Honor 400 Pro Review: Between a mid-range and flagship

Honor 400 Pro design and build quality

The Honor 400 Pro comes with a comprehensive range of accessories: A charging cable, pre-installed screen protector, a protective case, and SIM tool were included in the package, although the power adapter was conspicuously missing. In terms of color, the selection remains conservative with black and gray, although a little more courage to use color accents would be desirable. Nevertheless, the review unit in grey impressed us with its elegant and high-quality exterior. The matte back effectively reduced fingerprints, and the matte metal frame with subtly rounded corners was comfortable to hold in one's hand. The device also features the IP68 standard and is therefore protected against dust and water.

Honor 400 Pro display

Just like the back, the display is also slightly curved at all four edges. However, the curvature ends exactly where the actual screen begins. This design ensures a slim feel and a pleasant grip without compromising the image quality.

Featuring a pixel count of 1,224 x 2,700, Honor's display exceeds the classic Full HD resolution. The resolution is a good compromise between high image sharpness without draining the battery unnecessarily. Honor relies on AMOLED technology for the panel with correspondingly vibrant colors, high contrasts, and good viewing angles. The 120 hertz refresh rate ensures a smooth display, but this is now par for the course in this price range.

The extremely high peak brightness of 5,000 nits should never be taken for granted at this price point. However, this is only on paper; in everyday use, there is no difference compared to other flagship models such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra (review) with 2,400 nits. Both devices were easy to read in direct sunlight. One positive aspect in everyday life is the automatic brightness adjustment, which reliably reacted to changing light conditions. Regardless of whether it is dark or under the bright sun, the device adjusts the display brightness so precisely that manual readjustment is hardly necessary.

Honor 400 Pro software

The Honor 400 Pro comes with Android 15 and the latest security update. The system is complemented by Honor's own MagicOS 9 user interface, which offers a wide range of customization options. In addition to the visual design, numerous settings can be customized here. Additional functions that go beyond what the standard Android offers were also integrated — including the multi-window dock, making it easier to use two apps simultaneously.

As with many other smartphones, there were also a number of pre-installed third-party apps, including Facebook and WPS Office. These so-called bloatware applications are a way for manufacturers to reduce the device cost. However, as most apps can be easily uninstalled, this aspect is of little importance.

Update supply & long-term support

Honor promises to deliver a six-year update guarantee for the 400 Pro, which includes both major Android versions and security updates. Experience from the past year showed the manufacturer delivered its promised updates regularly and quickly. Although the update duration is one year shorter than the more expensive Honor Magic7 Pro, six years should be more than adequate for most users.

Processor & connectivity: Differences between flagships

The clearest difference compared to more expensive flagships would be the processor. While many top smartphones currently use the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, Honor uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which is one year older, in the 400 Pro. This saves the manufacturer considerable cost, as the current high-end chip costs close to $200 based on unofficial figures.

In reality, however, this hardware difference is negligible. Although the newer chip offers around a third more performance, this has no noticeable effect on everyday applications. Last year's generation was already powerful enough to handle everyday tasks without any lag. There were also no serious limitations when it comes to software support: Honor promises six years of Android and security updates for the 400 Pro — one year less than the manufacturer's significantly more expensive top model, but more than enough for most users.

Diverse wireless interfaces & a fingerprint sensor

The Honor 400 Pro is equipped with modern wireless standards. Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC for contactless payments, and even an infrared port for controlling analog devices are included. The smartphone, therefore, offers a wide range of connectivity options that do not differ significantly from much more expensive flagships.

There is a small difference to the Honor Magic7 Pro in the fingerprint sensor. Instead of an ultrasonic sensor, Honor relies on an optical model, which is slightly slower and does not work reliably with wet fingers, but still delivers solid performance in everyday use. Other manufacturers, including Google, rely on optical sensors even in their premium models, so this minor detail is hardly a disadvantage.

Honor 400 Pro camera

With the 400 Pro, Honor relies on a powerful camera configuration combined with a range of AI-supported functions. First, let's take a look at the hardware:

Compared to the Honor Magic7 Pro, the Honor 400 Pro makes do without the variable aperture of the main camera and relies on simpler features for the ultra wide-angle camera. Nevertheless, the device offers solid performance for its price. The test showed the camera delivered sharp images reliably even with fast-moving subjects. The telephoto camera also produced sharp photos. However, the color balance left a little to be desired.

AI support & digital editing

All the AI functions that the Honor 400 Pro offers when taking photos are exciting to check out. One of these is the AI zoom. Users can digitally zoom up to 50x, with AI support being enabled at a certain level. The photo is analyzed and optimized in an AI-supported version based on available data.

Images can also be further processed using AI after they have been taken. The software makes it possible to subsequently remove distracting elements, reduce blurring, change the background, or even touch up missing areas in the image. These functions further expand the creative possibilities when taking photos.

Battery life & charging speed

The Honor 400 Pro sports a 5,300 mAh battery in Europe, which is slightly more than the usual 5,000 mAh for this smartphone size. Globally, the smartphone is even available with a 6,000 mAh battery. The higher capacity is made possible by silicon-carbon technology, which, in contrast to conventional lithium-ion batteries, allows a higher energy density with the same battery size. In everyday use, this was reflected in a convincing battery life: in the benchmark test, the device lasted 15 hours and 36 minutes, and even with intensive use, one full charge was easily enough for a long day. As expected, the runtime only decreased noticeably when the AI functions were used excessively, which placed a heavy demand on the processor.

Charging power & power supply issue

The device supports a charging capacity of up to 100 watts, but only with the appropriate Honor power adapter, which is not included in the packaging. In the review, a standard 240-watt PD power supply was used instead, where the smartphone did not achieve the promised charging speed. A full charge took around 85 minutes. According to the manufacturer, the official power supply should bring the battery back to 50 percent from zero within 15 minutes, a significant saving of time that users can only achieve with the official and separately available power adapter.