Soon after launching the gaming-capable X40 GT with Snapdragon 888, Honor is turning its attention back to entry-level phones. The Honor Play 40 Plus has just become official in China for a starting price of only $165. It will likely cost more in the international market.
The budget phone design is quite evident here. It is complete with a U-shaped notch for the selfie camera, a thick bottom bezel, and a plastic build. The screen is a 6.74-inch TFT LCD, which is a lower class of LCD panels with a disadvantage in colors and clarity over IPS panels. It has a 720p resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate. The fingerprint sensor resides on the side.
Despite its budget class, the Play 40 Plus is powered by a mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC with 6 to 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. This is one of the very few entry-level phones that offer up to 8 GB/256 GB memory. There is no SD card slot, however.
For software, it boots Android 12 OS with Magic UI 6.1 on top.
There are only two cameras on the back including a 50MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth camera for portrait shots. This setup is capable of recording 1080p video at 30 FPS, even though the Dimensity 700 is capable of more.
The selfie unit housed in the notch is a 5MP camera that can also capture 1080p videos.
The phone’s massive 6,000 mAh battery is another standout feature that is paired with 22.5W wired charging.
As mentioned earlier, the Honor Play 40 Plus has a starting price of only $165, but international pricing is likely going to be higher.