Honor X6b review: Assessing a budget-friendly device

After a week of hands-on experience with Honor's latest addition to the X series, I'm excited to share my Honor X6b review. Beofre that, let's take a look at the specifications.

Honor X6b Review: Specifications

• Design: Monotone design with reflective back panels and flat frames
• Dimensions: 163.59 mm x 75.33 mm x 8.39 mm
• Weight: 192 grams
• Display: 6.56” TFT LCD Panel, 20.15:09 aspect ratio, 90Hz refresh rate, 16.7M colour depth, 780 nits peak brightness
• Resolution: HD+ (720 x 1,612)
• Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 (12nm)
• RAM: 6GB
• ROM: 128GB
• OS & UI: Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0 on top
• Rear Camera: Dual Camera (50MP Primary + 2MP Depth sensor)
• Front Camera: 5MP Camera (Centre-aligned waterdrop cutout)
• Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
• Sensors: Gravity, Gyroscope, E-compass, Ambient Light, Proximity
• Navigation: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
• Battery: 5,200 mAh Silicon-carbon cell with 35W super fast charging
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, 4G, Dual-band WiFi, Hotspot, Bluetooth v5.1, USB Type-C, 3.5mm headphone jack
• Color Options: Forest Green, Starry Purple, Ocean Cyan, Midnight Black 
• Price in Nepal: NPR 16,999 (6/128GB)
• Buy Honor X6b here

Honor X6B Review

Design and Build

• Design: Monotone design with reflective back panels and flat frames
• Dimensions: 163.59 mm x 75.33 mm x 8.39 mm
• Weight: 192 grams

Starting off with the design, when I unboxed the pack, the first thing that came to my mind was “Nice Color”! Yes, the phone looks aesthetically pleasing with a comfortable weight (192 gm). It is basically the X6a with a sleek, modern design; a square camera module in the upper left corner; and a biometrics feature on its side. Additionally, it comes in 4 colors Forest Green, Starry Purple, Ocean Cyan, and Midnight Black and my unit here is the Purple one. Who knew Starry Purple would make such a good first impression?

Display

• 6.56” TFT LCD Panel, 90Hz refresh rate, 780 nits’ peak brightness
• HD+ (720 x 1,612)

With a 6.56-inch display, the phone is both handy and comfortable with decent viewing angles. The bezels are slim for most areas, though a bit thicker on the chin. Moreover, it has a V-shaped notch. Additionally, X6b has a DC dimming feature that helps reduce eye strain when using the phone in low light. The company has claimed the display to have a Five-star overall drop resistance certification from Switzerland's SGS. I also found a pretty interesting feature on this phone "Magic Capsule" same as the Dynamic Island you see on newer iPhones. While it is known as an iPhone feature, Honor actually claims they came up with this idea first, all the way back in 2018 with the Honor V20.

Performance

• OS & UI: Android 14 with MagicOS 8.0 on top
• Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Helio G85 (12nm)

Moving on to the performance, the MediaTek Helio G85 offered by this phone has a better performance compared to its sibling – Honor X6a with improved core architecture and overall benchmark scores that are roughly twice as high. For my basic, everyday tasks, the Honor X6b performed well and provided a smooth experience. However, with over-extended use like running multiple apps in the background and downloading or installing large files I felt occasional lag. But then given that this is a budget-friendly device, I wouldn’t consider this as a major drawback. While reviewing this phone, I selected two games to test. For the easier part, I played Temple Run which ran quite well. Next, I tried PUBG after it took a good amount of time to load. You can play comparatively demanding games like this on smooth settings in ultra-FPS (40 FPS). So, the Honor X6b phone is good for casual usage but if you are looking for a phone for gaming, I would recommend you spend 2000 more and get One Plus Nord N30 SE 5G which has a better chipset and performance. Memory-wise, well 6GB of RAM with 1286GB isn’t worth complaining about a budget phone. Most apps remain in memory without problems (except for some large games), and transitioning between different programs is usually smooth and responsive.

