Honor 10 review

Verdict

The Honor 10 is an iterative update to the Honor 9. It doesn't do anything groundbreaking, so if you already own that phone it's unlikely you'll be rushing to grab your credit card to buy this one.

That said, if you own a phone from a few years ago or a cheaper device there's a lot to love about the Honor 10.

Below we'll run through the features we love, like and dislike about the phone so you can try to make up your mind about whether this is the handset for you.

Who's this for?

If you're after a taste of flagship phone specs and the features that are popular in 2018, but you don't want to break the bank by buying an iPhone X or a Samsung Galaxy S9, this will be perfect for you.

The Honor 10 is essentially a repackaging of the Huawei P20, but with a few less features, a slightly less powerful camera and a slightly different design as well.

If you want a camera that is exceptional, this isn't it, but we've largely been impressed by what this camera can do, especially in the automatic mode with AI features. The camera on the Honor 10 is bettered by top-end devices, but it's one of the best on the market if you want to spend £400 or under.

For those looking for a unique looking device to show off to their friends, this could be it. The reflective rear design isn't for everyone, but if you want a bold look that makes people question what phone you have the bright color options will be able to do that.

The Phantom colors don't just look bold, each also feels premium and you probably won't know that this phone is cheaper than most other flagships when you hold it in your palm.

Should you buy it?

There's a lot to love about the Honor 10, and if you're looking for a more affordable phone than the other popular top-end devices but you still need a lot of the features those devices offer, this is going to be the perfect match for you.

The Honor 10 has a powerful chipset that can run all of your favorite apps and games, there's a ton of storage onboard and there's all the latest features of Android Oreo software too.

If you're looking for a phone that has exceptional battery life, this isn't it, but it's around the industry standard and with normal usage will last you a full day. For the scenarios when you're using it more, there's always the fast-charging features.

The recently launched OnePlus 6 is only £69 more in the UK and features a similar level of spec, so it may be there's some stiff competition for the Honor 10 when it comes to battery. We won't know until we've finished up our full review of the OnePlus 6 though.

The camera offers a lot of fun features to play around with and a great automatic mode that uses those artificial intelligence features to the best effect we've seen on a phone at this price.

And once again, it comes down to that much more affordable price point than a lot of devices that have this kind of package. 

The Honor 10 isn't going to replace the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus as the best phone in the world right now, but considering it's around half the price of that phone it's getting very close.

First reviewed: May 2018