Honor's WIN 2 Adds Everyday Features as Costs Push Gaming Phone Into High-End

The review said rising prices for chips and memory pushed the device upward. The WIN 2 uses a sixth-generation Snapdragon 8 Super Ultimate chip on a 2nm process, along with LPDDR5X Ultra memory and UFS 4.1 storage. ifanr said even a routine chip and memory update would have taken the phone into the high-end price range, and the review did not give an exact price. The first-generation WIN was a roughly 4,000-yuan model with a 10,000mAh battery and an active cooling fan; ifanr said it won good sales and reputation at that price despite trade-offs.

ifanr described the WIN 2 as a gaming phone that had to become a more complete daily device because buyers spending high-end budgets expect a primary phone. The review pointed to a 6.89-inch 2K 185Hz flat display with 0.93mm bezels, a curved metal frame and large rounded corners. It said the shape fits the palm in landscape use and keeps the left index finger under the camera module.

In gaming tests, ifanr ran Genshin Impact, Delta Force and Valorant Mobile. It said Genshin Impact renders natively at 800p and 60fps, and Honor's Phantom Engine raised the image to 2K and 185fps in real time when ultra-high quality and smart frame insertion were enabled. After 30 minutes in Sumeru and Natlan, the review said distant textures and character edges were clearer than native rendering, with smooth camera movement and no common frame-insertion jelly effect or text flicker. Delta Force could run at native 185fps with 2K super-resolution, and the new WIN physical key on the right side was mapped to aim-down-sights with medium vibration feedback. ifanr said the 18cc symmetrical stereo speakers were not blocked by the palms in landscape use and made footsteps and gunfire directions clear.

In Valorant Mobile, the review cited 5,000Hz instantaneous touch sampling and an 800Hz gyroscope for responsive stop-and-shoot aiming. It said the 0.93mm bezels did not cause mistouches during several ranked matches. The phone has two Dongfeng Twin fans with a combined maximum speed above 50,000 rpm. ifanr said the default smart mode was nearly inaudible, while the forced maximum mode measured just over 60 dB in a room with background noise above 40 dB. The review said the two air ducts cool the front and rear VC plates and that it did not need the maximum fan mode or the 50-second screen-off rapid cooling during play. It also cited 5920Hz PWM dimming and chip-level dynamic defocus relief for eye comfort.

For photography, ifanr said the 200-megapixel 1/1.4-inch main camera with CIPA 7.0 stabilization marked a clear hardware upgrade over the previous model, but the overall result was steady and average. Daylight photos had bright colors and 4K live-photo output. Without a dedicated optical telephoto lens, the phone uses 4x lossless crop from the 200-megapixel sensor. The review said algorithm traces were visible when photos were enlarged, with smudging in shadows and complex textures and strong edge sharpening.

The WIN 2 keeps a 10,100mAh battery, and ifanr said a day of short-video use, messaging, gaming, photos and navigation from morning to late night left nearly half a charge. The phone adds 80W wireless charging to 100W wired charging. A charge-separation mode can bypass the battery and power the motherboard directly. The review also listed IP68, IP69 and IP69K dust and water resistance, which it said allows the fan duct to be rinsed under a tap. The phone weighs 237g and is 8.5mm thick; ifanr said the weight is noticeable in one-handed use and in a pocket.

ifanr said the WIN 2 suits users who play heavy games for one to two hours a day and want daily functions to remain dependable, provided they accept the 237g weight. It said users who prioritize a thin body and top camera quality should choose a regular flagship instead.