After the tough-as-nails X9c launched earlier, Chinese phone manufacturer Honor has now introduced the 400 Lite smartphone in South Africa

Positioned in the mid-range market at R8 000, the device brings several camera and display features aimed at users interested in photography and mobile content creation.

Camera features

Honor specifically touts the AI Camera Button on the side, which incorporates a range of different functionality. For one, the button can be pressed and held for Smart Vision powered by Google Lens, offering search options for what the camera sees. Tap the button twice and you take a picture, hold it and you record a video.

Supporting this is a 108-megapixel main camera with three portrait photography modes: Environmental, Classic and Close-up.  The device also includes AI Motion Sensing Capture, a feature that automatically detects motion and attempts to freeze fast-moving subjects in real time. This may benefit users capturing sporting moments or candid activity.

In addition, the phone includes a “Moving Photos” function that records several seconds before and after the shutter is pressed, similar to live photos on iPhones and the Oppo Reno13. Editing tools include object removal (AI Eraser) and AI Outpainting, which can extend the background of an image without cropping the main subject.

Display and design

The Honor 400 Lite features a 6.7” AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 3500 nits, which the company believes is one of the brightest displays in this class. The screen supports a 120Hz refresh rate and full DCI-P3 colour coverage. Honor has also included features aimed at reducing eye strain, such as high-frequency PWM dimming and a night display mode based on circadian rhythm research.

Operating system and interface

The phone runs MagicOS 9.0, Honor’s custom user interface based on Android 15. New features include Magic Portal for multitasking and Magic Capsule for condensed notification previews. The device also supports real-time translation, a feature potentially useful in South Africa's multilingual environment.

Price and availability

The HONOR 400 Lite is available in South Africa in two colour variants: Velvet Black and Marrs Green (this is shade of green that was named "The World's Favourite Colour" in 2017). The phone is priced at one rand below R8 000.