HONOR 90 Lite: How is it different from the HONOR 90?

By Vikka Abat-Francisco

Right on the heels of the HONOR 90 5G, HONOR Philippines has just announced that its Lite variant will now also be available.

Priced at PhP X12,990, the HONOR 90 Lite comes in as the more conservative pick. As of writing, pre-orders are ongoing and come with additional freebies. But as to what you’re getting (or not getting) with this more affordable variant, that’s what we’ll be finding out.

Design and display

Let’s work from the outside in. The difference in design between the two variants is quite obvious. HONOR wanted to give the 90 Lite its own identity by giving it a different look from its bigger brother.

Unlike the HONOR 90 5G, the 90 Lite 5G opts for hard, flat edges. While I find the grip better on the non-Lite mode, the 90 Lite still provides a pretty comfortable in-hand feel.

The next most obvious difference is the design of the camera module. Placement remains the same but on the HONOR 90 Lite 5G we have a Dual Ring camera module that’s supposedly jewelry-inspired.

We also have only two colors available for the HONOR 90 Lite – Cyan Lake and Midnight Black. We have the Cyan Lake colorway with us and compared to the HONOR 90 in Midnight Black, it’s much more fingerprint-resistant thanks to the matte finish.

On the display front, both boast large 6.7-inch screens. With the HONOR 90 Lite, however, you are getting an LCD, 90Hz refresh rate, and Full HD+ resolution. It also doesn’t have an in-display fingerprint reader but you are given face unlock and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner as security options.

Internals, performance, battery

Another area of compromise on the HONOR 90 Lite is its processor. It comes in a single configuration with a MediaTek Dinemsity 6020 5G chip at its heart and is supported by 8GB of RAM. At its price, the HONOR 90 Lite’s 256GB internal storage also becomes a highlight.

Now, while not as high-performing as the HONOR 90 5G, the Lite variant still proves its mettle. Everyday tasks like browsing social media or checking emails are easy to knock out. No problems surfaced either when doing light photo and video editing and casual gaming is also possible.

Heavy gaming isn’t its strong suit with Genshin Impact dropping a few frames now and then but others I’ve tried like Mobile Legends and Pokemon Unite didn’t struggle even when playing for a a good while.

For its OS, the HONOR 90 Lite similarly runs MagicOS 7.1 based on Android 13 so you’re getting the same UI experience here.
Another aspect of this phone that’s gone ‘Lite’ is the battery. Compared to its big brother, the HONOR 90 Lite ships with a slightly smaller 4500mAh battery and no SuperCharge support.

In using it, however, we’ve found that the battery could last a full day even when you’re not using it too conservatively. You will need to charge by the day’s end, though, and it’ll take you more than an hour to completely fill up with its 35W charger.

Cameras

The HONOR 90 5G wowed many with its 200-megapixel camera. With the HONOR 90 Lite, you are getting fewer megapixels but still getting quite a lot.

Offering a 100-megapixel shooter, the HONOR 90 Lite 5G carries on providing high-quality photography tools at an accessible price. Accompanying the primary camera are a 5-megapixel wide and depth, and a 2-megapixel macro.

Out of curiosity, I decided to pit the HONOR 90’s 200-megapixel camera with the HONOR 90 Lite’s 100-megapixel camera.

With the two photos side by side, the compromise is noticeable but both cameras did produce good photos in their own right. The most obvious difference is the level of detail the 200-megapixel shooter on the HONOR 90 produces but the HONOR 90 Lite doesn’t fall too far behind, especially when you consider its price.

HONOR 90 Lite > HONOR 90

Of course, this was taken in bright light which helps a lot in producing a cleaner photo.

HONOR 90 Lite > HONOR 90

Switch to low-light and, you’ll see the power of the higher megapixel camera. Details are sharper and the overall image is cleaner.

HONOR 90 Lite > HONOR 90

For selfies, the HONOR 90 Lite comes with 16-megapixel front-facing camera. Selfies come out clean and with a good amount of detail; the quality is what you’d expect from this kind of camera.

The only other major downside of the cameras of the HONOR 90 Lite is the lack of 4K video recording. While probably not an essential for most, it’s an often looked-for feature and possibly a deal-breaker for some.

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1280_HONOR 90 Lite LANDSCAPE_0003_4_0006_8

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If you’re able to look past that though, you’re getting a pretty capable rear shooter with that 100-megapixel lens and it comes in as a good deal given the price of the device.

Final thoughts

When I think of HONOR devices, I think of affordable but capable devices built for the everyday user. And that stays true with the HONOR 90 Lite.

The HONOR 90 5G is already an affordable offering as it is but if you need something that’s just lower down the ladder, the HONOR 90 Lite could be a contender. Appropriately called ‘Lite’, this device offers a similar experience to its bigger brother but with some compromises that aren’t too surprising given its segment.

For the HONOR 90 Lite official pricing, pre-order promos, and more, head over here.

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Hackensack: an American diner experience in Manila

03/10/2020

Hackensack looks and feels like someone plucked it off an American highway and placed it right smack in the middle of one of the metro’s busiest cities. This new diner, which aims to offer a classic 50s experience, is home to affordable and delicious burgers that pay tribute to the classic American diner.

