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Honor 7A Smartphone Review

Extremely affordable. With the 7A, Honor promises an affordable smartphone with a large display area. In addition, the smartphone offers some particular functions such as dual SIM with a separate microSD card reader, and a surround mode. You can find out in our test, whether these are just gimmicks or whether the Honor 7A is really convincing.
Honor 7A

It is a little confusing: while the Honor 7 was a flagship model of Huawei's direct marketing brand at one time, nowadays a "7" in the model name of the Honor points to an entry or mid-range model such as the Honor 7X. In addition, the letters are not designated alphabetically according to the performance. While the Honor 7C has better equipment than the Honor 7A which we are testing now, the Honor 7S ranges below these two models, and the Honor 7X significantly above.

For a recommended retail price of 139 Euros (~$162), we can get the Honor 7A into our test lab and you can also get it into your home, if you like. At first glance, the slightly more expensive entry-level phone has the usual equipment. In this price range, you do not need to look long to find competitors: there are for example the Lenovo Moto E4 Plus, the Huawei Y6 2018 from the same manufacturer, the Sony Xperia L1, and also the Umidigi A1 Pro.

Honor 7A (7 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) 8 x 1.4 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.70 inch 2:1, 1440 x 720 pixel 282 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 11.4 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 audio port, Card Reader: microSD up to 256 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, proximity sensor, compass, USB OTG
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM (850/​900/​1800/​1900), UMTS (850/​900/​1900/​2100), LTE (3/7/20/28/38/39/40/41), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.8 x 152.4 x 73 ( = 0.31 x 6 x 2.87 in)
Battery
11.4 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix contrast AF, LED flash, videos @1080p/​30fps
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix f/​2.2, LED flash
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker at the bottom edge, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Charger, USB cable, SIM tool, Honor, HiCare, game suite, 24 Months Warranty, FM radio, SAR value: 0.26 W/​kg (head), 0.88 W/​kg (body), LTE Cat 4 (50 Mbit/s upload, 150 Mbit/s download), fanless
Weight
150 g ( = 5.29 oz / 0.33 pounds), Power Supply: 49 g ( = 1.73 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
139 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case – A lot of plastic in the Honor 7A

In our Honor 7A test, we first take a look at the exterior of the smartphone. The device is made entirely from plastic which is matte at the back and also has a slight metallic shine. In terms of colors, you can choose either black or blue with a black front, or gold with a white front. The display bezels are really quite thin for such an affordable smartphone. At 150 grams (~5.3 oz), our test unit has exactly the same weight as the Huawei Y6 2018, which makes it quite a light smartphone.

While our impression of the quality is okay for an affordable smartphone, it is still just a plastic case that appears less high-quality than the case of the Huawei Y6 2018, which can at least present a metal frame. The stability is decent. Even though in the front and back the case can be slightly pressed in, the pressure does not reach the screen. You can also warp the smartphone, which causes it to creak quietly.

Honor 7A
Honor 7A
Honor 7A
Honor 7A
Honor 7A

Size Comparison

155 mm / 6.1 inch 77.5 mm / 3.05 inch 9.6 mm / 0.378 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs152.4 mm / 6 inch 73 mm / 2.87 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 150 g0.3307 lbs152.4 mm / 6 inch 73 mm / 2.87 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 150 g0.3307 lbs151 mm / 5.94 inch 74 mm / 2.91 inch 8.7 mm / 0.3425 inch 180 g0.3968 lbs145.1 mm / 5.71 inch 69.1 mm / 2.72 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 173 g0.3814 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features – microSD reader and dual SIM

In Europe, the Honor 7A is only available with 16 GB of storage and 2 GB of RAM, while there are also versions with 3 GB of RAM internationally. The storage can be expanded via microSD card. There is even an extra slot for this, so that the dual-SIM smartphone can accept two SIM cards plus a microSD.

