HONOR 400 Pro – Pro is an understatement

There is no question that the HONOR 400 Pro is an impressive contender in the sea of “PRO” smartphone cameras. What sets the HONOR 400 Pro apart is its “Pro” moniker, which isn’t just marketing jargon—it’s backed by a camera system that delivers professional-grade results without the bulk of dedicated gear.

From stunning landscapes to polished portraits, this phone’s imaging capabilities make it a worthy tool for creators and casual users alike. In this first impressions article, I’ll dive deep into how its camera features elevate it to pro status, drawing from my hands-on time during a recent trip across North America. Special thanks to our friends at HONOR Philippines for trusting us with a review unit of the phone, and and take it with me for my previous trip.

To set the stage, let’s quickly recap the HONOR 400 Pro’s key specifications. This device packs a punch in a sleek package, blending high-end hardware with thoughtful software integrations.

These specs form the foundation of a phone that’s built for performance, but it’s the camera array—led by that massive 200MP main sensor—that truly shines. The inclusion of optical image stabilization on both the main and telephoto lenses, combined with a versatile ultrawide option, positions it as a pro-level shooter capable of tackling diverse scenarios.

As mentioned earlier, my experience with the HONOR 400 Pro kicked off through an exciting collaboration with HONOR Philippines. I was more than thrilled when they provided an early unit for testing during my previous trip abroad. The goal was simple: take the phone on a real-world adventure and see how it performs in varied environments, far from the controlled settings of a review lab.

I packed light in terms of production equipment, leaving behind any bulky cameras, and relied on the HONOR 400 Pro to document my journey through Los Angeles, San Francisco, and parts of Alberta, Canada, including Calgary as a gateway. This hands-on approach allowed me to evaluate its camera in dynamic conditions, from bustling city streets to serene natural landscapes. The collaboration highlighted HONOR’s commitment to empowering users in the Philippines with relevant tech, and it gave me a firsthand look at how the phone’s features translate to everyday creativity.

Los Angeles and San Diego

Throughout the trip, I visited several iconic locations, each serving as a perfect testing ground for the HONOR 400 Pro’s camera prowess. Starting in Los Angeles, the overlook at Palos Verdes offered breathtaking views that begged for portrait and landscape shots. The phone’s 200MP main sensor captured intricate details in the rolling hills and distant ocean, with the 3x optical zoom on the 50MP telephoto lens pulling in far-off elements without losing sharpness. Portraits came out vibrant, thanks to the AI-driven depth mapping that blurred backgrounds naturally, making subjects pop against the scenic backdrop.

Still in Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach was next, where I snapped a mix of portraits and landscapes. The ultrawide lens excelled here, encompassing the wide sandy shores and crashing waves in a single frame, while portrait mode handled group shots with impressive bokeh effects. What really stood out was the AI Erase feature—it effortlessly removed distracting photobombers like stray tourists or litter from the scene, tidying up compositions in post without needing external editing apps. This tool turned potentially cluttered beach photos into clean, professional-looking images, saving me time and enhancing the overall quality.

The Korean Friendship Bell in Los Angeles provided another highlight, where I experimented with standard photos, portraits, landscapes, and HDR modes. The bell’s intricate details were rendered sharply by the main camera, and HDR kicked in seamlessly to balance the bright skies against shadowed architecture, preventing overexposure. Portraits of friends against this cultural landmark benefited from the front-facing 50MP sensor, which delivered selfies with natural skin tones and fine details, even in varying light.

I also dropped by San Diego, California where I got to visit Balboa Park, Cabrillo National Monument, and Point Loma, to name a few. This allowed me to further test its cameras in various settings and conditions.

San Francisco and Napa

Moving north to San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge was a must-capture spot for portraits, landscapes, and HDR shots. The phone’s HDR capabilities shone here, merging exposures to handle the bridge’s red hues against foggy backdrops without washing out colors. Landscape mode with the ultrawide lens captured the bridge’s full span, while the telephoto zoom allowed close-ups of structural details from afar, all stabilized for handheld clarity.

Alberta, Canada

Venturing into Alberta, the Columbia Icefield tested the camera in colder, more rugged terrain with photos, portraits, landscapes, and HDR. The 200MP sensor preserved the icy textures and vast glacial expanses, and HDR managed the high-contrast scenes of bright snow against dark rocks. Portraits in this remote setting came out crisp, with the phone’s OIS ensuring steady shots despite windy conditions.

Alberta’s Peyto Lake was a turquoise gem that the HONOR 400 Pro rendered beautifully in landscape mode, capturing the vibrant water and surrounding peaks with accurate colors and minimal distortion on the ultrawide. Similarly, Moraine Lake’s stunning blue hues and mountain reflections were immortalized through detailed landscapes, where the AI enhancements boosted saturation just enough to make the shots pop without looking artificial. Finally, Lake Louise (noted as Loise Lake in my notes, but a classic spot) provided serene waterside portraits and landscapes, with the phone’s depth sensor adding a professional blur to foreground elements, enhancing the sense of depth in every frame.

Our First Impressions

Now, about my impressions of the HONOR 400 Pro’s camera, it’s impressive, to say the least. I deliberately left my DSLR and micro four-thirds camera at home for this trip, betting that the phone would suffice for documenting my travels—and it more than delivered. There were zero regrets; in fact, the experience exceeded my expectations, turning what could have been a compromise into a seamless creative workflow.

The 200MP main sensor, paired with OIS, consistently produced sharp, detailed images across all locations, from the urban sprawl of Los Angeles to Alberta’s pristine lakes. What elevated it to “Pro” status was the suite of AI features integrated into MagicOS 9. For instance, the AI Erase tool at Manhattan Beach was a game-changer, intelligently removing unwanted elements like passersby or debris with precision that felt almost magical—far surpassing similar features on competitors. This collaboration between HONOR’s engineering and Google’s AI backbone allows for edits that are quick and natural, often better than what I’ve seen on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which can sometimes overprocess or leave artifacts.

The telephoto lens’s 3x zoom brought distant details into focus at Palos Verdes and Peyto Lake, while the ultrawide handled expansive views at Moraine Lake and Lake Louise with minimal barrel distortion. Even in low-light scenarios, such as evening shots at Manhattan Beach, the night mode pulled out impressive clarity and reduced noise, making the phone a reliable all-day shooter. Overall, these features not only met but surpassed my needs, proving the HONOR 400 Pro earns its “Pro” label by democratizing high-end photography in a pocketable form.

Excitingly, the HONOR 400 Pro is coming to the Philippines on August 2, making it accessible for local users in the Philippines who want flagship-level cameras without breaking the bank. This launch aligns perfectly with the growing demand for versatile smartphones in our market.

For a deeper dive, check out our full review coming this week, where we’ll explore performance benchmarks, battery tests, and more beyond these initial impressions.

Giancarlo Viterbo

Founder, Chief Editor, and Sales Lead at Gadget Pilipinas | Website

Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of gadgetpilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.