There’s a new wave of smartphones blurring the line between premium and midrange; and one of them is the HONOR 400 5G. At first glance, it looks like your typical upper-midrange device—decent spec sheet, trendy camera bump, flashy branding, and nostalgic photo-to-video AI feature. But after using it as one of my daily drivers, I discovered a few reasons why this phone is gaining traction. Is it just smart marketing, or is there real hardware to back it up? Here’s a deep dive into the HONOR 400 5G to help you decide if it fits your needs.
Review Summary:
Pros
- Bright and vivid display
- Strong day-to-day performance
- Long battery life
- Useful AI features
Cons
- No telephoto lens
- Same chipset as HONOR 200 5G
Design and Handling
The design of the HONOR 400 5G deviates to the design philosophy of the HONOR 200, the model that it is replacing. The first thing I noticed was how comfortable the HONOR 400 5G feels in hand. It's a candybar phone with a squarish back, a matte texture that’s not too slippery, and a manageable size that doesn’t feel overwhelming even after long hours of use. I carried it during commutes, used it at events, answered calls in between mall walks, and not once did I feel like I needed a case with a ring holder.
We have a Black Back colorway for our review unit. It looks clean and it's for someone who doesn't want to draw too much attention. I'm a fan of matte backs, this one does it tastefully. However, if black is not your thing, you may opt for the equally stunning Desert Gold or Tidal Blue variants. There’s no excessive branding, and the camera module is laid out cleanly. The phone looks modern and refined, not trying too hard to impress.
When it comes to ports and buttons, the HONOR 400 5G places them in no-nonsense areas around the frame. We have the power button and the volume rocker on the right side; while the top has the secondary microphone, IR blaster, and secondary speaker. The bottom side is quite busy with the speaker, primary mic, USB-C port, and SIM tray.
Compared to the brand's previous releases like the HONOR 90 and HONOR 200, this phone feels slightly hollow and leans toward the “plastic-ky” side. Don't get me wrong, I do like the updated design, but I have a feeling it could easily pick up dents if dropped. The good news is it comes with an IP65 rating, so at least it's protected from splashes and light rain.
Display: Solid for Multimedia and Outdoor Use
The HONOR 400 5G has 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display is one of its strongest assets. Watching YouTube videos and scrolling through Instagram was smooth and immersive. What stood out to me was the "brightness" which gets up to 5000 nits. Even under harsh daylight, I could still comfortably use it for messages and quick browsing. It’s also TÜV Rheinland-certified for eye comfort, and I appreciated that after long reading sessions at night. No eye strain or excessive flicker.
I also used it for quick Netflix downloads and late-night binge-watching. I am amazed with how vivid the screen can get when I turned on the Vivid Display in the video enhancer section. Likewise, the Super Dynamic Display also improves brightness and contrast. These features use AI to determine when these functions kick in based on what you're watching on your screen. The downside? This takes toll on the battery, of course. But I don't mind at all since I am loving the picture outputs on the display when I'm streaming content.
Speaking of streaming, the stereo speakers aren’t the loudest in the category, but they do offer clear mids and decent stereo separation. If you’re watching reels or gaming with the volume on, you won’t be disappointed. The overall display performance is excellent.
I just wish they retained the 6.7-inch display size. Other than that, the screen is one of the reasons you'll buy this phone.
Performance + Real-Life Usage
The HONOR 400 5G runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, paired with 12GB of RAM (expandable via HONOR RAM Turbo) and up to 512GB of internal storage. This is also the same chipset that was used on the HONOR 200 5G. In real-world usage, the chipset still offers smooth multitasking. I toggled between Zoom, Docs, and Chrome tabs for work; took calls while replying to emails; and scrolled through TikTok endlessly without hiccups.
In gaming, I played Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Asphalt 9, and a couple of casual games. While this phone isn’t a performance beast meant for heavy-duty gaming, it handled all titles smoothly with medium to high graphics. Frame rates stayed stable, and the device didn’t get alarmingly warm. The MagicOS 8 also did a good job managing background apps and cleaning up memory without me having to worry about sluggishness over time.
What I appreciated most is how consistent the performance is. No lag spikes, no app crashes. For something that retails below the flagship threshold, it holds its own. Some naysayers will say that this is an old chipset, but it is still doing great in terms of performance compared to other phones in its price range.
If you're keen on benchmarks, the HONOR 400 5G scored 867,016 in our AnTuTu Benchmark test. In our Geekbench 6.0 testing, the phone tallied 1137 single-core and 3150 multi-core scores. Additionally, in GPU benchmarks, the HONOR 400 scored 3440 in OpenCL and 4003 in Vulkan GPU tests.