Software – Many preinstalled apps in the Honor 7A

The operating system of the Honor 7A is Android 8, which is overlaid by Honor's EMUI user interface. The security patches are on the level of March 1, 2018, which makes them a bit old. Honor has preinstalled numerous apps, including Designs which allows you to adjust the Honor 7A user interface, AppGallery which is Huawei's own app store, and various tools. There are also some preinstalled advertising apps from ordering portals and streaming services.

Software Honor 7A
Software Honor 7A
Software Honor 7A

Communication and GPS – Slow WLAN transfer

In terms of speed, the Honor 7A supports LTE Cat. 4, which is standard for the entry-level. The amount of supported LTE bands includes all that are necessary in Europe, but you will not get very far beyond that. In the city area, the reception is decent.

The 802.11 b/g/n WLAN standards are supported. However, the Honor 7A is quite slow in terms of the transfer rates. It is about at the same level as the Moto E4 Plus, and together, these two are the slowest in our comparison.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Sony Xperia L1
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
88.6 MBit/s +90%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.8 MBit/s +19%
Huawei Y6 2018
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52.2 MBit/s +12%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
46.8 MBit/s 0%
Honor 7A
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
46.7 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +736%
Sony Xperia L1
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
92.2 MBit/s +105%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.7 MBit/s +24%
Huawei Y6 2018
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
50.5 MBit/s +12%
Honor 7A
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
45 MBit/s
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
42.1 MBit/s -6%
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors

While the Honor smartphone is unable to locate us indoors, it quickly achieves an accuracy of 4 meters (~13 ft) outdoors.

During our bike tour with the Honor 7A and a Garmin Edge 520 as a comparison device, our test unit shows a similar accuracy as the professional navigation device, and is thus surprisingly suited for navigation tasks.

Garmin Edge 520 GPS – overview
Garmin Edge 520 GPS – overview
Garmin Edge 520 GPS – forest
Garmin Edge 520 GPS – forest
Garmin Edge 520 GPS – bridge
Garmin Edge 520 GPS – bridge
Honor 7A GPS – overview
Honor 7A GPS – overview
Honor 7A GPS – forest
Honor 7A GPS – forest
Honor 7A GPS – bridge
Honor 7A GPS – bridge

Telephone Functions and Voice Quality – Honor smartphone with decent voice quality

Honor has slightly modified the standard Android Telephone app, but users should be able to find their way around quickly.

While the voice quality of the ear piece is okay, we can hear some significant noise in the background. Our conversation partner seems relatively present. Our own voice is reproduced very loud and can easily become distorted while speaking loudly. Using the speaker, the voice of our conversation partner becomes even clearer, and this option also allows for a good maximum volume. However, you can still clearly notice the noise in the background, and our own voice is only recorded reliably by the microphone if we talk loud enough.

Cameras – Cheap smartphone with a decent camera

Image taken with front camera
Image taken with front camera

In contrast to earlier announcements, the Honor 7A is only available in Europe with a single camera in the back. However, this is not necessarily a disadvantage if the quality is right. At 13 Megapixels, the resolution is decent, but the pictures appear relatively dark, and some have a clearly visible blue tint. In light areas, there is only little differentiation. The sharpness of the detail is okay. Videos can be recorded at 1080p and 30 FPS. While the color reproduction is slightly pale, the exposure reacts fast and smoothly to changing light conditions, the Autofocus works without being very noticeable, and the sharpness of the detail is right.

The front camera has a resolution of 8 Megapixels and has its own LED flash. The image sharpness is good. However, light areas can quickly become too bright, and the colors appear very pale.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

The main camera must also prove itself under controlled light conditions in the test lab. It also shows here that the images are reproduced very dark. Text in front of colored background easily becomes blurry. As expected, the color reproduction is also too dark.

Image taken of the test chart
Image taken of the test chart
Detail of the test chart image
Detail of the test chart image
ColorChecker: The target color is displayed in the bottom half of each field.
ColorChecker: The target color is displayed in the bottom half of each field.

Accessories and Warranty – The absolutely necessary is included

The accessories include what is absolutely necessary: a charger, a USB cable, a SIM tool to open the SIM tray, quick start instructions, and a warranty card.

