Honor 50 review

That's a huge boost in terms of ease and usability, especially for those migrating from another Android phone. Having access to Google Play and the whole Google suite means this phone fits into the existing ecosystem and is a much more appealing purchase as a result.

However, with all that said, the Honor 50 struggles to really make its mark in the mid-range phone space when lined up against the best of the competition – phones like the OnePlus Nord 2 and iPhone SE. For more on one of these key competitors, take a look at our full iPhone SE review.

Jump to:

• Honor 50 review: summary
• What is the Honor 50?
• How much is the Honor 50?
• Honor 50 features
• Honor 50 battery
• Honor 50 camera
• Honor 50 design
• Our verdict
• Where to buy

Honor 50 review: summary

The Honor 50 packs a snappy 108MP main camera and an appealing design. It's a nice package with a stunning display, but there are some slightly strange omissions. First among them may be the lack of any real waterproofing, followed closely by the lack of a wireless charging capability.

It's easy to get by without wireless charging, but for day-to-day use, the lack of any notable waterproofing could be a cause for concern. Another irritation is the prominence of Honor bloatware (i.e. apps you don't really need that are pre-loaded onto the device by the manufacturer).

However, on the face of it, the Honor 50 is a responsive and usable handset. Powered by a Snapdragon 778G – a new mid-range chip from Qualcomm – the phone delivers what you'd expect in a very nice looking package. While the camera and user interface aren't likely to wow you, the 120Hz display might.

What is the Honor 50

The Honor 50 is the first phone created and sold in the UK by Honor since it parted ways from parent company, Huawei. Since the split, the company had previously released the Honor V40, but this phone was only available in limited regions, mainly China.

What does the Honor 50 do?

The Honor 50 does almost everything you'd expect from a modern smartphone – other than coping well with dust and water. It lacks an IPX rating, which could make some users a little nervous about their new handset.

Otherwise, in terms of user experience, the camera and the general all-round feel of the phone, the Honor 50 delivers more or less what you'd expect without excelling in any one area. That's tricky when some of its competitors – like the iPhone SE – do.

• 66W fast-charge
• Snapdragon 778G chipset
• 6GB / 8GB of RAM
• 128GB / 256GB of storage
• 120Hz refresh rate display
• 108MP main camera

How much is the Honor 50?

There are two versions of the Honor 50, starting at £449 for 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The second option is £529 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

Is the Honor 50 good value for money?

The Honor 50 is – like the phones of parent company Huawei – essentially trying to give the user some of the perks of a flagship phone for the price of a mid-ranger.

However, when we compare the Honor 50 to some of the phones at a similar price-point – the iPhone SE, the OnePlus Nord 2 and the Samsung Galaxy A52 – the Honor isn't the most usable of the bunch, the best designed, or the most appealing. While its main camera packs in more megapixels, the end results don't quite measure up to the megapixel count.

Honor 50 features

The Honor 50 packs a reasonably impressive specs sheet but nothing that will immediately make it stand out from the crowd. Fast charge is a real bonus, and Honor claims that the wired fast-charge facility can take the phone to 100% battery in 45 minutes. Unfortunately, the review sample shipped with a European two-pin plug, so we were unable to verify that claim in testing.

The Snapdragon 778G chipset that powers the phone is a slightly toned-down version of the Snapdragon 780G – which was powerful but not popular with manufacturers. It does its job admirably, and the user experience on the Honor 50 is a smooth one. That said, some users switching from Google or Samsung phones will notice quirks in the UI that aren't quite as intuitive as competitors. Again, this is a minor concern but another one that adds up and makes it hard to recommend the Honor 50 over those competitors.

There's no headphone jack, but that is increasingly the norm for mainstream smartphones. However, the Honor 50 does come with a wired pair of USBC headphones, which is a nice touch.

Honor 50 battery life

The phone lacks wireless charging but otherwise performs reasonably well in this metric. It packs a 4300 mAh battery which lasts the whole day with ease, even if you use the battery-draining 120Hz refresh rate.

It's not a battery that's going to last for several days, but it felt par for the course and was never inconveniently low on juice. However, it is compatible with a 66W fast-charge, which makes fast work of a quick top-up.

Honor 50 camera

The camera on the Honor 50 is good, but it's not outstanding. The numbers are impressive, with the phone packing a 108-megapixel four-camera array on the reverse, but thanks to the relatively low resolution of the three supporting lenses in the array (8MP, 2MP, 2MP), the results are far from stunning.

Low light performance is one of the hallmarks of a great camera among the current best smartphone contenders, but the Honor 50 doesn't compare well to the competition.

The front-facing camera is good and produces clear images. It packs a 32MP lens and is quick and simple to use.

Honor 50 design

The sleek design of the Honor 50 is one of its main selling points. That eye-catching curved screen combines with the way the narrow handset sits nicely in the palm of your hand, and overall it's a lovely, tactile package.

It is a little bit of a magnet for fingerprints, though, and perfectionists may be irritated by the way the camera bump juts out of the back of the handset. That's a price worth paying, though, for the quality of photographs the Honor 50 delivers.

Our verdict: should you buy the Honor 50?

Overall the Honor 50 is a solid phone with a few drawbacks. Its sleek design and pleasing hand-feel might attract some UK buyers, but overall it's hard to find reasons to recommend it over the competition.

That said, if you're particularly drawn to the fast-charge feature and the design, the Honor 50 could be right up your street. It's a serviceable mid-ranger with a really attractive display, perfect for streaming content on the go and boosting the battery with a quick, fast charge afterwards.

Where to buy the Honor 50

The Honor 50 is available from a range of retailers. The 128GB model of the Honor 50 typically costs £449.

For the latest news, reviews and deals, check out the RadioTimes.com Technology section. Want to know how this phone compares? Read our best mid-range phone guide. Or, for tech gifting ideas, try out our tech gifts 2022 guide.