Honor 70 review

Design and build

There are a lot of similarities between the Honor 70 and the Honor 50, and one could even argue that they are pretty much identical for all intents and purposes. The camera island is the most notable difference. The Honor 70 goes for two separate protruding rings, while the older version had a camera bump accommodating the rings.

The top one houses the main camera and the depth sensor, while the second one holds the ultrawide shooter and the LED flash. The two rings protrude quite a bit and make the phone wobble on a flat surface.

The back panel is made of frosted glass with curved edges that seamlessly transition into the side frame without forming any unpleasant ridges. We got the Icelandic Frost colorway, and not only does it look nice, but it also remains pretty clean. It doesn't attract fingerprints and smudges, and the finish itself is somewhat less slippery than your usual frosted glass. That doesn't mean it's not slippery at all; it's just a bit better to handle.

The side frame is glossy and thin, with the power button and volume rocker on the right side. Both seem adequately placed. The bottom has the usual USB-C connector, SIM card tray and speaker grille. Interestingly enough, the bottom and top side of the frame are flat with a matte finish. And in case you are wondering, the frame is plastic.

Honor 70

Unlike other brands, Honor likes to use curved displays for its more affordable devices, and the Honor 70 is no exception. Just like the back, the front glass panel is curved, and you can even say the curvatures are a bit on the aggressive side. Whether you like it or not, the curved display gives the phone a more sophisticated, premium look and feel. It also makes the device feel a tad thinner, which is probably the design's main appeal.

The thin sides around the frame and lightweight design (just 178 grams) make up for pleasant handling. The Honor 70 is a breath of fresh air compared to other hefty 6.7-inch smartphones.

In addition to the thin side frame, the phone has slim screen bezels too. The top and bottom ones look quite symmetrical, while the centered cutout for the selfie camera is pretty small and negligible. We just wished the fingerprint reader was a bit higher as it's too close to the bottom frame.

All in all, the Honor 70 is a nicely built phone with a lightweight and slick design. The camera design on the back is quirky, though. Its only drawbacks are the lack of some level of ingress protection and the absence of Gorilla Glass on the front.