Google beware! Major new competitor arrives to take on Pixel 8a

The battle for the best affordable phone has really hotted up over the last couple of years. And while Google has made a strong case for itself with the Pixel 8a’s arrival, there’s a new competitor in town that’s priced the same and is a compelling alternative proposition – which even adds a telephoto zoom camera into the mix. 

While you might have already heard about the Honor 200 series before – no surprise, really, as the brand revealed the device series earlier this year – it is now officially confirmed that Honor’s latest Google Pixel competitor will be coming to UK shores and wider markets too. 

The standout one of the trio that’s really caught my attention is the Honor 200, as its £499.99 asking price puts it face to face against the Pixel 8a and other nearby stellar devices such as the Nothing Phone (2). Positioned above it, however, is the Honor 200 Pro (£699.99); while below it you’ll find the Honor 200 Lite (£279.99) rounding out the series. 

So why might you consider the Honor 200 as your next best Android phone purchase option? It’s got plenty of compelling specifications to grab your attention: a 6.7-inch OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, a triple camera system with two 50-megapixel sensors handling main and zoom (the ultra-wide, meanwhile, is 12MP), a massive 5200mAh battery capacity, and a Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 processor to power everything along. 

There’s even a variety of colours to challenge Google’s lush-looking ‘Aloe’ finish of the Pixel 8a: the Honor 200 comes in Coral Pink, Moonlight White, Emerald Green and (the altogether more casual) Black finishes. All of which look very fetching indeed 

However, a big part of the appeal, as stated, is the addition of a 2.5x optical zoom camera. It's not hugely common for budget phones to include zoom lenses at this price point, so Honor certainly has added appeal in this regard. 

As part of the Honor 200’s launch there’s a promotional pre-order sale on, too, offering a JBL Charge 5 Wi-Fi portable Bluetooth speaker, worth £199.99, completely free. That’s a great additional gadget to tag onto your new phone purchase – but it’s only “while stocks last” (and there’s no indication of how much stock we’re talking here, so you might want to be quick!).

Keen? The Honor 200 goes up for pre-order from 21 June; general on-sale is 26 June; Three will be stocking the device on contract from 28 June if that's your preferred way to purchase (with other networks to follow).