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Honor has launched the successor to the V10 – the refreshing V20. It is a great handset with lots of practical yet aesthetically-pleasing functions that help to balance the handset between the mid-range and the premium handset marketplaces. The V20, priced at £499, is a flagship handset that’s priced for the mid-market segment. Yet, for this albeit large chunk of change, you do get a lot for your money – but like all mid-range handsets – there is a pay-off that users have to make when considering such handsets?
We have some great pics from MWC, where Honor are there trying to catch the eyes of tech enthusiasts everywhere.
This is Honor’s first edge-to-edge display, which Pocket-Linteloquently described as ‘hole punched’ when describing the handset. The ‘hole punch’ design has divided opinion. The front-facing camera is located on the extreme top left hence why it has been called ‘hole punched’.
The unique selling point of the V20 is the Sony developed sensor that helps to push the V20 into the 48MP stratosphere with additional 3D ToF rear camera and a quality 25MP in-screen front lens. This trio of Sony-powered lens technologies means the Honor V20 has one of the best mid-market cameras of 2019 so-far!
The handset comes with a strong 6.4” display but is powered by LCD rather than OLED technology; but again, this falls back on to the mid-market vs premium price pressure conundrum. As screen technologies become cheaper the more availability there is within this mid-range marketplace.
The brightness in the screen compared to the OLED options such as the Samsung are very noticeable.
The camera is a ‘game-changer’ and the huge screen makes media playback a joy. However, the ‘hole punch’ can become annoying especially when using certain apps. The speakers have been placed at the bottom part of the body and this can create playback problems with the audio.
From a mid-range perspective, no in-screen fingerprint technology is a surprise. However, the deployment of a circular cooling system around the body enclosure does provide a more enjoyable long-term usage experience.
The ‘hole punch’ is an aesthetic ‘issue’. Pocket Lint and TechCrunch both made big negative noises about this design ‘flaw’. The reality is that the much-detested ‘notch’ as popularised by Apple and LG among others created a user experience that saw the camera centralised. By relocating the selfie-camera to the extreme side-lines opens up a more fluid visual experience (especially when reading and scrolling downwards!).
The design quality has improved – the aluminium-brushed design is a nod to the HTC of old with a modern twist. The body encapsulates a headphone jack (whether you’re a fan or not) and the camera has been functionally pressed into the rear. The 6.4” screen and ‘hole punch’ camera finish off the ensemble. The handset is a beautiful design and a joy to behold – even during longer-term use.
Under the bonnet, the Honor V20 powers home with a Kirin 980 chipset with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space out-of-the-box. Unfortunately, there is no MicroSD expansion which is a drawback. The Honor Magic UI 2.0 software is a tweaked edition of Huawei’s EMUI software scraped over Android 9. Finally, with a mid-range beating 4,000 mAh battery supporting USB-C fast charging, the handset comes preloaded with power and durability.
As stated already the camera, powered by Sony, using some of Huawei’s smart AI assisted tech from the Huawei P20, is a delight with a strong 48MP + ToF + 25MP front facing lens trio that gives the handset that edge in the smartphone photography landscape.
Finally, the handset helps to continue Honor’s successful march into the smartphone mid-market sector with success. It is gimmicky and does have design ‘issues’. However, the camera is the unique ‘giant-killing’ function of this phone which really can turn heads.
Some can argue that the OnePlus 6T with its AMOLED screen and in-screen fingerprint scanner might be better and that the Honor V20 is problematic but the inclusion of the earphone jack, the big screen and mega power from the Kirin processor backed up by excellent battery life can balance out those perceived negatives.
The Honor V20 is a useful and dynamic inclusion within the smartphone mid-market segment and can compete successfully with other smartphone marques by resting on its many technological accomplishments and smart price point!
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