Into the blue
Honor 10 proves that you can have the best of tech at an affordable price.
There are only a few things in life that I’m comfortable changing. Nail polish colors, music streaming subscriptions and other non-essential things that won’t throw my life into chaos. But when it comes to my daily work gear, like my laptop and phone, I’d rather stick to what’s proven and tested. So when the new Honor 10 came out with rave reviews from tech YouTubers and websites, I was so surprised that I actually became curious.
Housed under the Huawei group, Honor released its flagship phone in the Philippines a few weeks ago. The dual-sim phone is powered by a built-in NPU processor with 4GB of RAM and 128GB ROM storage for all the beautiful selfies you’ll take. The 24MP + 16MP rear camera also has an f/1.8 aperture and is 4k-video recording enabled, while the front camera is 24MP. Those are the essentials that you need to know; however, it’s just not enough to see it on paper.
I tried out the Honor 10 for a week and this is what happened.
Day 1
The Honor 10 came at a perfect time. I can’t use my iPhone 6 properly because of the drained battery and the sloth-like OS (due to updates). It has been a while since I last set up a new phone. I’m used to transferring my files via the cloud but this whole process is bringing me back to the joys of high school.
First, I set up the most important thing of all: security. The fingerprint sensor and Face ID were easy to set up. On paper, the camera sounded promising, but what I didn’t expect was the aperture can go down until f/1.2. Mind? Blown. What excited me the most was the SwiftKey keyboard that gives you full customization options for your keyboard. I did have bit of trouble finding the question mark in the keyboard but that’s just me getting used to the Android setting. I’ll give it a few days.
I also changed my wallpaper to my fave portrait of Bob Dylan and Suze Rotolo (you know, the one from “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” album cover). You gotta do what you gotta do to feel at home.
Oh, and have I mentioned that the phone comes with a screen protector and a clear case that can showcase the sexy, color-changing back design?
Day 3
This was the day the Honor 10 was really put to the test. We shot our cover for June, and we needed music to play outdoors. I attempted to play it using the Honor 10. It wasn’t bad, but it was also not that great. You’ll definitely need speakers if you want a more solid sound quality.
Neal, our editorial assistant, also tempted me to reinstall Mobile Legends. Because I have a weak soul, I obliged, and it was hands down the best gaming experience I’ve had so far. The 5.84-inch screen was glorious, and the controls were smooth. We won a brawl, and I was even MVP. Is it the phone? Maybe.
Day 5
Sundays are usually spent preparing for Mondays (I know, it’s weird) so I spent a bit of time planning what I need to do. I used some of the built-in apps like the clock to time my Pomodoro sessions and notepad for my to-do list, which works fine. The calendar, however, needed a bit more organization. I’m still looking for a calendar app from the Google Playstore that can replace Moleskine Timepage in my heart, but we have yet to find it. And if we do… I might just make the switch.
Day 7
I haven’t touched my iPhone since last week. It’s resting peacefully inside my desk drawer, and I’m actually not looking forward to moving back. They say it takes 16 days to form a habit, but I think it only took me seven. Despite my initial thoughts, moving from Apple to Android wasn’t so bad after all. They’re just two different operating systems with very loyal followings. Maybe I can be on the cusp. Apples and oranges, friends, and you can have both if you can afford the salad.
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Honor 10 is currently available at Shopee for P23,990 at selected retailers. For a full list, visit https://www.hihonor.com/ph. For updates and surprise flash sales, follow Honor on Instagram @honorph.