Camera System: Surprisingly Versatile
Now let’s talk about that camera. The HONOR 400 5G has a 200MP f/1.9 main sensor, that's a bump from last year's 50MP. It is coupled by a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide sensor which doubles as a macro lens. The telephoto lens has been left in the cutting room which, to me, seems like a downgrade in the overall camera capability.
In real-time usage, the camera delivers. I’ve taken the HONOR 400 5G to outdoor walks, morning coffee runs, and a quick weekend out-of-town. The shots consistently came out sharp and vibrant, especially in daylight. Colors are punchy but not overly saturated, and dynamic range is handled well for the most part. This also holds true for the 12MP ultra-wide shots which retains most details and colors.
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| Sample Photo: 1x Zoom vs 2x Zoom |
Using the camera app, you can zoom in up to 4x digitally to get closer to your subject, but when you need to go beyond that, the HONOR 400 5G gives you access to its 30x AI Superzoom. It works similarly to how it does on other HONOR devices; this is done by applying AI to reconstruct the image you capture. Technically, what you get isn’t a direct photograph, but an AI-enhanced interpretation based on the original shot. The results vary, and often end up with a soft, painted look that’s common in images processed this way.
Portrait mode was one of my favorite features. Subject separation is accurate, even for messy backgrounds, and the bokeh is natural. For food photography or quick aesthetic shots, the camera rarely failed.
Low-light performance is decent. It’s not groundbreaking, but the night mode helps brighten up dim scenes while preserving details. HONOR AI even suggested better shooting angles at times, which felt helpful without being annoying.
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| Sample Photo: Low-light |
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| Low-light: 1x vs 2x vs 4x Zoom |
Selfies and videos also held up. The 50MP front camera is good enough for casual content, and AI enhancements didn’t feel overdone. For Instagram stories or short clips, it does the job well.
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| Sample Selfie and Portrait |
Software, Image-to-Video, and AI Tools
The HONOR 400 5G runs with Magic OS 9.0 that's based on Android 15. The interface offers a relatively clean interface. It comes with a few preinstalled apps, but you can uninstall most of them. Navigation is smooth, and features like Parallel Space and Smart Folders come in handy.
HONOR’s primary "magic trick" here is the Image-to-Video feature. You'll find this on the Create tab on your Gallery app. I tested this on some still shots I took of a celebrity couple's prenup. After processing the images, the system generated video snippets where the movement synced naturally with the original frame. It’s surreal at first - and no, it’s not perfect - but it’s good enough for social media posts or turning memories into animated keepsakes.
The HONOR 400 5G includes a handful of AI-powered editing tools that are both intuitive and effective. One standout feature is AI Cutout, which lets you isolate a subject from the background with just a tap. This is perfect for creating stickers or layering images for social media. It detects edges cleanly and performs well even with complex backgrounds.
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| AI Outpainting Sample: Normal Photo vs AI Outpainting-processed |
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| AI Cutout Sample |
Another feature, AI Outpainting, goes a step further by using generative AI to expand the borders of your photo. It fills in missing parts of the scene with intelligent visual guesses, allowing you to resize or reframe shots beyond their original crop. This is especially useful if you want to create wider compositions or adjust framing after the fact without compromising quality.
There’s also the Magic Portal, which lets you swipe selected content into apps like Maps, Messaging, or Notes. It feels like a gimmick at first, but once you get used to it, the productivity gains are real. I used it to look up a restaurant straight from a message, and it saved me a few taps. It's similar to Google's Circle to Search, except you use your knuckles to activate it. It also suggests several apps you might use based on your screen capture.
Battery
Battery life of the HONOR 400 5G is quite okay. Its 6000 mAh battery easily lasts a full day even with heavy use. On a typical workday filled with calls, social media, and content streaming, I ended with around 35% battery left.
Charging is fast with the 80W HONOR SuperCharge. I charged it from 0% to 39% in just 15 minutes. I often plugged in the device while preparing dinner or doing a quick chore, and it was almost full before I noticed. There’s no wireless charging, but at this price point, that’s not a deal-breaker.
Verdict: The Upgrade We Didn't See Coming
After using the HONOR 400 5G for over two weeks, here’s my honest take: You can say that this phone tries to impress with flashy gimmicks, but counting the marketing stunts aside, this phone just works. Day in, day out. At Php 22,990, it's priced competitively compared to its peers.
There a few upgrades—and some unwanted downgrades in the camera, but it patches it up with performance, battery life, AI tools and the display. Collectively, this phone feels like a subversive upgrade from last year's model.
The phone is a solid package that actually supports how people actually use their phones today. It’s not perfect but it speaks value for itself. For everyday creators, busy professionals, or anyone looking for a no-fuss device that performs quietly and efficiently, the HONOR 400 5G deserves a closer look.