The warranty is 24 months. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation – No problems during the operation of the Honor 7A

While Honor has chosen SwiftKey as the virtual keyboard app for its smartphone, you can also install other apps without any problems. SwiftKey offers many settings and input options and allows you to type quickly and reliably.

The touchscreen is protected by a tightly glued-on display protector which offers good sliding characteristics and allows the touchscreen to be easily and accurately controlled in all the corners and edges.

The fingerprint sensor on the back of the smartphone unlocks it with a minimal delay and is very reliable. The Android menu keys are on the screen, and the only hardware buttons are on the right side of the case. These are the buttons for standby and the volume, and they can also be operated comfortably and reliably.

In terms of the gesture controls, you can flip the phone upside down to silence it or tap on the screen twice to put it into standby or wake it up.

Keyboard, landscape
Keyboard, landscape
Keyboard, portrait
Keyboard, portrait

Display – Dark screen with a high contrast

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

At 5.7 inches, the Honor smartphone offers a large IPS display in the modern 2:1 format. While this allows for a tall case design, the whole area cannot be used by 16:9 contents such as videos. The 720p resolution expanded to 2:1 is standard in this price range. However, in larger display areas such as in this case, you can notice a slight blurriness compared to models with a higher resolution. At 395 cd/m² on average, the display of the Honor 7A is not particularly bright. The Umidigi A1 Pro offers much more here at 570 cd/m². The brightness distribution on the screen of the Honor 7A is also only mediocre. At 88%, you can see some brightness differences in large color areas from time to time.

408
cd/m²
409
cd/m²
365
cd/m²
409
cd/m²
417
cd/m²
367
cd/m²
402
cd/m²
401
cd/m²
376
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 417 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 394.9 cd/m² Minimum: 3.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 417 cd/m²
Contrast: 2317:1 (Black: 0.18 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.46 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
89.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.423
Honor 7A
IPS, 1440x720, 5.70
Huawei Y6 2018
IPS, 1440x720, 5.70
Umidigi A1 Pro
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Sony Xperia L1
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Screen
-17%
-2%
-9%
-19%
Brightness middle
417
483
16%
594
42%
425
2%
479
15%
Brightness
395
460
16%
570
44%
425
8%
478
21%
Brightness Distribution
88
88
0%
86
-2%
93
6%
94
7%
Black Level *
0.18
0.4
-122%
0.22
-22%
0.37
-106%
0.58
-222%
Contrast
2317
1208
-48%
2700
17%
1149
-50%
826
-64%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.46
5.8
10%
6.63
-3%
4.7
27%
4.5
30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.72
12.6
-18%
13.99
-31%
8.3
23%
7.5
30%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.8
5
14%
9.2
-59%
4.6
21%
4.1
29%
Gamma
2.423 91%
2.6 85%
2.24 98%
2.17 101%
2.03 108%
CCT
7839 83%
7709 84%
8663 75%
7445 87%
7139 91%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.42

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected ≤ 25 % brightness setting

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

At 0.18 cd/m², the black value is very low, which results in a very good contrast ratio of 2317:1. Colors appear quite vibrant on the screen.

Taking a more careful look at the color reproduction using the spectral photometer and the CalMAN software, we find a significant blue tint, which you can remedy via the blue light filter and the manual color temperature setting option. The color accuracy is average, but in order to really be able to judge colors in photos for example, the screen would need a lot of adjustment work. 

CalMAN Color Accuracy
CalMAN Color Accuracy
CalMAN Color Space
CalMAN Color Space
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Grayscales
CalMAN Grayscales

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
24 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13 ms rise
↘ 11 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 48 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
55 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 32 ms rise
↘ 23 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 90 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Outdoors, it is difficult to see the Honor 7A display, since the maximum brightness is not very high. We notice in the viewing angle image that the image begins to darken slightly from the top, but the viewing angles are okay overall.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance – An affordable smartphone with a lot of performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 would still be a good SoC for slightly more expensive devices, and so it is not surprising that the Honor 7A delivers a good performance for its price range and is able to leave the comparison devices behind.

