Honor Play4 series: new 8GB Kirin 990 5G and Dimensity 800 phones starting at ~US$280

Honor has just introduced the latest additions to its Play series. The new 4 has the new MediaTek Dimensity 800 SoC, whereas its Pro counterpart rocks 2019's flagship Huawei chipset, the Kirin 990. This means both new devices are 5G, although they differ considerably in terms of specs.

The Play4 and 4 Pro both have FHD+ displays, although they measure 6.81 and 6.57 inches in diagonal length respectively. Similarly, the 4 has a seemedly paradoxical 4300mAh battery, whereas the Pro's is only 4200mAh. However, this may give the latter greater longevity between charges. The Pro can do this at a rate of up to 40 watts (W), whereas the Play4 is equipped with a 22.5W power brick in the box.

As if to confirm an earlier leak, the vanilla model has a quad rear camera set-up that is an almost-stock feature of upper-mid-range phones at this stage. The Play4 Pro, on the other hand, breaks this convention with a simpler 40+8MP dual arrangement.

On the other hand, the main sensor here is the Sony IMX600 that confers the RYYB spec and potentially enhanced low-light capabilities on this new phone. The Pro also exhibits 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom.

The Play4 Pro also reportedly features an IR thermosensor to visualize core body temperature: one health metric that is beyond even the most modern smartwatch. However, this prospect, a special edition that costs 100 yuan (~US$14) more than the normal version, is not yet listed for sale or pre-order.

The 4 starts at 1799 yuan (~$253) for a 6GB RAM/128GB SKU; however, this option is not in stock at present on its new Chinese retail platforms at present. Its 8/128GB SKU, however, is available to pre-order from now on Vmall. It costs 1999 yuan (~$281), meaning it does beat its Huawei counterpart, the Enjoy Z, in these terms - although this slightly older Dimensity 800 phone is cheaper at the base-model level.

The newest Kirin 990 5G vehicle, on the other hand, has just 1 8/128GB SKU, priced at 2899 yuan (~$408). Both Play 4 variants run the latest version of Magic UI (3.1) and are available in black and blue colorways on their new Vmall page, although there is also a pale pink gradient advertized for both phones.