Table of contents:
- Bright back panel with gradient tints
- 48 megapixels, macro lens and night shooting
- The screen as the weak point of the smartphone
- Flagship performance
- Fingerprint scanner built into the power button
- Fast charge and a day without a plug
- Differences between Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro
- Differences between Honor 20 and Honor View 20
- Specifications
- Verdict
2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44
Devices with flagship manners and a price of up to 35 thousand rubles.
Bright back panel with gradient tints
Honor smartphones have bold colors and iridescent backs, and the 20 and 20 Pro are no exception. Despite the same body, the colors of the devices are different: Honor 20 is sold in black, blue and white, and 20 Pro - in turquoise, black-violet and ultraviolet. The latter resembles the “aura” color of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10. We got the 20 in bright blue and the Pro model in turquoise.
The Honor 20 Pro has less contrasting overflows than the younger version.
The vertical gradients are the same, but the older model has an additional 3D glass, which makes the panel's mirrored surface appear a little deeper. The "backs" of the devices are easily soiled, but this is not critical.
Smartphone camera blocks differ. The logic of the designers is not very clear: in Honor 20, we see a sequential arrangement of three lenses and a flash in a row, and outside the volumetric block, the peephole of another camera is looking at us. For some reason, in the 20 Pro, the flash floats away per block.
The main confusion about both models is weight and materials. The side edges are suspiciously muffled by tapping, and the devices themselves are light, almost like low-quality state employees. Moisture protection is not declared.
48 megapixels, macro lens and night shooting
The Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro have a 48-megapixel sensor that captures images with a resolution of 8,000 × 6,000 pixels. This does not mean that such a lens will produce four times better image quality than a conventional 12MP iPhone. The impact on the shooting of this feature is minimal.
We shot an autumn pond in normal and high resolution, and then zoomed in about six times. On the left - a part of the frame taken with a 12-megapixel sensor, on the right - with a 48-megapixel one. Do you see the difference?
In theory, the algorithms of a 48-megapixel camera may have little effect on shooting in good lighting conditions. But in most scenarios, the difference is almost invisible, and the corresponding mode button is hidden in the application interface. Conclusion: using this is inconvenient and unnecessary.
All of this does not negate the fact that the camera in the Honor 20 and 20 Pro takes great pictures. This is how, for example, the trinity of ultra wide angle, main and telephoto lenses works.
Ultra wide-angle camera. There are both Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro
Wide angle camera. Also, both models have, but the aperture of the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro lenses is slightly different.
Telephoto lens. Long-focus lens with 3x optical zoom is available only on the Pro model
Here we can note the characteristic sharpness of the frames - it was as if the pictures were walked with the Sharpen tool from Photoshop.
Also, both smartphones received an unexpected lens. This is a 2 megapixel macro lens that takes pictures of objects at a distance of 4 cm. An absolutely useless camera that produces shots of mediocre quality.
In most scenarios, the main lenses of the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro produce roughly the same shots. Here are two shots taken in automatic mode.
Photo taken with the main camera Honor 20
Photo taken with the main camera Honor 20 Pro
Judging by the specifications, Honor 20 should shoot worse than the Pro version in the dark: the aperture of the main lenses is f / 1, 8 and f / 1, 4, respectively. This difference is offset by the night mode, in which the camera spends more time capturing light in the frame. As a result, in low light, both smartphones can take equally detailed pictures.
The photo was taken in the evening at late sunset. It looks like we took a picture during the day
Evening wine glass with many artificial light sources
And here the algorithms worked strangely. The frame, of course, is cute, but in real life there is no such light show - the trees are just slightly highlighted with multi-colored lanterns
Honor's portrait mode is worse than night mode: it is whimsical to light and smoothes skin tone unnaturally. Plus, it only works with faces. To take a photo of a subject with out-of-focus blur, you need to enter the "Aperture" mode.
Portrait taken with Honor 20 camera
Portrait taken with Honor 20 Pro
Photo with blur taken in the "Aperture" mode
You can take great selfies with the front camera. In portrait mode, unnatural beautification is also enabled.
The main and telephoto lenses of the Honor 20 Pro are equipped with optical stabilizers, allowing you to shoot videos with smooth camera movements, even when zoomed in. The Honor 20 doesn't have them. But on the other hand, both smartphones can shoot 4K video and slow-motion video at 960 frames per second.
The screen as the weak point of the smartphone
Both models have a 6, 26-inch IPS display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,340 pixels. The screen is mediocre - you can use it, but when there are many smartphones with higher quality OLED displays with perfect color display in the price category up to 40 thousand rubles, I want to find fault.
The colors of the displays are oversaturated - without manual calibration in the settings, they tire the eyes at high brightness. Also pumped up the anti-glare properties, which are responsible for the readability of the screen under the rays of the sun. At an angle, the picture inevitably loses contrast.
Honor 20 and 20 Pro received cutouts for the front camera in the form of a hole in the upper left corner.
There are almost no scenarios in which important content falls on the cut-out area. The smartphone rightly gives the impression of frameless, and even the thickened edge at the bottom does not spoil it.
Flagship performance
Smartphones received the same Kirin 980 seven-nanometer processors with a core frequency of up to 2.6 GHz, but different RAM - 6 GB for the younger model and 8 GB for the older model. We tested the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro in PUBG - both devices pulled the game without any problems at maximum graphics settings. At the same time, we did not use the performance mode, which overclocks the system to the maximum, so the power potential of smartphones is even higher than it can be useful in resource-intensive games. We did not notice lags in domestic use for several days.
