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Honor 7S Smartphone Review

Budget Oreo phone The Honor 7S is a budget entry-level smartphone with Android Oreo and dual SIM support. The hardware configuration leads one to believe that the smartphone is likely to be fairly slow. To find out if this is true, read on.
Honor 7S

We have already reviewed several smartphones made by Honor. Whether entry-level or mid-range smartphones, all devices have one thing in common: A comparatively low price. The Honor 7S gives prospective buyers the opportunity to purchase an Android Oreo device for 120 Euros (~$140). In exchange, users will get a smartphone with a Mediatek MT6739 SoC, a PowerVR GE8100 graphics unit, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of eMMC flash storage.

This price bracket is thronged with competitors, including the Honor 7A from the same manufacturer. For the purposes of this review, we will also compare the Honor 7C with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5AUmidigi's A1 Pro and Huawei's Y5 (2018).

Honor 7S (7 Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6739 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.45 inch 18:9, 1440 x 720 pixel 295 PPI, capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 10 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5mm jack, Card Reader: microSD, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, proximity sensor, microUSB
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, 2G GSM: 850/900/1800/1900; 3G WCDMA: B1/B5/B8; 4G LTE (Cat. 4): B1/B3/B5/B7/B8/B20, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.3 x 146.5 x 70.9 ( = 0.33 x 5.77 x 2.79 in)
Battery
3020 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 1 speaker, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, EMUI 8.0, 24 Months Warranty, SAR value (head): 0.36 W/kg; SAR value (body): 1.01 W/kg, fanless
Weight
142 g ( = 5.01 oz / 0.31 pounds), Power Supply: 50 g ( = 1.76 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
120 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Robust design for the Honor 7S

The Honor 7S's case is constructed of plastic and is available in the colors black, blue and gold. The back of the smartphone is embellished with tiny notches. The manufacturing quality is very solid and gives you the sense that the smartphone is quite robust. The transitions between the back and the display are even, and the physical buttons and SIM/SD card slots sit securely in their respective spots.

At just 142 gram (0.31 lb), the Honor 7S is the most lightweight device in our comparison list. The rest of the body measurements are commonplace for a 5.45-inch device in this price bracket.

Honor 7S
Honor 7S
Honor 7S
Honor 7S
Honor 7S
Honor 7S

Size Comparison

153 mm / 6.02 inch 76.2 mm / 3 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs152.4 mm / 6 inch 73 mm / 2.87 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 150 g0.3307 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 145 g0.3197 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

Connectivity - Entry-level smartphone from Honor

Honor has chosen to equip the 7S with a Mediatek MT6739 SoC, a PowerVR GE8100 graphics unit, two GB of RAM and 16 GB of eMMC flash storage. This hardware configuration is appropriate for an entry-level smartphone and should enable the system to run smoothly. Even so, this hardware is primarily suited for simple applications.

The Honor 7S can be charged via the microUSB connection, or the port can be used to transfer data according to the USB 2.0 standard. The SIM card slot enables the owner to use two nano SIM cards and one microSD card simultaneously. The 3.5 mm jack makes it possible to physically connect an external headset or speakers to the Honor 7S.

left side: SIM/SD card slot
left side: SIM/SD card slot
top side: 3.5mm jack
top side: 3.5mm jack
right side: power button, volume rocker
right side: power button, volume rocker
bottom side: microUSB connection
bottom side: microUSB connection

Software - Huawei UI on the Honor smartphone

The Honor 7S comes with Android 8.1.0 with security updates dated from April 1st, 2018, as well as Huawei's EMUI 8.1 user interface. These software items are similar in structure to pure Android, though the settings menu is organized differently. The phone comes with very few third-party apps pre-installed, and those that are present can be easily uninstalled in the app menu. Additionally, it is possible to open multiple user accounts on the Honor 7S.

A microSD card can add up to 256 GB worth of storage space. The standard storage location can only be changed from the internal storage to the microSD card in the settings menu. Apps that have already been installed cannot be moved, nor can the memory card be reformatted as internal storage.

