The all new Honor Play 4 sports 8GB RAM and 128GB ROM and runs on the new MediaTek MT6873 Dimensity 800 5G chipset. A commanding spec sheet with an honest price-tag, this device can be considered the next midrange champ!
Design and Display
Honor Play 4 sports a 6.57-inch 1080p display with a punch-hole camera setup in the top-left corner of the screen. The device runs Magic UI 3.1.0 based on Android 10 and comes in Magic Night Black, Phantom Blue and Iceland Illusion colors.
The device sports a plastic frame that feels sturdy and neat. What’s disappointing is that we encountered a lot of scratches on the back within first few weeks of usage. On the other hand, the colors project a vibrant theme in each color-variant of the Honor Play 4. This theme gets blemished once scratches form on the plastic surface, so make sure to use a back protector.
Performance and Hardware
The new MediaTek chipset provides a seamless user-experience with 8GB RAM supporting the processing rig. Based on Android 10, the Honor Play runs on Magic UI 3.1.0 that has a nice dark-mode option for eye-comfort.
Gaming and multitasking features look promising. We didn’t experience any problems when testing the device for heavy app usage. Occasional lags occur when game-time exceeds hardware’s heating capacity. The phone gets a little warmer, however this poses no genuine cause for concern. Just let your phone rest a bit and things get normal in time.
There’s an in-display fingerprint sensor that works seamlessly. It’s actually quite fast!
Camera
In the back, the Honor Play 4 packs a 64MP primary camera with an f/1.89 aperture; a second 8MP camera with an f/2.2 aperture; a third 2MP camera with an f/2.4 aperture and a fourth 2MPcamera with an f/2.4 aperture. The rear camera setup has auto-focus.
The punch-hole setting on the screen houses a 16MP selfie camera with an f/2.0 aperture. It’s good, but not too good.
Battery
Honor Play 4 packs a 4200mAh battery that lasts at least 36 hours with typical smartphone usage. There’s proprietary fast charging that revamps battery power from 0-100% in an hour at best.
Multitasking and gaming occasionally reduce battery percentage by considerable margins.
Verdict
This device is on par with Huawei’s latest Y9a and nova 7i handsets. The price-tag is similar, almost too similar, and the spec sheet compliments what’s aptly advertised. Battery works well, the camera could’ve been better, and there’s enough storage to make you forget about nano memory sticks. Overall, it’s a neat phone with good specs. Go for it!
