Honor 70 Review

October 13, 2022 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star

Introduction

The Honor 70 is a new mid-range smartphone for 2022, sporting a very attractive rounded design with a large screen, impressive camera specs and fast performance.

The Honor 70 offers enough photographic prowess to satisfy more demanding users, with a quadruple lens set-up which includes a 54 megapixel "main" camera using the new Sony IMX800 1/1.49" sensor, a 50 megapixel 122° wide-angle camera which doubles up as a 2.5cm super-macro camera, and a 2 megapixel depth camera.

Other specifications relating to the Honor 70's camera include 4K/30p video recording, an LED flash, brand new Solo Cut video mode and a 32 megapixel front-facing "selfie" camera.

General features include a 6.67-inch OLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, 4800 mAh battery, 66W supercharging, Snapdragon 778G Plus chipset, support for 5G, Wi-Fi 6, NFC and Bluetooth 5.2, and either 128Mb or 256GB of built-in memory with 8Gb RAM for both variants.

Honor devices continue to fully support Google Play services, including the new Honor 70, which means that all of your favourite Android apps are fully accessible via the Google Play Store - this includes big names such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Honor also has its own Honor Store app which gives you access to lots of other apps.

At the time of writing, the Honor 70 is available in Midnight Black, Emerald Green or Crystal Silver priced at £429.99 for the base model with 128GB of storage and £479.99 for the 256GB storage model in the UK.

Ease of Use

Honor 70

With its new 6.67-inch OLED screen, the Honor 70 is on the large side for a smartphone, but still fits comfortably enough in one hand, and it's not quite as big as a device like the Samsung S22 Ultra, which has an even larger 6.8-inch screen.

We've been using the "Emerald Green" colourway with 256Gb of storage for this Honor 70 review, which is the flashiest of the three different colourways that are currently available - there's also the more understated Midnight Black and Crystal Silver.

The display takes up virtually all of the screen, with just a small circular cut-out in the top-centre for the selfie camera. As such there's no "notch" in the traditional sense, but there is always a small amount of display that's permanently reserved for the phone settings when viewing anything in full screen mode.

Honor 70

Launching the native camera app requires a simple swipe up from the bottom right hand corner of the lock screen. Anyone who has used a Honor or Huawei phone before will already know that the native camera app is very well-featured, giving you lots of shooting modes to experiment with, so there's no need to install a third-party app to take advantage of everything that it has to offer.

By default, the camera app launches in the standard "Photo" mode, but you can swipe right or left to choose different shooting modes. To the left you'll find "Portrait", "Night",and "Aperture", and to the right you'll find "Video", "Multi-Video", and "More". We'll go through most of these in more depth as the review continues.

The Honor 70's default Photo mode is probably what you'll use for the majority of your shots. On the screen you'll see the zoom options, which range from Wide (ultra wide camera) to a 2x optical zoom option. In between you have the 1x (standard camera) option.

Honor 70

Although it's not immediately apparent, you can also digitally zoom in up to 10x. Levels of zoom in between 2x and 10x are created by a combination of optical and digital zoom using artificial intelligence. You can pinch in and out to zoom at different focal lengths, or run your finger up and down the slider.

At the top of the screen there are a few options to take note of. The first icon is to switch on the self-explanatory QR code scanner.

The second icon is to switch off or on artificial intelligence. If you have it switched on, the Honor 70 will alter its settings to best match the scene in front of it - the display will show what it thinks it has detected (for example, dogs, flowers) so you can be sure the right settings are likely to be applied.

Honor 70

The next icon is a flash icon, which you can switch to off, on, automatic or "always on". Next is an icon for choosing between various digital filters, and finally, there's a settings icon where you can make more in-depth changes, such as to aspect ratio, switching on audio control and selecting the video resolution.

You can tap around the Honor 70's screen to select the focus point you want to use, and when you're ready to take a shot you can either use the virtual shutter release button, or usefully the physical volume up and down keys on the side of the phone.

Portrait mode is something you can use with human subjects to create a shallow depth of field effect by enabling the Bokeh option and/or to apply a Beauty filter, with a scale running from 0-10.

Honor 70

If you want to create shallow depth of field effects with non-human subjects, that's where the Honor 70's Aperture mode comes into play. With that, you can photograph whatever you like, while also setting the aperture effect to between f/0.95 and f/16. An advantage of this mode is that you can make adjustments after the fact by tweaking the aperture settings in playback.

Night mode is something we've seen on a few different iterations of Honor and Huawei phones now, and as the name suggests, it's something you use after dark. It essentially works by merging together a series of short exposures to create the effect of a long exposure.