Software Honor 7S
Software Honor 7S
Software Honor 7S
Software Honor 7S
Software Honor 7S

Communication and GPS - Honor 7S with GPS glitches

The Honor 7S smartphone can establish wireless connections via GSM, 3G and LTE (Cat. 4). The latter enables data transfer rates of up to 150 MBit/s downloading and up to 50 MBit/s uploading. Users can rely on WLAN standards b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2 for communication over shorter distances.

In our tests, the Honor 7S achieved data transfer rates over WLAN appropriate to the smartphone's hardware configuration and price bracket. As a result, the competitors are more or less on par with our test device here, though the Honor 7S takes first place by a slim margin.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Honor 7S
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
59.9 MBit/s
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
55.9 MBit/s -7%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.8 MBit/s -7%
Huawei Y5 2018
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52.3 MBit/s -13%
Honor 7A
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
46.7 MBit/s -22%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +546%
Honor 7S
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
58.2 MBit/s
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.7 MBit/s -4%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
53.8 MBit/s -8%
Huawei Y5 2018
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52 MBit/s -11%
Honor 7A
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
45 MBit/s -23%
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors

We used the GPS Test app to determine how accurately the Honor 7S could position us. The budget smartphone ascertained its position outdoors with an accuracy of up to 2 meters (~7 feet), and even indoors the accuracy held at 4 meters (~13 feet).

After taking these base accuracy measurements, we used our Garmin Edge 520 reference device to determine how well the Honor 7S performs in terms of navigation. On our obligatory bike ride, the Honor 7S's GPS could keep pace with the Garmin Edge 520 - but large sections of the recorded path were missing. This could cause problems for users even during simple navigation tasks.

GPS Honor 7S - overview
GPS Honor 7S - overview
GPS Honor 7S - bridge
GPS Honor 7S - bridge
GPS Honor 7S - forest
GPS Honor 7S - forest
GPS Garmin Edge 520 - overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 - overview
GPS Garmin Edge 520 - bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 520 - bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 520 - forest
GPS Garmin Edge 520 - forest

Phone Function and Call Quality - Budget smartphone with LTE

Honor 7S phone call
Honor 7S phone call

Users of the Honor 7S have access to Huawei's own phone app. With direct access to Contacts and Favorites, the functionality of this app is comparable to that of Google's standard Android phone app.

During conversations, participants are easy to understand, though the earphone's volume is comparatively low. Even small amounts of background noise make it difficult to understand everything the person on the other end is saying. The speakerphone function does not help here either and is only fit for use in very quiet environments.

Using a headset is a far better experience. The volume can be turned up much higher, making it easier to understand the person on the other end.

Cameras - Honor smartphone for the occasional snapshot

front camera shot
front camera shot

Honor has chosen to equip the 7S with a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. The latter takes reasonably good selfie shots in normal daylight conditions indoors. As long as the object of the shot remains in the fixed focus's field, it is possible to take sharp photos. Objects outside of the focus area and in the background, on the other hand, become increasingly blurry.

The 13 MP main camera is good for the occasional snapshot. Panorama shots are average quality, but upon close observation we see that object boundaries are not well-defined. Light and dark areas of an image, on the other hand, are clearly distinguished from each other - although within dark areas differences in color are only just recognizable. In very good ambient light, close-ups also look good, but object boundaries are not well-defined here either.

It is impossible to take good photos in low light. The Honor 7S's light sensitivity is sufficient to capture all the objects in the scene, but the result is a blurry photo in which the original motif is just barely recognizable. Video recordings taken with the Honor 7S are saddled with the same limitations and require a steady hand. The smartphone is equipped with an image stabilizer, but it only corrects for minor camera shake.

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
ColorChecker Passport
ColorChecker Passport

We used the ColorChecker Passport program to test the color accuracy of the Honor 7S's camera. Here we see that almost every color is rendered too darkly. This effect is less obtrusive for yellow and green mixed tones.

In a controlled lighting environment, the Honor 7S was able to take a quality snapshot of our test chart. The camera's tendency to render colors too darkly is visible here, and object borders are a little blurry, but the imperfections are only noticeable up close.