Since the Qualcomm Adreno 505 could similarly also be used as a graphics solution in affordable mid-range devices, the Honor smartphone achieves very good frame rates for an entry-level smartphone in the benchmarks.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
46126 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
39089 Points -15%
Umidigi A1 Pro
36073 Points -22%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
30619 Points -34%
Sony Xperia L1
37495 Points -19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (42798 - 47066, n=16)
45027 Points -2%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
59990 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
46710 Points -22%
Umidigi A1 Pro
45868 Points -24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (44992 - 59990, n=11)
56835 Points -5%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
5109 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
4756 Points -7%
Umidigi A1 Pro
4330 Points -15%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3624 Points -29%
Sony Xperia L1
4285 Points -16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (3347 - 5290, n=18)
4577 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +195%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
3892 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
3629 Points -7%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3159 Points -19%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
2768 Points -29%
Sony Xperia L1
3237 Points -17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (3408 - 3892, n=16)
3668 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +179%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Honor 7A
1055 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
743 Points -30%
Umidigi A1 Pro
208 Points -80%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
536 Points -49%
Sony Xperia L1
744 Points -29%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (263 - 1055, n=17)
737 Points -30%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +441%
System (sort by value)
Honor 7A
1962 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
1043 Points -47%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1318 Points -33%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
1086 Points -45%
Sony Xperia L1
1338 Points -32%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (1281 - 2154, n=17)
1726 Points -12%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +390%
Memory (sort by value)
Honor 7A
1209 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
1069 Points -12%
Umidigi A1 Pro
802 Points -34%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
591 Points -51%
Sony Xperia L1
798 Points -34%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (530 - 1209, n=17)
769 Points -36%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +415%
Graphics (sort by value)
Honor 7A
739 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
443 Points -40%
Umidigi A1 Pro
184 Points -75%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
208 Points -72%
Sony Xperia L1
386 Points -48%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (715 - 788, n=17)
738 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +1781%
Web (sort by value)
Honor 7A
705 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
616 Points -13%
Umidigi A1 Pro
10 Points -99%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
620 Points -12%
Sony Xperia L1
743 Points +5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (10 - 866, n=17)
499 Points -29%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +111%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
675 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
692 Points +3%
Umidigi A1 Pro
665 Points -1%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
556 Points -18%
Sony Xperia L1
674 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (619 - 685, n=16)
657 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +650%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
2820 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
1939 Points -31%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1852 Points -34%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
1562 Points -45%
Sony Xperia L1
1875 Points -34%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (2222 - 2889, n=16)
2553 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +380%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
2127 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
1419 Points -33%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1450 Points -32%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
952 Points -55%
Sony Xperia L1
1241 Points -42%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (1731 - 2461, n=13)
2118 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +398%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
9584 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
6067 Points -37%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3692 Points -61%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3692 Points -61%
Sony Xperia L1
6669 Points -30%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (9213 - 9977, n=18)
9559 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Honor 7A
9684 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
5426 Points -44%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3183 Points -67%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3183 Points -67%
Sony Xperia L1
6015 Points -38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (9342 - 10271, n=17)
9707 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Honor 7A
9249 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
10344 Points +12%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
8390 Points -9%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
8390 Points -9%
Sony Xperia L1
10767 Points +16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (8253 - 10364, n=17)
9093 Points -2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Honor 7A
613 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
70 Points -89%
Umidigi A1 Pro
168 Points -73%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
163 Points -73%
Sony Xperia L1
285 Points -54%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (554 - 613, n=18)
583 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +470%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Honor 7A
535 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
55 Points -90%
Umidigi A1 Pro
140 Points -74%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
133 Points -75%
Sony Xperia L1
238 Points -56%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (483 - 535, n=18)
509 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +619%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Honor 7A
1259 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
907 Points -28%
Umidigi A1 Pro
537 Points -57%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
753 Points -40%
Sony Xperia L1
939 Points -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (1002 - 1339, n=18)
1182 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +137%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Honor 7A
308 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
Points -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
108 Points -65%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
99 Points -68%
Sony Xperia L1
184 Points -40%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (284 - 330, n=18)
303 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +765%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Honor 7A
254 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
Points -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
88 Points -65%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
79 Points -69%
Sony Xperia L1
149 Points -41%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (234 - 271, n=18)
250 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +945%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Honor 7A
1232 Points
Huawei Y6 2018
Points -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
531 Points -57%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
783 Points -36%
Sony Xperia L1
968 Points -21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (1034 - 1360, n=18)
1178 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +153%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
27 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
14 fps -48%
Umidigi A1 Pro
9.7 fps -64%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
11 fps -59%
Sony Xperia L1
19 fps -30%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (14 - 27, n=17)
20.6 fps -24%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +207%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
16 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
7.7 fps -52%
Umidigi A1 Pro
6 fps -62%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
6 fps -62%
Sony Xperia L1
11 fps -31%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (15 - 18, n=17)
16.3 fps +2%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +1425%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Honor 7A
14 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
5.9 fps -58%
Umidigi A1 Pro
5.4 fps -61%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
4.8 fps -66%
Sony Xperia L1
8.8 fps -37%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (6.6 - 15, n=17)
10.8 fps -23%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +407%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
7.1 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
2.8 fps -61%
Umidigi A1 Pro
2.7 fps -62%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
2.2 fps -69%
Sony Xperia L1
4.1 fps -42%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (6.7 - 7.7, n=17)
7.14 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +1844%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
10 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
fps -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3.3 fps -67%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
3.4 fps -66%
Sony Xperia L1
6.3 fps -37%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (4.3 - 11, n=17)
7.58 fps -24%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +499%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
4.6 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
fps -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.6 fps -65%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
1.4 fps -70%
Sony Xperia L1
2.6 fps -43%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (2.2 - 4.9, n=17)
4.19 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +2002%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
5.4 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
fps -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.4 fps -74%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (2.4 - 5.9, n=17)
4.05 fps -25%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +694%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7A
2.6 fps
Huawei Y6 2018
fps -100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
0.9 fps -65%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (2.4 - 2.7, n=17)
2.55 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +2154%

