Honor 200 Pro: 5 Drawbacks You Must Know Before Buying

I’ve been daily-driving the Honor 200 Pro for over two months now. I really wanted to love it – the design is sleek, the cameras promise flagship-level portraits. But after putting it through real-world use, I’ve found a handful of frustrating flaws that make me hesitate to recommend it. If you’re on the fence, here’s what I wish someone had told me before I bought it.

1. Performance Throttling Under Load

The Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 Isn't a True Flagship Chip

Let’s get the elephant out of the room: the Honor 200 Pro uses a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, not the full-fat 8 Gen 3. In benchmarks, it scores close to last year’s 8 Gen 2, but in sustained use – especially gaming – it throttles hard. I played Genshin Impact at max settings for 20 minutes. Frame rates started at 55 fps, but by minute 10, they dropped to 35-40 and stayed there. The phone got uncomfortably hot near the camera bump. It’s not unusable, but if you’re a heavy gamer, this is not the phone for you. Competitors like the Xiaomi 14 (with real 8 Gen 3) handle the same game at nearly 60 fps consistently.

Real-World Gaming and Multitasking Issues

Even switching between apps feels sluggish sometimes. I’ll have 6-7 Chrome tabs open, then jump to Instagram – and there’s a 1-2 second hesitation before the app responds. It’s not a deal-breaker, but for a phone in this price bracket, I expect smoother multitasking. The 12GB RAM should be plenty, but the software optimization seems off. I noticed similar lag when using the camera and then quickly trying to open the gallery. The processor just can’t keep up.

2. Display: PWM Flickering and Brightness Concerns

Low-Frequency PWM and Eye Strain

The OLED panel is beautiful – vibrant colors, deep blacks. But after a week of use, my eyes started feeling tired. I measured the PWM frequency using an oscilloscope app (not perfect but indicative); the Honor 200 Pro uses a modulation frequency around 480Hz. That's lower than many rivals like the OnePlus 12 (2160Hz) or the Xiaomi 14 (1920Hz). I’m sensitive to flicker, so I noticed it especially when using the phone at low brightness in the dark. Headaches after 30 minutes reading became routine. If you’re prone to eye strain, this could be a real problem.

Peak Brightness Below Rivals

Outdoors under direct sunlight, the screen is readable but not impressive. The claimed peak is 2600 nits, but in HDR content I rarely saw it get that bright. In practical use, the OnePlus 12’s screen felt noticeably brighter and less reflective. I often had to cup my hand over the screen to see notifications. It’s fine for indoor use, but if you spend a lot of time outside, this is a letdown.

3. Camera: Inconsistent Processing and Shutter Lag

Portrait Mode Overprocessing

Honor marketed this as a portrait king with its 50MP telephoto lens. Out of the box, portrait mode does produce nice edge detection. But the skin smoothing is aggressive – I’m in my 30s, and it made me look like a blurry wax figure. There’s no slider to tone it down. The “Studio Harcourt” partnership? The colours are too warm, almost yellowish. I took the same portrait with a Pixel 8a, and the Pixel’s natural look was miles better. I had to switch to a third-party camera app to get decent selfies.

Video Stabilization Shortfalls

Video recording at 4K 60fps is very shaky. The electronic stabilization kicks in but crops the frame heavily, and walking still gives you jello-wobble effects. My friend’s iPhone 15 Pro with no special gimbal recorded smoother footage while we were hiking. I tried the Cinema mode – it’s a gimmick, the focus transitions are jerky. Overall, if video is your thing, skip the Honor.

4. Build Quality: Plastic Frame

Plastic Mid-Frame vs Glass Sandwich Rivals

I’ll be honest: the first thing I noticed when I picked up the Honor 200 Pro was the plastic frame. At this price – around $700 – most phones have aluminum or even titanium. The plastic flexes slightly when you press the sides, and after a few weeks, I got a tiny scratch on the frame from just carrying it in my jeans pocket. It feels cheap, especially compared to the smooth glass back. The phone is light (196g), but it doesn’t feel premium. I’d trade that weight for a metal build any day.

No Official IP68 Rating

Another corner cut: only IP54 (dust and splash resistant). My older OnePlus 7T had IP68. I’m always nervous using the Honor near a pool or in light rain. Most competitors at this price (like the Oppo Find X7 or Xiaomi 14) offer IP68. It’s a missed step for an otherwise modern device.

5. Software: Bloatware and Update Policy

Pre-Installed Apps and Ads

Out of the box, MagicOS 8 comes with a bunch of unnecessary apps: Booking.com, LinkedIn, Facebook, and a few local games. Worse, the system apps show ads in the weather and folder suggestions. I spent 15 minutes disabling and uninstalling them. I know Honor needs to make money, but this is annoying for a device that’s supposed to be premium. The notification bar also has spammy suggestions for “Huawei Mobile Services” that can’t be fully removed.

Update Frequency and Security Patches

Honor’s update track record isn’t great. I’m still on the May security patch (in September). Rivals from Samsung and OnePlus get monthly updates. Honor promises 3 years of major OS updates, but they’re slow. My friend with a Honor Magic5 Pro got Android 14 almost 4 months after Samsung users did. If you care about security and new features, this is a risk.

6. Battery Life and Charging Speed Reality

Fast Charging Not So Fast

Honor claims 100W wired charging. In my tests, from 0 to 100% it took 48 minutes. That’s good, but not class-leading. The OnePlus 12 (100W) does it in 26 minutes. Wireless charging is 66W, but you need a proprietary charger. I used a standard Qi charger and got only 15W. Also, the battery life itself is average. With moderate use (social media, music, 2-3 hours screen on), I end the day at 20%. If I game or shoot video, I need a top-up by afternoon. The 5200mAh seems big on paper, but it doesn’t last as long as the OnePlus 12’s 5400mAh in real life.

Battery Degradation Over Time

I’m only two months in, but I’ve noticed the battery health already dropped from 100% to 97% (using AccuBattery). That’s faster than I expected. Maybe the fast charging heats things up too much. I wouldn’t be surprised if after a year you need a replacement. I’ve started using slower chargers to preserve it.

This article is based on my personal usage and verified with GSMArena’s detailed review results.