Honor

Honor Phones in South Africa

Smartphone Shop stocks Honor phones across the X series, the 400 range and the new 600 range. Honor passed one million phones sold in South Africa during 2025 and now sits second by shipment volume in this market, behind Samsung. That is not a small brand any more.

Every Honor phone on this page runs Android with full Google services, and every phone we sell is network unlocked and ICASA approved. The prices shown on the product cards above are live. They update as stock and exchange rates change, so what you see there is always the current price.

Are Honor and Huawei the Same Company?

No. Huawei sold the Honor business on 17 November 2020 to Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology, a consortium of Honor's own dealers and agents. Huawei stated at the time that once the sale completed it would hold no shares in Honor and take no part in running it.

That separation is the reason this matters to you. Honor is not on the United States entity list, so Honor is not blocked from licensing Google Mobile Services. Huawei is on that list, and Huawei is blocked. Two brands, two completely different software situations. Our Huawei range is worth a look on its own merits, but go into it knowing that difference.

Do Honor Phones Have Google Apps and the Play Store?

Yes. Honor phones ship with Google Mobile Services pre-installed, which is the full Google bundle: Play Store, Google Search, Chrome, Gmail, Maps, Drive and Play Services. Every South African banking app, Uber, WhatsApp and the SARS eFiling app install and work the way they do on any Android phone.

The turning point was the Honor V40 in January 2021, the first Honor phone to ship with Google Play Services after the split. Every Honor phone released since has carried them.

Which Honor Series Is Right for You: X, 400 or 600

Honor sells three ranges in South Africa: X for budget, 400 for mid-range, 600 for the newest hardware. The naming is not obvious, so here they are in one table.

Lite means the lighter version of that generation. Pro means the fuller one. A 600 is newer than a 400.

Honor X Series Phones

The X series is the affordable end and the reason Honor grew as fast as it did here. The Honor X5c is our entry point, dual SIM with 64GB of storage, and it is the cheapest Honor we stock. It handles WhatsApp, banking, social and light games without complaint.

Above it, the Honor X7d steps up to 256GB of storage, and the Honor X9d 5G adds 5G and 12GB of RAM. The X9d also uses Honor's third generation silicon-carbon battery, which packs more capacity into the same thickness.

Honor 400 Series Phones

The Honor 400 5G carries 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, which is the specification most people should stop at. The Honor 400 Pro is the fuller version of the same generation with the better camera system.

The 400 range is where Honor's value argument is sharpest. You are getting flagship storage and memory numbers at a price the flagship brands charge for their mid-range.

Honor 600 Series Phones

Honor launched the 600 and 600 Pro in South Africa on 21 May 2026. The Honor 600 and Honor 600 Pro both carry a 7,000mAh battery with 80W wired charging and a 200MP main camera, and both are rated IP68, IP69 and IP69K for dust and water. The Honor 600 Lite brings the same generation down to a more ordinary price.

A 7,000mAh battery is the number worth sitting with. That is roughly forty percent more capacity than a typical flagship, and in a country that still schedules its power cuts, it is the specification that changes your day.

MagicOS and How Long Honor Phones Get Updates

MagicOS is Honor's version of Android. The current version is MagicOS 10, built on Android 16. Some retailers still call it Magic UI, which was the name before 2022.

Update support is where Honor has moved ahead of most of the price band. The Magic series gets seven years of Android and security updates. The 600 series gets six, which takes it to Android 22. For a phone you intend to keep four or five years, that is the specification that decides whether it is still safe to bank on in 2030.

Is Honor a Good Phone Brand?

On the South African evidence, yes. Honor passed one million units sold here in 2025, sold more than 19,000 devices in a single Black Friday day, and grew 180 percent in 2024 followed by another 66 percent in 2025. Counterpoint Research named it the country's fastest growing smartphone brand.

Volume alone does not make a phone good, so the harder numbers: six to seven years of Android and security updates, and full Google services on every current model. Very few brands at this price match both.

Is Honor Better Than Samsung?

It depends which part you weigh. Honor now ships more phones in South Africa than anyone except Samsung and has matched Samsung on update length at the flagship end. On specification per rand, Honor usually wins, and the 600 series carries a much larger battery than you will find on a Samsung at the same price.

Samsung's advantages are real too. Wider repair network, stronger resale value, and an ecosystem most South Africans are already inside. If you trade your phone in every two years, that resale gap matters. If you keep it until it dies, Honor is the better buy.