Legend

 
Honor 7A Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Y6 2018 Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917), Qualcomm Adreno 308, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Umidigi A1 Pro Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus Mediatek MT6737, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia L1 Mediatek MT6737T, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash

A similar picture is painted while surfing the Internet: The Honor 7A works faster than other smartphones in this price range. However, you still need to wait for some images from time to time, and the Honor 7A cannot keep up with higher quality devices. But anyone wanting to surf as fast as possible on a low budget is well taken care of by the Honor 7A.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +960%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (17.6 - 21.5, n=16)
19.1 Points +4%
Huawei Y6 2018 (Chrome 66)
18.55 Points +1%
Honor 7A (Chrome 67)
18.39 Points
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
17.86 Points -3%
Sony Xperia L1 (Chrome 59)
17.37 Points -6%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus (Chrome 60)
14.55 Points -21%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +889%
Honor 7A (Chrome 67)
3389 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (2604 - 3438, n=18)
3194 Points -6%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
3191 Points -6%
Sony Xperia L1 (Chrome 59)
2684 Points -21%
Huawei Y6 2018 (Chrome 66)
2582 Points -24%
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus (Chrome 60)
2273 Points -33%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus (Chrome 60)
17405 ms * -18%
Huawei Y6 2018 (Chrome 66)
16192 ms * -10%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
15718 ms * -7%
Honor 7A (Chrome 67)
14709 ms *
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (10396 - 14709, n=18)
12677 ms * +14%
Sony Xperia L1 (Chrome 59)
12507 ms * +15%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +89%

* ... smaller is better

Access of our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference microSD card occurs at the speed that is to be expected, and the Honor 7A is slightly faster accessing the internal storage than the comparison devices.