Honor 7S test chart
Honor 7S test chart (detail)

Accessories and Warranty - 24 months of warranty coverage from Honor

The Honor 7S's box contents consist of just a USB power supply with matching microUSB cable and a SIM ejector tool. Users will have to turn to a third-party manufacturer for accessories tailored to the Honor 7S. Universal smartphone accessories such as power banks, headsets and selfie sticks are available directly from Honor.

Buyers of the Honor 7S will receive a 24-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation - Swift Key on the Honor smartphone

Honor has installed the keyboard app "Swift Key" on the 7S. This keyboard enables users to type texts quickly and easily. It also offers a variety of customization options, such as skins. Our test device's touchscreen reacts to input quickly and reliably, although the level of friction between the screen and the user's fingertips is a little too high. This is problematic primarily during the execution of drag-and-drop and swipe gestures. In addition, the position sensor reacts very slowly.

Honor 7S input devices
Honor 7S input devices

Display

subpixels
subpixels

Honor chose to equip the 7S with a 5.45-inch IPS panel. This panel has a resolution of 1440x720 pixels and an average brightness level of around 417 cd/m². Compared to other smartphone in this price bracket, the 7S's brightness is a little below average.

In our list of devices for comparison, the Honor smartphone takes next-to-last place in terms of brightness. In addition, Honor used PWM to regulate the display brightness. At brightness levels of less than 25 percent, the display flickers at a frequency of 250 Hz.

429
cd/m²
412
cd/m²
413
cd/m²
418
cd/m²
422
cd/m²
419
cd/m²
410
cd/m²
420
cd/m²
412
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 429 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 417.2 cd/m² Minimum: 4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 422 cd/m²
Contrast: 728:1 (Black: 0.58 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.29 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.219
Honor 7S
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Umidigi A1 Pro
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Huawei Y5 2018
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Honor 7A
IPS, 1440x720, 5.70
Screen
6%
0%
-83%
4%
Brightness middle
422
469
11%
594
41%
475
13%
417
-1%
Brightness
417
464
11%
570
37%
470
13%
395
-5%
Brightness Distribution
96
92
-4%
86
-10%
91
-5%
88
-8%
Black Level *
0.58
0.6
-3%
0.22
62%
0.76
-31%
0.18
69%
Contrast
728
782
7%
2700
271%
625
-14%
2317
218%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.29
3.31
-1%
6.63
-102%
9.12
-177%
6.46
-96%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.91
6.68
3%
13.99
-102%
18.86
-173%
10.72
-55%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.1
2.4
23%
9.2
-197%
12
-287%
5.8
-87%
Gamma
2.219 99%
2.155 102%
2.24 98%
2.342 94%
2.423 91%
CCT
6873 95%
6626 98%
8663 75%
9861 66%
7839 83%

* ... 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 detected 250 Hz ≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

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 728:1, our test device's contrast ratio is comparatively low, but some similarly priced devices have contrast ratios that are even lower. The Honor 7A and the Umidigi A1 Pro prove that inexpensive devices can do better here. The Honor 7S's black value of 0.58 is high, but the same caveat applies as in the discipline of contrast ratio. In our CalMAN measurements, we found that the display has a significant blue cast.

CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color space
CalMAN - color space
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation

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
20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 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. » 37 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 19 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. » 55 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Honor 7S can be used outdoors without a problem, as long as users give preference to shady spots and look at the display from a direct angle. In direct sunlight, the display content is difficult to see. The view can also be obscured by reflections from objects in the surrounding environment, which makes it even harder to use the smartphone.

Honor 7S - outdoor use
Honor 7S - outdoor use
Honor 7S - outdoor use
Honor 7S - outdoor use

The Honor 7S's IPS panel has very stable viewing angles. This means that the smartphone's display content always looks correct, even from less than ideal vantage points. Especially outdoors, however, mirrored objects and surface reflections can obstruct the user's view of the screen content.

Honor 7S - viewing angle stability
Honor 7S - viewing angle stability
Honor 7S - viewing angle stability
Honor 7S - viewing angle stability

Performance - Honor smartphone for simple tasks

Honor has chosen to equip the 7S with Mediatek's entry-level MT6739 SoC and a PowerVR GE8100 graphics unit. The two processors are joined by 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal eMMC flash storage. These hardware components are often found in budget entry-level smartphones and can run both Android Oreo and simple apps.

