George Zhao, President of Honor, addresses a crowd at the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco supporting and launching the new impressive flagship Honor 8 smartphone in the U.S. aimed at millennials.  Photo by Marcus Siu

Article by Marcus Siu

Just when you thought it was safe to assume Apple and Samsung were the only two serious smartphones worth considering on the market, comes yet another viable challenger, the Honor 8, made by Huawei.  This may be the favored choice for millennials who are looking for something different in a phone rather than just another product line upgrade of their previous phone.

Though Huawei is not quite yet a household name in the United States market just yet, they have dominated China’s millennials, along with much of Western Europe, and are a major player everywhere else in the world.  In fact, they are listed as the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the world.   It is only a matter of time before America discovers them, especially after launching their flagship smartphone next month.

Honor has taken smartphone photography at a new and a completely different level with its dual lens with its monochrome and RGB sensors for vivid colors giving its images far sharper detail, amazing dynamic range, and also being able to capture three times more color compared with your typical single lens. Being an avid photographer, it was eye opening to discover a smartphone with a 12 MP dual lens camera that is standard with the Honor 8. With the clarity and brilliance coming from their photographic and video images that were projected at their product launch in San Francisco, along with the test photos that I had taken after the presentation, it’s as though the camera has been reinvented into the shape of a smartphone.  I haven’t been excited about a smartphone camera until now.

One versatile feature that I’ve never seen on any other smartphone or camera is its ability to focus on any subject before taking a picture and after the picture is taken.  Yes, you heard me right…after the picture is taken.  How many times have you had your camera set on automatic focus and later found out that the camera was focused on the wrong person or object?  You can easily fix this by displaying the picture on the camera after your shot and tapping on the desired subject on the screen, which refocuses the image.  It also can change the aperture around the subject and blur everything else around it, if desired.  It has a professional mode where the aperture can be as low as.95.

It even has an 8MP front facing camera for the “selfies” crowd, and takes great pictures, even in low light.

An impressive feat, considering that it’s only $399 for the 32 GB phone.  I would pay that amount of money just for the camera alone, considering the sleek and stylish compact size and of course, the quality of the lens.

Of course, this sleek looking gadget is not just a highly advanced modern camera, but it’s their flagship smartphone with more bells and whistles you can imagine. It has a dual side glass surface surrounded by a diamond cut alloy frame, along with a 15-layer etched design, allowing light to reflect in a unique aurora-like pattern, making it look like light shows are built right onto the surface.  It’s just plain gorgeous and a sight to behold.

It runs on Android 6.0 and Huawei’s Emotion UI 4.1, and is powered by a 16 nanometer Kirin 950 chip reducing power consumption while increasing processing power, with 4 GB of LPDDRA RAM, and has expandable memory support up to 128 GB.

Along with being able to order these online on August 27th, you’ll also be able to hold one of these in your hands at your local Best Buy next month…

HiHonor.com/us/

The following is from their press release.

SAN FRANCISCO, AUGUST 16, 2016 – Honor, a global smartphone manufacturer, has introduced its latest model for the U.S. market. The Honor 8 Android™ smartphone combines industry-leading technology with a breakthrough design that truly stands out from the crowd. It’s the first flagship device that Honor brings to the U.S. market.

Since its founding two years ago, Honor has experienced extraordinary growth by focusing on the online market and giving digital natives the types of devices that fit their lifestyle. Featuring high-quality construction, inspired design and next-generation technology, Honor smartphones are enjoyed by mobile enthusiasts around the globe. With Honor 8, the brand sets a new standard for what U.S. consumers can expect in an unlocked device.

“Honor 8 perfectly represents the evolution of our overall product view,” said George Zhao, president of Honor.  “It goes against established industry norms and market conventions with a higher aesthetic standard. At the same time, it balances looks with the smarts, speed, and connectivity that today’s millennial consumers demand. Honor 8 reflects our understanding of and commitment to their needs and goals.”

Amazing Picture Quality

A powerful 12MP dual-lens camera is like eyes focused on the world around you. With one RGB and one monochrome sensor, the Honor 8 captures more light to deliver amazing picture quality, vivid color, and stunning details in daylight or nighttime.  The benefit of the RGB sensors is vivid, crisper color, while the monochrome sensor reproduces sharper pictures in more detail.

Its hybrid auto-focus captures every moment by taking advantage of laser, contrast, and depth focus to deliver greater speed and accuracy. Exciting new photography modes as well as manual operation capability make the Honor 8 perfect for aspiring photographers.  Plus, selfie fans will enjoy its 8MP wide-angle front-facing camera that works well even in low-light.

Sleek, Elegant Appearance

The Honor 8 features a double-sided glass design that results in a sleek, elegant appearance. Beneath it, a 15-layerprocess is applied with precise craftsmanship to create a unique light-reflecting aurora effect. Compact and artfully curved, the Honor 8 smartphone combines perfect dimensions with a stylish finish for a balanced, comfortable-to-hold mobile device.

Convenient, Smart Fingerprint Access…Instantly

Honor’s dual-purpose fingerprint scanner technology provides instant, secure access to your device.  The 3D fingerprint scanner can unlock some of the phone’s most popular functions such as taking pictures, answering calls, or turning off an alarm.

Press the smart key on the back of the phone to access more customizable features, for example: Click to capture a screenshot, double-click for the flashlight, or long press to launch your favorite applications—you can even personalize them yourself. Building on Honor’s commitment to security, fingerprint data is encrypted and stored only on the device.

Power to Last and Then Some More

Honor 8 is built to keep up with demands for fast, powerful, and always connected devices. Powered by a GHz octa-core CPU with a 3000 mAh battery and Huawei’s proprietary power saving technologies, users can be confident there will always be power to accommodate their busy life. And if the battery gets low, industry-leading fast-charge technology will recharge the batteries by up to 50% in about 30 minutes.

Peace of Mind –Honor’s PROMISE

Honor is focused on the needs of digital natives, and that includes its customer service. Honor is committed to the quality of every product it manufacturers and each device goes through a rigorous internal testing process before reaching consumers.

Purchasers of the new Honor 8 may register the device on HiHonor.com/us/to qualify for a one-time repair of any accidental screen or back-cover glass damage during the three-month coverage period. This coverage is in addition to the existing 12-month limited warranty that comes with all Honor smartphones.

More Good Stuff

With its 16 nanometer FinFET Kirin 950 chip and four gigabytes of LPDDR4 RAM, Honor 8 offers smooth and seamless multitasking and gaming experiences. The i5 intelligent co-processor manages the sensors inside the phone efficiently with the Kirin 950 SoC chipset to provide increased processing speeds, response times, and extended battery life. Running Android 6.0 on EMUI 4.1, Honor 8offers the perfect user experience.

Measuring in at 5.7” x 2.8” x 0.3” and weighing just 5.3ounces (including battery), the Honor 8 smartphone is a slim, powerful package that also features a5.2 inch LTPS multiple-point touch-sensitive screen with 1920 x 1080 HD resolution, for rich, bright colors. For more detailed information, visit HiHonor.com/us/.

Availability:

In the United States, the Honor 8 Android smartphone will be available in Sapphire Blue, Pearl White, and Midnight Black. MSRPs begin at $399.99 for the 32GB mode land $449.99 for the 64GB model.

Pre-ordering will begin August 17 through September 3 at the following retailers: Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo Video, and Newegg as well as on HiHonor.com/us/.

For the first 60 days, Best Buy will offer the Sapphire Blue edition exclusively.

Customers pre-ordering Honor 8 will also receive a $50 gift card from participating retailers.