Review of the Honor View 20 smartphone

Design, dimensions, control elements

Huawei decided not to go far from the original design of products (almost all) of the Honor brand, so we see the new View 20 in the old, but slightly rethought design. If earlier the company experimented with varying degrees of distortion of reality in the rear panel, now it has also added a certain pattern: on the back of the smartphone a hologram in the form of a vertically stretched Latin letter “V” is clearly visible, which shimmers with shades of the color of the case depending on the light intensity . It seems to me that it turned out well, at least something new among devices of similar design.

As for the colors, there are only four of them: blue, black, light blue and red. Moreover, at the moment, blue and black are the regular version, and blue and red are Moschino. By the way, we had the last option — in red.

However, the standard 6/128 GB version of the phone will be designed slightly differently in terms of color saturation and pattern on the rear panel: the effect is less pronounced than that of the 8/256 GB version. Please pay attention to this before purchasing!

In the previous article, I wrote that efforts were wasted on creating a nice design on the back side, since all this beauty will not be noticeable due to fingerprints. I take my words back. On this surface, hand marks are almost invisible, in particular, in the red version of the device. However, by putting on the case, as you understand, you will one way or another cover the work of the great Chinese masters of painting the glass covers of smartphones.

The side frames are made of metal, painted in the color of the body. On the front side there is glass with an excellent quality oleophobic coating.

On the front panel you can only notice the selfie camera. Where the developers hid the light sensor is not entirely clear. Most likely, it is somewhere at the top of the device. At least, the brightness of the matrix backlight changes depending on the brightness of the light directed at the top end.

At the bottom there is a microphone, USB Type-C and a speaker for speakerphone output. On top – 3.5 mm, IR transmitter, second microphone. For a long time I could not understand why the screen periodically woke up during a conversation, because I pressed the smartphone tightly to my ear, and the proximity sensor should have responded instantly. It turned out that the sensor is located on the top end.

On the right are the power button and the volume rocker, and on the left are metal slides for two nano SIM cards.

On the reverse side there is a large main camera lens, an additional ToF module and a flash. There is a laser focusing system between the ToF and the flash. Just below is a round fingerprint scanner, which responds to finger touches at lightning speed from any angle.

The earpiece, as you understand, is located on the edge of the upper part of the front panel. Unlike the Mate 20, there are no problems here when listening to the interlocutor: the phone can be tilted at any angle. The View 20’s speaker is loud and sounds clear. By the way, next to it there is a small indicator of missed events.

A separate line about the vibration motor. It works as if it was inherited from a budget A-line: sluggish, slowly spinning up, and you don’t really feel it in your pockets: “Roman, are you really talking about the vibration in your phone?”

Total: a quite elegant smartphone in a glass and metal case that is convenient for most users; Keep in mind the nuance with the proximity sensor.

Honor View 20 and Honor 8X

Honor View 20 and Huawei Nova 3i

Honor View 20 and Apple iPhone X

Cameras

They decided to mess around with the Honor View 20 cameras, so a large 1/2’’ 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor with a pixel size of 0.8 µm and a 25 MP front sensor were used as the main module. The main camera aperture is f1.8, selfie is f2.0. The View 20 does not have optical zoom, only two-digit zoom. There is no optical stabilizer either.

A ToF camera is used for background blur and some interactive games. Thanks to her, 3D contouring was implemented in the View 20 device: in real time, the phone determines the contour of a person, and then you can do whatever you want with this contour. In this case, the software has a built-in figure corrector. This function, frankly speaking, works quite poorly.

Source: pwrdbykyank

In the phone settings, when choosing a resolution, there are three options (main working ones): 12 MP, 48 MP and 48 MP high definition using artificial intelligence. However, the Ai-photo is created in a few seconds and only for stationary objects! It’s impossible to see the difference between frames on the screen, but you can do it in screenshots: frames with 48 MP Ai have more detail, but also a little more digital noise.

In general, high-resolution photography is worth photographing static objects in good lighting conditions.

Since the Huawei Mate 20 is located next to the Honor View 20, I took a few frames on both devices for comparison. Surprisingly, the View 20 outshines the Mate 20 in normal light! Therefore, if a camera (only one) is important to you, then turn to View 20 for services.

View 20


Mate 20


View 20


Mate 20


View 20


Mate 20


View 20


Mate 20

The front camera takes very good pictures. The smartphone can record video in resolutions up to 4K. I didn’t like the quality of the videos: large crop for digital stabilization, noise, and so on.

The interface is exactly the same as in any other Huawei device.

Photo examples

12 MP


48 MP
































front camera


front camera


front camera

Smartphone categories

Let’s divide our “TOP 15 2020” rating into three price categories: budget up to 15 tr, mid-range from 15 tr. up to 30 tr. and flagship ones over 30 tr. In each category, we will consider the 5 most popular Honor and Huawei models. We will evaluate based on the following qualities:

• Power, processor
• Camera
• RAM and internal memory
• Battery capacity
• Price
• Shell
• Screen

For each quality we will award conditional points, the better, the more points. At the end of the article, we invite you to vote for your favorite model and view the voting results.