In our benchmarks, the Honor 7S's performance proves to be comparatively low. In almost every test, our test device takes one of the bottom rungs. In everyday use, time and again the phone needs a little time to load, including opening the settings menu, for example.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
45762 Points
Umidigi A1 Pro
36073 Points
Huawei Y5 2018
38060 Points
Honor 7A
46126 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739 (25012 - 38060, n=13)
33655 Points
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
39468 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
57683 Points +46%
Umidigi A1 Pro
45868 Points +16%
Huawei Y5 2018
45817 Points +16%
Honor 7A
59990 Points +52%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (26874 - 46951, n=13)
41995 Points +6%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
Points
Umidigi A1 Pro
4330 Points
Huawei Y5 2018
4133 Points
Honor 7A
5109 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739 (3742 - 5136, n=11)
4323 Points
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
2467 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
3702 Points +50%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3159 Points +28%
Huawei Y5 2018
2675 Points +8%
Honor 7A
3892 Points +58%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2467 - 5377, n=16)
3206 Points +30%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +341%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Honor 7S
217 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
948 Points +337%
Umidigi A1 Pro
208 Points -4%
Huawei Y5 2018
224 Points +3%
Honor 7A
1055 Points +386%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (162 - 637, n=15)
291 Points +34%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +2529%
System (sort by value)
Honor 7S
1341 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
1774 Points +32%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1318 Points -2%
Huawei Y5 2018
1363 Points +2%
Honor 7A
1962 Points +46%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1103 - 1526, n=15)
1294 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +617%
Memory (sort by value)
Honor 7S
920 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
791 Points -14%
Umidigi A1 Pro
802 Points -13%
Huawei Y5 2018
1034 Points +12%
Honor 7A
1209 Points +31%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (420 - 1039, n=15)
768 Points -17%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +577%
Graphics (sort by value)
Honor 7S
187 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
788 Points +321%
Umidigi A1 Pro
184 Points -2%
Huawei Y5 2018
187 Points 0%
Honor 7A
739 Points +295%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (18 - 190, n=15)
160.5 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +7333%
Web (sort by value)
Honor 7S
10 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
729 Points +7190%
Umidigi A1 Pro
10 Points 0%
Huawei Y5 2018
10 Points 0%
Honor 7A
705 Points +6950%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (7 - 624, n=15)
165.4 Points +1554%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +14770%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
644 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
678 Points +5%
Umidigi A1 Pro
665 Points +3%
Huawei Y5 2018
662 Points +3%
Honor 7A
675 Points +5%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (571 - 675, n=14)
632 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +686%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
1748 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
2576 Points +47%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1852 Points +6%
Huawei Y5 2018
1827 Points +5%
Honor 7A
2820 Points +61%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1418 - 1896, n=14)
1733 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +675%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
1172 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
2204 Points +88%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1450 Points +24%
Huawei Y5 2018
1451 Points +24%
Honor 7A
2127 Points +81%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1125 - 1460, n=12)
1328 Points +13%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +804%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
4203 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
9915 Points +136%
Huawei Y5 2018
4161 Points -1%
Honor 7A
9584 Points +128%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (3392 - 4339, n=17)
3912 Points -7%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Honor 7S
4346 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
10202 Points +135%
Huawei Y5 2018
3575 Points -18%
Honor 7A
9684 Points +123%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2878 - 4346, n=17)
3398 Points -22%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Honor 7S
8269 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
9027 Points +9%
Huawei Y5 2018
9755 Points +18%
Honor 7A
9249 Points +12%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (7103 - 10981, n=17)
9367 Points +13%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Honor 7S
152 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
602 Points +296%
Umidigi A1 Pro
168 Points +11%
Huawei Y5 2018
125 Points -18%
Honor 7A
613 Points +303%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (120 - 211, n=17)
157.5 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +2234%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Honor 7S
125 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
533 Points +326%
Umidigi A1 Pro
140 Points +12%
Huawei Y5 2018
102 Points -18%
Honor 7A
535 Points +328%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (102 - 185, n=17)
131.6 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +3024%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Honor 7S
620 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
1107 Points +79%
Umidigi A1 Pro
537 Points -13%
Huawei Y5 2018
562 Points -9%
Honor 7A
1259 Points +103%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (445 - 690, n=17)
567 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +385%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Honor 7S
104 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
320 Points +208%
Umidigi A1 Pro
108 Points +4%
Huawei Y5 2018
84 Points -19%
Honor 7A
308 Points +196%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (80 - 221, n=17)
104.9 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +2482%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Honor 7S
84 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
265 Points +215%
Umidigi A1 Pro
88 Points +5%
Huawei Y5 2018
68 Points -19%
Honor 7A
254 Points +202%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (65 - 185, n=17)
85.4 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +3085%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Honor 7S
573 Points
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
1148 Points +100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
531 Points -7%
Huawei Y5 2018
560 Points -2%
Honor 7A
1232 Points +115%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (486 - 690, n=17)
567 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +446%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
10 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
20 fps +100%
Umidigi A1 Pro
9.7 fps -3%
Huawei Y5 2018
10 fps 0%
Honor 7A
27 fps +170%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (8.2 - 15, n=17)
10.1 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +736%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
6.1 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
17 fps +179%
Umidigi A1 Pro
6 fps -2%
Huawei Y5 2018
6 fps -2%
Honor 7A
16 fps +162%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (4.9 - 6.1, n=17)
5.64 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +3884%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Honor 7S
5.7 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
15 fps +163%
Umidigi A1 Pro
5.4 fps -5%
Huawei Y5 2018
5.7 fps 0%
Honor 7A
14 fps +146%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (4.4 - 10, n=16)
5.61 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +1151%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
2.8 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
7.6 fps +171%
Umidigi A1 Pro
2.7 fps -4%
Huawei Y5 2018
2.7 fps -4%
Honor 7A
7.1 fps +154%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2.2 - 2.8, n=14)
2.56 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +4825%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
3.6 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
11 fps +206%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3.3 fps -8%
Huawei Y5 2018
3.4 fps -6%
Honor 7A
10 fps +178%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2.6 - 6.7, n=16)
3.51 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +1572%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
1.6 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
4.9 fps +206%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.6 fps 0%
Huawei Y5 2018
1.6 fps 0%
Honor 7A
4.6 fps +188%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1.3 - 1.7, n=16)
1.494 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +5963%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
1.7 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
5.6 fps +229%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.4 fps -18%
Huawei Y5 2018
1.4 fps -18%
Honor 7A
5.4 fps +218%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1.1 - 2.6, n=15)
1.553 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +2424%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Honor 7S
0.91 fps
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
2.7 fps +197%
Umidigi A1 Pro
0.9 fps -1%
Huawei Y5 2018
0.85 fps -7%
Honor 7A
2.6 fps +186%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (0.6 - 0.91, n=14)
0.826 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +6340%

