Honor's next mid-range phones are set to launch in China this month — with a rear design that borrows heavily from key rivals.
Credit: HonorHonor is ready to end 2026 with a big splash. But the design of its next premium mid-range phones is anything but original.
The Honor 700 series, consisting of regular, Pro and ‘S’ models, is widely expected to launch in China before the end of November. If previous generations are anything to go by, the first two will make their way to Europe (including the UK) in early 2027.
Ahead of the launch, Honor has officially revealed the phones’ designs, and they’re giving me serious déjà vu.
A mid-range Xiaomi 18 Pro?Surprisingly, all three Honor 700 phones feature a secondary rear display. It’s designed to make selfies with the rear cameras feel seamless, as well as act as a control hub for key quick settings and a less distracting, glanceable alternative to the always-on display.
Credit: HonorHowever, if you’ve been following the phone market recently, you’ll know that this isn’t unique to Honor by any means. After a brief debut on the Mi 11 Ultra, Xiaomi brought back the secondary display on last year’s 17 Pro and Pro Max, before upgrading resolution and brightness on this year’s 18 Pro series, which is scheduled to launch globally later this month.
As more affordable phones, the Honor 700 series won’t quite match those expansive, near 3-inch displays. Instead, all three are opting for a more compact 1.72-inch squircle (square with curved edges), which is integrated directly into the camera module rather than sitting alongside it.
The Xiaomi 18 Pro Max’s secondary screen is much more expansive | Credit: Chris Martin / FoundryIt also has a more limited scope, with a focus on basic widgets rather than full app-like experiences. The camera previews are also more limited, given the unusual aspect ratio.
iPhone comparisons are inevitableXiaomi might’ve pioneered the modern secondary display, but its flagships’ look and feel are clearly inspired by the iPhone Pro phones. The company has made no secret of its desire to go head-to-head with Apple, even skipping the number 16 to sync up with the iPhone.
Rear screen aside, the Xiaomi 18 Pro looks a lot like the iPhone 18 Pro, with a raised camera module covering almost the entirety of the top of the phone. The Honor 700 series continues in the exact same mould, which gives the phones a more premium aesthetic than their price tags might suggest.
Credit: Emma Rowley / FoundryWhile Samsung is often considered the obvious alternative to Apple on the Android side (at least in Europe and North America), many Chinese brands are clamouring for a larger slice of the pie. Appealing directly to iPhone loyalists is one of many ways they’re trying to do this.
So, while the Honor 700 series’ clone-like design language is disappointing, it makes a lot of sense for mid-rangers to go down this route. The specs don’t look half bad, either…
Older silicon, brand-new accessoryWeibo leaker Digital Chat Station has been an Honor 700-leaking machine recently, and everything that’s been revealed so far is incredibly promising.
The latest post suggests the regular 700 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8s Gen 4, while the 700 Pro will step up to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. While both chipsets are now over a year old, they remain highly capable. Performance is likely to be a strong point of the Honor 700 series, especially when compared to similarly-priced competition.
Digital Chat Station also alludes to several other upgrades compared to the Honor 600 and 600 Pro, mentioning a “larger battery [thought to be around 9000mAh on the Chinese version ] + periscope lens + flagship imaging”. Their post from September pointed to the 700 Pro getting a 6.57-inch flat screen and a 200Mp main lens.
Credit: HonorInterestingly, the same leaker suggested last month that the 700 and 700 Pro would both have support for a “200mm telephoto extender” accessory. In other words, a teleconverter kit to boost camera performance, just like you’ll find for Honor’s own Magic 8 Pro and the Oppo Find X10 series.
It could set a new standard for mid-range camera phones, but teleconverters come with some very real trade-offs.
Nonetheless, all signs point to the 700 Pro in particular being a compelling phone — provided it can maintain a competitive price in the UK and Europe. With the 600 Pro starting at £629 and RAMageddon wreaking havoc on phone prices, a hike beyond our £700 mid-range phone limit feels likely.
If it manages to avoid it, it could be one of 2027’s best-value phones.
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