Honor 90 : My Honor 90 finally got the MagicOS 8.0 update last week after months of waiting. The installation process took forever – nearly 3GB of data and two mandatory reboots that had me sweating bullets. First impressions? Mixed at best. The redesigned control center looks slick with its new animations, but finding basic settings feels like a scavenger hunt now. Battery life took a serious hit the first few days until things settled down. Now I’m getting roughly the same endurance as before, maybe slightly better when streaming videos. The new AI features Honor hyped up? Most feel half-baked, especially the AI eraser tool that left weird artifacts when I tried removing a photobomber from my vacation pics. Classic case of overpromising and underdelivering.
That 200MP Camera: Marketing Hype or Genuine Upgrade?
Let’s be real about the 200MP main camera – megapixels aren’t everything. In good lighting, photos pack impressive detail that holds up even when cropping aggressively. I’ve printed shots that could pass for DSLR quality to untrained eyes. But low-light performance? That’s where things get dicey. Night mode produces decent results if your hands are steady as a surgeon’s, but any slight movement results in a blurry mess. The portrait mode edge detection remains finicky with complex subjects – my girlfriend’s curly hair confuses it endlessly, creating weird blurry patches around her head. The 2x in-sensor zoom produces surprisingly crisp results, though, making it my go-to for street photography when I don’t wanna look like a creepy tourist with a telephoto lens.
Battery Life: The Real-World Experience
Honor advertised “all-day battery life” with the 90’s 5,000mAh cell, and they weren’t lying – mostly. With moderate usage (social media, messaging, occasional YouTube), I regularly end days with 30-40% remaining. Push it harder with gaming or navigation, though, and you’ll be hunting for an outlet by dinner time. The 66W charging sounds impressive on paper but falls short of expectations in practice. Going from dead to 100% takes around 75 minutes in my experience, not the 60 minutes claimed. Still beats my friend’s iPhone charging at a glacial pace, but nothing revolutionary in Android-land anymore. One weird quirk I’ve noticed – using the camera heavily drains battery disproportionately fast, like 15% for a 20-minute photo session. Something about that 200MP sensor must be power-hungry.
Performance: Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 Shows Its Age
When I first got this phone, everything felt lightning fast. A year later? The cracks are starting to show. Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 wasn’t top-tier even at launch, and newer games push it to its limits. Call of Duty Mobile runs fine on medium settings but struggles with high graphics during intense firefights. App switching generally remains smooth, but I’ve noticed occasional stutters when jumping between heavy apps like Instagram and Chrome with multiple tabs. Nothing deal-breaking, but noticeable compared to newer mid-rangers with 7+ Gen 2 chips. RAM management could be better too – background apps reload more frequently than they should with 8GB. For everyday tasks and casual gaming it’s perfectly adequate, but power users might find the limitations frustrating.
Display: Still a Standout Feature
The curved 120Hz AMOLED display remains the Honor 90’s crown jewel. Colors pop without looking radioactive like some Samsung panels, and the curved edges add a premium feel despite the plastic frame. Brightness has held up well – I can still comfortably use it outdoors except in direct sunlight. The auto-brightness algorithm is surprisingly competent, something many phones get wrong. One minor annoyance – the curved edges occasionally register accidental touches when I’m lying in bed. The 1.5K resolution (their weird marketing term for slightly better than 1080p) strikes a good balance between sharpness and battery life. Netflix and YouTube content looks fantastic, with deep blacks that make movie watching genuinely enjoyable.
Build Quality: Aging Gracefully or Falling Apart?
I’ve been rocking my Honor 90 without a case for months now (living dangerously, I know). The Emerald Green back has collected a constellation of micro-scratches only visible under direct light. The plastic frame has held up surprisingly well to numerous drops, though the bottom corner has a small dent from an unfortunate bathroom tile encounter. Buttons remain clicky and responsive with no signs of wear. The in-display fingerprint scanner works about 80% of the time on first attempt – good enough that I haven’t disabled it, but occasionally frustrating when it fails multiple times while I’m trying to quickly check something. Haptics have degraded slightly over time, feeling less precise than when new.
Honor 90 Value Proposition: Still Worth Buying Used?
With the Honor 100 series already out and the 110 rumored for next month, used Honor 90 prices have absolutely cratered. I’ve seen mint condition units selling for under $200 on marketplace apps – absolute highway robbery considering the specs. For budget-conscious buyers, it represents exceptional value even in 2025. You’re getting a gorgeous display, capable camera system, and solid battery life for the price of entry-level phones with significantly worse specs. Just be aware that software support is likely winding down, with security updates becoming less frequent. If you spot one in good condition for around $180-220, it’s a no-brainer if your needs are more basic and you’re not chasing the bleeding edge.