Legend

 
Honor 7S Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Umidigi A1 Pro Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Y5 2018 Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 7A Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 16 GB eMMC Flash

Our test device comes in near the bottom in the browser benchmarks as well. Both in JetStream 1.1 and Octave V2, as well as in Mozilla's Kraken 1.1, the Honor 7S performs below average. In everyday use, however, surfing goes smoothly and websites load quickly. Only media content needs somewhat longer to load.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +386%
Honor 7A (Chrome 67)
18.39 Points +5%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
17.86 Points +2%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
17.7 Points +1%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime (Chrome 67)
17.55 Points 0%
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
17.54 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739 (13.4 - 18.5, n=14)
16.7 Points -5%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +965%
Honor 7A (Chrome 67)
3389 Points +8%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime (Chrome 67)
3293 Points +5%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
3191 Points +2%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
3138 Points 0%
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
3132 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2093 - 3386, n=15)
2945 Points -6%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
17852 ms *
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
16492 ms * +8%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (13599 - 18154, n=16)
16427 ms * +8%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
15718 ms * +12%
Honor 7A (Chrome 67)
14709 ms * +18%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime (Chrome 67)
13586 ms * +24%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +91%

* ... smaller is better

The Honor 7S's internal storage is a little faster than that of comparable devices. The differences in the write and read rates are very slim, but our test device does take second place here.