Honor 7A Huawei Y6 2018Umidigi A1 ProLenovo Moto E4 PlusSony Xperia L1Average 16 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-3%
-11%
8%
-49%
-34%
1274%
Sequential Read 256KB
254.8
254.3
0%
269.2
6%
194.4
-24%
181.9
-29%
164.5 ?(9.66 - 294, n=256)
-35%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
476%
Sequential Write 256KB
72.5
65.6
-10%
44.4
-39%
42
-42%
40.2
-45%
43 ?(8.74 - 106.3, n=256)
-41%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
1386%
Random Read 4KB
39.2
38.8
-1%
29.6
-24%
19.15
-51%
13.6
-65%
21.7 ?(2.49 - 62.1, n=256)
-45%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
515%
Random Write 4KB
9.4
9
-4%
10.2
9%
29.4
213%
5.9
-37%
8.08 ?(0.49 - 44.9, n=256)
-14%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
2719%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
84.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
84.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
81 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
66.3
-22%
37.81 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-55%
59.1 ?(8.1 - 87.7, n=137)
-30%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
65.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
64 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-2%
58.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-10%
46.6
-29%
26.25 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-60%
39.8 ?(6.38 - 65.8, n=137)
-39%

Games – Enough for simple 3D games

The Honor 7A displays simple games in 2D such as "Angry Birds" and less demanding 3D games such as "Dead Trigger 2" smoothly and well playable. Since the graphics unit also supports many current graphics connections, the smartphone should be relatively future-proof in terms of gaming.

Control via position sensor and touchscreen works reliably and precisely.

Angry Birds
Angry Birds
Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2

Emissions – Hardly any warming and a decent speaker

Temperature

During load, the temperatures are slightly elevated and we measure a maximum of 42.3 °C (~108 °F), which is noticeable, but not critical. Only in summer, this might become uncomfortable if you put the phone into your pant pocket right after load operation. During idle mode, the temperatures are much lower, and you cannot notice any warming.

Max. Load
 41.9 °C
107 F
38.3 °C
101 F
37.8 °C
100 F
 
 41 °C
106 F
38.1 °C
101 F
39 °C
102 F
 
 39.3 °C
103 F
37.5 °C
100 F
37.1 °C
99 F
 
Maximum: 41.9 °C = 107 F
Average: 38.9 °C = 102 F
35.6 °C
96 F
38.3 °C
101 F
42.3 °C
108 F
35.5 °C
96 F
38.3 °C
101 F
41.2 °C
106 F
35.6 °C
96 F
37.8 °C
100 F
39.1 °C
102 F
Maximum: 42.3 °C = 108 F
Average: 38.2 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  36.5 °C = 98 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 38.9 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.9 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.3 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.8 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The built-in speaker at the bottom edge is sufficiently loud and brings a passable sound to the user. While listening to music is fairly enjoyable, at maximum volume the highs are too emphasized, which creates some uncomfortable clanging in the ears.

There is a 3.5-mm audio port as well as the option to connect Bluetooth devices. Both of these connection options work without any problems and deliver a clean sound.

Honor also advertises the option to connect your own smartphone with up to 8 other Honor 7A phones of your friends for example, in order to pair them as a surround sound system. You can also adjust the sound of the headphones via an equalizer.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2042.646.32538.438.73134.231.34037.326.5503031.86326.6288023.222.410021.221.11252121.616016.326.420016.636.725015.841.231513.546.340012.251.65001252.663011.75580010.558.710009.661.612509.563.61600965.320008.567.425008.569.231508.371.340008.269.350008.167.663008.165.180008.162.3100008.264.4125008.353.3160008.235.2SPL65.451.721.959.978.6N19.17.10.31239median 9.6median 55median 11.1median 36median 58.8Delta5.514.110.82419.834.336.235.645.231.341.937.232.83835.62825.726.525.724.624.122.523.62131.520.243.819.648.318.352.417.157.216.75916.260.916.262.515.467.115.269.515.272.21573.11574.115.375.515.374.415.273.815.27215.372.315.471.315.258.815.241.627.884.2155.7median 15.4median 62.51.812.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHonor 7A Huawei Y6 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Honor 7A audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (78.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 58.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 58.8% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 58.8% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (113.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei Y6 2018 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 66% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life – Long runtimes of the Honor 7A

