Take Professional Portraits with HONOR 10's Portrait Mode

Launched in May 2018, the HONOR 10 is the flagship smartphone of the HONOR range. And while this clearly means it has a lot to offer across the board, one of its most impressive features is undoubtedly what EISA describes as “the most intelligent camera system on the market”. Portrait Mode stands out in particular by allowing you to take professional-standard photos wherever you are and whoever you’re with, even if, in most cases, you’re not with anyone at all.

This is partly possible because HONOR 10 has one of the highest resolution “selfie” cameras of any smartphone – 16MP for colour and 24MP for black and white although these can be combined to produce a 24MP colour photo (the higher resolution black and white camera captures the image and the colour is then mapped over the top).

The high-performance Kirin 970 processor is another key feature and is largely behind the impressive AI (Artificial Intelligence) that the model boasts. This AI supports the model’s 3D portrait lighting effects which allow you to do in a few clicks what was once only possible in a studio. The options that can be applied once a photo is taken are Soft Light, Butterfly Light, Theatre Light, Classic Light and Split Lighting but the smartphone’s AI can also work its magic to create the perfect lighting just as you’re pressing the button. An enhanced light-sensitive sensor working alongside 4-in-1 light fusion technology makes it possible to achieve high quality photographs even in “poor” light with images being both sharp and focused. Any lighting condition becomes perfect lighting.

Beyond camera resolution and lighting, there are many other features to play with. Bokeh (blurred background) can be switched on and off and you can improve the physical appearance of your subject with the beauty feature. This is a slider with a 0-10 setting that allows you to create an airbrushed effect, blurring imperfections and enhancing other features. You can even set the phone to take a photo automatically whenever it detects a smile, using the Capture Smiles feature in the settings menu. Phase-detection autofocus means that the camera is able to focus on the subject's face quickly so you can achieve perfection in the blink of an eye.

Finally, for any budding photographer who still isn’t satisfied, the HONOR 10 boasts a Pro mode giving you even more control over the images you take. To open this go to:

Open Camera > More.

Pro mode gives you extra control over things such as metering (to do with exposure), ISO (which measures the image sensor’s sensitivity), shutter speed (related to ambient light) and camera exposure compensation. There are also options to adjust AWB (Auto-White Balance) and Focus.

Beyond portrait photos, other features which may appeal to photographers include a 5.84-inch (85.1cm2) full HD+ screen and high-dynamic range imaging. The HONOR 10 is priced at £399.99 for UK customers. Only the 128GB version is available in Europe.

*Note that some options are not available in both colour and monochrome modes.