Honor 30 Pro + review - the flagship smartphone for those who like to stand out

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

The creators were so carried away by design that they seem to have completely forgotten about convenience.

The flagship smartphone Honor 30 Pro + arrived in Russia. The novelty relies on striking design and advanced cameras, but there are other aspects for which it can be praised. As well as disadvantages that can influence the buying decision. But first things first.

Table of contents

• Specifications
• Design and ergonomics
• Screen
• Software and performance
• Sound and vibration
• Camera
• Autonomy
• Outcomes

Specifications

Platform	Android 10, firmware Magic UI 3.1
Display	6, 57 inches, 2 340 × 1,080 pixels, AMOLED, 90 Hz, 392 ppi, Always On
Chipset	HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G, video accelerator Mali-G76
Memory	RAM - 8 GB, ROM - 256 GB, support for NM memory cards
Cameras	Primary: 50 MP, 1/1, 28 ″, RYYB, f / 1, 9, 23 mm, PDAF, OIS; 16 MP, RGGB, f / 2, 2, 18mm (wide), AF; 8 MP, RGGB, f / 3, 4, 125 mm (5x zoom), PDAF, OIS; depth sensor 2 Mp Front: 32 MP, 1/2, 8 ″, f / 2, 2, 26 mm
Connection	2 × nanoSIM, Wi-Fi 6, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GSM / GPRS / EDGE / LTE / 5G
Battery	4000 mAh, fast charging (40 W), wireless charging (27 W)
Dimensions (edit)	160, 3 × 73, 6 × 8, 4 mm
The weight	190 g

Design and ergonomics

The brand's smartphones have always stood out for their design, and the novelty is no exception. Curved glass flows into a slender aluminum frame that grows along the edges and in the button area. On the matte back, there is a huge HONOR logo, which looks like an inscription on the frost-covered glass.

Impressions from the sophisticated design spoil the cameras a little: the rear block protrudes decently above the glass level, and the screen surface is interrupted by a massive cutout for two lenses with different viewing angles.

Unfortunately, there was no place for a face recognition system like in the Huawei P40 - in the dark, the device twists the brightness of the display in order to see the user. It's hard on the eyes, so you have to rely on the on-screen fingerprint sensor. The latter is also not very convenient due to its low location.

Ergonomics was clearly less thought of than design. The body is very slippery, and the thin side edges cut into the hand unpleasantly. What's more, the curved screen is a nuisance. When typing, it is difficult to hit the side buttons on the keyboard, and false presses on the edges also occur.

Partially these problems are solved by a complete silicone cover, although with it the lion's share of gloss is lost. It also comes with a 40W charging adapter and USB Type ‑ C cable.

Screen

Almost the entire front side is occupied by a 6.57 '' diagonal display. The matrix is made using AMOLED technology and has a resolution of 2,340 × 1,080 pixels, while the pixel density reaches 392 ppi.

The pixels themselves are organized into a Diamond structure (there are twice as many green diodes as red and blue), which also reduces the clarity of the picture. While scrutinizing the small fonts, graininess can be seen, but not noticeable in standard use.

Otherwise, you can't find fault with the screen. The stock of brightness is high, the viewing angles and the level of contrast are maximum, the color rendition is natural. DCI ‑ P3 color space coverage declared. The smartphone displays any content correctly. We did not forget about the HDR10 standard for high dynamic range, as well as a refresh rate of 90 Hz.

Finally, in the settings, you can adjust the color rendition, turn on the dark mode to save power, and also hide the cutout with black fill. But there is no anti-flicker function in the smartphone, so users who are sensitive to this may experience discomfort.

Software and performance

The Honor 30 Pro + runs Android 10 with Magic UI 3.1 and no Google services. The hardware platform is the Kirin 990 chipset equipped with a 5G modem. Also, the smartphone received 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of permanent memory, expandable.

Instead of Google Play, the AppGallery app store is preinstalled. In addition to it, programs can be installed from third-party marketplaces or through APK files. Unfortunately, it is impossible to launch Google Pay on the new product - you will have to look for alternative contactless payment services.

Flagship hardware provides high-speed performance both in the system and applications, and in games. World of Tanks: Blitz with maximum graphics settings produces 60 fps even in dynamic scenes.

Sound and vibration

The Honor 30 Pro + is the brand's first flagship to feature stereo speakers. And although the smartphone does not support Dolby Atmos, this does not prevent it from delivering loud and clear sound. In the vertical orientation, the speakers work in two bands: the lower one is responsible for the reproduction of bass, the upper one is responsible for the mid and high frequencies. When horizontal, the stereo mode is turned on.

But the vibration is weak and indistinct - they obviously saved on the motor. This problem still plagues Android smartphones in a wide variety of price segments. It's strange that manufacturers copy the worst Apple solutions, but are in no hurry to adopt the best ones.

Camera

The main camera of the Honor 30 Pro + has received a Sony IMX700 image sensor of 1/1, 28 ″ and a resolution of 50 megapixels. By default, photos are taken at 12.5 megapixels, since the camera combines four adjacent pixels into one large one.

Also, the novelty is equipped with an 8-megapixel periscope module with a five-fold zoom, 16 megapixel "width" and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. There are two front cameras: a standard 32 megapixel and a wide-angle 8 megapixel.

Daytime photos turn out to be rich and with the widest dynamic range, although the smartphone clearly embellishes reality. The wide-angle camera is equipped with autofocus, thanks to which you can take macro shots.

At night, everything is also fine, but the auto mode lifts the exposure, making the photo too bright. Sometimes HDR comes into play, and then you can forget about the naturalness of the picture. Fortunately, there is a professional mode in which you can control all the parameters of the shooting.

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Macro mode

Macro mode

Wide-angle camera

Wide-angle camera

Zoom 5X

Zoom 5X

Hybrid Zoom 10X

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Standard camera

Selfie

Wide angle selfie

The video is recorded at a maximum resolution of 4K with a frame rate of 60 FPS. Optical stabilization does not compensate for shaking as well as digital counterparts. Nevertheless, the result is decent.

Autonomy

The Honor 30 Pro + has a 4000 mAh battery inside. Thanks to the energy efficient platform and not the highest resolution of the display, this is enough for a day of active use. And if you do not get carried away with games and photography, the smartphone will last a day and a half. For an hour of playing World of Tanks: Blitz, the battery charge decreases by 11%.

The included adapter delivers up to 40 watts of power and charges the battery in 40 minutes. Fast wireless charging up to 27W is also supported, but for this you have to buy a docking station.

Outcomes

The Honor 30 Pro + really stands out from the competition. The company was not afraid to make a unique design, however, they got carried away and forgot about ease of use - perhaps this is the main drawback of the novelty. Otherwise, we have before us a solid flagship with high performance, excellent camera and long battery life. And if style is the most important thing for you, the smartphone deserves attention.

The price of the device is 54,990 rubles. Sales will begin on June 5, and pre-order is available from May 29.