The Pros and Cons of the Honor 400 Lite

If you ask which Android phone looks most like the iPhone, Honor 400 Lite is probably in the top three. From the outside, this phone really looks like an iPhone, both from the back and the front. Even on the side frame, there is a small curve that reminds us of the “camera control” on the iPhone 16 Series.

Even so, the Honor 400 Lite is sold as a mid-range phone with a price of around USD 359. That is of course much cheaper than the iPhone it tries to follow. So, how good is it? Let’s look at the pros and cons of the Honor 400 Lite!

Pros of the Honor 400 Lite

Getting a phone with an iPhone 16 Series look and feel for around USD 359 is already interesting! On top of that, the Honor 400 Lite also brings useful features that make it quite strong in its class.

1. Compact and Stylish Design, Water Resistant

As mentioned, the Honor 400 Lite has a design very close to the iPhone. The back has a smooth matte finish that feels like a premium phone. The frame also has a glittery shine that makes it look more stylish.

One thing that is different is the lack of an antenna line on the frame. That is because the frame is not made of metal but normal aluminium.

The camera module also follows the iPhone “boba” style, with three circles in a zigzag shape. The difference is a triangular pattern around the cameras that surely gives a fresh touch!

For colors, the Honor 400 Lite comes in Velvet Grey and Marrs Green. It is also compact with a thickness of only 7.29 mm and weight of about 171 grams that's easy to hold or slip into a pocket.

The phone has IP65 certification, which means it is resistant to dust and strong water spray. It cannot survive under water for a long time, but if you drop it into water and quickly take it out, it should still be fine.

2. Handy AI Camera Button Inspired by iPhone 16 Series

One unique thing is the curve on the side frame, which reminds me of the iPhone 16 Series’ camera control. And yes, that is exactly the idea. Honor calls it the AI Camera Button. It is not a physical button like the power or volume buttons, but a touch sensor like a fingerprint reader.

This button works as a shortcut to open the camera more quickly. Tap once to open the camera app, tap again to take a photo. To record video, tap and hold. To stop, do the same.

It can also control zoom by sliding your finger on the button. At this point, it's clear that Honor is copying the iPhone feature, but it still feels useful, though.

Another plus is that this feature helps when taking photos under water or when wearing gloves. The position of the button also feels more natural, like using a digital camera.

3. Reliable Main and Selfie Camera, with Ultrawide Option

Talking about cameras, even though there are three circles on the module, only two of them work as the main cameras. The first one is the 108 MP main camera. It has an f/1.75 aperture with a sensor size of 1/1.67 inches. This camera supports 3x lossless zoom and PDAF to keep photos sharp and clear.

The second one is a 5 MP ultrawide camera with an f/2.2 aperture. This camera is useful for wider shots, so you can capture more objects in one frame.

On the front, there is a 16 MP selfie camera with an f/2.5 aperture. This is good enough for selfies, especially in bright light.

Overall, the camera quality is quite good. The main camera especially produces sharper photos with more detail compared to the others. But keep in mind that video recording is limited to 1080p at 30 FPS for both the front and back cameras.

Since this is a 2025 release, the Honor 400 Lite also comes with AI features. Some examples are AI Eraser to remove unwanted objects and AI Outpainting to make the image wider by adding extra visuals.

4. Bright and Smooth AMOLED Screen, Comfortable in All Situations

The Honor 400 Lite has a 6.7-inch screen that feels spacious. With thin bezels and a pill-shaped notch in the center, the phone reaches a screen-to-body ratio of 89.9 percent. The pill notch is also smaller than the iPhone’s, so it does not look too distracting.

The panel is AMOLED with Full HD+ resolution (1080 x 2412 pixels). This gives good quality for watching videos or playing games. The 120 Hz refresh rate also makes scrolling feel smooth.

The Honor 400 Lite is said to have a good screen for outdoor use. This is shown by its peak brightness of up to 3500 nits. Even under strong sunlight, the screen stays clear and comfortable to see.

When it comes to comfort, the phone is not only good outdoors but also indoors. The screen has TUV Rheinland flicker-free certification with a PWM frequency of up to 3840Hz. This helps reduce eye strain when using the phone in dark or low-light places.

