New smartphones come out regularly, but not all of them are of genuine interest. My favorite thing to follow is mid-range devices in the broadest sense of the word. This is due to the fact that it is in this category that you can find the most new functions. Something manufacturers offer specifically for these devices, and something descends from the older flagship brothers. In addition, it cannot be said that they are all the same, because for the same amount you can get completely different devices. It is this search for balance that attracts much of the attention. Not so long ago I got the HONOR 30i and here's what I can tell you about it.
Although many people use covers, the appearance of the back wall is very important.
HONOR 30i overview
Already when you pick up the box, you realize that something bright is waiting inside. It combines calm white, a phone image and beautiful blue edges. All this is in perfect harmony and shows that the creator did not just pack his product into cardboard, but tried to please the buyer even at the box level.
Smartphone with a slim body
The smartphone itself tactilely resembles the best models of the brand, which were based on rounded edges and smooth glass on the back. The first time I encountered such a design was a few years ago in HONOR 9 Lite, and even then I really liked it. It's nice that the company maintains a consistent design.
Despite the large screen, the thickness of the smartphone is only 7.7 mm. At the same time, interestingly, the camera almost doesn't stick out. Respect for those manufacturers who manage to do this. However, let's talk about the camera below.
There are several colors to choose from, but I got blue, and it illustrates well what the company is focusing on in this model – design, style and art.
Feels like the body is designed in the best traditions of smartphones Honor.
All buttons are located on the right side. I like it more when they are spread to the sides, but this is a personal opinion. Everyone likes their own. But the power button is located so that it fits perfectly under the finger.
The headphone jack has not been forgotten, and USB Type-C is used for charging. On the left is the SIM tray. You can install two cards in total. The built-in memory is 128 GB, which is not bad for this price range, but if you need to expand it, you can use NM memory cards, which are produced specifically for HONOR and HUAWEI devices.
HONOR 30i Screen
The HONOR 30i features a OLED 6.3-inch display with a whopping 2400 x 1080 resolution at a 20: 9 aspect ratio. The screen is rich and bright, but if something does not suit its initial calibration and you want to change something, then there is a proprietary setting for this, which has been present in the menu of HONOR smartphones for many years. It should be noted that such a screen is not often offered in this price category.
There are no changes in color and brightness, even though it is AMOLED, at an angle. The frames are not very thick, and I can only find fault with the bottom. It is larger than the others, but it is often covered with a hand and you don't pay so much attention to it.
The screen is very high quality. There are no complaints against him.
To protect your eyes, there is an automatic blue light filtering function. This should increase not only the comfort level during long-term use of the smartphone, but also make it safer. Scientists believe that it is the blue tint that most affects the eyes. Even with a high brightness of 600 nits, which allows you to use your smartphone in the scorching sun, your eyesight will be protected thanks to the TÜV Rheinland certification.
In addition to displaying information, the screen can be responsible for unlocking the smartphone. For this, it has a built-in fingerprint scanner. The manufacturer claims that it has 5% faster unlocking speed, 7% higher recognition rate and 30% increased scan area. It is difficult to confirm exactly these numbers, but it feels like everything works quite quickly, although there are cases when something does not work, too. Anyway, having an on-screen scanner for such an inexpensive smartphone is very rare. They are usually found in much more expensive models. As is the glass panel on the back of the case.
The in-screen fingerprint scanner may not be the fastest in the industry, but it is definitely faster than Samsung's solutions. Even the top ones.
Smartphone with triple camera
The HONOR 30i has a triple camera setup that will cover most of the use cases. The main camera has a resolution of 48 megapixels, a sensor size of 1/2 “and an aperture of f / 1.8. An additional module is ultra-wide with a resolution of 8 megapixels, f / 2.4 aperture and a viewing angle of 120 degrees. A 2-megapixel depth sensor is used as the third sensor.
The camera sticks out quite a bit.
It's not worth saying that this is the best camera in history, but it does not cause any unpleasant impressions either. Moreover, for its price, it shoots more than decently, and the quality of the pictures is pleasantly pleasing. In addition to the usual functions, artificial intelligence is provided, which can improve photos. It works especially well in low light. The camera does not try to take the picture during daylight hours. The night effect remains, but it does not affect the quality. For this, an algorithm for combining images, exposure up to 6 seconds and noise reduction system is used.
Sample photos:
The original photos can be downloaded from this link.
The front camera has a resolution of 16 megapixels. At the same time, selfies can also be taken in low light conditions. If there is not enough light at all, the smartphone will illuminate you with the help of the screen and the picture will turn out to be very good.
Performance and autonomy
The HONOR 30i is powered by a Kirin 710F processor running MagicUI 3.1 (based on Android 10). RAM is 4 GB, and permanent memory is 128 GB. Sometimes for the same money you can find more RAM, but the built-in memory is at its best and there can be no complaints about the volume.
For extra acceleration, it features GPU Turbo 3.0 for better gaming and Link Turbo for faster Internet connections. The new EROFS file system further contributes to performance and stability.
Now it is customary to say about any smartphone that it has fast charging, since the comparison is usually made with models of five years ago. But the HONOR 30i charges quickly even against the backdrop of competitors. Just 30 minutes of charging will provide 53% of the 4,000mAh battery.
The HONOR 30i is charged via USB-C and has a 4000mAh battery.
For charging, USB Type-C is used, and for expanding the functionality of OTG and reverse charging. The first one is needed to connect accessories to the phone, and the second is needed to charge other gadgets from it.
Histen 6.0 audio system
The manufacturer did not forget about the sound either. For this, the HONOR 30i is equipped with the Histen 6.0 audio effects system. It delivers headphone sound like a full 9.1-channel audio system.
You can use wired headphones with this smartphone.
Built-in compensation allows sound to travel more easily through the ear canals. This should provide more comfort when listening to music and other audio content. Especially if you've been doing this for a long time.
AppGallery App Store
The HONOR 30i works with the AppGallery app store. Recently, it has not been so weakly pumped, and for the vast majority of users it is more than enough.
For myself, I found everything I needed in it. At one time Huawei put a lot of effort into ensuring that the store was truly filled. As a result, now it has everything, including Telegram (where we have a large chat), all Yandex applications, bank applications and much more. There are even applications for paying for purchases with bank cards. I found almost everything there, except perhaps WhatsApp. But it can be downloaded without any problems via the APK. There is no difficulty in this.
For you to understand how AppGallery has developed now, I will say that there are already 1.6 million developers and more than 13 million users, of which 7.5 million are classified as “monthly active”.
There is life with AppGallery. Do not believe those who say otherwise.
I have already ordered food through the Delivery Club more than once, I shop at OZON and Wildberries, and I also constantly use Vkontakte on my HONOR 30 Pro +. I don't play often on my smartphone, but all the main games in AppGallery are still there. Among them you can already find Standoff 2, World of Tanks, Last Day on Earth, Asphalt 9, Rise of Kingdoms and others. The list is constantly growing.
If you are worried that you will not find the software you need in AppGallery, then HONOR smartphones have the Petal Search application. When you search for applications through it, it will direct you where you need to go. If it is in AppGallery, it will be dropped there, and if not, then it will be where you can download the APK and unpack it. It's that simple.
As unusual as the HONOR 30i is in this situation, it really makes sense. Applications can be used, the functionality is good, and due to the fact that not all users are in a hurry to buy HONOR smartphones now, they are available at very attractive prices for their characteristics. Maybe now is the time to buy it!