- The Honor 400 Pro boasts impressive gaming performance
- However, it does run hot with more demanding games
- It has excellent battery life and is super-comfortable to hold
AI is big business for mobile right now, it seems. Every new device pushes fancy features that use artificial intelligence to make your pictures look perfect, help with live translation, or even write a text message, among other bits and pieces. The Honor 400 Pro is no different, boasting several features that are, of course, all pre-fixed with AI.
And while many are on board with letting computers take away the heart and soul of their snaps, it doesn’t interest me much. Not least because I’m not much of a photographer anyway. So, I’ve decided to ignore all that and see how the Honor 400 Pro fares as a gaming phone, and, for the most part, it’s pretty impressive.
Let’s look at the Honor 400 Pro’s hardware
So, let’s start by looking at that usual jumble of letters and numbers to learn what’s under the hood of the Honor 400 Pro. It boasts a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform chipset and 12GB Honor Turbo RAM. Alongside that, the GPU Turbo X Game Engine promises to enhance graphics and provide a smoother experience. There are some AI shenanigans at play here, too, because there has to be. But frankly, if it makes everything play buttery smooth, then I welcome it, and in this instance, it’s obviously doing a great job. Thank you, future computer overlord. 
I tested out a variety of games to see what the Honor 400 Pro could handle, and the answer appears to be pretty much everything. Squad Busters, Dredge, Asphalt Legends, Alien Isolation, Wild Rift and Wuthering Waves all played exceptionally well without any noticeable dips in performance, even after an extended session. And thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate and beautiful 6.7-inch OLED display, they looked fantastic too.
In particular, I was impressed with how great Alien Isolation looked and played, considering how demanding it is, and doubly so when I checked the battery percentage after a few hours to find it had dropped by 10%. Now, while that might sound like a lot, you should remember how intensive Alien Isolation is. If you’re playing something less resource-heavy for a similar amount of time, it won’t drain the battery much.
But, while the battery holds up well even against the most demanding games, I wouldn’t recommend kicking back and running around the Sevastopol Station for an entire evening. It didn’t take long before the Honor 400 Pro started heating up to a level that would provide comfort on a frosty winter morning. It wasn’t alarmingly hot, though I’d be concerned for the internals if I persisted for too long with it in that state.
Understated looks, fantastic performance
It was a similar story with Asphalt Legends and, to a lesser extent, Wild Rift. However, the likes of Squad Busters and Pokémon TCG Pocket barely raised the temperature, so it’s very much a case-by-case basis. If you play something that asks less of your device, it’s unlikely to become an issue.
Part of what’s so surprising about how well the Honor 400 Pro performs is that everything about it is incredibly understated. With a plain, black-coloured styling, it’s one of the more modest devices I’ve had cross my desk in a while. Now, admittedly, I’m used to reviewing phones specifically designed for gaming, which often bring slightly off-kilter designs, so I appreciate that its aesthetics might seem dull for some of you. For me, though, it’s refreshing to find a capable option that isn’t so in your face about it.
And it’s not just the looks that have struck a chord with me, either. The feel of the Honor 400 Pro is exemplary. While on paper, it’s a touch heavier than my Infinix GT 20 Pro – weighing in at 205 grams compared to 194 – it’s a lot less cumbersome and generally more pleasant to hold. That’s partly thanks to the ever-so-slightly smaller dimensions making the Honor 400 Pro feel much more compact, which, in a world where phones only seem to get bigger, is absolutely welcome. It’s also slightly softer to the touch, whereas my Infinix has comparatively rough edges. All in all, great ergonomics.
It also avoids one of the major mobile gaming pitfalls of a previous Honor phone that Catherine reviewed; telescopic controllers will fit. My Razer Kishi V2 slipped on without anything getting in the way, and the phone felt secure. That’s a big deal for me because I’ve never been able to get along with clamp-based controllers, so a telescopic one is the only acceptable option on mobile.
Final thoughts on the Honor 400 Pro
Ultimately, I was pleasantly surprised by the Honor 400 Pro’s capabilities. Everything I threw at it ran smoothly, and only the more demanding stuff made it heat up to borderline concerning levels. The battery is excellent, meaning you can play for a long time without worry, and it’s one of the most comfortable phones to hold, which helps during those extended sessions.
Honor has also committed to supporting AndroidOS updates and security for six years, which is great to hear. So, if you’re looking for a device that can handle pretty much everything but you rarely play more graphically intensive games for too long, I’d recommend the Honor 400 Pro. And hey, if you’re into AI photography, that’s all here too.