HONOR 400 5G Review: AI Phone with No Gimmicks

The HONOR 400 5G is not your usual midrange smartphone. While it’s clearly positioned below the Magic series, this new model introduces AI features we rarely see in its category—particularly tools that let you bring static photos to life, erase photobombers, and even detect AI-generated faces during video calls. Here’s our HONOR 400 5G Review.

But does that make it a phone worth getting? We spent time with the device to test how well its camera, performance, display, and battery hold up for everyday users, especially those interested in turning nostalgia into shareable, creative content.

HONOR 400 5G Specifications

• Display: 6.55-inch OLED, 2736 × 1264 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, 5000 nits peak brightness
• Processor: Snapdragon 7 Gen 3
• RAM: 12GB
• Storage: 512GB
• Rear Cameras: 200MP main (OIS), 12MP ultrawide/macro
• Selfie Camera: 50MP portrait camera
• Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, USB-C
• Other Features: AI Image to Video, MagicOS 9.0, IP66, Super Rainproof Touch, Motion Sickness Relief
• OS: MagicOS 9.0 (Android 15)
• Battery and Fast Charge Tech: 6000mAh silicon-carbon, 80W wired charging
• Colors: Midnight Black, Tidal Blue, Desert Gold

HONOR 400 5G Review: Design and Construction

At 184g and just 7.3mm thick, the HONOR 400 5G is light and slim. The more amazing part the phone is a bit smaller than usual devices released in the market, which could make it a good daily driver for those seeking smaller phones. It sits comfortably in the hand and slips easily into your pocket or bag.

The rear design combines glossy textures and a flat edge frame that feels modern without looking too flashy. It also helps that the Midnight Black colorway has this glass back that doesn’t visibly register smudges.

Buttons are tactile, and the IP66 rating helps make this phone usable during light rain or in wet-hand scenarios like cooking or shower use. The Super Rainproof Touch worked as promised—taps and swipes remained responsive even with water droplets on the screen.

The phone has SGS 5-star drop resistance certification, which is a nice peace-of-mind bonus for clumsy users or those who use their phones on the go.

HONOR 400 5G Review: Display and Audio

The OLED display on the HONOR 400 5G is bright and color-rich, hitting a peak brightness of up to 5000 nits. Even under direct sunlight, we had no trouble reading messages or browsing through social media. Sunlight Display Enhancement helped boost contrast and color saturation outdoors without making things look unnatural.

The 120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling and transitions smooth. Watching videos in HDR looked vibrant, though there’s no Dolby Vision or HDR10+ certification, which some other midrange phones offer.

What stands out here is the Eye Comfort tech. The 3840Hz PWM dimming helps reduce eye strain, while Circadian Night Mode and AI Defocus Display add subtle changes that made nighttime viewing more comfortable. Ultra Dark Mode dims the screen down to 1.5 nits, great for reading in a pitch-dark room.

The stereo speakers are decent for casual use. Volume gets loud without distortion, but bass is minimal.

HONOR 400 5G Review: Camera

HONOR highlights the 200MP AI main camera, and it doesn’t disappoint. In daylight, it captures detailed shots with vibrant color accuracy. Low-light performance is surprisingly good, especially with Night Mode turned on. Photos were usable with well-preserved shadows and highlights, although slightly softened at times due to processing.

Zoom is impressive for a main sensor. With AI Super Zoom, we were able to capture 15x to 30x zoom shots with decent clarity. Details remain readable even at 20x, though noise becomes very noticeable after that.

Portraits, whether from the rear or 50MP front camera, showed excellent separation and true-to-life skin tones. AI Portrait Snap helped catch candid motion without blur, such as a friend turning their head or walking toward the camera.

Film Simulation and Harcourt Portrait modes add a fun twist. The former gave our outdoor shots a cinematic mood, while the latter brought out studio-style lighting for indoor portraits. We especially liked Harcourt Color for its rich contrast.

The standout is HD Moving Photo. This feature captures a three-second live snippet with every photo and plays them back like a short video. It worked great when capturing kids or pets, and feels like a meaningful way to remember moments beyond static images.

HONOR 400 5G Review: Performance

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 and 12GB RAM combo inside the HONOR 400 5G delivers reliable performance. In daily use, there were no hiccups whether we were switching apps, editing photos, or playing games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang at High to Ultra with slight warming at the back, and Genshin Impact at medium to high settings. Frame drops were minimal, and thermal control was effective.

MagicOS 9.0 introduces several AI features, such as:

• AI Eraser and Outpainting: Tap and hold to erase photobombers, add space to cropped photos, or upscale old pictures. These tools saved us editing time and worked accurately with most backgrounds.
• AI Cutouts: Tap to cut a subject from Photo A and seamlessly paste it into Photo B.
• AI Deepfake Detection: During video calls, the phone can detect if a face is AI-generated. This worked on test clips we created using deepfake generators.
• Magic Portal 2.0: Circle an image or address, and the phone pulls up related results in shopping, maps, or other relevant apps. The contextual understanding is accurate and works across many apps.
• Google Gemini and AI Writing Tools: Draft social posts, summarize notes, or polish messages directly within supported apps.
• Magic Capsule: A mini pop-up that gives quick access to music controls, alarms, and app previews, just like Apple’s Dynamic Island.

Then there’s the AI Image to Video tool, which uses Google’s Veo 2 engine. You upload a photo, and in about a minute, it generates a 5-second video with animation. It works best on clear portraits or landscape shots. The results aren’t perfect, but they’re fun and surprisingly emotional. There’s currently a limit of 30 conversions daily, and no word yet from the folks at HONOR on when will this trial period last.

Connectivity is reliable with 5G, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and Bluetooth 5.2. We had no problems with calls, downloads, or streaming on mobile data.

HONOR 400 5G Review: Battery and Charging

The 6000mAh battery is the largest we’ve used in a while. With moderate use, it easily lasted two full days. In heavy use involving camera, 5G data, and screen-on time over 6 hours, it still survived a day and a half.

Charging is equally impressive. Using the bundled 80W charger, we got from 0 to 100% in about 45 minutes. A 15-minute top-up gave us over 40%, enough for nearly a full day of casual use.

We also tested its cold-weather resilience by leaving it inside a freezer for a few minutes and then taking it out to make a call. The phone remained stable with no shutdowns or app crashes.

The Rundown

The HONOR 400 5G is for those who want more than just fast performance or big cameras. It’s made for content-driven users—those who edit, post, and share regularly. If you enjoy turning old photos into animated stories or want your camera to help clean up distractions before you post, this phone is a strong fit.

It also works well for students, mobile creators, and even travelers who need long battery life and waterproof protection without jumping to flagship pricing.

The HONOR 400 5G is available for pre-order until June 27 for PHP 22,999 at HONOR stores, kiosks, and authorized dealers nationwide as well as online at HONOR’s official stores on Lazada, TikTok Shop, and Shopee. Those who will pre-order will get a gift pack consisting of an HONOR Choice TWS earbuds, JBL Go 4 Bluetooth speaker, and a Jisulife Pro 1 Rechargeable Portable Fan. Pre-ordering also gives you a chance to win a Rolex GMT Master II Green Arrow worth PHP 600,000.00 and an Hermés Lindy Mini worth PHP 420,000.