Chinese company Honor began life in 2013 as a sub-brand of Huawei, where it was focused on affordable smartphones that offered a lot for relatively little money.
However, after Huawei’s US trade ban left it unable to use Google apps, Honor became an independent company in 2020. That meant it could still use a full version of Android, complete with the all-important Google Play Store.
Since the move, the company’s strategy has also changed. It still makes cheap phones, but a lot of its attention now goes on flagship and foldable handsets. As a result, if you’re looking for a great Android phone , Honor is definitely worth considering.
This article only includes devices that are available in Europe, with many never making it outside the company’s native China. Honor doesn’t have a presence in North America, though, so your best bet if you live there will be to try and import one.
The top 8 below is ranked, with each entry linking out to our full review. But you might find that something lower down the list will suit you best, especially if you can find it at a discounted price.
Why you should trust us: Smartphones are our bread and butter here at Tech Advisor, the vast majority of which are Android phones. We perform in-depth, real-world testing on every new Huawei handset that’s worth buying, moving our main SIM card to it for at least a week for the most authentic experience possible.
Updated 9 April 2024: In this overhaul update, we added the Magic 6 Pro , Magic 6 Lite and Magic V2 .
Best Honor phones 2024
1. Honor Magic 6 Pro – Best overall
Pros
- Three excellent cameras
- Top-tier performance
- Stunning display
- Secure 3D face unlock
- Strong battery life
Cons
- Underwhelming ultrawide camera
- Expensive
The Magic 6 Pro is a flagship phone in pretty much every sense of the word, and it excels in most areas.
As you can see from the bold design above, cameras are a major focus, and the main, telephoto and ultrawide shots capture some stunning photos. The superb Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers stellar performance, combining perfectly with the high-quality 120Hz display. You also get very good battery life and a secure 3D face unlock to rival Apple’s Face ID.
However, it’s not perfect. The ultrawide camera isn’t the most impressive, while the software won’t be to everyone’s tastes – though that applies to all Honor smartphones.
Ultimately, whether to buy this phone comes to down to whether you can afford the high price tag and don’t mind a huge phone. If the answer to both is yes, you won’t be disappointed by the Magic 6 Pro.
Read our full Honor Magic 6 Pro review
2. Honor Magic 5 Lite – Best mid-range
Pros
- Premium design
- Gorgeous AMOLED screen
- Great battery life
- Good performance
Cons
- Terrible video stabilisation
- Slower charging than Magic 5 Lite
- Outdated version of Android
Want the core Honor smartphone experience for much less? Just go for the Magic 6 Lite.
It costs just £349.99 at full price, but still offers a compelling experience. Highlights include an eye-catching premium design, superb 120Hz AMOLED screen and smooth performance from the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset. Battery life is also among the best you’ll last on any smartphone, lasting a full two days in many cases.
But while it’s the best mid-range Honor phone you can buy, it’s not the best out there at this price point. The combination of slower charging than the Magic 5 Lite, poor video stabilisation and delayed update to Android 14 mean other mid-range handsets offer better value for money.
However, if you’re set on Honor, this is the affordable phone to buy.
Read our full Honor Magic 6 Lite review
3. Honor Magic V2 – Best foldable
Pros
- Incredible thin and light design
- Bright, vibrant displays
- Solid cameras
- Strong performance
Cons
- Software not entirely optimised
- Slightly outdated processor
- Very expensive
From a design perspective, the Magic V2 is the best folding phone you can buy.
It weighs just 231g and is 9.9mm thick when folded, which no other foldable can match. It makes the device feel more like a regular smartphone when it’s in your pocket..
The premium hardware doesn’t stop there, though, with two very good 120Hz OLED displays (6.43-inch outer, 7.92-inch inner). Each of four cameras can hold their own, even if they’re not quite as good as the ones on the Magic 6 Pro.
While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 isn’t Qualcomm’s latest and greatest anymore, you can still expect very good performance, with almost no slowdown or hesitations. And despite two large displays, battery life is solid.