You can only use it in completely automatic mode, though - you can't adjust the ISO and the shutter speed. It merges all the images together automatically very quickly, and best of all, the images can be taken handheld and without the need of a tripod.

Honor 70

Video mode is pretty self-explanatory, with up to 4K resolution available and a fastest frame rate of 30fps. There's also a 1080/60p mode that's enabled by default.

Multi-video is a relatively new mode that made its debut on the previous Honor 50 model. It splits the screen into two and uses two different cameras at the same time to provide two different viewpoints within a single video. You can choose from Front/Rear, Rear/Rear, Picture in Picture, Rear and Front options.

The first one is probably most useful as it allows you to film a subject and talk to camera about it at the same time, whilst Rear/Rear employs the wide-angle and standard lenses at the same time, with the latter providing up to 5x zoom, so you can film an ultra-wide and close-up view of the subject simultaneously.

Honor 70

In the More sub-menu, Pro mode is interesting and something that enthusiasts will likely be very interested in. With this mode you can make changes to the metering mode, ISO speed (100-12800), shutter speed (1/6400-30sec), exposure compensation, AF mode and white balance.

You can now also record images in JPEG format only or and in Raw format (DNG), something that was notably absent on the previous model. Note that when shooting Raw a JPEG version is also recorded at the same time (you can't turn this off).

The Super-macro mode enables you to focus on a subject that is just 4cms away from the Honor 70 and there is now auto-focusing available in this mode, another big improvement on the Honor 50.

Honor 70

The High-res mode produces a much higher-resolution image - 8768x6144 pixels to be exact - which is over 2x bigger than the default 12 megapixel 4096x3072 pixel images that the Honor 70 records.

The Slo-mo option records either a 1080/120p 4x or a 720/240p 8x slow-motion movie, while the new industry-first Solo Cut video mode simultaneously records both a wide angle 1080p video and a second 1080p video in portrait mode that can track a subject as they move around the frame.

The other options available in the More menu are Panorama, HDR, Time-Lapse, Stickers, Documents and Story.

Image Quality

We have long been impressed by the image quality of Honor and Huawei devices, and the Honor 70 is no different thanks to its use of the brand new Sony IMX800, a 54 megapixel sensor with a 1/1.49in size and 1-micron pixels.

In good light, colours from the main 54 megapixel f/1.9 aperture camera are bright, vibrant and punchy with a satisfying amount of detail in the resulting 12 megapixel pixel-binned images.

The 50 megapixel f/2.2 aperture ultra-wide-angle lens displays surprisingly little distortion and is particularly useful for architecture and landscape shots. It also doubles up as the super-macro lens, allowing the Honor 70 to focus as close as a mere 2.5cms away from your subject.

On the whole, exposures from the Honor 70 are well-balanced, with the AI setting in the “Photo” mode doing a good job of selecting the correct settings for the situation.

We believe that most people will be more than happy to use the Photo mode for the majority of their shots, only heading to one of the other modes - such as Pro - in certain scenarios.

The quality from the 10x digital zoom is acceptable for online purposes, but we wouldn’t recommend using it too often if you can avoid it - try and stick to the 1-2x optical zoom if you can.

In low light, the very impressive Night Mode comes into play to deliver excellent hand-held shots even when very little light is present.

The Aperture and Portrait modes are great for creating shallow depth of field effects. They do a good job of simulating the type of shot you could expect to achieve with a “real” camera, especially if you don’t examine the images too closely and are only sharing them at relatively small sizes online.

Focal Range

Honor 70

Wide

Honor 70

1x

Honor 70

2x

Macro

Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70

Bokeh / Aperture Mode

Honor 70

Focus on background

Honor 70

Focus on foreground

Honor 70

Aperture Mode - f/0.95

Filters

Honor 70

None

Honor 70

Classic

Honor 70

Dawn

Honor 70

Pure

Honor 70

Mono

Honor 70

Metallic

Honor 70

Blue

Honor 70

Cool

Honor 70

Caramel

Honor 70

Soft

Honor 70

Valencia

Night Mode

Honor 70

Off

Honor 70

On

Flash

Honor 70

Flash Off

Honor 70

Flash On

Honor 70

Flash Always On

HDR Mode

Honor 70

Off

Honor 70

On

High-Res Mode

Honor 70

Off

Honor 70

On

Honor 70

Off

Honor 70

On

Panorama

Honor 70

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Honor 70 camera, which were all taken using the 54 megapixel JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movies & Video

This is a sample 4K movie at the quality setting of 3840x2140 at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 28 second movie is 176Mb in size.

This is a sample 1080p movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 26 second movie is 57Mb in size.