Positioning

In this difficult period for Huawei, launching mobile products is not an easy task. On the one hand, the production of devices cannot be stopped so that potential buyers know about new smartphones, and the company management shows successful numbers of devices sold; on the other hand, announcements of the same devices with minimal technical nuances are not the norm.

For example, Huawei Nova 5T is an almost complete copy of the Honor 20. In turn, the Honor 20 Lite is an almost complete copy of the Honor 20S (the model codes are the same — MAR-LX1H), which takes a “mold” from the Huawei P30 Lite. Well, a very interesting story.

If we are talking about positioning, then Honor 20 Lite is a simplified version of the Honor 20S previously announced in Russia, that is, a classic inexpensive device: a screen with a cutout, a Kirin processor, 4/128 GB memory, three cameras, one of which are 48 MP and so on.

The prices for the clones are as follows: Huawei P30 Lite (6/128 GB) costs 22,000 rubles, Honor 20S will cost 19,990 rubles, and Honor 20 Lite, which has slightly less memory, will cost 14,990 rubles.

Top 5 budget smartphones under 15 tr.

5th place. Honor 9X

Mid-level phone. Material – metal and glass. The frameless design gives the device a modern look. A distinctive feature of the phone is a 16 MP pop-up selfie camera. According to the manufacturer, the mechanical life is designed for 100 thousand operations. Another feature is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.

4th place.
Honor 9
C

Among the ninth series models, this phone is considered the most advanced device due to its high performance and photo quality. The main distinguishing feature of the “nine” is the presence of a wide-angle front camera with three lenses and sensors of 48, 8 and 2 MP. The depth sensor allows you to blur the background.

3rd place. Huawei P Smart 2020

The most balanced model in the line of budget smartphones. Memorable design, reliability, and low power consumption. Drop-shaped cutout on the screen for a camera with an 8 MP lens. The eight-core Kirin 710 processor, 3 GB of RAM and an NFC chip make the Huawei P Smart a mid-range thunderstorm.

2nd place.
Huawei
P40
Lite
E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC17OKplieY

This model is very different from its predecessor Huawei P40, and its hardware structure is similar to other budget phones. The design is copied from the popular P Smart 2020, the lens unit on the back cover is on the left. Gradient coloring and a centered fingerprint scanner familiar to Huawei fans.

1st place.

Honor 10

i

The 10i’s makers focused on bezel-less design and improved photography capabilities. IPS screen with a diagonal of 6.21 inches and FullHD format, 128 GB memory, NFC chip for contactless payments. The battery capacity is 3400 mAh. Front camera with a resolution of 32 MP and f/2.0 aperture. All this makes Honor 10i definitely a hit in the mid-budget category.

Characteristics

Value

Points

Power, processor

8 cores, 2.2 GHz, Kirin 710F

5

Screen

6.21″, 415 ppi

5

Cameras, main MP

3 modules, 24 MP 4

RAM and internal memory

4 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM

5

Battery capacity

3400 mAh

4

Weight

164 g

4

Price

15 t.r.

4

Total

31

Top 5 mid-price smartphones from 15 tr. up to 30 tr.

5th place. Honor 20S
A tough phone with advanced photography capabilities. Triple Al camera with a 48 MP main sensor, 8 MP ultra wide and 2 MP depth sensor. Front camera with night mode 24 MP. Among the highlights are fast charging Honor Super Charge 18 W and 6 GB RAM. Ergonomic and memorable design, fingerprint sensor, create the impression of a reliable and powerful machine.

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.2 GHz, Kirin 710	3
Screen	6.15 «, 415 ppi	3
Cameras, main MP	3 modules, 48 ​​MP	4
RAM and internal memory	RAM 6 GB, ROM 128 GB	4
Battery capacity	3340 mAh	2
Weight	159 g	4
Price	20 t.r.	4
Total		24

4th place.
Huawei

Nova 5

T

Externally, this model is very similar to Honor 20, the design is copied from the famous flagship, but the “filling” is slightly different. 6.26-inch IPS display, 32 MP front camera, glass body. The main advantage of a smartphone is its powerful hardware base. Huawei’s own HiSilicon Kirin 980 processor provides high performance and low power consumption. The NFC chip works in read and write mode.

Characteristics

8 core(s), 2.6 GHz, Kirin 980

5

6.26″, 412 ppi

Cameras, main MP

4 modules, 48 ​​MP

RAM 6 GB, ROM 128 GB

4

Battery capacity

Weight

Price

25 t.r.

3

24

3rd place.
Huawei
P40
lite

A variant of the flagship Huawei P40 for the mid-price category. Android 10 operating system with EMUI 10 graphical shell. On the front panel there is a 6.4-inch IPS screen with an integrated front camera with a resolution of 16 MP. A 4200 mAh battery with Power Up technology provides a 70% charge within half an hour.