Other features include Circadian Night Display, a dim light setting you can adjust easily, and Dark Mode for night use. With these, the screen is safer and more comfortable for the eyes in different lighting conditions.

5. Strong Dimensity 7025 Performance with Large Memory

For solid mid-range performance, the Honor 400 Lite uses the Dimensity 7025 chipset. This processor is made with a 6 nm process and is designed for mid-range phones. Do not think too much about the “Ultra” name attached, as it does not really mean much.

The chipset has eight CPU cores. Two Cortex A78 cores run up to 2.5 GHz for heavy tasks, while six Cortex A55 cores run up to 2 GHz for lighter, power-saving tasks. For graphics, it uses IMG BXM-8-256 at 950 MHz.

To make the performance even better, it supports LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 2.2 or UFS 3.1 storage. The Honor 400 Lite comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. There is no microSD slot, so you need to be sure this storage space is enough for you.

6. In-Display Fingerprint Sensor and Useful NFC

Because it uses an AMOLED screen, the Honor 400 Lite places the fingerprint sensor under the display. This makes it easier to unlock, and the response is fast even if your hand or the screen is wet. The IP rating certification also helps here.

One drawback is the lack of a hardware gyroscope. This can be disappointing for PUBG players who rely on gyro controls, since the phone only uses software-based gyro. The response feels slower and less accurate, which may affect gameplay.

The Honor 400 Lite also supports NFC (Near Field Communication). This feature is useful for many daily needs, such as making digital payments, checking or topping up e-money cards, and even using it as a toll card.

Other sensors include accelerometer, proximity, light, and compass. For connectivity, it comes with WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, and a USB Type-C port.

7. 5230 mAh Battery with All-Day Power and 35W Fast Charging

The Honor 400 Lite comes with a 5230 mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the usual size for mid-range phones. The battery life is good for daily use, whether you are multitasking, scrolling on social media, or even playing games.

The long battery life is not only because of its big capacity. The chipset and the screen also help make power use more efficient. While the endurance is not the very best in its class, it is still better than the iPhone and can last a full day for normal use.

For charging, the phone supports 35W Honor SuperCharge. It may not be the fastest in its range, but it can still charge the phone fully in under an hour.

Cons of the Honor 400 Lite

Honor 400 Lite offers plenty of strengths, but it still has some drawbacks. If you’re thinking about buying it, here are a few things you should know first.

1. Front and Rear Cameras Limited to 1080p Video

The cameras on the Honor 400 Lite are good enough for photos, but not so much for videos. Both the front and rear cameras can only record at 1080p 30 FPS, which might feel less impressive.

Many other phones in the same price range can already record up to 4K. Even some cheaper phones are able to record at 2K (1440p).

Another drawback is the lack of video stabilization. If you mainly take photos, this phone can still be a good choice. But if video recording is more important for you, this limitation may be a dealbreaker.

2. Only Mono Speaker and No Audio Jack

The Honor 400 Lite only comes with a mono speaker. This means it has just one speaker hole at the bottom. The sound is not as clear or rich as stereo speakers, and if the hole is blocked, the sound will almost disappear.

Another thing to note is that the phone does not have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. Usually, this port is a backup when the main speaker is not enough, since wired earphones often give better sound. Here, the only options are to use a converter for wired earphones or switch to Bluetooth earphones (TWS).

Conclusion

As it's been mentioned above, the Honor 400 Lite looks very similar to the iPhone 16 Series. You can see it from the square camera module, the pill-shaped notch, the small power button, and even the Camera Button feature that copies the iPhone’s camera control.

With a price of around US$359, these similarities may look tempting. Still, some people might call it an “iPhone wannabe.” If you do not mind that, the Honor 400 Lite can be a good choice for style and prestige at a much lower price.

Of course, the phone is not perfect. The video recording is limited to 1080p 30 FPS, the speaker is only mono, and the gyro is software-based. But if you can accept these notes, the Honor 400 Lite is worth considering, especially if you want an iPhone-like design without spending too much.