Product Images

Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70
Honor 70

Conclusion

The new Honor 70 is a more rounded and more capable version of last year's Honor 50 model, resulting in an appealing smartphone that more than out-performs its mid-range price-tag.

It may lack some premium features like wireless charging, stereo sound, a telephoto camera module and any level of waterproofing, but otherwise it's a very stylish device that offers photographers and videographers a surprisingly rich feature-set backed-up by good image quality.

Honor have wisely left the user interface well alone, which is uncannily similar to the previous 50 version and to previous Huawei phones that we've reviewed, like the P20, 30 and 40 Pro series.

The native camera app continues to be very well functioned and user-friendly too - there's definitely no need to install a third-party camera app on this device.

This includes the excellent Night Mode that we've previously enjoyed using on the Huawei P-series devices and the Aperture mode with its bokeh-producing f/0.95 setting.

Thankfully Honor have seen fit to address several of the complaints that we made about the previous version, including supporting full resolution images in both the Aperture and Macro modes (previously limited to 2 megapixels) which greatly increases their versatility and newly added support for the RAW file format.

With the Pro mode providing more granular control over what the Honor 70's camera is actually doing, there's a lot to like here for more experienced photographers who want more creative control than what your typical smartphone usually offers.

The standard 54mp camera module and the 50 megapixel wide-angle/macro module are both actually pixel-binned to produce 12 megapixel images which for the most part look appealing, while 4K/30p video is a fairly standard offering for mid-range devices such as this one.

Honor have at least innovated somewhat with the Multi-Video and brand new Solo-cut video modes, which genuinely offer something different to the mainstream norm.

The actual device itself is just on the right size of large without being ridiculously massive, offers day-long battery life, features a great 120Hz OLED screen and snappy performance, and looks more premium that its price-tag suggests thanks to the wrap-around screen and rounded corners.

Thankfully, this latest Honor device continues to offer Google's Play Store, a legal omission that pretty much blighted the commercial appeal of all Huawei branded models.

Overall, the Honor 70 is a relatively affordable yet stylish and capable smartphone that has more to offer photographers and videographers than last year's version.

4 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 4
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 4
Value for money 4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Honor 70.

Honor 50

The new Honor 50 marks the welcome return of Google Play services to the Huawei/Honor empire, but what else does this mid-range smartphone offer to keen photographers and videographers? Find out now by reading our in-depth review of the Honor 50, complete with full-size sample photos and videos.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Honor 70 from around the web.

digitalcameraworld.com »

The Honor 70 is a mix of highlights and compromises, but for photography and camera fans, it's a solid option. While it misses out on indulgences like stereo sound, wireless charging, and water resistance, it's one of the sleekest-looking phones we've ever used. What's more, its impressive main camera, which debuts the Sony IMX 800 sensor, is flanked by a mighty autofocusing ultra-wide. So while you can get more power for your money, it's one of the best midrange camera phones we've used.
Read the full review »

gsmarena.com »

The Honor 70 lineup made its debut back in May, but this is the first time we get to see it in Europe. The Honor 70 is the most affordable option in the series, with the Honor 70 Pro and Pro+ being higher-tier. The Honor 70 is also a direct successor to the Honor 50 from December last year and there are only a few changes made to the newer model.
Read the full review »

expertreviews.co.uk »

After striking out on its own with last year’s Honor 50, Honor is back with another classy mid-range smartphone. The Honor 70 follows a similar template to its predecessor, providing Huawei-like suave design, without the software restrictions, at a mid-range price point.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Dimensions and Weight

Height

161.4mm

Width

73.3mm

Depth

7.91mm

Weight

Approx. 178g (including the battery)

*The actual dimensions and weight may vary depending on the configuration, manufacturing process, and measurement method.

Display

Size

6.67 inches

*With a rounded corners design on the display, the diagonal length of the screen is 6.67 inches when measured according to the standard rectangle (the actual viewable area is slightly smaller).

Aspect Ratio

20:9

Colour

1.07 billion colours, DCI-P3 wide colour gamut

Type

OLED, up to 120 Hz refresh rate

Resolution

FHD+ 2400 x 1080

*With a rounded corners design on the display, the resolution of the screen is 2400 x 1080 when measured according to the standard rectangle (the actual viewable area is slightly smaller).

Gestures

Multi-touch gestures, up to 10 touch points supported

FullView Display Type

Super Curved Display

Processor

CPU Model

Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus

CPU Type

Octa-core

CPU Dominant Frequency

1 × Cortex-A78 2.5GHz + 3 × Cortex-A78 2.4GHz + 4 × Cortex-A55 1.8GHz

* The actual frequency may adjust by application load intelligently.

