First unveiled as the honor V9 back in February this year – the global variant was introduced in Europe two months later – the honor 8 Pro is now available in Malaysia. With a sub-RM2,000 price tag and flagship-tier hardware, the 8 Pro is quite a compelling high-end smartphone. In some ways, it’s almost like a much more affordable Huawei P10 Plus.
Of course, the honor 8 Pro can’t quite match the P10 Plus in several areas – photography, for one – but considering the fact that it costs RM1,100 less, the 8 Pro’s sheer value for money gives it an edge.
Much like the P10 Plus, the honor 8 Pro is also powered by a HiSilicon Kirin 960 processor paired with 6GB of RAM; it features a 1440p display too, although it’s a slightly bigger 5.7-inch panel. Other specifications of the honor 8 Pro include 64GB of internal storage, a sizeable 4,000mAh battery, as well as EMUI 5.1 based on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box.
In the camera department, the honor 8 Pro shares the same dual-camera system as the honor 8. The two rear cameras are made up of a 12MP monochrome sensor and a 12MP RGB sensor. As for the front-facing camera, it’s an 8MP snapper.
Evidently, the honor 8 Pro is a well-equipped flagship smartphone, and it’s well-designed too. Sure, it loses the honor 8’s very eye-catching Aurora Glass back for an all-metal chassis, but it’s still quite a looker. The back panel’s matte finish gives it a premium look and feel.
Build quality and ergonomics of the honor 8 Pro are good as well. Weighing 184g, this phone has a nice heft to it, and it feels really solid. Thanks to its more durable metal build, I imagine the 8 Pro won’t be quite as fragile as the honor 8; the latter’s glass back is more prone to shatter in the event of a drop.
While the honor 8 Pro is a comfortable device to hold, the rear fingerprint sensor’s placement could have been better. Holding the phone naturally, I actually have to reach up slightly to place my index finger on the sensor. In contrast, my index finger would rest naturally on the sensor with the honor 8. Then again, it’s worth noting that the 8 Pro is a much larger device.
Powered by a Kirin 960 processor, the honor 8 Pro is a very fast and zippy smartphone. After all, this is the same processor powering the Huawei Mate 9 and P10 devices, so there’s no denying the performance level of the 8 Pro.
Camera performance of the honor 8 Pro, on the other hand, looks to be quite promising. Although the camera’s autofocus speeds aren’t the quickest, there’s only a slight shutter delay in between shots. Under ideal lighting, the 8 Pro can definitely take some good-looking shots, which isn’t a surprise: it’s a similar dual-camera setup as the honor 8. Of course, it’ll be more interesting to see how the camera would fare in low light conditions.
The honor 8 Pro can be seen as a sort of amalgamation between the honor 8 and Huawei P10 Plus. It has the honor 8’s design language and dual-camera system, along with the same processor, display resolution and RAM as the P10 Plus, all crammed in a solid, all-metal chassis.
Coupled with a RM1,999 price tag, the honor 8 Pro is really quite an interesting budget-oriented flagship smartphone in the market. However, if you’re looking for a smaller, more capable shooter than the 8 Pro, it may be worth holding out for the honor 9 – it’s arguably honor’s most refined device yet.
