Honor 400 Series launches in Singapore with first free in-device AI image-to-video tool

If you think that advertising the ability to turn images into short video clips as a phone feature seems silly, don't forget that only two months ago, the world was beside itself, turning the most humdrum photos into Ghibli-style animation frames. Part of the reason for the spike in popularity? It was relatively easy to use.

And so it is with the Honor 400 Series: the phone features tools that change how we create and share content; the standout AI image-to-video tool-developed with Google Cloud — turns static photos into five-second MP4s, animated by AI.

Typically, like all new AI features, you need some know-how and likely some credit spend to do this — far from user-friendly. One caveat — it's limited to 10 activations a day, which should be fine for all except the most-obsessed.

On the Honor 400 Series, it's just part of the phone.

Flagship-tier specs, mid-tier pricing

The lineup includes the Honor 400 ($599) and the Honor 400 Pro ($899). Both feature the same AI suite, which makes the entry model more than just a spec-cut option.

• The Pro runs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12GB of RAM + 12GB Turbo RAM, and 512GB storage.
• The regular 400 uses a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3, with the same 12+12GB RAM combo and 256GB storage.

Both models feature 1.5K AMOLED panels, 120Hz refresh, and 5,000 nits peak brightness. However, the Pro has a 6.7-inch quad-curved screen with Natural Tone Display support, while the Honor 400 has a slightly smaller 6.55-inch flat AMOLED screen.

The 6,000mAh battery is shared across both models, with the Pro supporting 100W wired and 50W wireless charging (44 per cent in 15 minutes) and the regular 400 limited to 80W wired (40 per cent in 15 minutes).

Both phones are IP-rated and wrapped in reinforced glass, with the Pro offering IP68 and IP69 water/dust protection and the 400 covering IP66.

Cameras: Pro vs practical

The 400 Pro gets the full flagship camera treatment with a dedicated 50MP telephoto lens, 3x optical zoom, and up to 50x AI-enhanced zoom-backed by the Sony IMX856 sensor. The regular 400 skips the telephoto entirely and offers up to 30x digital zoom using the main sensor.

Both share the same 200MP main shooter and 50MP selfie cam, but only the Pro gets AI Enhanced Portrait, a feature aimed at improving clarity and background separation in tight portraits.

The 400 Series supports Honor's Harcourt Portrait mode, inspired by the cinematic black-and-white portraits of 1930s Paris.

However, only the Pro gets the full treatment: additional styles like Harcourt Colour and Harcourt Vibrant, plus AI Enhanced Portrait for better edge detail and background blur. The regular 400 keeps things simpler, with the core Harcourt look and standard filters.

You still get AI Portrait Snap on both-handy for freezing motion without losing sharpness — but if you want the dramatic studio effect dialled up, the Pro does it better.

AI for casual content creation and productivity

Cameras can't just be cameras these days, especially when phones like the Honor 400 Series offer tons of easy-to-use, editing tools:

• AI Cutout to lift people or objects from images and reposition them
• AI Eraser 2.0 to remove photobombers or reflections with a tap
• AI Outpainting to extend cropped photos
• AI Upscale and Face Tune for cleaning up older or imperfect images
• Moving Photo Collage, which stitches multiple Live Photos into a single animated story

For productivity, Honor adds features like AI Notes (summarise, format, correct text), Live Translation (real-time subtitles for phone calls in six languages), and Magic Portal 2.0, which lets users circle objects on the screen to trigger app-specific actions — like searching, shopping, or booking rides.

There's even Deepfake Detection, first introduced in the Magic 7 Pro, built into video calls, aimed at identifying AI-generated faces in real time.

Not competing on AI power but on usability

At $599-$899, the Honor 400 Series finds itself against some of the most recognisable names in the mid-flagship range: Pixel 9a ($799), Samsung Galaxy S25 ($1,098), and even Honor's own Magic series.

So, what is its niche? Honor is essentially trying to offer competitive specs for the price, but integrates simple, helpful AI features as a value-add without asking you to buy into an ecosystem or pay extra for creative tools. Most phones with AI talk about efficiency.

This one lets you remake your dad's 1987 passport photo into a motion clip. And it doesn't charge you tokens to do it. Sometimes, that's more than enough.

Availability in Singapore

Pre-orders run from now through May 29, 2025, with bonuses including:

• Honor 400 Pro: Earbuds Clip, Watch 2i, phone case, and 1-year extended warranty (worth $436)
• Honor 400: Earbuds X6, Watch 2i, phone case, and 1-year extended warranty (worth $337)

Purchase and telco availability begins May 30, 2025, with listings on Honor, Shopee, Lazada, and major retailers, as well as experience stores (Causeway Point and NEX) and Singtel, M1, StarHub telco plans.

This article was first published in Potions.sg.