The Honor 300: A Mid-Range Contender That Plays Smart (But Not Perfect)
Let’s start with the elephant in the room: Honor phones still feel like Huawei’s rebellious younger sibling trying to prove itself. But after spending time with the Honor 300, I’ll say this – they’ve learned some impressive tricks. At around €413-€624 depending on configuration, this phone isn’t trying to be a flagship killer. Instead, it’s playing chess while others play checkers in the mid-range market.
The Screen That Makes You Forget the Plastic
That 6.7” AMOLED display is the phone’s party trick. The 3840Hz PWM dimming isn’t just marketing jargon – it’s the difference between “my eyes feel fine” and “why am I getting a headache?” during late-night scrolling. At 4000 nits peak brightness, I could actually see my podcast interface while walking in direct sunlight – a small miracle. But here’s the catch: that plastic back feels like Honor spent all their materials budget on the screen. It’s not cheap, but you’ll definitely notice the difference when your friend hands you their glass-backed Galaxy.
Performance: Smooth Operator (Until You Push It)
The Snapdragon 7 Gen3 is like a reliable Honda Civic engine – it’ll get you where you need to go without drama. Scrolling through TikTok? Butter. Multitasking between WhatsApp and Google Maps? No sweat. But try gaming while charging, and that “cooling system” starts working overtime. I could feel the upper left corner warming up during 30-minute COD Mobile sessions. Not uncomfortable, but noticeable – like a laptop fan kicking on.
The real star? That 5300mAh battery. With moderate use, I consistently got through 1.5 days. And the 100W charging? From dead to 80% in 19 minutes flat. It’s the kind of feature that changes habits – you stop obsessing over battery percentages and just live your life.
Camera: Daylight Darling, Nighttime Nervous
Honor’s using some black magic with that Sony IMX906 sensor. Daylight shots have a natural warmth that makes skin tones pop without that iPhone-esque oversharpening. The OIS works wonders – I got crisp shots of my hyperactive nephew that would’ve been blurry messes on last year’s model. But once the sun dips below the horizon? The software processing goes into overdrive. Night shots have less noise than expected, but colors flatten like someone turned down the saturation slider.
The Google-shaped Hole
Here’s where things get tricky. No Google Services means sideloading apps becomes a part-time hobby. Want to check your Gmail? Better hope the Aurora Store plays nice today. For tech-savvy users, it’s manageable. For everyone else? It’s like buying a car without air conditioning in July – technically functional, but missing something essential.
Who Should Buy This Phone?
- The Practical Power User: If you need all-day battery and hate charging breaks
- The Display Snob on a Budget: That AMOLED is punching way above its weight class
- The China Market Regular: Where Google-less Android is the norm anyway
Look elsewhere if: You need seamless Google integration, want flagship-level gaming performance, or crave that premium glass/metal feel.
My Personal Take
If I were living in China or didn’t rely on Google’s ecosystem? This would be my daily driver in a heartbeat. That screen-battery combo is addictive. But as someone entrenched in Google services, the constant workarounds would drive me nuts. It’s like dating someone amazing who hates your favorite band – the fundamentals are strong, but that one dealbreaker looms large.
The Honor 300 proves mid-range phones don’t have to compromise on everything. They just have to choose their battles wisely. For the right user, this could be the best €400 they ever spend on a phone. For others? It’s a fascinating glimpse at what could’ve been.
