It takes a lot to be competitive in the smartphone space. You can have the best hardware in the game, but without paying appropriate attention to the software experience of your devices, your brand will end up falling apart. Modern smartphones, especially the ones that cost a lot of money, need to commit to keeping software up to date for several years.
Today, Honor has made it clear that it won't be neglecting the software experience for its biggest devices. First off, the company commits to bringing Android 16 to its current flagship devices later this year. On top of that, it has also revealed that the upcoming Honor 400 series will come with a six-year Android update window.
The Honor 400 Series of Smartphones Will Get Six Years of Major Android Updates
The Honor 400 series isn't far off. The Honor 400 and Honor 400 Pro are slated to launch tomorrow. The devices sit in the midrange category, though the Pro model will likely be on the very upper cusp of that market bracket. We know a little bit about the spec sheet of these devices, thanks to the official listing for the series on Honor's website. Here's a quick glimpse at the confirmed hardware.
| Honor 400 | Honor 400 Pro | |
| Screen | 6.55-inch, 5,000-nit peak brightness | 6.7-inch, 5,000-nit peak brightness |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Memory | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB | 512GB |
| Rear Cameras | 200MP + 12MP UW | 200MP + 12MP UW + 50MP Telephoto |
| Selfie Camera | 50MP | 50MP |
| Battery | 6,000mAh | 6,000mAh |
| Charging | 80W Wired | 100W Wired, 50W Wireless |
With the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Honor 400 Pro would have unarguably been a flagship-killing option last year, though I think it is still a good buy in that regard, even in 2025. With such care being paid to the hardware of these phones, it only makes sense that Honor follows suit regarding the software experience.
Today, the company has committed that the Honor 400 series will get six years of Android updates, which is on the higher end of update support windows in the Android market. Considering the series is likely to be priced reasonably, the deal is even sweeter.
The Honor Magic 7 Pro, Honor 400 Series, and Honor Magic V3 Will All Receive Android 16 This Year
Speaking of software, let us widen our focus, away from solely the Honor 400 series. Android 16 is expected to be made official next month, way ahead of the usual schedule, which means it is a good time for OEMs to let us know how they plan to handle the update for their existing device.
Honor has made it clear that the following devices are all on the list to receive a MagicOS update built on top of Android 16, and that is going to come at some point later this year:
- Honor 400
- Honor 400 Pro
- Honor Magic V3
- Honor Magic 7 Pro
Historically, Honor doesn't tend to be very tardy with its releases, and has already given Magic 7 Pro users access to Android 16 Beta 3. I'd put my money on the new MagicOS update arriving within two months of the Android 16 going live.
