HONOR Philippines has brought out the goodies yet again with another addition to its smartphone lineup: the HONOR 90 Lite 5G. But make no mistake—despite the name, this device is by no means a lightweight under the hood.
Should you go for it? We played with it for a few weeks to find out.
Performance
The HONOR 90 Lite 5G is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 6020 5G octacore chipset, along with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Modest specs compared to other comparable devices, some might say. But one thing’s for sure: it can punch above its weight.
Out of the box, the device runs MagicOS 7.1, HONOR’s homebrew based on Android 13. Thanks to its powerplant, the operating system runs without hiccups. Fingerprint scanning and face recognition are both very responsive and quick. Resource-intensive routines such as gaming, or opening multiple apps and windows do not induce any lag. What’s more, the phone doesn’t get toasty even during demanding usage.
Battery life is great, too. The phone can last up to two days with moderate use and mobile data/Wi-Fi always turned on. More intensive usage like hours of gaming and watching videos expectedly saps power, but not enough to drain it dry. And there’s no need to worry because charging doesn’t take too long anyway. Using the bundled 22.5W power brick, the 4500mAh battery can go from zero to 50% in 35 minutes, and fully charged in just an hour and a half.
Build and ergonomics
The HONOR 90 Lite 5G comes in two colorways: Cyan Lake and Midnight Black. Our Midnight Black review unit sports a matte finish with a smooth, frosted-looking back panel. Gotta admit, this color looks very regal. The finish does well in preventing buildup of smudges, keeping the phone suave 24/7.
It’s also a delight to hold at 7.48mm and a mere 179 grams; it feels solid yet light in the hand. All buttons are located on the right side, situated where the thumb instinctively rests when holding the device. Sitting right next to each other are the volume rockers, and the power button/fingerprint scanner. One-handed operation is fluid and effortless.
At the bottom of the device is the USB-C port right beside the dual Hi-Res certified loudspeakers.
Eye candy
Delivering a pleasant viewing experience is the 6.7-inch edgeless FHD+ display with 1080 x 2388 resolution. Colors are vibrant and images are always crisp whether indoors or outside under harsh sunlight. With a 93.6% screen-to-body ratio, there is more than enough real estate for viewing pleasure—making this phone ideal for reading, viewing pictures, bingeing on Netflix, or gaming on-the-go. Additionally, the maximum 90Hz refresh rate keeps the visuals smooth.
HONOR also got the eye protection aspect covered through the Dynamic Dimming technology that simulates the change of natural light to alleviate eye fatigue, and the Circadian Night Display which adjusts color temperature. And oh, the display is also TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light-certified. So look all you want. You know it’s gonna be comfy on the eyes.
Your main shooter
They say the best camera is the one you have with you. If so, then this device just might be the only camera you’ll need.
At your disposal is a triple-camera array on the back composed of a 100MP (f/1.9) main shooter, a 5MP (f/2.2) wide and depth camera, and a 2MP (f/2.4) macro camera. On the front is a 16MP (f/2.45) selfie camera.
The main camera captures lots of details, especially in well-lit scenes. Images are detailed and alive with vivid colors. Low-light conditions pose no problem with the wide f/1.9 aperture opening. The accompanying wide and macro lenses, meanwhile, provide additional leeway for creativity in capturing photos.
Portrait mode using the main camera produced beautiful images—the background blur and bokeh look convincing and not artificial. Night mode also worked very well, resulting in sufficiently exposed, detailed, and low-noise pictures.
Like the rear cameras, the front camera also produces good quality images. No wide angle for the selfie cam, but it’s sufficiently wide for capturing enough subjects in detail.
Arguably the most interesting among the camera modes is the Multi Video feature, which allows users to record different video angles in one shot. Just choose which camera setup you want to start with (Picture in Picture, Rear/Rear, Front/Rear, Rear, and Front), then switch it up as you record.
Casual shooters and photography enthusiasts alike will definitely appreciate this phone’s camera features.
Is it worth it?
Quite frankly, the HONOR 90 Lite 5G is a midrange device with powerhouse specs in a sleek package. An overall great multimedia device with a titanic camera, tons of storage, and long-lasting battery life, to name a few—what’s not to love? And for a P12,990 price tag, this feature-packed sleeper can be yours to enjoy.
Better not sleep on this!
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