Honor just announced its new flagship, the Honor V20, in China and just like all the Honor flagships, the V20 packs some incredible features for almost half the price you pay for flagships from other companies. After the Samsung Galaxy A8s and the Huawei Nova 4, the V20 is next in line to launch with a front camera placed in the display.
So, there is no notch on top or any moving parts (like motors or sliders) for the front camera. Moreover, at a starting price of 2,999 Yuan or $435, the phone offers the Kirin 980 processor, a unique design, an incredible 48MP rear camera and more.
The Honor V20 has a striking design as like previously launched Honor flagships, there is a unique pattern on the glass back. This time, there is a ‘V’ on the rear that changes the color as you tilt the phone at different angles. Good job, Honor!
So, regarding the overall design and build, there are no compromises. On the rear, the phone has a pretty unique camera setup that we’ll discuss later in the article. The fingerprint scanner is also placed on the rear, so there is no in-screen fingerprint reader on the V20.
The 3.5mm headphone jack is still there and is placed on the top. There is a USB Type-C port and a speaker grill on the bottom. The volume rocker and the power button are on the right whereas the SIM card tray is on the left. Well, you can say that there is nothing to complain about the overall design. It’s unique, and it’s premium.
Talking about the specifications, the Honor V20 has a 6.4-inch Full-HD+ display with a resolution of 2310 x 1080 pixels & a pixel density of 398PPI. It is an IPS LCD panel, and this is the main reason why there is no in-screen fingerprint reader since that requires an OLED panel.
The processor powering the V20 is the 7nm Kirin 980 that is an octa-core processor & comprises of two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.6GHz + two Cortex-A76 cores at 1.92GHz & four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8GHz. There is a Mali-G76 MP10 GPU. The phone has 6/8GB RAM and 128/256GB internal storage. There is a Moschino version as well that comes in 8GB + 256GB option and is the most expensive variant of the phone.
The cameras are also pretty interesting. The Honor V20 has an incredible 48MP primary rear camera with Sony IMX 586 sensor and f/1.8 aperture. This is a massive 1/2-inch CMOS sensor that has a Quad Bayer Array which means four pixels are combined into one when needed (for example in the low light shots for better details). The secondary camera on the rear is a 3D ToF sensor which is for things like 3D body shaping etc.
The camera features include AI Photos, Night Mode, Portrait Mode, AR Stickers, Pro Mode, HDR, 960fps super Slow Motion at 720p from rear camera, etc.
On the front, there is a 4.5mm circular cutout in the display that has the 25MP selfie camera. Honor said that unlike phones like Galaxy A8s, the cutout in the display doesn’t mean that the camera is penetrating the screen. Since only the LGP (Light Guide Plate) layer was cut, the color filter, OCA (Optical Adhesive), POL (Polarizing Film), etc. remain intact.
A technology called Pixel Transition is used that enables the light to come through the camera by controlling the flow of the crystals (VIA). This complicated process is the reason why the cutout is just 4.5mm.
Finally, the Honor V20 has a 4,000mAh battery that supports Fast Charging (4.5V/5A), thanks to the 22.5W Supercharge technology. Android Pie runs out of the box with Magic UI 2.0.1 on top. Other features include Dual Frequency GPS positioning, Triple Wi-Fi Antenna, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, etc.
The Honor V20 comes in Red, Blue, and Black, all of which have a striking design on the back. The base variant has 6GB RAM and 128GB ROM & is priced at 2,999 Yuan or $435. The 8GB + 128GB variant is priced at 3,499 Yuan or $510. Finally, there is a special Moschino (Italian Fashion brand) version that comes in 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM option and is priced at 3,999 Yuan or $580.
Talking about the Moschino version, the company said –
MOSCHINO clothing and accessories are acclaimed worldwide for their signature wit, innovation and eccentricity, presenting audacious themes that push the fashion envelope. To mark this initial launch HONOR is thrilled to have collaborated with this esteemed fashion house on this exclusive product range that highlights View20’s elegant design aesthetic and pinnacle of technical achievement.
The Honor V20 will launch globally as the Honor View 20, and the global launch is happening in Paris on January 22.