The smartphone's microSD card reader also managed good data transfer rates with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference memory card. Most of the competition is faster here, but the Honor 7S's performance is still good.

Honor 7SXiaomi Redmi Note 5A PrimeUmidigi A1 ProHuawei Y5 2018Honor 7A Average 16 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
26%
-12%
-6%
-1%
-36%
1111%
Sequential Read 256KB
237.6
287.1
21%
269.2
13%
245.3
3%
254.8
7%
164.5 ?(9.66 - 294, n=256)
-31%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
518%
Sequential Write 256KB
67.1
120.3
79%
44.4
-34%
47.8
-29%
72.5
8%
43 ?(8.74 - 106.3, n=256)
-36%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
1507%
Random Read 4KB
39.69
47.87
21%
29.6
-25%
39
-2%
39.2
-1%
21.7 ?(2.49 - 62.1, n=256)
-45%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
510%
Random Write 4KB
13.24
17.15
30%
10.2
-23%
11.8
-11%
9.4
-29%
8.08 ?(0.49 - 44.9, n=256)
-39%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1909%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
80.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
84.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
81 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
81.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
84.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
6%
59.1 ?(8.1 - 87.7, n=137)
-26%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
61.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
60.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-3%
58.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-5%
62.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
65.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
6%
39.8 ?(6.38 - 65.8, n=137)
-36%

Games - Honor 7S smartphone suited for casual games

The Honor 7S is only good for gaming in limited circumstances. The built-in PowerVR GE8100 GPU is only suited for simple 3D applications. Casual games and older games present no significant challenge to the smartphone, but more graphics-heavy games sometimes require very long load times and/or only run at reduced graphics settings.

The touchscreen's level of friction also impedes game play. Controls based on swipe gestures are significantly more difficult to execute than on other smartphones. In addition, there is often a lag in the position sensor reaction time, which has a significant impact on games that rely on this control element.

Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Temple Run 2
Temple Run 2

Emissions - Honor 7S with quiet speaker

In operation, the Honor 7S hardly warms up at all. In idle mode, the temperatures rarely rise about 30°C (86°F), and under load the smartphone never exceeds the 40°C (104°F) mark. Our test device usually feels warm to the touch in use, but never hot.

Max. Load
 39.2 °C
103 F
36.5 °C
98 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 38.7 °C
102 F
36.5 °C
98 F
38.3 °C
101 F
 
 37.4 °C
99 F
36.1 °C
97 F
38.8 °C
102 F
 
Maximum: 39.2 °C = 103 F
Average: 37.7 °C = 100 F
36.4 °C
98 F
37 °C
99 F
38.7 °C
102 F
36.5 °C
98 F
36.7 °C
98 F
38.3 °C
101 F
36.4 °C
98 F
36.7 °C
98 F
37.5 °C
100 F
Maximum: 38.7 °C = 102 F
Average: 37.1 °C = 99 F
Power Supply (max.)  35.5 °C = 96 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37.7 °C / 100 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 39.2 °C / 103 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 38.7 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
heat development - top
heat development - top
heat development - bottom
heat development - bottom

