Honor 400 Lite review: Budget iPhone-lookalike falls short

You know how they say, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?” Well, the new phone from Honor — the Honor 400 — Lite takes that quite seriously. It’s basically the budget iPhone 16 Pro Max (review). I mean, the camera design, that little "Dynamic Island"-like cutout, even a dedicated camera button, Honor’s clearly taking notes from Apple’s playbook. So, it just dropped here in Nepal for about NPR 40,000 for the 12/256GB version. And guess what? If you pre-order, you get a free pair of Honor Choice Earbuds X7 Lite. Pretty neat, right? Alright, enough talking, let’s dive in and see what this phone is all about! But before that, here's a quick peek at the specs before we get hands-on:

Honor 400 Lite review: Specifications

• Design: Flat frame, sleek design
• Dimension: 161 x 74.55 x 7.29 mm
• Weight: 171 grams
• Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED panel, 120Hz refresh rate, 3,500 nits
• Protection: IP65 splash resistance, in-display fingerprint scanner
• Resolution: 2412 x 1080 pixels resolution
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 7025-Ultra
• Graphics: IMG BXM-8-256
• OS: MagicOS 9.0 based on Android 15
• RAM: 8GB or 12GB
• Storage: 256GB
• Rear cameras: 108MP primary camera, 5MP ultrawide
• Battery: 5,230mAh, 35W wired charging
• Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C
• Audio: Stereo speakers
• Additional features: Multipurpose AI camera button
• Color options: Marrs Green, Velvet Black, Velvet Gray

Buy Honor 400 Lite here

Honor 400 Lite review

Design and build

• 161 x 74.55 x 7.29 mm, 171 gm
• Glass front, glass back, plastic frames
• IP65 dust/splash resistant

Okay, first impressions this phone looks like it walked straight out of Apple’s backyard. Flat edges, rounded corners, and that camera bump? Yeah, very much iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Velvet Gray color is classy, kinda like Apple’s Natural Titanium. The frame is plastic, so don’t expect that cold metal to feel, but the glass back with a satin finish actually feels nice in your hand. And even with a big 5230 mAh battery inside, this thing is light as a feather at just 170 grams. Carrying it around won’t feel like a workout. Oh, and check this out, there’s a dedicated camera button! Slide it to zoom, tap to focus, hold it down to launch Google Lens. Handy little feature, right? Plus, it’s splash-resistant, so a sudden drizzle won’t freak it out. Just don’t go dunking it in water; no Gorilla Glass means you gotta be careful.

Display

• 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel
• 120Hz refresh rate, 3,500 nits brightness (HDR)

Now, about the display, I really like the 6.7-inch AMOLED screen on this phone. The thin bezels make it feel way more premium than I expected for the price. Colors really pop, and scrolling is super smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. Honor says the screen can get insanely bright, I mean up to 3,500 nits when you’re watching HDR content. But the downside is that the Netflix HDR doesn’t work here, which was a bit disappointing. But honestly, I had no trouble using it outside on a sunny day. The brightness was more than enough.

Performance

• MediaTek Dimensity 7025-Ultra Pro (6nm)
• 12GB RAM, 256GB storage (non-expandable)

Under the hood, it’s packing a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra, which handles all the usual stuff like browsing, messaging, social media scrolling without breaking a sweat. Especially with the 12GB RAM version I tried. That said, I noticed the animations sometimes feel a bit sluggish, and the camera app can stutter when switching lenses. Here’s a little pro tip: if you head into developer options and slow down the animation speed, it actually feels a bit snappier. As for gaming, I played PUBG, which runs okay at around 40 fps. That means it’s playable but not super smooth. Mobile Legends starts off strong at 90 fps but drops to about 75 fps after a few minutes. So, if you’re into casual gaming, it’s fine, but hardcore gamers might want to look elsewhere.

Battery

• 5,230 mAh battery (35W wired charging)
• 35W power adapter inside the box

Well, about the battery, the 5230mAh unit gave me around 6 to 6.5 hours of screen time, which feels pretty average. It’s enough to get me through a full day unless I’m really pushing it hard. Charging is a solid experience since Honor actually includes a 35W charger in the box, so no scrambling around for one. It takes about an hour and 20 minutes to fully juice up, which is decent enough for me.

Software

• Android 15 with MagicOS 9.0 on top
• 6 years of OS + security updates

Now let’s talk about the software. MagicOS 9, based on Android 15, feels really clean and smooth. I was relieved that there are no annoying ads popping up everywhere like on some other phones. There are a few pre-installed apps, but most of them I could uninstall without any hassle. The Dynamic Island-like feature is actually pretty cool. Honor did something like this before with their V20, so it doesn’t feel like they’re just copying Apple. It shows useful info without getting in the way. Also, the AI tools for photos, like AI Eraser and Outpainting, worked better than I expected. It’s handy when I want to clean up backgrounds or expand photos in a snap. And the best part? Honor promises six years of software updates, all the way up to Android 21. That’s flagship-level support, which is pretty rare to see at this price point.

Cameras

• Dual camera setup at the back
• (108MP main, 5MP ultrawide)
• 16MP selfie camera (pill-shaped cutout)

Daylight

The 108MP main camera takes some really nice shots when the sun’s out. Colors are vibrant, and the photos look great for sharing on social media.

Night time

But when the lighting gets tricky like harsh shadows or really bright spots like it struggles a bit. Highlights can get blown out, and details in the darker areas sometimes just disappear.

Ultrawide

As for the 5MP ultrawide, honestly, I was a bit disappointed. Photos come out blurry and lose a lot of detail, especially at night.

Selfie

The 16MP selfie camera does its job, but it smooths faces a little too much, so some shots end up looking a bit fake. And since there’s no telephoto lens, don’t expect any fancy portrait shots here.

Video

Video recording tops out at 1080p and 30fps, so it’s pretty basic, no 4K here. There’s also no stabilization, which means my videos ended up pretty shaky unless I held the phone really steady or used a tripod. So if you’re into vlogging or want smooth footage on the go, this probably isn’t the best phone for that.

Honor 400 Lite review: Conclusion

The Honor 400 Lite tries to emulate the iPhone’s premium look at a budget-friendly price of NPR 40,000, and it succeeds in design and display quality. The lightweight build, AMOLED panel, and long-term software support are strong points. However, its average performance, underwhelming cameras, and lackluster video capabilities hold it back. The absence of stereo speakers, Gorilla Glass, and robust haptics further dampens its appeal. At this price, alternatives like the CMF Phone 2 Pro (review) or Redmi Note 14 Pro  (review) may offer better performance and camera experience. If you’re drawn to its iPhone-like design and don’t prioritize heavy gaming or photography, the Honor 400 Lite is a decent choice, but it doesn’t fully justify its NPR 40,000 price tag.

Honor 400 Lite review: Pros and Cons