Located at the former food park, Devour Food Hub, Hackensack’s retro green and pink neon sign is one of the first things that will greet you right when getting into the compound. The inviting exterior mimics that of a classic US roadside diner with its floor-to-ceiling windows encased in metal frames.

Stepping inside, you’ll find that Hackensack is absent of the cliched ideas of a usual diner, such as checkerboard floors and red leather seats. You’re, instead, greeted with a light, airy, more modern design that is still very reminiscent of a classic diner. It’s littered with memorabilia and design elements from that era as well.

A wall at one end of the restaurant shows off old food and oil cans that imported straight from the US. They have the classic stools and bar setup as well as a moderate amount of seating for large and small groups. They even have a modern record player tucked in the back that can play either vinyl or music from a phone.

It’s obvious that a lot of effort was put into making sure their elements stay faithful to the American design, even going as far as importing their glasses and plates straight from US diner suppliers. Chatting with Hackensack owner, Patrick Dy, he mentions that Hackensack’s design leans more towards the classic east-coast diner versus the more common and exaggerated diners of LA.

Patrick Dy actually already has a history in burgers having created and operated the Slammers burger kiosk for many years now. Through Slammers, they were able to develop and produce their own recipe for potato burger buns which then inspired them to create their own restaurant.

The name of the restaurant, Hackensack, is actually a town in New Jersey, one of the states where the first American diners popped up. New Jersey has long been associated with slider burgers which gave Patrick the inspiration for the name. He said that his vision for the restaurant is to offer “old school, no-frills, quality comfort food that keeps you coming back” and, boy, did they deliver.

The menu is, as Patrick puts it, no-frills. You’re not bombarded with a copious amount of choices but instead keeps it simple and basic; burgers, fries, chicken, hotdogs, and shakes. If you’re into customizing, they also offer some extras like bacon and extra cheese sauce. And, of course, they’re able to cater to the Filipino palette by offering just a handful of rice meals.

Starting off with the most obvious, the burgers. Hackensack offers you two kinds of Angus beef burgers: onion-steamed and smashed and they cook it right up in front in a glass-encased flat-top grill station so you can watch your burgers being made. The 50s Hamburger and Cheeseburger are the items that adopt the onion-steamed method of cooking.

A handful of onion slices are placed on top of the patty, flipped, then steamed until fully cooked. Not only does this prevent the patties from burning, but it also allows the onion’s flavor to fully fuse into the patty. This also produces less grease for a “healthier” burger.

This style of cooking is actually how they really did it back in the day so taking a bite from Hackensack’s 50s Hamburger is almost like taking a bite from the 50s.

The burgers were less greasy than your average burger and the taste of the meat and onions are very pronounced. Partnered with pickles, cheese, and those good ol’ potato buns, your first bite will easily turn into a second, then third, then, before you know it, it’s gone.

The smashed burger is another classic cooking method to bring out the meatiness of the burger. It’s a bit more tedious compared to how the majority of burgers are cooked and does produce a thinner patty. Although, that patty is guaranteed to be packed with flavor.

By smashing the meat, you’re given a wonderful and tasty crust on the outside which, not only keeps the juices in but also maximizes the browning of the meat as it cooks. Get Hackensack’s Deluxe Cheeseburger if you want to test this out. It comes in a single or double patty, just like the 50s burger, and is loaded with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, and onions.

What’s a burger without fries? Hackensack offers regular fries but we do highly suggest you get the Waffle Fries. The coating is delicious and quite reminiscent of a certain popular, curly fry but gives off a much more satisfying crunch with every bite. It pairs perfectly with their burgers and if you’re extra hungry, they also have really good chicken wings that come in either Buffalo or Honey Garlic.

To complete the experience, pair your burgers and fries with a classic milkshake or rootbeer float. Nothing fancy here, just familiar flavors full of milk and ice cream goodness. Yum! Their float uses the A&W-brand rootbeer to give you that classic American flavor. You even get to pour it over the ice cream yourself so you can see the magic happen right in front of you!

And while burgers may seem like the highlight for this diner, they also serve up a really good (really big) hotdog. Don’t order this if you’re going for something light because it’s a 6-foot hotdog sandwich loaded with saurkraut and pickles on the side. For a non-beef option, you can opt for their Southern Chicken Burger.

Patrick says that people often overlook this item and lean mostly towards the burgers but he regards it as one of his favorites on the menu and one of the items they really took time to develop. You’re presented with a sizeable chicken fillet that’s fried with a delicious, crispy coating. Juicy with a hint of sweetness, it’s sandwiched between vegetables, a blanket of cheese, and that homemade fluffy, milky potato bun.

Lastly, we were able to try their classic, homemade apple pie for dessert. Each bite was packed with lovely, caramelized apples mixed with just the right amount of crumble and cinnamon. The ice cream on top gives it that sweet kick since this apple pie was purposely made with less sugar so it melds perfectly with the ice cream. Get yourself a hot cup of coffee and you have another perfect combination.

Hackensack really lives up to its motto, “Quality is our story” by offering high-quality dishes that are reasonably priced. With comfort food that makes you sigh with contentment at every bite, it’s easily a contender to become your go-to neighborhood restaurant. Their limited menu just means that each item was carefully thought out and developed. Hackensack, with its well-intentioned design and high-quality food, is a definite must-try for a true classic 50s diner experience.