has the TÜV Rheinland Flicker Free Certification and risk-free dimming levels, making it one of the safest screens for the eyes.
In terms of its design, the HONOR 90 5G has a sleek and elegant look that reflects its premium quality. It has a plastic frame and a glass back, which curves smoothly on all four sides. The back panel has a gradient color effect that changes depending on the angle of light.
Our review unit is in Emerald Green colorway. It is also available in classic Midnight Black and the eye-catching Diamond Silver. It also has two circular camera modules that house three lenses and an LED flash. The device feels quite solid in the hand and measures 161.9 x 74.1 x 7.8 mm and weighs 83 grams, making it comfortable to hold and use.
Cameras
The HONOR 90 5G has a versatile and impressive camera system that can capture stunning photos and videos in various scenarios. The main attraction is the 200MP main camera, which has a large 1/1.4-inch sensor and an f/1.9 aperture lens. This camera can produce sharp and detailed images with good exposure and a wide dynamic range, especially in bright light conditions.
It also supports pixel-binning, which combines 16 pixels into one to create 12MP photos with reduced noise and improved low-light performance. You can also switch to the full 200MP resolution for capturing more details, but this mode requires good lighting and steady hands.
The main camera also offers a decent digital zoom capability, thanks to its high resolution. You can zoom up to 2x without losing much quality. However, beyond that, the zoom quality deteriorates significantly, as there’s no dedicated telephoto lens.
The other notable camera on the Honor 90 5G is the 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera which has a 112-degree field of view and an f/2.2 aperture lens. This camera can capture expansive scenes with minimal distortion and good exposure. The colors are also bright and vivid. The ultra-wide-angle camera also has autofocus, which allows it to double as a macro camera. You can get very close to your subject and capture fine details with this camera.
The third camera on the HONOR 90 5G is a 2MP depth sensor which helps the device create a natural bokeh effect for portrait shots. The depth sensor works well with both the main and the ultra-wide-angle cameras, creating a smooth and realistic blur for the background. The edge detection is also accurate, and the skin tones are natural.
The HONOR 90 5G also has a large 50MP selfie camera at the front, which has an f/2.4 aperture lens and a 100-degree field of view. This camera can capture sharp and detailed selfies with good exposure and colors.
The HONOR 90 5G can record videos up to 4K resolution at 30fps with both the main and the selfie cameras. The video quality is good, with smooth motion, accurate exposure, and bright colors. The device also supports EIS (electronic image stabilization), which reduces shaky footage, but it also crops the video frame slightly.
Sample Images
Sample Images – 2x Zoom
Sample Images – Low Light / Night Mode
Performance
The HONOR 90 5G is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition 5G chipset, which is a 4nm octa-core processor with a maximum clock speed of 2.5GHz. This chipset is designed to offer a balance between performance and power efficiency, as well as support for 5G connectivity. The HONOR 90 5G also comes with an Adreno 644 GPU, which can handle graphics-intensive tasks and games smoothly.
The HONOR 90 5G offers different memory and storage options, depending on your region. The unit we tested has 12GB of RAM and a very generous 512GB of storage, which is more than enough space for all your files, including photos and videos. However, there is no micro SD expansion slot, in case you need more storage.
As a result, the HONOR 90 5G can handle most daily tasks and apps with ease. We did not encounter any major lag or stuttering while browsing, streaming, or gaming on the device.
The HONOR 90 5G supports a range of connectivity options, such as dual SIM, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and USB-C. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner, which is fast and accurate. However, the device lacks some features that are common in premium offerings, such as stereo speakers and an official IP rating for water and dust resistance.
The phone also has a single bottom-firing speaker, which produces a good and full sound quality for its size. It can get quite loud at the cost of distortion, and it has a decent balance of bass and treble. However, the speaker is still a mono speaker, which can affect the sound quality when watching videos or playing games on the device. You might want to use headphones for a better audio experience.
Battery
The HONOR 90 5G comes with a large 5000mAh battery which should easily last through a full day of use. The bundled 66W fast charger can charge from 0% to 80% in under 40 minutes. Meanwhile, a full charge takes around 75 minutes.
Final Remarks
The HONOR 90 5G is a flagship phone that offers a lot of features and benefits for its price. It has a stunning display, a versatile camera system, a powerful performance, generous storage, and great battery life. It also has a fast charging speed, a reliable fingerprint scanner, and a sleek design. It is one of the best phones in its segment, and it can compete with some of the more expensive premium phones in the market.
However, like all phones, this one is not perfect, and it has some drawbacks. It lacks a telephoto lens, which affects its zoom quality. It also lacks stereo speakers and an official IP rating, which are common features in most phones nowadays.
Overall, the HONOR 90 5G is a great phone that delivers a lot of value for your money. However, if you are looking for a more complete and flawless flagship phone, you might want to consider other options (but be ready to spend more).
The HONOR 90 5G with 12GB+512GB is priced at PHP 24,990. It is now available for pre-order in the Philippines, bundled with a free JBL Flip 6 speaker worth PHP 7,499. You can find it on HONOR’s official Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok Shop accounts, and on the SM Malls Online app.
HONOR 90 5G specs
Display | 6.7-inch OLED Display, 2664×1200, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, up to 1600 nits, 3840Hz PWM Dimming |
Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Accelerated Edition |
RAM/Storage | 8GB+256GB 12GB+256GB 12GB+512GB |
Rear Camera | 200MP main, 10x digital zoom, EIS 12MP Ultra-wide & macro 2MP depth |
Front Camera | 50MP |
Network | 5G, 4G LTE |
Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, NFC |
Others | In-display fingerprint scanner, USB-C, mono speaker, IP68 water and dust resistance |
OS | MagicOS 7.1, Android 13 |
Battery | 5000mAh Battery, 66W Fast Charging |