Value		Points	Power, processor
	Screen
2
5	RAM and internal memory
3750 mAh	3
174 g	2
Total

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.27 GHz, Kirin 810	4
Screen	6.4″, 398 ppi	1
Cameras, main MP	4 modules, 48 ​​MP	5
RAM and internal memory	RAM 6 GB, ROM 128 GB	4
Battery capacity	4200 mAh	5
Weight	183 g	1
Price	20 t.r.	4
Total		24

2nd place.
Huawei
Y8
p

Advanced series smartphone. 3D glass body with rounded edges, lightweight and durable. O 6.3-inch LED screen with drop-shaped dark area for 16MP selfie camera. Main triple camera with AI, 48 8 2 MP. The display resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels ensures professional color reproduction.

Power, processor

8 cores, 2.2 GHz, Kirin 710F

Characteristics	Value	Points
3	Screen 6.34″, 418 ppi 5

Cameras, main MP

2 modules, 48 ​​MP

3

4 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM

Battery capacity

4000 mAh

4

3

Price

Total

RAM and internal memory
3
	Weight
163 g
17 t.r.	5
	26

1st place

. Huawei P30 lite New Edition

Huawei’s reference gadget. There is everything that can be found among the middle class lines. Triple camera with smart sensor resolutions – 48, 8, 2 MP. RAM 6 GB, internal 256 GB. The chipset is represented by an 8-core Kirin 710. IPS display with a resolution of 2312 × 1080 pixels and a useful sensor area of ​​90%. And of course, your favorite “goodies” in the form of fast charging and an NFC contactless payment module.

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.2 GHz, Kirin 710	3
Screen	6.15 «, 416 ppi	4
Cameras, main MP	3 modules, 48 ​​MP	4
RAM and internal memory	RAM 4 GB, ROM 256 GB	5
Battery capacity	3340 mAh	2
Weight	153 g	5
Price	20 t.r.	4
Total		26

Top 5 flagship models over 30 TR.

5th place. Huawei P30

The winner of our last year’s 2020 ranking opens the top five best smartphones. The advantage of this model from the elite price category is its photographic abilities. Powerful sensors with a resolution of 40 16 8 MP and artificial intelligence demonstrate high shooting results at high ISO values.

RAM and internal memory

6 GB RAM, 128 GB ROM

Battery capacity

3650 mAh

1

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 core(s), 2.6 GHz, Kirin 980	3
Screen	6.1″, 422 ppi	5
Cameras, main MP	3 modules, 40 MP	3
4

Weight

5

Price

Total

165 g
38 t.r.	3
24

4th place. Huawei Mate 30 Pro

Another champion in photo and video shooting. In addition to powerful smart sensors, the smartphone is equipped with a new matrix with ISO sensitivity over 409600. But the main difference between the 30 Pro and its ancestor 20 Pro is the new Kirin 990 processor, which is extremely powerful and fast. Other features include fast battery charging and increased moisture and dust resistance.

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.86 GHz, Kirin 990	4
Screen	6.53 «, 409 ppi	4
Cameras, main MP	4 modules, 40 MP	4
RAM and internal memory	RAM 8 GB, ROM 128 GB	5
Battery capacity	4500 mAh	5
Weight	198 g	2
Price	50 t.r.	2
Total		26

3rd place.
Honor
View 30
pro

One of the best representatives of the Honor family, in addition to powerful hardware capabilities, is equipped with a dual front camera, a side fingerprint scanner and support for wireless battery charging.

4100 mAh

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.86 GHz, Kirin 990 5G	5
Screen	6.57 «, 400 ppi	3
Cameras, main MP	4 modules, 40 MP	4
RAM and internal memory	RAM 8 GB, ROM 128 GB	5
Battery capacity
4

Weight 206 g

1

Price

37 t.r.

4

26

	Total

2nd place.
Honor 30

OLED display with a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels and high color rendering. The screen is equipped with the ability to switch to battery saving mode. Protection against water and dust IP53. Kirin 990 processor with 5G technology, EMUI 10.1 operating system. Main wide-angle camera UltraVision 50MP 16MP 8MP. Digital, auto and hybrid zoom, 32MP front camera. Overall the best device at this stage of technology development.

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.56 GHz, Kirin 985	3
Screen	6.53 «, 403 ppi	3
Cameras, main MP	4 modules, 40 MP	4
RAM and internal memory	RAM 8 GB, ROM 128 GB	5
Battery capacity	4000 mAh	3
Weight	185 g	3
Price	35 t.r.	5
Total		26

1st place.
Huawei
P40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGkC2G2nmX4

OLED display with a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels and high color rendering. The screen is equipped with the ability to switch to battery saving mode. Protection against water and dust IP53. Kirin 990 processor with 5G technology, EMUI 10.1 operating system. Main wide-angle camera UltraVision 50MP 16MP 8MP. Digital, auto and hybrid zoom, 32MP front camera. Overall the best device at this stage of technology development.

Total

Characteristics	Value	Points
Power, processor	8 cores, 2.86 GHz, Kirin 990 5G	5
Screen	6.1″, 422 ppi	5
Cameras, main MP	3 modules, 50 MP	5
RAM and internal memory	RAM 6 GB, ROM 128 GB	4
Battery capacity	3800 mAh	2
Weight	175 g	4
Price	50 t.r.	2

27