Honor 8 unveiled for the US; offers 12MP dual lens camera and starts at $399

A couple of days ago we teased the possibility that Honor would unveil a new handset in the US. On August 16th at a San Francisco launch event, the company unveiled details of its plans to offer the Honor 8 in the US market, with support from vendors like Amazon, B&H Photo, Newegg and more. Honor has been making a run at the US market for the past couple of years , but the company has really increased its presence over the past year with solid and affordable releases like the Honor 5X and the GX8.

The Honor 8 will be one of the first handsets for the company to offer top-end specifications, for a reasonable price. The device will offer a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a Kirin 950 processor, 4GB RAM, 32 or 64GB of storage with microSD expansion, 12MP dual lens camera, fingerprint reader, and start at $399. If that wasn't enough of bargain, if you pre-order the device, Honor will also throw in $50 credit. It's clear that Honor wants to create new customers in the US and it is making it easier for consumers in the US to give Honor a try.

This is important, because Honor does not have a traditional strategy when it comes to advertising. Much like other brands that offer high-end products at lower price points, Honor must utilize word of mouth and social media to get its name out there. They must rely on offering a good product, that will organically grow its client base.

While we didn't get too much hands on time with the unit at the event, we can say from the little time we've spent with it so far, that it is remarkable. The design is simple and the materials and overall aesthetic are fantastic. The curved front and back panels melt into the metal side bezel, while the 15-layer construction of the rear panel, gives it a shimmer like no other. Although only 1080p, the display is crisp and phone feels quick, running Honor's EMUI 4.1 skin over Android 6.0.

Naturally, we'll have more thoughts on the Honor 8 as I get more time with it. But, it's clear that this kind of device is meant to distract consumers from the $600+ offerings from the likes of HTC, LG, Samsung and others - and for the most part, Honor is doing a good job offering some tempting products. The Honor 8 can be pre-ordered from various retailers, with more details at the Honor webstore.