OS and UI

Honor X6b runs on Andriod 14 so you will for sure have the latest software. However, the company hasn't mentioned anything about its security update, which is something brands like Xiaomi and Oppo wouldn't miss out on. Furthermore, it comes with pre-installed apps that might not be necessary for you but you can easily uninstall them. In addition, Honor's Magic OS is simple and user-friendly and offers a variety of customization options, which allowed me to personalize the interface and settings as per my preferences.

Camera

The camera is the part where I enjoy sharing my thoughts the most, possibly because I’ve spent the most time using it.

• Rear Camera: Dual Camera (50MP Primary + 2MP Depth sensor)
• Front Camera: 5MP Camera (Centre-aligned waterdrop cutout)

The camera module has a square design with two functional cameras, a flash, and the third element? it's just a decorative touch. Well played Honor! Initially, I didn’t hold out much hope for this phone but this one time I am honestly happy to be proven wrong.

Daytime

In my findings, the main camera takes reasonably good photos. The images I took do not seem too boosted but still have a decent saturation. I noticed some stutters which made some of my photos (especially moving) blurry. The focusing capability is also not the most reliable, so you will feel a slight delay before the image appears after capturing. But for a budget-friendly phone, I felt the camera to be to quite reasonable.

Portraits

When it comes to portrait mode, the quality can be a bit disappointing if overexposed to the light. But with a better background and lightning, the photo turned out impressive. The edge detection is also fair enough.

Night Shots

In the night shots, I saw a bit of noise in some of the images. This phone has a "Night" mode that improves image quality, but it takes about 3.9 seconds to capture the photo and an additional few seconds to process and load it. In total, you're looking at around 5 to 6 seconds for capturing and viewing a photo, which can be quite time-consuming. The rear camera can hardly focus on the details but that’s something we have seen on budget phones for a while now.

Selfie

I was quite impressed with the selfie camera of this phone. The skin tone was quite reddish with a bit of smoothing in the photos, but honestly, I’m kind of into the touch-up because let’s be real, who wouldn’t prefer a bit of 'glam' over their original face?

Videos

When it comes to shooting videos, the phone lets you record at 1080p@30fps with both the front and back cameras. It’s a bit of a mixed bag - no stabilization so some of the footage ended up looking pretty shaky. But hey, it’s a budget phone, so I guess that’s the trade-off for not having a steady hand! I gave video calling a shot too, and it turned out to be pretty alright.

Battery Life

• Battery: 5,200 mAh Silicon-carbon cell with 35W super-fast charging
• Charging: 35W of charging speed

While most Honor phones have a Lithium Polymer battery, the X6b features a Silicon one. This battery offers higher energy density and faster charging times than traditional batteries. With a 5,200 mAh battery, it gave me two full days of backup on normal usage. I was clicking photos, playing games, taking my Duolingo class, and whatnot, and it was still going well. So, I would consider the battery a plus point for this phone. Also, with 35W super-fast charging this phone goes from 0% to 50% in 58 minutes which is a fair deal.

Connectivity

In terms of connectivity, the Honor X6b supports 4G and VoLTE, ensuring reliable network performance for calls and data. And since it also supports Band 20 (800 MHz) for NTC, users in rural areas can also enjoy strong 4G coverage. In urban areas, the phone benefits from carrier aggregation, enhancing connectivity and speed for both NTC and Ncell networks. Overall, the Honor X6b provides solid connectivity options that meet the needs of most users. Additionally, the phone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and has a quality single speaker, which provides good audio performance.

Honor X6b Review: Conclusion 

Folks, the Honor X6b is pleasantly decent for me. It’s a budget phone that manages to stand out with a sleek design, and impressive battery life. The chipset handles everyday tasks and light gaming very well. The camera setup is also good to go for this price. Additionally, the 35W fast charging is a nice bonus. Overall, the Honor X6b is a solid choice for those on a budget, offering good value for the money.

Honor X6b Review: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Attractive design and good display
• Great battery life with 35W fast charging
• Ad-free MagicUI

Cons:

• Average cameras with slow stutters
• Basic Performance