Speaker

speaker characteristics
speaker characteristics

The Honor 7S's speaker is not particularly loud, but it is certainly usable in rooms with little background noise. The sound quality, however, leaves something to be desired. The tones reproduced by the speaker range only from high mid-tones to high tones. In addition, the sound is somewhat tinny. To enjoy media content over an extended period, headphones or external speakers are much to be preferred. The 3.5 mm jack is a great help here. The plug locks safely into the jack, and audio content is transmitted perfectly.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2025.627.82527.1323125.428.84025.226.55031.730.36322.821.480212010019.519.612517.717.916016.818.420016.722.625015.227.931514.229.640013.638.650013.442.363012.748.980012.353.7100011.857.3125011.958.3160011.355.1200011.349.8250011.347.2315011.250.9400011.450.1500011.153.6630011.356800011.456.21000011.4521250011.448.51600011.538.1SPL50.12465.7N6.60.518.6median 11.8median 48.5median 42.2Delta2.612.723.62728.525.938.529.535.331.441.632.640.324.124.923.122.824.123.317.21916.619.616.830.416.436.414.138.313.853.213.657.712.161.211.563.811.566.711.267.811.266.711.268.411.271.211.169.311.269.611.269.311.466.311.464.411.360.211.449.511.432.666.757.96023.979.619.310.913.70.542.5median 11.5median 60.2median 36.8median 12.2median 61.14.615.623.111.718.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHonor 7SXiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Honor 7S audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (65.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.9% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (34.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 81% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 91% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 7% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 61.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 61.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 61.1% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (116.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 9% 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, 2% similar, 3% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life - Budget smartphone with long battery life

The Honor 7S uses energy very economically, but competing devices on our comparison list do even better. Note: The overall energy usage is lower for our test device, but this is only because the power draw under maximum load is lower. The power supply that comes with the smartphone has a power rating of 5 watts, which is too little to simultaneously power the system and charge the device under maximum load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.5 / 3 / 3.8 Watt
Load midlight 5.4 / 5.7 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 7S
3020 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
3080 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Huawei Y5 2018
3020 mAh
Honor 7A
3000 mAh
Average Mediatek MT6739
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
17%
15%
21%
28%
20%
25%
Idle Minimum *
2.5
1.8
28%
1.8
28%
1.3
48%
1.3
48%
1.522 ?(0.87 - 2.8, n=16)
39%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
64%
Idle Average *
3
2.4
20%
2.3
23%
1.7
43%
1.6
47%
2.17 ?(1.6 - 3.5, n=16)
28%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
52%
Idle Maximum *
3.8
2.9
24%
3.2
16%
2.5
34%
2.9
24%
2.86 ?(1.68 - 6.3, n=16)
25%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
57%
Load Average *
5.4
4
26%
4.7
13%
5.5
-2%
3.7
31%
4.73 ?(2.8 - 7, n=16)
12%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-3%
Load Maximum *
5.7
6.3
-11%
6
-5%
6.8
-19%
6.4
-12%
5.99 ?(3.5 - 11.9, n=16)
-5%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-44%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our WLAN test, designed to simulate everyday use, the Honor 7S lasted almost exactly 14 hours. With this run time, our test device takes the first place in our comparison list. The power supply that comes with the smartphone fully charges the 3020 mAh battery in around two hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
14h 00min
Honor 7S
3020 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
3080 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Huawei Y5 2018
3020 mAh
Honor 7A
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
840
647
-23%
608
-28%
685
-18%
657
-22%

Pros

+ modern Android Oreo
+ good WLAN for this price bracket
+ solid manufacturing quality
+ long battery life
+ dual SIM plus SD card possible

Cons

- occasionally choppy performance
- no USB Type-C
- GPS glitches

Verdict - Modern Android for a low price

In Review: Honor 7S. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.
In Review: Honor 7S. Test device courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.

In our tests, the Honor 7S proves to be a fairly typical budget smartphone that reveals some minor weaknesses in terms of system performance. Buyers who do not mind occasionally waiting for apps to load will get a smartphone that runs the modern Android Oreo OS and is suitable for simple tasks.

The simple camera enables the user to take the occasional snapshot. Browsing, sending messages over WhatsApp and playing simple games presents no great challenge to our test device. Those who are looking for a simple phone with the modern Android OS at a low price can take a closer look at the Honor 7S.

The Honor 7S provides enough system performance for simple needs and offers Android Oreo for a low price.

Honor 7S - 07/25/2018 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
74%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
76%
Connectivity
37 / 60 → 62%
Weight
93%
Battery
97%
Display
87%
Games Performance
7 / 63 → 11%
Application Performance
23 / 70 → 33%
Temperature
89%
Noise
100%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
66%
Average
67%
78%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Mike Wobker, 2018-07-29 (Update: 2019-03- 9)