Honor launches 500 series with 200MP camera and 8,000mAh battery
The Honor 500 Series: A New Benchmark in Mid-Range Smartphones
Honor officially launched its new 500 series in China on Monday, November 24, 2025, introducing the Honor 500 and Honor 500 Pro notebookcheck.net+10. Positioned as a strong contender in the upper-midrange segment, these smartphones boast a groundbreaking 200MP camera and an impressive 8,000mAh battery, aiming to redefine user expectations for photography and endurance notebookcheck.net+12. Pre-orders are underway, with the first shipments expected to commence on Thursday, November 27 gsmarena.com+1.
Cutting-Edge Camera System
The Honor 500 series places photography at its forefront, integrating advanced hardware and AI capabilities to deliver a high-quality imaging experience nokiamob.net+3.
High-Resolution Main Camera
Both the Honor 500 and 500 Pro feature a powerful 200MP main camera with a 1/1.4-inch sensor and f/1.9 aperture, described as the largest in its class at this price point gsmarena.com+10. This primary sensor includes Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and advanced AI processing for enhanced mobile photography nokiamob.net+2.
Versatile Lens Configuration
The Honor 500 Pro further elevates its photography prowess with a 50MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens gsmarena.com+7. The standard Honor 500 also includes a 12MP ultrawide lens gsmarena.com+4. For selfies and video calls, both models are equipped with a high-resolution 50MP front camera, capable of 4K video recording gsmarena.com+8.
Unprecedented Battery Life
A standout feature of the Honor 500 series is its massive 8,000mAh Silicon-Carbon battery, promising extended usage and addressing one of the biggest consumer demands notebookcheck.net+11. This substantial capacity is engineered into a slim chassis, claiming an impressive 26 days of standby time and 45 hours of calling nokiamob.net+1.
Advanced Charging Capabilities
Both models support 80W wired fast charging via USB-C, ensuring quick power replenishment notebookcheck.net+10. The Honor 500 Pro exclusively offers 50W wireless charging and 27W reverse wired charging, adding to its premium features notebookcheck.net+8.
Immersive Display and Design
The Honor 500 series features an exceptional display and a robust, aesthetically pleasing design.
Vibrant AMOLED Display
Both Honor 500 models are equipped with a 6.55-inch LTPO AMOLED display notebookcheck.net+10. This screen boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 1,264 x 2,736 pixels, or 1.5K FHD+ notebookcheck.net+10. A remarkable feature is its peak brightness of 6,000 nits, ensuring excellent visibility even in bright conditions notebookcheck.net+8. An in-display fingerprint scanner is integrated for secure unlocking, with the Pro model reportedly featuring a 3D ultrasonic sensor gsmarena.com+2.
Premium and Durable Build
The design of the Honor 500 series is inspired by modern flagships, featuring aluminum frames and glass backs gsmarena.com+1. The devices maintain a slim profile, measuring around 7.8mm thick and weighing approximately 198g for the Honor 500 and 201g for the Pro model gsmarena.com+2. Durability is a key focus, with both models offering extensive ingress protection ratings: IP68, IP69, and IP69K for water and dust resistance, built with a seamless cold-carving process notebookcheck.net+10.
Color Options
The Honor 500 series is available in a range of attractive colors: Aquamarine, Starlight Pink (also referred to as Starlight Powder), Moonlight Silver, and Obsidian Black walastech.com+3.
Performance and Software Experience
Under the hood, the Honor 500 series offers powerful performance tailored for demanding applications and gaming.
Advanced Chipsets
The Honor 500 Pro is powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chip (also referred to as Snapdragon 8 Ultra), built on a 3nm process, ensuring top-tier performance gsmarena.com+9. The standard Honor 500 features the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip, also delivering robust performance gsmarena.com+11.
Memory and Storage
Users can choose configurations with up to 16GB of RAM and internal storage options reaching 1TB for the Pro model, with the standard model offering up to 512GB notebookcheck.net+9.
Operating System and Features
The series runs on MagicOS 10.0, based on Android 16 gizmochina.com+4. This custom OS includes advanced photography features, eye-protecting display technology, and the HONOR Phantom Engine 3.0 for stable 120fps gaming performance with minimal jitter gizmochina.com+2. Connectivity is bolstered by Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 with aptX Lossless support, and an HONOR C1+ RF Enhanced Chip for improved signal reception notebookcheck.net+4.
Pricing and Market Availability
Currently, the Honor 500 series is exclusively available in China, with pre-orders underway and first shipments beginning on Thursday, November 27 notebookcheck.net+3.
Pricing in China
| Model | RAM/Storage | Price (CNY) | Approx. USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honor 500 | 12 GB/256 GB | ¥2,699 | ~$380 |
| 12 GB/512 GB | ¥2,999 | ~$422 | |
| 16 GB/512 GB | ¥3,299 | ~$465 | |
| Honor 500 Pro | 12 GB/256 GB | ¥3,599 | ~$507 |
| 12 GB/512 GB | ¥3,899 | ~$549 | |
| 16 GB/512 GB | ¥4,199 | ~$590 | |
| 16 GB/1 TB | ¥4,799 | ~$676 | |
| notebookcheck.net+5 |
While currently limited to the Chinese market, the Honor 500 series is expected to compete strongly in the upper mid-range segment if launched globally, appealing to photography enthusiasts and users seeking long-lasting battery performance lowyat.net+4.
