After using the Honor 400 Lite for close to a month, it's clear there's much to appreciate about this midrange smartphone. Here are our thoughts on a few standouts, and a couple of gripes.

AI Button

The dedicated AI camera button on the right side of the Honor 400 Lite takes some getting used to, but it's well worth the effort to learn how to use it. For quick photo opportunities, a double press of the button bypasses the need to unlock your device first. If your screen is already on, a single press activates the camera, with a double press then capturing a picture. You can also zoom in and out by sliding your finger along the button, and a soft press allows you to focus. This makes the camera incredibly quick and easy to use, enhancing the Honor 400 Lite's convenience as a camera phone.

A long press of the button activates Google Lens, enabling you to search online for anything your camera points to. For example, pointing it at someone's face might help you find their glasses to buy online. While not always accurate, it can be useful at times. Unfortunately, the button isn't customisable, at least not yet, meaning you can't, for instance, activate WhatsApp through it. The camera can also function underwater. 

Why exactly it’s called an AI Button is not quite clear, what it rather is, is a Easy Access Camera Button, but that doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it?

AI Functionality

A recent Magic OS update really enhanced the AI capabilities of the Honor 400 Lite. On the photography side, three AI functionalities are available to users under AI Edit > Magic Retouch, and all perform remarkably well. First is AI Erase, a feature that does exactly what it says - erasing and replacing unwanted parts of a photo. The update from Honor introduced "Erase passers-by" and "Remove reflection" here too, both doing precisely what's described.

Secondly, AI Outpainting expands your photo beyond its current borders with what the AI predicts should be there. In the images I used it on it performed surprisingly well. For selfies of photos where faces are prominent, you'll also find AI Beauty, though we've seen many older smartphones already incorporate beauty enhancement as a non-AI option.

Users also received AI Upscale with the new update, which helps enhance image quality. Older images or photos converted to digital show the most significant improvements.

For video, Honor offers an Instant Movie option, allowing you to combine videos and/or images into a short clip. This works great if you are looking to create a video quickly from scratch, with options to add different music and edit clips. Unfortunately, as you're reliant on Honor's templates, it also adds various "watermarks", such as hearts or hot air balloons. For some reason, you can't remove these, nor could I find a template that doesn't include them. You're also limited to Honor's provided music, which appears to be restricted to non-copyrighted tracks. This is not the most exciting or interesting selection, and I ended up deleting the music most of the time.

Even more AI

If you delve deeper into the menu structure, Honor AI is included under Settings. Here you'll find an explanation of Magic Portal, a supposed easy way to send screenshots or text to certain apps, including WhatsApp. Particularly interesting is Knuckle Circle, which lets you draw around an object on screen to send it as a screenshot. It works, though sometimes you have to try a few times before it starts to circle.

There's also AI Subtitles, offering a way to add subtitles to videos or even conversations, plus transcribe them afterwards. This worked to an extent when playing a series on the television, missing a few words, even sentences, here and there.

AI Translate is also available here, translating speech to text, or speech to speech, though it wasn't very successful translating a Spanish Netflix title in real time.

Also on offer is AI Write, which can rewrite, proofread or compose text and emails. If you struggle with writing, be it documents or messages, this could prove useful, although I did not truly test this. 

One of the more impressive improvements that arrived with the latest updates was to the Recorder app. Previously, it only recorded voice, now it also transcribes live. For me personally, this is a highly valuable option, given that this type of transcription service is usually paid for. Yes, it's not always the most accurate and struggles with colloquialisms, but having this as a free service is quite special.

Also included is Google's own AI services. Long pressing the home button (the circle) brings up Google's Circle to Search. It's a quick and easy way to search for whatever is on your screen, such as identifying a pair of trainers or a camera. There’s also a button included to search for the current song playing in your immediate vicinity, while a translation button will translate whatever is on the screen to a language of your choice – helpful when touring another country. Long pressing the on/off switch on the side brings up Google Gemini, which you can also set to activate via voice command. 

A few physical observations

Perhaps one of the underdiscussed aspects of midrange phones is their smaller size. In my opinion, the 6.7-inch screen is more manageable than larger, more expensive models, while its 171g weight makes it a breeze to work with for extended periods. The 400 Lite follows the iPhone's design, featuring more squared sides instead of rounded ones. 

In any midrange phone, some sacrifices have to be made, and in the 400 Lite's case, it comes with the inclusion of the octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor. It's not the fastest, but for the most part, it gets the job done even though there is a little lag noticeable when opening the camera, for example. The concern would also be how much it slows down over time.

Honor also included a 5230 mAh battery, with 35 W quick charge. This lasts about 24 hours, depending on how much YouTube you watch or how much you browse during the day. It's not the largest found on midrange devices, but also not the smallest The quick charge is adequate, but it takes more than an hour to fully recharge your phone, so not exactly as quick as other options out there.

Honor 400 Lite vs. Honor X9c

When considering the Honor 400 Lite, a question that pops up is, why not opt for the Honor X9c instead, which is around R1 500 to R2 000 dearer? The X9c is truly tough as nails (the Honor 400 Lite fell out of the car when I opened the door, cracking a bit on the bottom of the screen), also including a better processor and a much larger battery (6600 mAh vs 5230 mAh). While it also boasts better screen resolution, the X9c remains on MagicOS 8.0 (at least on the official specs page).

The Honor 400 Lite instead runs MagicOS 9.0, which includes all the new AI functionality. You also have all the benefits of using the camera with the AI Button - a real advantage if you shoot often. The various pros and cons make choosing difficult, although I believe the X9c ultimately wins out in the long term.

Important notes

One thing to be aware of with the 400 Lite is that it doesn't include a case, so be prepared to fork out an extra R150+ in the shop if you need added peace of mind. 

Another point, which might not be relevant to everyone, is that the 400 Lite might not work in all car mounts. My mount grips the sides of the device, which presses against the AI camera button on the side activing the camera. There's also no e-Sim if you are looking for this to use on travels overseas. 

Conclusion

Overall, the Honor 400 Lite is a compelling midrange smartphone that balances innovative AI features with quick access camera features via the AI Button.

While it makes a few compromises, particularly with its processor, battery and charging speed, the unique AI Button, comprehensive AI editing suite, and advanced recording capabilities truly set it apart.

The trade-offs between the 400 Lite and the more robust X9c highlight Honor's strategic decision to prioritise cutting-edge software and user convenience in this model. For users who value a feature-rich camera experience and smart AI integrations in a manageable form factor, the Honor 400 Lite presents a strong case, offering substantial value for its price. It can be found online starting at R7 500. 

FULL DISCLOSURE: The Honor 400 Lite was received from Honor as a review device and not returned.