The "1-Minute" Review
Verdict
Honor’s latest release wowed reviewers. It’s a solid phone that pushes into flagship territory while sitting at a price well in the middle of mid-tier price lists. Unless you need the absolute best camera, there Honor 10 should be on your list to consider.What's good
- Price
- Bright, vivid display
- Blazing performance
- Attractive design
- Dual SIM
What's bad
- Camera AI is a personal taste
- So-so low-light camera performance
- No microSD support
- Fingerprint sensor placement
While they’re not quite a household name, Honor is making a name for itself as a brand that offers flagship performance at mid-tier prices. The Honor 10 is their latest release and in many ways identical to the Huawei P20 except for one major consideration -- it’s half the price.
The phone features a metal frame and glass back -- something common in today’s flagships. But the glass features a multicolored treatment that reviewers found stunning. Every reviewer gushed about the interesting color shifting effect and the people who noticed their phone on the street.
That said, scratches and fingerprints are always an issue with glass backs. Fortunately, Honor included a slim, clear gel case to help keep it looking good.
Around front, you’re greeted by a 5.84-inch 1080p IPS display with a notch for the front-facing camera and sensors. The front of the phone is nearly all screen, with minimal side bezels and a tiny chin for the fingerprint sensor. This sounds good on paper, but many reviewers found that the fingerprint sensor was hard to hit accurately due to its placement.
Otherwise, the screen offers excellent contrast, vivid colors, and a slightly cool color balance. If you’re not a fan of the notch, there’s also a setting to hide it using a black bar across the top of the screen.
Pushing all those pixels, you’ll find an octa-core 2.36 Kirin 970 processor with 4 to 6GB of RAM depending on the variant you choose. Reviewers had no trouble with gaming or multitasking -- even with the 4GB model. That said, opting for the 6GB model will add more future proofing to your investment.
You’ll also find 64GB or 128GB of internal storage depending on the variant you choose. If you have any storage space concerns, opting for the 128GB is likely the best idea as there is no microSD support.
You can, however, use two SIM cards complete with 4G on both SIMs.
The phone ships with Android 8.1 Oreo running EMUI 8.1.0. Unlike earlier versions of EMUI, Honor has trimmed down the bloat and streamlined performance. Reviewers have no issues with stuttering, lockups, or crashing.
The cameras on the Honor 10 were the biggest area of contention among reviewers. The phone includes a dual-lens rear camera with a 16MP color sensor and 24MP monochrome sensor. It also offers an AI-assisted mode to tweak color balance, exposure, and other settings and optimize your images.
Some reviewers loved the added AI touches while others hated them. With good lighting, the camera offers snappy response time, fast focusing, and an effective portrait/bokeh mode. In low-light, the camera performs admirably, but can’t keep up with higher-priced competitors.
Reviews were similar for the 24MP front-facing selfie shooter...
With a 3400mAh battery, reviewers had zero issues with lasting a full day on a single charge. Some reviewers hit close to two days with moderate to light usage. Honor includes a USB Type-C fast charge adapter for top offs in about 1.5 hours should you find yourself in need power mid-day.
Simply put, reviews for the phone were phenomenal. Cool Smartphone said, “Don’t think, don’t think for a minute or a second that you’re short-changing yourself by getting a phone from a company you may not be aware of, because this rocks. This phone rocks. Get this phone. Get this phone right now. Buy one. Go.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Shobhit Varma, Gadgets 360Undoubtedly the most capable smartphone that Huawei's sub-brand Honor has ever released in India. It has a sleek and compact design, a bright and punchy display, and heaps of power on board. While the AI enhancements are gimmicky, the camera hardware is excellent and capable of taking great photos.
- Alexandra Arici, Android GuysPriced at only €399 / $467 in Europe, the Honor 10 makes you a proposition you can’t resist. Putting the battery issue aside, the Honor 10 is really an excellent device at this price point. Its major highlights include design, camera, and advanced performance.
- James Rogerson, 3G.co.ukThe Honor 10 is a superb handset and while we have a few complaints most of them are offset by the price. This is a phone that could almost stand up to the biggest flagships, yet it costs half as much.
- Sandra Vogel, ZDNetThe Honor 10 is an excellent mid-range handset. It has lots of features and certainly gives the Huawei P20 and P20 Plus a run for their money.
- Chris Burns, SlashGearHonor 10 is, unfortunately, not available inside the United States through traditional means. If you set your mind to it, there are several ways in which you might get your hands on one, but take caution. As it is with ALL smartphones (or otherwise personal gadgets), I recommend getting your hands o...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
Huawei backs up the Honor 10 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Honor 10 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Huawei support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Huawei's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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