In synthetic tests Geekbench and AnTuTu smartphones received a similar result at about the level of the Galaxy Note 9 - one of the main flagships of 2018.
Fingerprint scanner built into the power button
The fingerprint sensor in the power button is the best solution for authorization. Unlocking is discreet - you do not need to point the device with the front camera towards you for face recognition, or put your finger on a separate sensor. You just press the power button like you would on any other smartphone.
The sensor of both models has never failed during several days of testing. It works very quickly and always. For the scenario with gloves, face unlock is provided.
Fast charge and a day without a plug
The Honor 20 is equipped with a 3750 mAh battery, the Honor 20 Pro has a 4000 mAh battery. They keep the charge almost equal: the manufacturer claims 132 and 130 hours of music playback or 18 and 15 hours of video on the Honor 20 and 20 Pro, respectively. In fact, these numbers are a little exaggerated, because we use the smartphone in a different way than in laboratory tests.
Both models confidently survive the day with active use (if we are not talking about continuous gaming), and with moderate use - they can last two days on a single charge.
Supports fast charging from the supplied adapter. Power - 22.5 watts. With it, the battery is replenished by half in about half an hour.
Differences between Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro
They are almost identical smartphones, we counted five differences.
- Camera. The models received the same ultra wide angle and macro lenses. The main cameras have different apertures - f / 1, 4 for the Pro versus f / 1, 8 in the younger version. The Honor 20 has a depth sensor for taking portraits, while the Honor 20 Pro has a full telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Also, the two 20 Pro lenses have optical stabilization.
- 3D glass and different colors. The Pro model looks a little more serious and premium due to the additional layer on the back panel and more restrained colors.
- RAM. 6 GB of RAM in the younger model versus 8 GB of RAM in the older one. In everyday scenarios, this is not noticeable.
- Battery. 3,750 mAh and 4,000 mAh for the Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro, respectively. The battery life is not much different.
- Price. In the manufacturer's store, Honor 20 will cost 27,990, Honor 20 Pro - 34,990 rubles.
Differences between Honor 20 and Honor View 20
The Honor View 20 is still the current model and went on sale in early 2019. Many characteristics of the 20s are the same, but there are several important differences.
- Camera. Instead of a scattering of Honor 20 lenses, the View model has only a main 48-megapixel sensor and a depth sensor. There is also a TOF camera for better display of virtual reality, but the prospects for this technology are too vague, and pictures with this sensor cannot be taken.
- Screen diagonal. The View has a little more - 6.4 inches versus 6.26.
- Back panel design. Gradient overflows View are not vertical, but in the shape of the letter V.
- Fingerprint scanner. The View has it on the back of the smartphone, while the 20 and 20 Pro have it on the power button. A point in favor of the latter.
- Mini-jack. The 20 and 20 Pro have lost the headphone jack, replaced by the included USB Type-C adapter. View has everything in place.
- Price. The View 20 with a price tag of 29,990 rubles sits between 20 and 20 Pro.
Specifications
Honor 20 | Honor 20 Pro | |
Colors | Midnight Black, Sapphire Blue, Ice White | Shimmering turquoise, shimmering black-violet, ultraviolet sunset |
Display | 6.26 inches, 1,080 × 2,340 pixels, IPS | 6.26 inches, 1,080 × 2,340 pixels, IPS |
CPU | HiSilicon Kirin 980 (2x2.6 GHz Cortex ‑ A76 + 2x1, 92 GHz Cortex ‑ A76 + 4x1.8 GHz Cortex ‑ A55) | HiSilicon Kirin 980 (2x2.6 GHz Cortex ‑ A76 + 2x1, 92 GHz Cortex ‑ A76 + 4x1.8 GHz Cortex ‑ A55) |
GPU | Mali ‑ G76 MP10 | Mali ‑ G76 MP10 |
RAM | 6 GB | 8 GB |
Built-in memory | 128 GB | 256 GB |
Rear camera | 48MP (Main) + 16MP (Ultra Wide) + 2MP (Depth Sensor) + 2MP (Macro) | 48MP (Main) + 16MP (Ultra Wide) + 8MP (Telephoto) + 2MP (Macro) |
Front-camera | 32 megapixels | 32 megapixels |
SIM card | Two slots for nanoSIM | Two slots for nanoSIM |
Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, NFC |
Connectors | USB Type ‑ C | USB Type ‑ C |
Unlocking | By fingerprint, by face, PIN-code | By fingerprint, by face, PIN-code |
Operating system | Android 9.0 + Magic 2.1 | Android 9.0 + Magic 2.1 |
Battery | 3750 mAh, fast charging supported | 4000 mAh, fast charging supported |
Dimensions (edit) | 154.3 x 74 x 7.9 mm | 154.6 x 74 x 8.4 mm |
The weight | 174 g | 182 g |
Verdict
The Honor 20 and 20 Pro have almost everything that more expensive flagships give: a powerful processor, an NFC chip, a long-lasting battery, fast charging and a camera that produces high-quality images. There are also features for the amateur: its own Magic 2.1 shell, a glossy panel, a neat hole for the front camera, a macro lens. The main disadvantages are the lack of moisture protection, a compromise screen and flat sound.
Honor 20 and 20 Pro justify their price, but they are far from flagship killers that can compete with top devices at a cost twice or three times higher. These are just good smartphones that you should pay attention to if you choose a device under 35 thousand rubles.
The price of Honor 20 is 27,990 rubles, Honor 20 Pro - 34,990 rubles. When buying on the company's official website, you can choose two free bonuses, for example, the Honor Band 5 fitness tracker and the Honor Sport headphones.
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