The Magic V2’s main weakness lies in the software department, with some UI elements and many third-party apps simply not optimised for the internal display. As a result, you can’t always make the most of that large screen.
If you’re happy with those drawbacks and willing to pay the high asking price, the Magic V2 has a lot to offer. But most people will be better off with a regular Honor smartphone for now.
Read our full Honor Magic V2 review
4. Honor 90 – Solid mid-range phone
Pros
- Class-leading display
- Decent main camera
- Loads of storage
- Good battery life
Cons
- Cheap, plasticky feel
- No wireless charging
- Only promised two Android updates
The Honor 90 is a capable mid-range option, especially for those tempted by the excellent display – among the best at the price – or the prospect of getting up to 512GB of storage at an affordable price.
Elsewhere, the phone impresses a little less. Decent cameras and solid performance are welcome but to be expected at this price, while the glass back feels cheap and more like plastic.
It suffers from the same awkward software and limited long-term support as some other Honor phones, but those are easier to put up with at this phone’s more affordable mid-range price point.
Read our full Honor 90 review
5. Honor Magic 5 Pro – Last year’s flagship
Pros
- Superb display
- Excellent battery life
- Powerful triple cameras
Cons
- Uneven performance
- Polarising design
The Magic 5 Pro is no longer Honor’s best smartphone in Europe – that’s its successor, the Magic 6 Pro. But this remains an excellent smartphone that’s worth considering, especially if you can find a big discount.
On display and battery life this phone can duke it out with the best, and the camera does enough to earn its place in that conversation too.
It’s strange that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset runs a little cold compared to some other devices with the same chipset, while the striking design certainly won’t win everyone over.
But for most people, those should be small drawbacks rather than dealbreakers. If that’s the case for you, don’t rule out the Magic 5 Pro.
Read our full Honor Magic 5 Pro review
6. Honor Magic Vs – Impressive foldable
Pros
- Great main camera
- Closes fully flat
- Comfortable to use when closed
Cons
- No water-resistance
- No wireless charging
- Unpolished software
The Magic Vs is Honor’s second-generation foldable. It’s a much more polished version than the first, though its successor (the Magic V2) is an improvement.
Nonetheless, there’s still a lot to like here. The hardware is slick, closing fully flat and packing a very powerful main rear camera.
You’ll have to live without water-proofing or wireless charging though, and Honor’s software still doesn’t make the most of the form factor.
Unless you can find a big discount, you’ll probably be better off elsewhere.
Read our full Honor Magic Vs review
7. Honor 70 – Good affordable handset
Pros
- Lovely design
- Strong camera performance
- Good battery life
- Curved OLED 120Hz screen
Cons
- Poor software update promise
- No waterproofing
The Honor 70 is an accomplished mid-range phone.
It features a thoughtful and attractive design, strong performance and good battery life, making it one of the better phones in this price range.
The cameras are also very good for the price, and the 120Hz OLED display is a joy to use.
However, several other mid-range phones offer slightly more for your money. And the real weakness is software, with a cluttered user experience and limited support with updates.
That doesn’t mean you should rule out the Honor 70, though it’s starting to show its age..
Read our full Honor 70 review
8. Honor Magic 5 Lite – Excellent design
Pros
- Beautiful, refined design
- Strong battery life
- Accurate OLED display
Cons
- Outdated chipset
- No bundled charger
- Mono speaker
The Magic 5 Lite is an affordable mid-ranger that excels most of all in how it looks, with a sleek, slender design that could belong to a phone at least twice its price.
Brilliant battery life helps the phone stand out too, though it’s let down a little by an older chipset, slow charging (with no charger in the box), and a camera that’s good but not great.
Still, if you want a phone that looks and feels like a flagship for a fraction of the cost, you could do an awful lot worse. The main issue you have now is that the newer Magic 6 Lite is pretty much the same price.
Read our full Honor Magic 5 Lite review
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Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.
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