HONOR recently ambitiously introduced to the South African market a high-end range of phones and is keeping that momentum going with the new 200 series.
Previously, HONOR was a subsidiary of Huawei that was first introduced to South Africa in 2018 with more affordable phone options that still offered good specs and features.
Transition and Growth
In 2020, HONOR was sold off from Huawei, after Huawei was banned in the US. After gaining a sense of independence, HONOR still managed to hold its own in the competitive smartphone market in South Africa. Not long after, it started introducing its higher-end offerings, which were well-received.
Now, according to the brand’s general manager, Fred Zhou, HONOR has seen an over 600% sales growth in South Africa by the end of 2023.
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New 200 Series
As such, HONOR has decided to unapologetically introduce its 200 series to the same market, as it reintroduces itself at the party from its image of the provider of entry-level, affordable phones to that of the inventor of state-of-the-art, high-end smartphones.
Its latest range has a starting price of around R16,000 for the base model.
How is HONOR selling it at this price?
Well, it’s all the device’s standout feature of this series, which HONOR says is the camera technology.
HONOR claims it has a studio-level AI Portrait Camera system, advanced enough to mimic the quality of the renowned Parisian photography studio, Studio Harcourt.
Yes, Studio Harcourt! The one that has been around since 1933.
Studio Hardcourt is known for its perfect black-and-white photographs, and if you were a proper movie star or celebrity, you would be photographed in Paris in this well-acclaimed studio.
HONOR says its AI technology is designed to replicate Studio Harcourt’s signature lighting and shadow effects. “The team has analyzed over 1,000 lighting scenarios and millions of datasets over 400 days to encapsulate Studio Harcourt’s essence in smartphones via the HONOR AI Portrait Engine. This achievement is based on three core concepts: AI Light and Shadow Enhancement, AI Optical Effect Enhancement, and AI Artistic Style Enhancement,” the brand said.
In fact, the brand is so confident in its camera tech that it challenged glossy mag, GQ, to photograph its next front cover with its new device.
GQ rose to the challenge and has confirmed that the front cover of its upcoming August edition has indeed been photographed with the 200 series.
Launch and availability
The official launch of the new series in South Africa took place on July 24 at The Campus in Bryanston, Johannesburg. The devices will officially go on sale on August 1, 2024.
The base model of the Honor 200 series features the Android 14 operating system with MagicOS 8. It has a 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,664 x 1,200 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, powered by the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor. The phone offers RAM options of 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB, and storage options of 256GB or 512GB. The rear camera setup includes three lenses with 50MP, 50MP, and 12MP sensors, while the front camera is 50MP. It supports 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and has a USB-C port. For security, it includes an under-display fingerprint scanner. The battery is 5,200mAh with 100W wired fast charging and 67W wireless fast charging. The base model will be priced from R15,999.
Features of the Honor 200 Pro
The Honor 200 Pro features the Android 14 operating system with MagicOS 8, a 6.78-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,700 x 1,224 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate, and a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor. It comes with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. The rear camera setup includes three lenses with 50MP, 50MP, and 12MP sensors, while the front camera boasts 50MP. The phone supports 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and has a USB-C port. It also includes an under-display fingerprint scanner for security and a 5,200mAh battery with 100W wired fast charging and 67W wireless fast charging. The Honor 200 Pro will sell from R19,999.