GPU

Adreno 642L

Keyboard Type

Gestures, Three-key navigation, Navigation dock

System

Operating System

Magic UI 6.1 (based on Android 12)

User Interface

Magic UI 6.1

Memory

8GB+128GB

Rear Camera

Triple Rear Camera

54MP IMX800 Super Sensing Main Camera (f/1.9 aperture)+

50MP Ultra Wide & Macro Main Camera (f/2.2 aperture)+

2MP Depth Camera (f/2.4 aperture)

*The photo and video pixels may vary depending on the shooting mode. Please refer to the actual situations.

Video Shooting

Support 4k (up to 3840 x 2160) video shooting, support EIS video stabilisation.

Focus Mode

Up to 10x digital zoom

*There are slight differences between various modes. Please refer to actual situations.

Image Resolution

Support up to 8768 × 6144 pixels

*The actual image resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode.

Video Resolution

Support up to 3840 × 2160 pixels

*The actual video resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode.

Rear Flashlight

Single LED flash

Stablization Mode

EIS

Front Camera

Front Camera

32MP Super Clear Selfie Camera (f/2.4 aperture)

*The pixels may vary with different photo and video modes. Please refer to the actual situations.

Image Resolution

Support up to 6528 × 4896 pixels

*The pixels may vary with different photo modes. Please refer to the actual situations.

Video Resolution

Support up to 2520 × 1080 pixels

*The pixels may vary with different video modes. Please refer to the actual situations.

Video Shooting

Support 1080P (up to 2520 × 1080) video shooting, support EIS video stabilisation

Face Recognition

Support

Battery

Capacity

4800 mAh (typical value)

*The rated capacity is 4700 mAh. (Non-removable Battery)

Type

Lithium Polymer Battery

Wired Charging

Supports up to 11V/6A super charge, compatible with 10V/4A super charge.

*The actual charging power may vary with different scenarios intelligently. Please refer to actual situations.

Standard Charger

HONOR 66W SuperCharge Charger

Cellular Network

Network Standard

Dual SIM model:

Primary SIM card:

5G/4G+/4G/3G/2G

5G(NR)

4G (LTE TDD/LTE FDD)

3G (WCDMA)

2G (GSM)

Secondary SIM card:

5G/4G+/4G/3G/2G

5G(NR)

4G (LTE TDD/LTE FDD)

3G (WCDMA)

2G (GSM)

*In Dual SIM version, either card slot can be set to accommodate the primary or secondary SIM card.

*Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment.

Data service

5G NR/TD-LTE/FDD-LTE/WCDMA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA/EDGE/GPRS

*Functions available on the live network depend on the carrier network.

SIM Card

SIM Card 1

Nano Card

SIM Card 2

Nano Card

Connectivity and Location

Wi-Fi Protocols

802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, MIMO

Wi-Fi Frequency

2.4 GHz and 5 GHz

Wi-Fi Hotspot

Support

Wi-Fi Direct

Support

Bluetooth

Bluetooth5.2, Support BLE,SBC,AAC,LDAC,aptX,aptX HD

Phone Screen Projection

Supports Wireless Projection

PC Data Sync

Supported

* PC needs install HONORSuite.

Video Call

SupportED (operators and third-party software)

*This function may vary with operators in different countries or regions. Please consult with your local network operator.

OTG

Supported (maximum output current 1A/5V during reverse power supply)

Positioning

Support GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou/Galileo

Network-Based Positioning

Supported

Wi-Fi-Based Positioning

Supported

Sensors

Gravity Sensor

Supported

Fingerprint Sensor

Supported

Gyroscope

Supported

Compass

Supported

NFC

Support Read Write mode, Card Emulation mode (payment by wallet, SIM* card and HCE)

*The SIM card used for SIM card payment can only be inserted into the SIM1 card slot.

Ambient Light Sensor

Supported

Proximity Sensor

Supported

Others

Video

3gp/mp4

Audio

mp3/mp4/3gp/ogg/amr/aac/flac/wav/midi

Sound Effect

HONOR Histen

USB

USB Type-C, USB 2.0

Earjack

USB Type-C

In the Box

The outer packing is sealed and the substances in the box are listed as below:

1) Phone (Built-in battery) x 1

2) Quick Start Guide x 1

3) HONOR SuperCharge x 1

4) USB Type-C Cable x 1

5) Eject Tool x 1

6) TPU Protective cover x 1

7) TP protective film(Attached on the phone before delivery) x 1

*May vary in different markets. Subject to the actual product.

Your Comments

Loading comments…