Honor has launched its flagship Honor 8 in India today at a price of ₹29,999. Honor 8 has all-new look featuring a dual camera and its right behind the flagship HUAWEI P9. While not a Leica camera, on paper, Honor 8 still uses the 12 MP dual camera. We received Honor 8 and shared Honor 8 hands-on below.
Honor 8 Specifications
- Model: FRD-L02
- Display: 5.2-inch Full HD LTPS Display (1920 x 1080 pixels resolution | 423 ppi pixel density) covered with 2.5D curved glass
- Fingerprint Scanner: Yes, on the back
- Software: EUI 4.1 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- CPU: Up to 2.3 GHz octa-core processor, HUAWEI Kirin 950 SoC
- GPU: Mali-T880 MP4 (900 MHz)
- Memory: 4 GB LPDDR4 RAM
- Storage: 32 GB internal storage (24.08 GB usable), MicroSD support up to 256 GB
- Main Camera: Dual camera (12 MP + 12 MP) f/2.2, laser autofocus, dual-tone LED flash, 1080p video @60fps, 720p video @120fps
- Front Camera: 8 MP, f/2.4, 1080p video @30fps
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm stereo jack, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 4.2, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS
- Other: Smart key on fingerprint scanner, DTS Sound
- Cellular: 4G LTE, Single SIM (GSM) + MicroSD Slot
- Battery: 3000 mAh Li-Po (non-removable)
- Dimensions: 145.5 mm x 71 mm x 7.5 mm
- Weight: 153 grams
- Colors: Sapphire Blue, Sunrise Gold, Pearl White
- Price: ₹29,999
- Warranty: 2 Years, First 3 Months Screen Breakage
Honor 8 features a new look, a combination of glass and metal body with metallic frames on the sides. On both the sides, it uses 2.5D curved glass. No more plastics, the Honor 8 looks premium but not as good as HUAWEI P9. The design, in my opinion, resembles the Google Pixel. Last year’s Honor 7 was entirely metal, not glass.
Talking about the specs, it houses a 2.3 GHz Kirin 950 CPU while HUAWEI P9 uses higher clocked 2.5 GHz Kirin 955 CPU. HUAWEI P9 is left behind in terms of RAM, Honor 8, being a flagship, boasts 4 GB RAM instead. We got a 32 GB Honor 8 though there is a 64 GB variant available.
The 5.2-inch Honor 8 uses a Full HD LTPS display (1920 x 1080 pixels) giving a sharp and crisp images. Like Honor 7, the top and bottom bezels take a plenty of space but the side bezels on Honor 8 disappear like a bubble.
Honor 8 is noticeably slimmer (7.5 mm) than its predecessor Honor 7 (8.5 mm). There are no external navigation buttons just like all the other Honor smartphones. The handset feels solid in the hands but somehow the back feels hollow from the inside.
I also noticed the fingerprint scanner can be pressed. The extra button is a smart key that we already saw in the Honor 7. The Smart Key is specialized to perform a number of actions. It can be used to assign functions like taking a screenshot or quickly open up flashlight.
While many smartphones come with Li-ion battery, Honor 8 packs a decent 3000 mAh Li-Po non-removable battery. Lithium Polymer batteries tend to be slimmer than Lithium Ion batteries.
The major highlight of the smartphone is its camera. Honor 8 equips a Dual 12 MP f/2.2 camera with laser autofocus. It has a dual-tone LED flash and can record up to 1080p videos.
At first, it seems to be similar to the one in HUAWEI P9 but not Leica branded. There is a difference in both the cameras. Though it doesn’t support Monochrome (P9’s signature feature) but Depth of Field. The front camera is of 8 MP f/2.4.
Moving to the left, there are no keys. The Smart Key is moved to the back at the fingerprint scanner or we can say the fingerprint scanner is embedded on the Smart Key. Just like P9, this handset supports 4G LTE but not VoLTE. The SIM Tray holds only nano SIM card (GSM) and one MicroSD card that expands the storage up to 256 GB.
The power button perfectly fits my thumb since it has a circular pattern providing a grip. The volume and power buttons are placed on the right-hand side.
Honor 8 comes with a new USB standard, Type-C. What’s more at the bottom are the 3.5 mm headphone jack and loudspeakers. The microphone is placed at the top along with an IR Blaster. I didn’t find another microphone on the handset. There’s only one microphone available as far as I know.
The software experience seems to be very identical to the HUAWEI P9 since both of them feature the same Emotion UI 4.1. Honor 8 comes with EUI 4.1 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The handset is priced at a hefty ₹29,999. It is available in four different colors – Sapphire Blue, Sunrise Gold and Pearl White. We will soon share camera samples, battery life, and other aspects along with a full review of Honor 8. Stay tuned.
Let us know about your views on the Honor 8.
