HONOR’s new 400 Lite 5G has just made its debut in the UK and parts of Europe in three colours: Marrs Green, Velvet Black and Velvet Grey, and at first glance, it’s pretty much what you’d expect from a midrange Android phone in 2025: a huge camera sensor, a slick AMOLED screen, a big battery, and just enough AI to make sure the press release has the right buzzwords. But look a little closer, and you’ll spot something else — a new hardware button that looks very familiar.
Yes, the 400 Lite 5G comes with what HONOR calls an “AI Camera Button” — a side-mounted shortcut that launches the camera app or Google Lens with a press. Sound familiar? That’s because it’s functionally (and visually) almost identical to Apple’s new Camera Control button found on the iPhone 16 series. And this isn’t HONOR’s first round of déjà vu: the brand previously introduced a “Magic Capsule” feature that’s basically a remix of Apple’s Dynamic Island.
Still, if you can look past the copycat energy, the 400 Lite 5G has a solid spec sheet. It packs a 108MP main camera, a 16MP front-facing sensor, and runs Android 15 out the box with HONOR’s MagicOS 9.0 skin. Under the hood, there’s a MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra processor, either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The 6.7-inch AMOLED display offers 120Hz refresh and full HD+ resolution, while a 5,230mAh battery with 35W fast charging keeps it all running.
All of this starts at £249.99 (approximately R6 241,26 at time of conversion), which sounds decent — assuming the phone actually makes it to your part of the world.
Here’s the catch for South African buyers: HONOR hasn’t confirmed whether the 400 Lite 5G will launch locally. The company never brought the 300 Lite or the rest of the 300 series to South Africa, so it’s not a given that this model will show up on Takealot or at your nearest network store.
That said, HONOR has been far more intentional about its South African playbook lately. Alongside its flagships like the Magic7 Pro and foldables like the Magic V2, the company also introduced the X9C and X7C locally, and launched the 200 series in 2024 — signalling that it’s not just catering to high-end buyers.
If the 400 Lite 5G does arrive, it could land in a competitive sweet spot for anyone wanting high-end camera hardware, a polished design, and a taste of AI-enhanced features without dropping over R15 000. Just don’t be surprised if it gives you iPhone déjà vu every time you press that new button.