First look at the AI-powered Honor 200 series

As a photographer, I want nothing more than a camera phone that can match or compete with the quality of my "proper" camera. This week, I was invited to Paris for the launch of Honor's latest AI-powered smartphones – the Honor 200 series.

It's no secret that I am a die-hard Samsung fan, and didn't even hesitate to purchase the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra when it came out in February. But getting hands-on with the new Honor 200 Pro has me seriously doubting my choice, should I have waited? 

I've heard a lot of pitches from companies claiming to have produced the best camera phone of all time, with next-gen features that will revolutionize imaging and blah blah blah. But I think Honor might actually be on to something this time, and I'm seriously impressed with what I got to see in Paris.
Let me explain...

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Honor unveiled three new AI-powered smartphones on Wednesday, the Honor 200, the Honor 200 Pro, and the Honor 200 Lite. This is pretty standard for brands to release multiple smartphones with tiered pricing and features, including a budget camera phone option with the Lite model, but the Pro is the true star of the lineup. I got to briefly try out each of these new devices at the event, and I wasn't disappointed. 

The new Honor 200 Pro boasts a triple 50MP studio-quality camera array featuring a portrait main camera (f/1.3), a telephoto camera with 50X digital zoom (and a customized telephoto sensor from Sony), plus an ultra-wide 12MP macro camera. The main camera offers a 105% increase in noise reduction in low-light conditions, making it an excellent choice for those (like me) who enjoy filming live music and concert photography.

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Honor has forged a collaboration with Studio Harcourt, one of the most legendary Parisian portrait photography houses, to co-engineer the impressive HONOR AI Portrait Engine. There's also a major collaboration underway with renowned photographer, Rankin. So it's safe to say that Honor isn't making any empty promises here and has done its research in developing a smartphone that appeals to photographers and creatives.

This was further demonstrated at the Paris event, which had an array of images captured by Rankin on display around the venue, with photo ops featuring models posing with enlarged photo frames, performers (including a mime and fire-dancer) and exquisite food on offer for guests to photograph. There were also opportunities to have your makeup done and your portrait taken by the experts at Harcourt, using the Honor 200 Pro of course. 

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The 50MP portrait selfie camera (f/1.2) offers Harcourt portrait mode for vivid results, and there are a ton of other impressive camera features such as an ultra-large H9000 sensor on the main camera, dual OIS (optical image stabilisation), an AI-enhanced night mode, AI light and shadow remodelling, HDR control, AI artistic styles, optical effect enhancement (depth of field control), and bokeh effects (finally!) – and did I mention it can shoot in RAW too?

Even the best iPhone camera can struggle with capturing a quality portrait, so it's great to see a smartphone camera that can master elements like bokeh and depth of field in a more natural way, without the subject looking too disjointed from the background. 

Now, I've only spent two days so far with the new flagship, so all I can offer at this time is my honest first impression (if you want to see me unboxing the Honor 200 Pro on the Eurostar then check out the video below). I'll be sure to follow up in the coming days with a proper verdict on the 200 Pro, and whether I think it could really be the best camera phone of 2024 for photographers.

The company claims to be the fastest-growing smartphone brand in Europe right now, and it's easy to see why. With a focus on mid-premium products that are powerful yet affordable. The Honor 200 Pro will retail for £699.99 in the UK,  which I think is a very reasonable price compared with other Samsung and Apple offerings. 

I don't want to get too excited yet, but I love a lot of things about the Honor 200 Pro already, including the design - which was inspired by the atrium design of the Casa Milà building in Barcelona -  as well as the AI-powered camera features. I can't wait to put this phone through its paces and hopefully capture some great portraits.

The Honor 200 Pro is available to purchase now in the UK, directly from Honor, with preorders starting on June 21 through major retailers. Order one now to receive a free Harman Kardon Onyx Studio 8 speaker (worth £279.99) plus an HONOR SuperCharge Power Adapter. The Honor 200 series is available for  £499.99, while the Honor Lite sits at a super affordable £279.99.