Honor 20, Honor 20 Pro launched: Quad-camera setup, punch-hole displays and all-day battery life
Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro feature large screens with a "hole punch" in the display for the front-facing camera, quad-cameras, a flagship Kirin 980 processor, plenty of memory and storage and a battery that can easily last a day on a single charge.
Both devices are premium mid-range smartphones and will be targeted at those who are not comfortable shelling out $1000 (or approx Rs 70,348) for a new phone. (Express photo by Anuj Bhatia)
Huawei’s sub-brand Honor on Tuesday introduced its new lineup of flagship smartphones: Honor 20 and Honor 20 Pro. Unveiled at a high-profile event in London, the phones feature large screens with a “hole punch” in the display for the front-facing camera, quad-cameras, a flagship Kirin 980 processor, plenty of memory and storage and a battery that can easily last a day on a single charge.
Both devices are premium mid-range smartphones and will be targeted at those who are not comfortable shelling out $1000 (or approx Rs 70,348) for a new phone. This strategy has worked in favour of brands like Honor and OnePlus, especially in Europe. The Honor 20 smartphones will start at 499 Euros (approximately Rs 38,800).
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Honor is known for churning out smartphones with high-end specifications at mid-range prices. That’s exactly what it tried to deliver with the Honor 20, a rival to the Galaxy S10e, OnePlus 7 and iPhone XR. It’s a great choice for cost-conscious consumers. The phone has a 6.2-inch FHD+ IPS LCD display, Huawei’s 7nm Kirin 980 processor, 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The Honor 20 runs on Android 9.0 Pie-based Magic UI 2.1 interface, plus there’s a 3750mAh battery with 22.5W SuperCharge fast charging support.
Cameras have always been a key feature of Honor-branded smartphones and here the company did something different: it made a quad-camera setup on phones normal. The handset features four cameras on the back: a 48MP Sony IMX 586 sensor with f/1.8 aperture, a 16MP super wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and 117-degree field of view, a 2MP depth camera with f/2.4 aperture and a 2MP macro lens with f/2.4 aperture. While the back has four cameras, there’s a 32MP lens with f/2.2 aperture on the front.
(right) Honor 20 Pro (left) Honor 20 (Express photo by Anuj Bhatia)
The Honor 20 has the side-mounted fingerprint sensor found in the power button as opposed to the in-display fingerprint sensor positioned under the display on the OnePlus 7. The phone comes in two colour options: Midnight Black and Sapphire Blue colour options.
The second phone, Honor 20 Pro, is slightly different from a regular Honor 20. It includes all of the features in the Honor 20, like a hole-punch display, a Kirin 980 processor, a 32MP selfie camera and the side-mounted fingerprint scanner, but adds a 48MP f/1.4 main camera (with support for OIS and AIS and EIS) which is the largest aperture ever in a smartphone camera. The larger the aperture, the more light can enter the lens. This translates to better images especially in low-light conditions. You also get a 16MP super wide-angle lens with f/2.2 aperture and 117-degree field of view, an 8MP telephoto lens (f/2.4 aperture) which offers 3x the zoom, 5x hybrid zoom and 30x digital zoom with OIS and Laser autofocus, and a 2MP macro lens with f/2.4 aperture. These cameras are a big improvement.
The phones feature large screens with a “hole punch” in the display for the front-facing camera. (Express photo by Anuj Bhatia)
The design of the Honor 20 Pro is different from the Honor 20, plus a 4,000mAh battery means the phone should last longer than the standard model. The handset comes in two colour options: Phantom Black and Phantom Blue. It is priced at 599 Euros (approximately Rs 46,500) and packs almost all of the bells and whistles a premium mid-range phone should offer. Neither of the phones offers wireless charging or water resistance.
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There was one more phone announced, the Honor 20 Lite, featuring a 32MP front-facing camera in its U-shaped notch, a 6.21-in HD+ display with a drop-shaped notch, a Kirin 710 processor, a triple-camera setup made up of a 24 MP, 8 MP and 2 MP sensors, and a 4,000mAH battery. Priced at 299 Euros (approximately Rs 23,000).
Disclaimer: The reporter is in London on the invite of Honor India.
Anuj Bhatia is a seasoned personal technology writer at indianexpress.com with a career spanning over a decade. Active in the domain since 2011, he has established himself as a distinct voice in tech journalism, specializing in long-form narratives that bridge the gap between complex innovation and consumer lifestyle.
Experience & Career: Anuj has been a key contributor to The Indian Express since late 2016. Prior to his current tenure, he served as a Senior Tech Writer at My Mobile magazine and held a role as a reviewer and tech writer at Gizbot. His professional trajectory reflects a rigorous commitment to technology reporting, backed by a postgraduate degree from Banaras Hindu University.
Expertise & Focus Areas: Anuj’s reporting covers the spectrum of personal technology, characterized by a unique blend of modern analysis and historical context. His key focus areas include:
Core Technology: Comprehensive coverage of smartphones, personal computers, apps, and lifestyle tech.
Deep-Dive Narratives: Specializes in composing longer-form feature articles and explainers that explore the intersection of history, technology, and popular culture.
Global & Local Scope: Reports extensively on major international product launches from industry titans like Apple and Google, while simultaneously covering the ecosystem of indie and home-grown tech startups.
Niche Interests: A dedicated focus on vintage technology and retro gaming, offering readers a nostalgic yet analytical perspective on the evolution of tech.
Authoritativeness & Trust
Anuj is a trusted voice in the industry, recognized for his ability to de-jargonize trending topics and provide context to rapid technological advancements. His authority is reinforced by his on-ground presence at major international tech conferences and his nuanced approach to product reviews. By balancing coverage of the world's most valuable tech brands with emerging startups, he offers a holistic and objective view of the global technology landscape.
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