The top budget smartphones are vying for attention with an array of new AI capabilities and higher pixel counts. A 108MP camera phone isn’t revolutionary in this market, but a dedicated AI camera button in a £249 package is certainly intriguing.
Since parting ways with Huawei in 2020, Honor has been crafting impressive budget smartphones. The new 400 Lite features a shutter button similar to the iPhone’s, alongside a bright display and enhanced battery life. Designed with photography fans in mind, I was eager to see how well it performs.
Honor 400 Lite Overview:
- 108MP f/1.75 main camera with 3x lossless zoom, up to 10x digital zoom
- 5MP f/2.2 ultrawide & depth camera
- 16MP f/2.45 selfie camera with selfie light
- 6.7-inch AMOLED display at 120 Hz (97% screen-to-body ratio), 3,500nits peak brightness
- 5230mAh battery with Honor 35W super charging
- MediaTek Dimensity 7025-Ultra processor, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, 5G support
- Magic OS 9.0 (based on Android 15)
- IP64 rating
- Dimensions: 161 x 74.6 x 7.3mm
- Weight: 171g
- Cost: £249 (~$330 if sold in the US)
Honor 400 Lite: Features
Despite its appearance, the 400 Lite only includes two cameras, which are similar to its predecessor, the Honor 200 Lite. It has a 108MP f/1.75 main camera that performs admirably in most situations and a 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. The previous 2MP macro camera has been removed, and the selfie camera has been downgraded from 50MP to 16MP.
With no telephoto lens, you’ll depend on Honor’s so-called lossless optical zoom up to 3x, or digital zoom up to 10x beyond that, although this should be used cautiously as the image quality deteriorates significantly.
While the camera setup isn’t a triple lens, the 400 Lite still has appealing features. The primary 108MP camera compensates for the absence of the macro lens and performs well. The 6.7-inch screen offers a slick viewing experience with a 120Hz refresh rate, and the brightness has been significantly increased to an impressive 3,500nits.
The upgraded 5230mAh Li-ion battery supports 35W charging, which isn’t extremely fast, but we’re looking at a budget device. At its heart, the 400 Lite operates on a MediaTek Dimensity 7025-Ultra processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage, which should handle most apps smoothly, even though it may not be the fastest on the market.
Honor 400 Lite: Handling and Design
Although there appear to be three lenses on the back, the Honor 400 Lite actually has just two cameras; the third piece at the bottom is a cleverly placed flash unit. Other features, like the Magic Capsule display at the top, rounded edges, and sleek metal-like sides, might make you mistake the 400 Lite for one of Apple’s flagship devices.
On the right side, the AI camera button is almost flush with the edge and is easy to use. However, it could be better positioned towards the corner for more comfortable access.
The large 6.7-inch AMOLED display excels even in bright sunlight due to its peak brightness of 3,500 nits, which is surprisingly high for a budget phone, even surpassing the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro. With an IP64 rating, it is resistant to dust and splashes, handling everyday splashes with ease. Thanks to the Wet-hand Touch technology, the screen remains responsive even in rainy conditions.
While I typically prefer smaller phones, I appreciated how the 400 Lite feels in my hand. It’s slim and lightweight, weighing just 171g. The unit I used was in velvet grey, which has a subtle shimmer, giving the Honor 400 Lite a surprisingly premium feel for a budget device.
Honor 400 Lite: The AI Camera Button
Honor has excelled with the Camera button — it’s highly responsive and user-friendly, and I’d love to see it on future smartphones.
Pressing it once launches the camera, and you can focus by softly tapping the button, a convenience not even the flagship iPhone 16 Pro offers. To take a picture, just press it again. You can record video by holding down the button longer or set it to capture in burst mode, ideal for fast-moving subjects as the main photo function can struggle with motion.
A feature I particularly enjoyed is the ability to slide your finger across the button for zooming during photo and video capture. Plus, you can adjust touch sensitivity in the settings.
