Last year, we reviewed the HONOR X6a, a budget smartphone that had some compromises but was a good basic smartphone. HONOR has updated the X6 lineup with the HONOR X6b, which comes with a much more powerful processor, more RAM, and a more durable body — all at an affordable price.
Design: 4/5
The HONOR X6b carries the same design elements found in last year’s HONOR X6a. It has the same boxy design and a square camera setup.
The HONOR X6b comes in three distinct colors: Forest Green, Starry Purple, and Midnight Black. Our Forest Green test unit looks great; it has a smooth back with a matte finish, plus the added shine effects add to its appeal.
You’ll immediately notice the heft when you take the phone out of the box. It’s not heavy but rather something that you can hold with confidence. Compared to other similarly-priced devices, you can immediately tell that the build quality of the HONOR X6b stands out. This is not surprising as HONOR received a 5-star rating from Switzerland’s SGS for the X6b durability (more on this later).
The device features a 6.56-inch TFT LCD display with a 720 x 1612 resolution. The display has a 90 Hz refresh rate and 780 nits of max brightness. Also on the front is the 5-megapixel selfie camera. At the back is the square camera bump with its dual-camera setup. On the left is the sim and microSD tray, while on the right is the volume rocker and the power button, which doubles as the fingerprint reader. Finally, beneath the phone is a 3.5mm headphone port, a USB Type-C charging port, and a single downward-firing speaker.
In terms of size, the HONOR X6b has a dimension of 163.6 x 75.3 x 8.4mm, almost the same as the HONOR X6a. It’s a bit heavier at 192g due to the SGS-rated protection HONOR added to the device.
Hardware: 4/5
The HONOR X6b is powered by a MediaTek Helio G85 processor. The processor is not the most powerful, considering it’s already four years old. That said, it still is capable of performing everyday tasks. Paired with the processor are 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The RAM is expandable to another 6GB with HONOR’s RAM Turbo.
During testing, the G85 processor showed its age. While it can still run games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and Genshin Impact (surprisingly), you’ll have to compromise graphic quality for smoother gameplay. I found that Mobile Legend’s sweet spot was a high frame rate with a medium setting. Meanwhile, Genshin Impact was playable in the lowest setting.
What’s impressive are the phone’s thermals. Despite heavy testing, the HONOR X6b did not heat up. Even during benchmarking, the phone remained cool and still raring to go.
Speaking of benchmarks, here are the numbers I got from the device: 245282 for Antutu v10.3.4, 434 single core and 1369 multi-core for Geekbench 6, 7334 Work 3.0 for PCMark on Android, and finally 743 in 3Dmark’s Wild Life.
In the camera department, the HONOR X6b has a 50-megapixel main shooter at the back paired with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Unlike last year’s HONOR X6a, the camera has no dedicated macro lens. At the front is a 5-megapixel selfie camera. In terms of video, the HONOR X6b can shoot 1080p videos with up to 30fps.
The camera is not as capable as the more expensive HONOR X-b series, but it still gets good images with good lighting. Outdoor shots are reasonably sharp, and the added AI processing gives a more vivid output. As for low-light and night mode, you’ll want to find a tripod or a stable hand for better effect.
For video, 1080p is sufficient if you have a tripod or a gimbal; otherwise, there is no stabilization whatsoever.
Finally, the Honor X6b has a 5200mAh battery similar to last year’s model. However, HONOR upgraded the charging speed to 35W fast charging, now capable of powering the device from 10% to 100% in just over an hour.
User Experience: 3.5/5
The HONOR X6b is a great budget-level phone. Its major strength lies in its decent processor and RAM combo. While the MediaTek Helios G85 may not be the latest, it delivers on most everyday tasks.
What makes the HONOR X6b stand out is its durability. As mentioned earlier, the HONOR X6b has a five-star rating from SGS. The device has collision reinforcement on its corners, buffer and anti-drop architecture, and a force-distributed design. This is a phone that can withstand most accidents and mishaps.
HONOR is so confident in its durability that they encourage reviewers to try to drop-test the device. Of course, we obliged, and after a few drops from different angles (face first, sides first, backside first, etc.) onto tile flooring and a wood table, the device carried on as if nothing happened. However, we don’t encourage anyone to do this at home, as deliberate damage voids any warranty.
Another thing I like about the phone is its 5200mAh battery that just kept chugging along. I got around two days’ worth of regular use — a bit of gaming here and there, and maybe an hour or two of Netflix at night. The large display was also great for binge-watching videos.
Speaking of media binging, one thing that is disappointing about the HONOR X6b is its speaker. The single speaker, although loud, lacked depth. Fortunately, it still has a 3.5mm headphone port, which is relatively rare among current smartphones.
The HONOR X6b is powered by MagicOS 8.0 based on Android 14. Part of the UI’s feature is HONOR’s Magic Capsule feature. Magic Capsule turns the device’s small notch into an added notification bar under certain apps. Currently supported apps are the device’s timer, recorder, and media player. The Magic Capsule does recognize YouTube and Spotify although both are displayed as a media player. Hopefully, HONOR can continue expanding the recognized apps as they update the feature.
Value: 4.5/5
Coming in at just PHP6,999 the HONOR X6b has a very persuasive price point. What it lacks in certain aspects, it more than makes up for in others. Overall, it is a satisfactorily balanced phone for those on a tight budget.
Specifications:
- Display: 6.56-inches TFT LCD, 90Hz Refresh Rate, 720 x 1612 resolution, Dynamic Dimming
- Processor: MediaTek Helio G85
- Graphics: Mali-G52 MC2
- Memory: 6GB + 6GB via HONOR Turbo RAM
- Storage: 128GB expandable via MicroSD
- OS: MagicOS 8.0, based on Android 14
- Camera: Rear: 50-megapixel (f/1.8) Main Camera, 2-megapixel (f/2.4) Depth Camera, Front: 5-megapixel Camera (f/2.2)
- Battery: 5200mAh with 35W HONOR SuperCharge
- Connectivity: Dual-Band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 with A2DP, LE, and apt-X HD, USB-C 2.0, 3.5mm headphone jack
- Other features: Side-mounted Fingerprint
- Dimension: 163.6 x 75.3 x 8.4mm
- Weight: 192g
- Colors: Forest Green, Starry Purple, and Midnight Black
What’s Hot:
- 5-star rated durability
- Excellent battery life
What’s Not:
- Single speaker felt lacking
Bottomline:
The HONOR X6b remains a compelling budget consideration for those in the market for an affordable smartphone.
Reviewed by Gabriel Pe
Also published in GADGETS Magazine September 2024 Issue.