Honor 8 Pro launch – specs, UK pricing
Honor has just released the Honor 8 Pro, the latest addition to the Honor 8 flagship series.
I have an Honor 8 Pro in my hands, and the company says that it has been designed to meet the ambitious and fast-paced lifestyles of today’s digital generation.
The new device has been built with gaming, streaming and photography in mind.
Screen and battery
To power its Quad HD screen and everything else, the Honor 8 Pro is packing a huge high-density 4.000 mAh battery.
This means, along with the latest SmartPower 5.0 technology, you can expect up to two full days of run-time from a single charge. 1.4 days for power users.
Even with that battery, the handset still has an ultra-thin 6.97mm body, making it one of the slimmest smartphones on the market.
The 5.7 inch screen is bright and the QHD resolution is impressive.
VR
Users can indulge in full HD VR journeys direct from the handset thanks to a brand new VR cardboard headset inside the smartphone box. Pre-installed onto the device, the Jaunt VR app brings 100s of premium, cinematic virtual reality experiences just a click away.
Chip set
The Honor 8 Pro utilises the latest chipset, the Kirin 960. This features eight processor cores (four high-performance Cortex A73 cores clocked at 2.4GHz and four low-power Cortex A53 cores clocked at 1.8 Ghz).
This setup improves single-core and multi-core performance by 10% and 18% respectively.
There’s also 6GB of RAM.
I was told that most phones drop to 50% performance over 2 years. The Honor 8 Pro is able to maintain 80% over the same time. This is achieved through a smart file system, which reduces file fragmentation.
Further power enhancements are harnessed with the Mali-G71 graphics chip. This supports cutting-edge Vulkan graphics and computes API and boosts graphic performance up to 400%.
Vulkan enabled GFX units relieve the CPU’s strain, which are normally experienced with OpenGL. This raises the device’s graphical and data processing capabilities.
The 8 Pro comes with 64 GB of internal storage and can be expanded via a microSD card by up to 128 GB.
Software
The new EMUI 5.1 system creates a smarter interface, learning from users’ behaviour and habits. This actually minimises lag and ensure applications and files load smoothly.
For example, if Facebook is consistently opened at around 8am every day, the system will load the app in the background in advance. This cuts down app load times significantly.
Camera
The Honor 8 Pro keeps the previous dual-lens 12-megapixel hardware but makes improvements through the software.
The two lenses still work in tandem. The monochrome lens captures a black-and-white image with incredible depth of detail, while the RGB lens ensures vivid colour reproduction.
The camera’s wide aperture range (f/0.95–f/16) delivers DSLR-like depth of field effects, for both photo and video shooting.
The device also supports shooting of 4k videos encoded in the efficient H.265 codec. This produces files half the size as its predecessor.
And EMUI 5.1 introduces Highlights, a new feature co-developed with GoPro.
Similar to Google Pictures, this intelligently organises photos by category and automatically generates video stories that are easily customisable. Honor’s system allows more transitions and the ability to add your own soundtrack.
The device also offers a wide range of editing tools to give photos and videos a professional edge.
George Zhao, President of Honor said
With the launch of the Honor 8 Pro we set out to push the boundaries on all fronts. The handset is the most impressive performing Honor smartphone to date, redefining the large-screen category by wrapping its outstanding features inside an ultra-thin minimalist design. The device is available at a market leading price: performance ratio, with Honor 8 Pro debuting in under £475.”
Wilkin Lee, Sales and Marketing Manager for Honor UK, added
We know that a big bugbear for smartphone users who live an always-on fast-paced life is often the battery of their device cutting out at a pivotal moment, whether they are reaching the climax of a film, on the verge of completing the top level of a game or capturing a winning shot on holiday. We’re a power reliant generation.
Honor 8 Pro price and availability
The Honor 8 Pro will be available in Navy Blue in the UK at launch, retailing at £474.99. Black and Gold options will appear later.
It can be pre-ordered today from Honor’s vMall.eu or purchased from Amazon from Thursday 20 April 2017.
Stay tuned for my hands-on first impressions.
Honor 8 Pro key specifications
5.7 inch, 2560 x 1440 Quad HD display, 515 ppi
Kirin 960 octa-core (4x 2.4 GHz + 4x 1.8 GHz)
6 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM
Android 7 (Nougat)
EMUI 5.1
12 MP + 12 MP dual-lens camera
USB-OTG
184 grams