When not in the camera mode, a long press opens Google Lens instead of the default camera app, providing quick access to image searching and translation options.
Honor 400 Lite: The Camera App
Pressing the camera button opens the default photo mode. Here, you can activate Live Photo, which records a brief 3-second video and allows you to choose the best frame for a still image. The Highlights Capture feature detects smiles, jumps, or running pets and automatically takes a picture.
If you want more control over your settings, you can switch to Pro mode. However, despite its name, it won’t fully utilize the 108MP camera’s potential; for that, you need to select High-Res mode found under the More tab. Unfortunately, there’s no raw capture, and this High-Res mode doesn’t allow for zoom or exposure adjustments. Blending Pro and High-Res modes for bokeh control would have added significant value.
Portrait mode offers 1x, 2x, and 3x options along with aperture settings, plus a Beauty tab to enhance facial features or smooth skin. The selfie camera includes a unique built-in light, and surprisingly, it offers more beauty adjustments here than in portrait mode.
A dedicated Night mode is available, utilizing the main camera only, and a Video mode supports HD recording at 30p.
Honor 400 Lite: Image Quality and Performance
As expected, the main 108MP camera delivers the best image quality. In favorable lighting conditions, it captures well-detailed photos, and the lossless 3x zoom compensates for the absence of…
The telephoto camera faces challenges when capturing HDR images, particularly in scenes with high contrast. The brighter areas often get overexposed, while shadows can become too dark.
Colors tend to be more vibrant than I would like, but the intense look may appeal to some users.
Photos taken with the 5MP ultrawide lens are just average, yielding colors that don’t match the main camera. Nonetheless, it’s nice to have a wide-angle option available.
Although the 5MP wide-angle camera is useful, its colors do not align with those of the main camera. Image: Aliz Kovács-Zöldi 
This image showcases the main camera at 1x zoom. Image: Aliz Kovács-Zöldi This shows the main camera zoomed in at 2x. Image: Aliz Kovács-Zöldi Here is the main camera at 3x zoom. Image: Aliz Kovács-Zöldi
While there isn’t a specialized macro camera, the main 108MP lens performs surprisingly well in close-up shots. Utilizing the 2x or 3x zoom settings allows for detailed macro photography with nice background blur.
Macro image captured with the primary camera at 3x zoom. Photo by: Aliz Kovács-Zöldi Photo by: Aliz Kovács-Zöldi
The portrait mode, featuring 1x, 2x, and 3x options, is quite good, particularly when the aperture slider is set to mid-range, enhancing the separation between the subject and its background.
The 16MP front camera produces quality images, and with the Highlights Capture feature, you can even snap pictures simply by smiling. While the selfie light can be handy, it’s quite intense; I experienced red-eye in all my nighttime photos. A red-eye reduction tool in the default editor would have been a great addition.
Night mode has more challenges, even though it utilizes a brighter, higher-resolution primary camera. This is where the image quality tends to drop off. Overall, the Honor 400 Lite can produce attractive images, especially when viewed on the phone screen, but zooming in reveals a lack of detail.
Honor 400 Lite: Value for Money
The Honor 400 Lite is a commendable budget option, especially considering its iPhone-like features, but it’s not available in the United States. An alternative would be the Poco X7 from Xiaomi, which, despite having a lower-resolution 50MP primary camera, boasts OIS and a triple lens configuration for $349 / £229.
The Tecno Camon 30, featuring four 50MP cameras, also offers great value at $300 / £240, but availability may vary by location.
Honor 400 Lite: Verdict
Many individuals don’t want to spend a lot on an iPhone but still desire its aesthetic and camera performance. This is where the 400 Lite shines. While it may lack the high-resolution sensors, speed, and image quality of a flagship iPhone, the Honor’s main camera does well in most circumstances, making it adequate for beginners taking casual snaps. Overall, the Honor 400 Lite looks attractive, features a vibrant display, offers a responsive camera button, and importantly, is budget-friendly.
For more economical choices, check out our guide to the best budget smartphones.
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