After PopPulse reviewed the HONOR 400 Lite, we thought we had seen the peak of what HONOR could do for creators on the go. Then they sent us the HONOR 400 Pro for two weeks, and it quickly became clear: this isn’t just a step up, it’s a whole new level.
That said, let’s be upfront, this is a phone packed with AI features. If that’s not your vibe, it might not feel like the right fit. But for content creators, the Pro’s mix of power and smart tools is hard to ignore.
Cameras That Do the Most (in a Good Way)
The HONOR 400 Pro’s 200MP main camera is the showstopper. In simple terms, the higher the megapixel count, the more detail your photos can capture, and 200MP is massive. This means you can crop into an image or zoom in and still keep things sharp.
For us, this translated into crystal-clear close-ups of red carpet looks and guest reactions during event coverage. We didn’t need to rely on heavy gear, the phone handled it on its own.
Backing up the main lens are 50MP and 12MP cameras, which allow for wide-angle shots and portrait modes. Switching between capturing the scale of a venue and a tight interview frame was smooth and natural. Even the front camera impressed: with its AI processing, selfies and vlogs came out balanced in tone and light, cutting down on how much post-editing we needed.
A Display That Shines
The Pro comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display that can hit up to 5000 nits of peak brightness. To put that simply, brightness (measured in nits) determines how easily you can see your screen in bright conditions and 5000 is very high.
In practice, this meant we could film and edit outdoors in direct Jozi sunlight without squinting or second-guessing colors. Add the 120Hz refresh rate, which makes scrolling and video playback super smooth, and it becomes a screen designed for people who live on visuals.
On top of that, HONOR includes flicker-free dimming technology, which reduces eye strain during long use. For us, this made late-night script edits or content reviews more comfortable.
Built Tough for the Grind
Phones don’t live in labs, they live in bags, pockets, and sometimes messy event spaces. That’s why durability matters. The HONOR 400 Pro carries IP68 and IP69 ratings, meaning it’s resistant to dust, splashes, and even submersion in water for short periods.
We’re not saying we dunked it in a pool, but it held up in unpredictable environments, like filming under light rain or handling it with damp hands. It gives that peace of mind that the phone won’t give up before you do.
Battery That Doesn’t Break a Sweat
At 5300mAh, the battery here is big. Bigger battery = longer life between charges, and the Pro delivers on that. On our heaviest coverage day, recording video, editing clips, and posting across socials, it lasted from morning to night.
When it did need juice, the 100W wired SuperCharge and 50W wireless charging were game-changers. We went from almost dead to usable in about 20 minutes, and a full top-up took under an hour. For content creators constantly on the move, that kind of turnaround keeps the workflow uninterrupted.
AI That Pulls Its Weight
The HONOR 400 Pro leans into AI more than most phones. Here’s what that means in plain terms: the phone uses built-in intelligence to make tasks faster and simpler, whether that’s shooting, editing, or organising.
- AI Motion Capture: It detects movement and snaps photos at the perfect split-second, making action shots crisp instead of blurry.
- AI Editing Tools: Features like AI Eraser remove unwanted objects from the background, while others help with creative framing.
- Google Gemini Integration: An AI assistant preloaded on the phone. We used it to script interview questions, summarise notes, and even brainstorm captions on the spot.
For us at PopPulse, these features didn’t just feel like tech gimmicks, they actually saved time on editing and planning.
Final Thoughts
The HONOR 400 Pro feels built for creators who live fast and need their tech to keep up. With a massive camera upgrade, ultra-bright display, long battery life, and AI tools that genuinely lighten the workload, it naturally slots into the PopPulse workflow.
It may not be for everyone, especially if you’re not keen on AI-heavy features, but for content creators, it’s a reliable, powerful tool that makes content days smoother and output sharper.