Power Consumption

Considering the high performance of the phone, the power consumption of the Honor 7A is quite okay. The average consumption during idle is even the lowest among the comparison devices.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.03 / 0.05 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.3 / 1.6 / 2.9 Watt
Load midlight 3.7 / 6.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Honor 7A
3000 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Huawei Y6 2018
3000 mAh
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
5000 mAh
Sony Xperia L1
2620 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-23%
-29%
20%
-8%
3%
1%
Idle Minimum *
1.3
1.8
-38%
1.7
-31%
0.89
32%
0.89
32%
0.918 ?(0.52 - 1.88, n=18)
29%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
31%
Idle Average *
1.6
2.3
-44%
2.5
-56%
1.87
-17%
2.05
-28%
2.01 ?(1.4 - 4.17, n=18)
-26%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
9%
Idle Maximum *
2.9
3.2
-10%
3.2
-10%
1.98
32%
2.18
25%
2.28 ?(1.52 - 4.2, n=18)
21%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
44%
Load Average *
3.7
4.7
-27%
5.2
-41%
3.04
18%
6.02
-63%
3.97 ?(2.85 - 7.5, n=18)
-7%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-51%
Load Maximum *
6.4
6
6%
6.8
-6%
4.01
37%
6.94
-8%
6.46 ?(4.88 - 13.7, n=18)
-1%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-29%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our WLAN battery test with the display brightness adjusted to 150 cd/m², we measure a battery life of almost 11 hours. This is an absolutely good value that should be sufficient for two work days of regular use. Anyone who does not use their smartphone much and only activates it occasionally should even be able to last 4 days at times without a recharge. Using the included charger, a full recharge takes about 2:30 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
10h 57min
Honor 7A
3000 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Huawei Y6 2018
3000 mAh
Lenovo Moto E4 Plus
5000 mAh
Sony Xperia L1
2620 mAh
Battery Runtime
-7%
-2%
20%
-14%
WiFi v1.3
657
608
-7%
643
-2%
788
20%
567
-14%
Reader / Idle
1329
1398
H.264
702
656
Load
279
223

Pros

+ strong performance
+ affordable price
+ accurate GPS
+ high-contrast display
+ long battery life

Cons

- slow WLAN
- display has a blue tint
- display is quite dark
- unattractive plastic case

Verdict – The Honor 7A is a good deal

Testing the Honor 7A. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
Testing the Honor 7A. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

The Honor 7A does not stand out with its particular features (Does anyone really have 7 friends who all own an Honor 7A and meet with them to create a sound system of smartphones?), but rather with its small display bezels, the high performance, the good battery life, and the accurate GPS. The camera also takes acceptable pictures, even if they are quite dark. Thus the Honor 7A scores more in the essential virtues that satisfy in everyday life, rather than in features that are good for marketing but only rarely used.

The fact that the Honor 7A is quite affordable makes the good performance in many areas that much more remarkable. Of course, there are also weaknesses, such as the display not being particularly bright, a noticeable blue tint as it comes from the manufacturer, and the plastic case which is okay but will definitely not win any prizes. But those are rather minor details compared to the good performance in the core disciplines.

The Honor 7A is able to convince in many areas: It offers a lot of performance and good battery life for an affordable price, among other things.

Overall, the Honor 7A is an affordable smartphone with a very good price-performance ratio.

Honor 7A - 07/09/2018 v6(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
69%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
95%
Connectivity
37 / 60 → 61%
Weight
92%
Battery
94%
Display
83%
Games Performance
20 / 63 → 31%
Application Performance
44 / 70 → 63%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Camera
64%
Average
71%
82%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Florian Wimmer, 2018-07-16 (Update: 2019-03- 9)