Honor introduces two new 5G phones, the X30 and the Play 30 Plus

Continuing to celebrate its separation from Huawei, which allows it to install the Google version of Android on its phones, Honor today unveiled the X30 handset. The device sports a 6.81-inch LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2388, and thin side bezels that weigh in at 1.05mm. The screen refreshes 120 times each second for buttery smooth scrolling, enhanced animations, and more.

Under the hood (another area where Honor is no longer restricted thanks to Huawei's $15 billion sale of its former sub-brand) you'll find a 5G Snapdragon 695 SoC built on the 6nm process node by TSMC. Compared to the MediaTek Dimensity 900 that powered the X20, the chip powering the new phone will deliver CPU and GPU performances 15% and 30% higher, respectively.

On the back, the camera array includes a 48MP primary camera, a 2MP macro camera for extreme close-ups, and a 2MP depth sensor. There is a small punch-hole in front for the 16MP selfie snapper.

Keeping the lights on is a 4800mAh battery that charges at 66W. At that rate, you might be able to juice up your phone to 80% in only 30 minutes. Memory ranges from 6GB to 12GB with storage options of 128GB or 256GB. Honor's Magic UI 5.0 is found on top of Android 11 and the X30 will be available in silver and black (Las Vegas Raiders' colors), gold and blue.

The Honor Magic X30 is priced at CNY1,499 (equivalent to $235) for the base 6GB RAM/128GB model and rises to CNY 2,299 ($361) for the 12GB RAM/256GB variant. The phone goes on sale in China on Christmas Eve and Honor has yet to mention anything about a global version of the device. While the X20 had a limited release, Honor CEO Geroge Zhao has hinted at wider distribution of the X30.

The executive said, "Through both online and offline channels, we have been able to expand our offerings to even more consumers," he said. "We are grateful for the trust of our retail and carrier partners around the world and look forward to introducing more products together in 2022."

Also introduced today was the Honor Play 30 Plus. A less ambitious phone than the X30 is, the Play 30 Plus carries a 6.7-inch LCD screen that refreshes 90 times each second. It is equipped with MediaTek's Dimensity 700 chipset and does support 5G. The phone comes with 4GB-8GB of memory and 128GB of storage. On the back is a 13MP camera with a 2MP depth sensor. In the front is a teardrop notch with a selfie camera that weighs in at 5MP.

A 5000mAh battery is inside the handset although charging is no faster than 22.5W. The color options are the same as the four available for the X30 (silver, black, gold, and blue), and the software (Magic UI 5.0 on top of Android 11). The model with 4GB of memory and 128GB of storage is priced at CNY 1,099 (equivalent to $173). The version with 8GB of memory and 1238GB of storage trim and maxes out at 8GB RAM and 128GB storage which will set you back CNY1,499 ($235).

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The Honor Play 30 Plus will be released on December 31st.

Honor is also celebrating its freedom by announcing that it plans on becoming an "iconic global brand." In a release, the company said, "HONOR spent the past year developing strategic collaborations with its global supply chain partners and established over 30 partnerships with leading suppliers including AMD, Intel, MediaTek, Microsoft and Qualcomm."

Honor CEO Zhao said, "Thanks to the support of our friends and partners over the past year, HONOR has been able to deliver on our promise to help consumers go beyond as well as expand our brand to provide both premium and accessible technology to a wider range of users. I am so proud of the industry breakthroughs we have introduced as a result of the dedication and passion of my colleagues and collaborations with our leading global chain partners. It has really been great to see how we are shaping a shared future together."