The Cheapest Honor Phones We Stock

The Honor X5c is the cheapest Honor phone we stock and it lands well under R2,000, which is lower than most people expect Honor to start. If your budget is firm, look at Smartphones Under R5000, which puts the Honor entry models next to the equivalent Xiaomi, OPPO, Samsung and Realme handsets so you can see the real choice rather than one brand's version of it.

Dual SIM and Why Network Unlocked Matters

Every Honor phone we sell is dual SIM and network unlocked, and that combination saves people real money.

Most retailers sell network locked phones. The handset only works on the network that sold it, so moving means a new number or paying to have it unlocked. Ours work on Vodacom, MTN, Telkom and Cell C the moment you open the box, and every one is ICASA approved.

Dual SIM is what turns that into savings. Keep your usual number on the first SIM. Put a second SIM in for data on whichever network is running the better deal that month. Cheaper data, same number, one phone. Every Honor handset on this page takes two SIMs.

Honor Tablets, Earbuds and Watches

The Honor Pad X8b is an 11 inch tablet that ships with a flip cover and a stylus, which is unusual at its price. More sits in Tablets, Headphones and Wearable Tech. Our Best Sellers and Latest Arrivals show what is actually moving.

Buying Honor from an Independent Shop

Smartphone Shop has traded online since 2010 and holds a 4.9 rating across 123 Google reviews. We are not a network store and we are not a chain. That usually makes us cheaper, and it definitely makes us easier to reach. All our phones are network unlocked and ICASA approved, and every phone we sell carries a one year manufacturing warranty.

Some of our stock is global variant rather than local-badged. We say so on the product page where it applies, it is part of why the price is lower, and it carries the same one year warranty as everything else we sell. About Us explains how we work, Delivery and Returns covers shipping and returns, and our FAQs answers the rest. If you are choosing between a contract and buying outright, read four reasons to avoid cellphone contracts and how buying on credit works here.

Last updated: 7 August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Honor a good brand for phones?

Yes. Honor is the second largest smartphone brand in South Africa by shipment volume and passed one million units sold locally in 2025. Honor phones ship with full Google services and get six to seven years of Android and security updates depending on the range. Everything we sell is network unlocked, ICASA approved and carries a one year warranty.

Are Honor and Huawei the same?

No. Huawei sold Honor on 17 November 2020 and retained no shares and no management role. The practical difference is Google. Honor phones ship with the Play Store and Google apps because Honor is not subject to the United States restrictions that apply to Huawei.

Is Honor better than Samsung?

Honor generally gives more specification per rand, especially battery and storage, and now matches Samsung on update length at the top of its range. Samsung has the wider repair network and better resale value. If you replace your phone every two years, Samsung. If you keep it four or more, Honor.

Is the Honor mobile phone any good?

The Honor phones we sell most of are the X series, and they hold up. Full day battery, Google apps, dual SIM, and enough performance for WhatsApp, banking, streaming and light gaming. The 400 and 600 ranges are simply good phones, and they hold their own against names that cost a lot more.

Do Honor phones work on South African networks?

Yes, and on any of them. Most retailers sell network locked phones, which ties you to one network and often means changing your number. Every phone we sell is network unlocked and ICASA approved, so you keep both. Our guide to 4G and 5G covers whether 5G is worth paying for where you live.

How long do Honor phones get updates?

Six years of Android and security updates on the 600 series, and seven years on the Magic series. The X series is shorter. For a phone you plan to keep past 2030, the 600 series is the range to look at.

How much do Honor phones cost in South Africa?

Honor phones on this page start under R2,000 for an X series handset and run to around R19,000 for the 600 Pro. Prices move with stock and the exchange rate, so the product cards above this text carry the live figures rather than anything written here.

What warranty do Honor phones come with?

Every phone Smartphone Shop sells carries a one year manufacturing warranty, global variant stock included. The warranty covers defects in materials and workmanship under normal use. It does not cover physical damage, liquid damage or unauthorised software changes. Full terms sit on our Returns and Refunds Policy page.

What is the difference between the Honor X5, X7 and X9?

The number is the tier. X5 is the entry point with the smallest storage and simplest camera. X7 adds storage and a better screen. X9 adds 5G, more memory and Honor's silicon-carbon battery. Everything else, including Google services and dual SIM, is the same across all three.

Which Honor phone has the best battery?

The Honor 600 and 600 Pro, both at 7,000mAh with 80W wired charging. Roughly forty percent more than a typical flagship. If load shedding is why you are shopping, start there, then read real world battery life and how to charge without wrecking the battery.