Honor 200 and 200 Pro launched in SA, it’s all about photography

Getting a photo taken at Parisian portrait photography house Studio Harcourt costs a whopping R50,000, according to Honor.

However, you can get still get the studio quality photo after the Chinese company announced it has partnered with Harcourt, which is featured in their pro version smartphone, setting you back R20,000.

It may still be a lot of money for a mobile phone, but when you have a generation that loves taking the perfect studio photos to share on social media, the Honor 200 Pro may just be that smartphone.

Competition

The Chinese company which launched its new Honor 200 Lite  Honor 200 and 200 Pro on Wednesday said that it is gaining significant market share in South Africa with the midrange lineup that delivers flagship-level performance.

However, with a band of competitive rivals that are also striving for a piece of the mid-tier pie and featuring more artificial intelligence (AI) enhancements, Honor has their work cut out.  

The company seemed confident that its camera has what it takes to edge out the competition, the likes of which include Huawei, Oppo and Samsung. However most of the phones that have been recently launched are using AI for that perfect photo without having to delve into settings.

ALSO READ: [REVIEW] Huawei Pura 70 Pro, flagship with excellent camera performance

Cameras

The camera was the main talking point of the launch on Wednesday and its was surprising to hear that GQ magazine editor Molife Kumona mention that the cover photo of their upcoming issue was shot with the Honor 200 Pro.

Molife Kumona said they took the cover of their upcoming issue with the HONOR 200 Pro. @MolifeK @GQdotcoza #HONOR200Series#HONOR200Movement @HonorAfrica pic.twitter.com/PuPPNsHF6D

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) July 24, 2024

If you love clothing and dressing up, Honor also mentioned a collaboration with local streetwear fashion brand GALXBOY.

But, coming onto Honor joining forces with Harcourt to co-engineer the smartphones AI Portrait Engine, the newly developed photography mode utilises AI technology to replicate Studio Harcourt’s signature lighting and shadow effects, streamlining a two-hour photoshoot process into a few simple steps.

Other specs

The flagship model features a 50MP portrait main camera with a Super Dynamic H9000 Sensor and a 50MP Portrait Telephoto Camera with a customised Sony telephoto sensor.

With 12GB of RAM and a 512GB storage drive, the Honor runs on MagicOS 8.0 which hasn’t had much tweaks since the company divorced from Huawei, But they are promising more in the future

The Honor 200 Pro also offers AI-powered smart functionalities like Magic Portal, Magic Capsule, and Magic Ring to enhance and streamline the user experience.

It has a 5 200mAh Silicon-Carbon Battery provides up to 61 hours of use on a single charge.

In a nutshell… #HONOR200Series#HONOR200Movement @HonorAfrica pic.twitter.com/CKZlEcdlzH

— 𝙵𝚊𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚕 𝙿𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚕 ⚡️ (@FaizelPatel143) July 24, 2024

Gaming

For gaming enthusiasts, Honor announced that the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), the world’s largest gaming festival currently taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has named the Honor 200 Pro as the official smartphone for the Esports World Cup.

The device will power esports competitions in popular mobile games like Free Fire, Honor of Kings, and the Women’s ML tournament – making it the ultimate choice for mobile gaming enthusiasts.

While not worlds apart from the Pro, the Honor 200 does sport a few differences it has the same camera but a slightly smaller 6.7-inch AMOLED quad-curved display that offers a peak brightness of 4 000 nits and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The HONOR 200 comes in Moonlight White and Black, while the Pro is available in Ocean Cyan and Black.

Pricing and Availability

The HONOR 200 Pro 5G and Honor 200 5G will be available from Thursday, 1 August 2024, at the recommended retail price of R19 999 and R15 999, respectively, The Honor 200 Lite is already on shelves across the country at a retail price of R9 999.

To entice customers, the purchase of the Honor 200 and 200 Pro will include what Honor calls “free gifts”  including a SuperCharger, screen protector, free postal repair with pickup and delivery service, a three -year battery health protection warranty, and a 180-day screen accident warranty, which excludes labour fees.

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