You’ll never believe what this phone’s AI tools did for me and the portrait photos I took.
I am one of those people who would find it hard to appreciate an AI-generated image. For me, they’re unnatural, the image-generation process relies on the style of thousands of real artists, and visually, it just doesn’t feel right. But how about when AI technology is applied in photography?
When I heard of the HONOR 200 Pro, its portrait photography capabilities were one of the things that stood out. It’s “The Portrait Master,” as its tagline goes. The phone piqued my interest more when I found out about its AI-enhanced mobile photography capabilities.
With HONOR 200 Pro, you’ll get an impressive treat from its packed triple-camera system:
- 50 MP Portrait Main camera with the 1/1.3-inch Super Dynamic H9000 sensor
- 50 MP Telephoto camera that provides 2.5X optical zoom and 50X digital zoom
- 12MP Ultra-wide and Macro camera
Adding to that is a 50 MP Portrait Selfie camera that allows you to switch between 1x and 0.8x zoom. Gen Zs, take note, its 0.8x zoom is great for a complete squad selfie!
While these camera features are enough to get one hooked, what might make the HONOR 200 Pro more compelling is its collaboration with Paris’ Studio Harcourt.
Why Studio Harcourt?
If you haven’t heard, Studio Harcourt is a Paris-based professional studio that has photographed the most prominent actors, athletes, and even royal family members throughout history. Studio Harcourt’s iconic portrait style carefully orchestrates shadows and lighting, resulting in captivating shots.
HONOR 200 Pro’s portrait mode is co-engineered with Studio Harcourt, packing the whole two-hour photoshoot process in the palm of your hands. Studio Harcourt incorporated its meticulous photography process to analyze over a thousand light and shadow scenarios and millions of datasets. The result? Studio Harcourt’s style could be captured on the HONOR 200 Pro with just a click on the screen. You have a whole Studio Harcourt portrait session that costs around €2,000 or P120,000 readily available with HONOR 200.
In a simpler sense, it could be thought of as just a photo filter, but I realized, it’s more than that. HONOR’s AI Portrait Engine uses algorithms to analyze and refine the portrait shot based on the shadow and light conditions.
Is it really the ‘portrait master?’
It’s been a while since I went on a photowalk as I never had time to reconnect with an old hobby. But for special occasions, I used to take photos and portraits with a DSLR. Unfortunately, its shutter got stuck, so I had to rely on my phone and its portrait mode.
With HONOR 200 Pro, using the portrait mode and its Studio Harcourt feature was a breeze. All I had to do was to get to the perfect angle.
My friends and I roamed the streets of Tomas Morato to take photo teasers for a dance recital. My friend Phil used his mirrorless camera to get the shots, while I was taking candid portraits in different angles with the HONOR 200 Pro.
HONOR 200 Pro’s AI Portrait Engine delivered crisp and detailed shots with the portraits with my friend, Kaela. The feature enhances the clarity and naturalness of details in the shot, with the help of the AI Stere-based Bokeh Algorithm. Notice the detailed strands of her hair in the frame.
Compared with Phil’s shots, photos taken with the HONOR 200 Pro could nearly resemble the details and color of his high-definition portraits.
As for the shots with Georgette, they were taken against a busy background. HONOR 200 Pro’s cameras, together with its AI feature, utilized the right amount of natural light and bokeh to retain the focus on the subject.
We took photos of our friend Teddy against a neutral architectural background. The details of the wall are still noticeable with the right amount of shadows seeping through tough edges, while also not losing focus on the intricacies of Teddy’s facial features and body frame.
More than just portrait
I tried its other camera features while working at a cafe, and without its AI feature, the triple-camera system still does wonders. The colors remain vibrant and true, despite being in a dimly lit room.
As for its telephoto lens, I tried capturing a subject with complex details. Look at how the hanging rattan lampshade was clearly captured even on a 2.5x zoomed-in photo.
HONOR 200 Pro beyond the cameras
Other than its portrait feature, there’s definitely more you can do with HONOR 200 Pro. I tried watching K-Pop music videos on high quality and some series and its 6.78-inch AMOLED display did not disappoint for being a binge-watching buddy.
It uses a Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 processor and an Adreno 735 GPU, allowing real-time responsiveness and smooth graphics for visual-heavy applications. I played Wuthering Waves with it and I was able to enjoy the game with no fuss, and mind you – it did not overheat for an hour.
The HONOR 200 Pro comes with a 12 GB memory and a spacious 512 GB storage drive, which can cater to a variety of smartphone users.
Will it also stand the test of time? When I first saw the unit, all I ever thought of was I had to take care of its stylish and delicate ocean-inspired back design. You’ll just need the perfect case to protect it, and good thing, the phone comes with a free case, too.
More to come
Just as these features weren’t enough, the HONOR 200 series is getting an upgrade soon with four new AI features.
First, the Bokeh Adjustment Tool, which allows users to adjust the aperture and focus on the subject, giving your photos a more professional look.
Two of its new features will make sure every shot will be the best. The Group Photo Enhance tool promises to fix mishaps in a group photo: from sudden blinks to blurs to distorted faces. HONOR 200 is also set to have the much-awaited AI eraser tool, which allows users to remove unwanted objects or photobombers from photos.
And lastly, you’ll no longer be stuck with an “annyeonghaseyo” when you get to meet oppas in your trip to Korea, as HONOR AI can soon listen and translate live audio to different languages.
Is the ‘portrait master’ worth it?
What made me love this phone is how it helped me connect with my past self – someone who took a lot of walks and shots with my old DSLR, hung out with friends, and celebrated our passion for photography.
HONOR 200 Pro’s portrait feature might spark debates since the use of AI is involved with the portrait feature. If you’re a photography enthusiast that values the rawness and process of taking photos – from carefully taking a shot with all the technicalities in mind – then this phone might not be for you.
The HONOR 200 Pro experience could be more suitable for content creators who would need instant and high quality photos to be posted in real time as content, or ordinary individuals who would love to capture a moment at the perfect time.
It could also be for people on-the-go who don’t need to carry a whole bag of photography equipment. Its sleek and thin features make it so lightweight and easy to carry, so you can take better photos wherever you go.
With this promising ‘portrait master,’ comes the question of whether Artificial Intelligence has taken over the craft of photography. The discourse could go on, but I believe, the vision, inspiration, and creativity still lies on the person holding the smartphone or camera’s shutter button. – Rappler.com
Get the new HONOR 200 series here:
Shopee: https://bit.ly/HONOR_Shopee
Lazada: https://bit.ly/HONOR_Lazada
TikTok: https://bit.ly/HONOR_TikTok
or run to your nearest HONOR Experience and Partner stores!