TECH/REVIEW | How the HONOR 400 5G brings photos back to life

Last year, we got the honor of reviewing the HONOR 200, dubbed the AI Portrait Master. Now, in 2025, one question remains: how can HONOR top it? The answer: they multiplied it by two. Meet the HONOR 400 5G, your new AI phone and the latest offering from HONOR’s number series.

Though not a flagship, the brand ensured that the phone remains packed with the latest AI features that make it feel flagship. Packing a 200MP ultra-clear AI main camera—a huge jump from the 200’s 50MP last year— tells you everything you can anticipate for the HONOR 400 5G.

Camera

First things first, let’s talk about the main event, its cameras. The HONOR 400 5G sports a 200 MP ultra-clear camera that can bring back photos to life—it’s an AI phone after all. It also features a 12 MP ultra-wide and Macro camera with a 50 MP front camera in the front.

Building on the foundation laid by the HONOR 200, it delivers a great smartphone photography experience. Whether it’s natural light or low light, this phone performs well with the added convenience of amping it even more with AI. It still even has the loved Harcourt portrait modes that give your photos a studio-like look.

Integrating AI from the moment you open the camera app, the brand has integrated AI HONOR Image Engine, powering the phone’s overall photography experience. Features like AI Super Zoom, which allows the phone to deliver exceptional zoom shots up to 15x and 30x; AI Portrait Snap, allowing the phone to capture professional-looking portrait photos with crisp detail and clarity; and HD Moving photo, which also captures a three-second moment when you took the photo.

As expected, the overall camera experience was great. It’s a great camera phone, something you could always trust and pull out for quick shots and storing memories. Now with the integration of AI, you can even expect a more optimized and cutting-edge experience—able to provide professional-looking shots straight out of your pocket.

AI Features

Being dubbed a style AI phone, we have to talk about the HONOR 400 5G’s AI features that truly make it stand out in the midrange market.

AI Erase, AI Erase Passer-By, and AI Remove Reflection

Do you hate photobombers, or maybe you’re just a sucker for clean backgrounds. If so, the AI Erase and AI Erase Passer-by are the AI features for you. I recently stumbled across a Gundam convention and wanted to take photos at the event. Unfortunately, there were a lot of people passing by, making my photos look cluttered. Thank heavens, I got the HONOR 400 5G with me, allowing me to erase photobombers in just a matter of a few clicks and a solid internet connection.

AI Remove reflection is another fun feature for those photos taken from outside a window wall. Reflections? Never heard of her thanks to the AI Remove Reflection feature in the HONOR 400 5G.

AI Upscale, AI Outpainting, AI Cutout

Do you want to bring your own twist to a photo, or maybe you just want to bring an old photo back to life? Never fret, the HONOR 400 5G has an AI Upscale feature that turns an old or low-quality photo looking fresh and sharp. Just check out how the HONOR 400 5G freshened up my old childhood photo from years ago!

And just in case you took a photo too close, the AI Outpainting feature expands your photos to your taste. The best thing about this, it’s pretty much seamless—a testament to how smart HONOR AI is.

Moreover, the AI Cutout feature allows you to cut out a subject from your photo and move its location anywhere on the photo. What I like about this feature is how it also seamlessly fills the space the cutout leaves, leaving no trace that your photo has been edited.

AI Image to Video

Now, speaking of bringing photos back to life, you’ve probably seen a lot of those “I’m just a kid” challenge floating around your Facebook timeline. Where it shows a recent photo of a person transitioning into a photo of them from their childhood, some even moving. How they did this? The HONOR 400 5G has an idea: through AI Image to video, of course.

A feature that turns your precious photos into moving moments through AI.

Storage and Processor

But it sure ain’t just about cameras, the HONOR 400 5G runs on the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chipset that offers a next-level user experience. In a nutshell, the HONOR 400 5G feels overall smooth. The phone feels ideal for multitasking and can handle running multiple apps simultaneously.

It even runs on the MagicOS 9.0, which, as you’d expect, feels even more customizable now with more customizable widgets and more.

For gaming, the phone performs competitively; it has no problem running the usual MOBA games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Call of Duty Mobile even at high graphics settings. It can also run open-world games such as Genshin Impact, albeit in its default or lower graphics settings.

Nonetheless, the phone feels smooth and fast overall, especially if you intend to use it for work or even at school. You get 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which ensures the phone has got your back for whichever task you want it to do.

The massive storage also gives you ample amount of storage for memories or work-related matters and documents.

Battery

More on its power, the HONOR 400 5G sports a massive 6000mAh silicon-carbon battery providing a durable and long-lasting experience.

According to HONOR labs, the HONOR 400 5G, on full charge, can give you up to 15 to 17 hours of online video streaming and 31 to 34 hours of phone calls—ideal for users who are always on the go.

Get access to AI-powered performance with OPPO A5 Pro 5G

As a person in the media industry, I know firsthand how important it is to have my phone ready at all times. This is why I highly appreciate that the HONOR 400 5G also comes with an 80W wired HONOR Supercharge. This allows the device to charge up to 44% in just 15 minutes of being plugged in.

This allows me to never miss out and be on top of everything I need to do anytime and anywhere. Yes, the HONOR 400 5G’s battery might run out, but I’m at peace knowing that my phone can charge in no time—even as fast as 46 minutes to fully charge.

Build and Display

Pairing its flat design with an iconic multi-angle layout, the HONOR 400 5G is a standout in redefining fashion and performance. Available in two colorways—Midnight Black and Dessert Gold—the HONOR 400 5G looks sleek and stylish from any angle.

Weighing only 184g, the phone feels light and comfortable to hold with a slim profile of 7.33mm. And don’t worry, it’s not just about power; it’s also durable, boasting an IP66 water and dust resistance rating, along with an SGS 5-star drop resistance rating, which ensures it can withstand life’s highs and lows.

Now, one thing that remained consistent—if not better— from HONOR’s number series is its captivating display. The HONOR 400 5G sports a 6.55-inch OLED display that can reach up to a 120Hz refresh rate.

Coming with HONOR’s Eye Comfort Display technology, the display on the HONOR 400 5G delivers an excellent viewing experience. It is immersive and vibrant, capable of showing the full potential of whatever show or application you’re viewing.

With a peak brightness of 5000 nits, you’ll have no trouble seeing your screen outdoors, perfect for when you need to work outdoors or when you’re job requires you to be outside a lot. It’s a really solid display coming from a mud-range device, one that feels smooth and captivating whenever you use it.

Overall Thoughts

After HONOR 200’s success, it’s HONOR’s job to make sure the next iteration from their number lineup matches it. The HONOR 400 5G is a competitive midrange device, perfect for people looking for an exceptional smartphone experience with a focus on photography.

I had a lot of fun trying out its cameras and discovering those tiny details that made it stand out from the rest. I am also impressed with how much AI the brand has been able to integrate within the HONRO 400 5G—making the overall experience feel more advanced and even more convenient.

This is especially more felt and utilized in photos, even allowing its users to #BringPhotosToLife literally! It is a solid option and a device worthy of checking out if you’re in the market for a great AI midrange phone.