I put the Pixel 8a’s camera against the Honor 200 Pro — here’s who won

When it comes to judging the best Android camera phones, the Google Pixel series is usually at the top. Thanks to Google’s image processing and the various AI and ML optimizations over the years, Pixels offer reliable camera performance in any lighting condition. In fact, Android Police’s Will Sattelberg said the Pixel 8a still offers the best camera quality on a $500 smartphone.

However, in the US, we miss out on many smartphones available in other markets at a similar price point, like the latest Honor 200 Pro. Released last month in several European and Asian markets, Honor positions the 200 Pro as a camera-focused mid-range phone with a “studio-level portrait camera,” and has even partnered with Studio Harcourt Paris to mimic black-and-white celebrity portraits using AI.

So, to put these cameras to the test, I took a lot of photos using the Honor 200 Pro and the Pixel 8a to see if Honor is fully ready to challenge Google in this department. The results were pretty surprising.

A closer look at the camera hardware

Honor has a clear advantage here

Before we dive into the camera comparisons and take a look at some shots, let’s go over what both phones actually offer. On the Honor 200 Pro, you’ll find an f/1.9 50MP primary camera that supports both PDAF and OIS. Alongside that, you’ll find a 50MP telephoto sensor with 2.5x optical zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide lens.

In comparison, the Pixel 8a features a pretty modest set of rear cameras: a 64MP main camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, and a 13MP ultra-wide lens. Yes, the Pixel 8a lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, which might seem like a disadvantage for portrait and zoom shots, but then, it’s a Google Pixel; the magic of this camera is in its software, not the hardware.

The rear camera showdown

Which smartphone comes out on top?

Before we begin, there are a few things to know. I’m only comparing the rear cameras of these phones, not their front-facing selfie cameras. Secondly, all the photos in this test were straight point-and-shoot; I didn’t tweak anything, including exposure or white balance, and didn’t use Pro mode, since most people use their smartphone in the same way.

In the image galleries below, you’ll find shots from the Honor 200 Pro first (left), followed by the Google Pixel 8a (right), for consistency and ease of comparison.

HDR and color science

Right off the bat, you can see a huge difference in color science and HDR between the two smartphones. The above shot shows a significant difference in how the two phones handle colors and HDR processing. Google Pixels are usually excellent with HDR, but in the shot of the Mumbai airport above, the Pixel fails to show the tiles below the window. The Honor 200 Pro, on the other hand, handles it just fine.

In the shot above, you can see the different color processing of the two smartphones. In the shot of the parking lot, which wasn’t taken in broad daylight, but instead in the evening on a hazy day, the Honor 200 Pro keeps a slightly warmer tone, while the Pixel 8a tends toward a cooler shot. However, the actual scene was closer to what the Pixel captured, not the Honor 200 Pro.

Here are some other examples showing the difference in processing between both phones, albeit taken in artificial lighting. In the first shot, the Honor 200 Pro opts for more vivid colors, while the Pixel 8a has slightly muted, natural tones.

Similarly, in the shot below — showcasing the painting of the Gateway of Mumbai — the Pixel 8a produces a somewhat muted image, while the Honor 200 Pro opts for a brighter and more colorful look.

Portrait shots

Moving on to the portrait shots, let’s start with daylight shots first. You might think that with its telephoto sensor, the Honor 200 Pro would have an advantage in depth and bokeh, but that isn’t the case — at least in daylight.

Here, the Pixel 8a does just fine blurring the background, despite lacking a dedicated depth sensor. And again, you can see the difference in color science, with the Honor going for a more vibrant look while the Pixel 8a opts for more natural colors.

However, in artificial or low lighting, the Honor 200 Pro’s telephoto sensor helps, producing clearer and sharper portraits. The shots from the Pixel 8a look fine, but lag behind in terms of clarity, depth, and color accuracy.

Motion shots

Moving onto our next category: motion shots. Most cameras either produce a blurred photo or just fail to capture it. I tried taking a shot of my pet dog with both phones — although I sort of failed at it since he was darting around — but we can clearly see that both phones are capable of taking excellent motion shots, with every strand of hair sharply detailed.

Skin tone accuracy and indoor lighting

Looking at how the cameras perform in indoor and artificial lighting, there is a noticeable difference. As seen in the image below, the Honor 200 Pro produces a warmer shot with slightly exaggerated colors, while the Pixel 8a — as consistent as this camera is — delivers a more natural-looking shot with toned-down colors. I can’t say I prefer either shot overall, but the Pixel 8a comes closer to my skin tone in terms of accuracy than the Honor 200 Pro.

Looking at some more indoor lighting shots, the differences between the phones persist. In the restaurant shot below, the Honor 200 Pro again opts for vibrant colors, while the Pixel 8a offers more true-to-life colors. The Honor 200 Pro is a bit too vibrant for my taste, especially in artificial lighting, while the Pixel 8a does a great job retaining all the colors without making the scene look overly bright or vivid.

Night mode

For low-light testing, I took the phones to Mumbai’s famous Marine Drive, which was dimly lit with only distant streetlights, building lights, and car headlights. Surprisingly, the Honor 200 Pro handled it better than the Pixel 8a, retaining the texture of the rocks without overexposing the sky’s dark color.

While the Pixel 8a overexposed the sky, it handled the distant streetlights well. I don’t love either image, but the Honor 200 Pro’s photo looks arguably better, though it’s slightly warmer than the actual conditions.

This shot of the Apple Store shows similar results. The Pixel overexposes the lights, while the Honor 200 Pro handles the HDR and overall exposure much better. You can clearly see the Apple logo in the Honor’s image, while it’s slightly blown out in the Pixel’s image. Additionally, the plants in front are better handled by the Honor, although the Pixel is arguably better at processing the wall above the Apple logo.

To top it off, let’s look at a shot of a hanging light I took the other day. As you can see, the Honor 200 Pro again handles the exposure well, capturing every strand of the netted light hanging and even the filament of the bulb in detail. In contrast, while the Pixel captures the netted hanging clearly, it overexposes the bulb’s filament.

Which camera is better?

Both phones are excellent for their price; you won’t be disappointed with either one. Yes, even though the Pixel 8a lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, it processes photos similarly to the Honor 200 Pro (at least in good light). Also, you won’t miss out on zoom quality as the Pixel 8a’s main 64MP sensor can crop in 2x and still get a crisp shot.

The Pixel 8a is by no means a bad camera phone, but with its slightly smaller sensor (1/1.73″ compared to the 200 Pro’s 1/1.3″), it struggles to capture enough light, which affects its overall image sharpness and dynamic range.

That said, there’s a clear winner here, and it’s the Honor 200 Pro. While the 200 Pro’s image processing is slightly too vibrant and warmer for my taste, it captures better shots with great detail, clarity, and depth, and is just all-around better with dynamic range. If you have the option to pick up Honor’s new budget champ, you won’t be disappointed.