Honor 6X Comprehensive Review with Specs Prices & ProsCons

Network Capabilities

The Honor 6X is equipped with comprehensive network technology support, including GSM, HSPA, and LTE. It operates on various bands, including GSM 850/900/1800/1900 for both SIM slots, HSDPA 900/1900/2100 for 3G, and LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, and 38 for 4G connectivity. This supports high-speed internet browsing and ensures a reliable connection with a peak speed of HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps.

Design and Build Quality

Announced in October 2016 and discontinued some years after, the Honor 6X presents a blend of aesthetic appeal and functional design. It comes with a glass front, aluminum back, and aluminum frame, providing durability alongside a premium feel. The device measures 150.9 x 76.2 x 8.2 mm and weighs 162g, making it a comfortable fit for one-handed use. The hybrid dual SIM feature allows for flexibility in meeting communication needs, though it involves a shared SIM slot for microSD utilization.

Display Characteristics

The device features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels. This gives it a pixel density of approximately 403 ppi, which ensures crisp and vibrant visuals suitable for video playback and gaming. The screen-to-body ratio stands at about 71.8%, which contributes to an immersive viewing experience despite the phone's bezels.

Performance and Software

Running on the Kirin 655 chipset built on a 16nm process, the Honor 6X offers solid performance for everyday tasks. Its octa-core processor, split into four 2.1 GHz Cortex-A53 cores and four 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53 cores, is designed to balance efficiency and power. The Mali-T830MP2 GPU supports adequate graphic processing, enhancing gaming and multimedia experiences. Initially launched with Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), it is upgradeable to Android 7.0 (Nougat) with EMUI 5, which adds Huawei's custom features and optimizations.

Memory and Storage

The Honor 6X provides users with two options for internal storage – 32GB with 3GB RAM, and 64GB with 4GB RAM. Both configurations support microSDXC cards up to a certain limit, sharing space with the second SIM slot, giving flexibility for additional storage of media and applications.

Camera Capabilities

The dual-camera setup on the rear consists of a 12 MP primary sensor with f/2.9 aperture and a 2 MP secondary sensor dedicated to depth sensing, which is useful for portrait shots with bokeh effects. The main camera offers features like LED flash, HDR, and panorama, with video capture up to 1080p at 30fps. The 8 MP front camera also supports 1080p video recording, making it a competent choice for selfies and video calls.

Audio and Connectivity

The Honor 6X is equipped with a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm audio jack, supporting conventional audio connectivity. For wireless connections, it has Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n with Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1 with A2DP, EDR, LE, and GPS support alongside GLONASS and BDS. However, it lacks NFC. The device includes FM radio and charges via a microUSB 2.0 port.

Additional Features

Sensors on the device include a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, accelerometer, proximity, and compass. These features enhance the user experience through security measures and functional enhancements in various applications.

Battery Life

Powered by a non-removable Li-Ion 3340 mAh battery, the Honor 6X boasts a standby time of up to 650 hours on 3G networks and a talk time of up to 23 hours on 3G. Its endurance rating is marked at 84 hours, indicating strong battery performance for essential daily tasks.

Color Variants and Pricing

Available in three classic colors – Gray, Gold, and Silver – the Honor 6X was introduced to the market with a price around 180 EUR. This pricing positioned it as an affordable mid-range smartphone with a comprehensive feature set.

Performance Tests

Testing showed its GFXBench score at 4.8fps (ES 3.1 onscreen), reflecting moderate graphical performance. Audio tests recorded output levels of 68dB for voice, 67dB for noise, and 79dB for ring, complemented by excellent audio quality measurements with noise reduction at -87.9 and crosstalk at -86.4.