Big batteries, high-refresh-rate displays, and a durable build. The latest HONOR 600S has all of these. But do you know which other budget phones also have them? Almost all of them.
These are the components that remain relatively untouched by the unending price hikes in smartphone hardware, primarily RAM and storage.
In our HONOR 600S review, we want to see how HONOR was able to find the right balance between hardware performance and everything else. Does it offer enough to be a good daily driver, or do you have to settle for less just to get a big battery? Let’s find out.
HONOR 600S Specs
- Android 16, MagicOS 10
- Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- 6.8-inch HD+ IPS display, 1592 x 720 pixel resolution, ~256ppi
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 octa-core processor
- 6GB/8GB RAM
- Adreno 613 GPU
- 128GB/256GB internal storage
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel (f/1.8) + Auxiliary rear cameras, LED flash
- IP68/IP69/IP69K dust- and water-resistant
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.1
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, GNSS, BDS
- NFC
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 168.3 x 78.54 x 8.3mm
- Weight: 216.5g
- Colors: Misty Purple, Desert Gold, Velvet Black
- 8,100mAh battery, 45W wired charging
Design and Build Quality
The design of the HONOR 600S sadly doesn’t stand out. However, it remains consistent with the HONOR 600 and 600 Pro. It has similar curves, a flat and comfortable frame, and an ultra-thin design.
What’s different here is the shorter camera island on the HONOR 600S, while its bigger brothers feature an iPhone 17 Pro-like camera plateau.
It may not turn heads, but the design is clean and elegant enough that you’d feel good about daily-driving this smartphone.
More than just looks, the device is also durable. It has an IP68/IP69/IP69K dust- and water-resistant build, which used to be exclusive to high-end phones but is now a common sight on budget phones.
It also received a 5-star SGS rating for drop resistance. It features One Tap Dust and Water Ejection for the speakers, wet-hand touch support, and Underwater Photo Mode.
Like many phones today, the HONOR 600S uses plastic for the frame and rear panel. Despite that, the device feels solid. The back panel has a frosted finish, so it stays relatively clean from fingerprints and smudges.
There’s no fancy Corning Gorilla Glass, but the front glass is reinforced and comes with a preinstalled screen protector. The included case also provides good protection for the device.
The HONOR 600S has a large 6.8-inch display on the front, with a punch-hole for the 5-megapixel selfie camera.
On the left is the AI Button.
The right side houses the volume controls and lock/power button. Both are clicky and tactile.
Up top are the noise-isolating microphone and IR blaster.
Below are the loudspeaker, USB-C port, microphone, and SIM tray, which houses two nano SIMs. Sadly, there’s no microSD card slot.
The rear houses the 50-megapixel main camera, an unknown auxiliary lens, and an LED flash.
Display and Audio
HONOR equipped the HONOR 600S with a large 6.87-inch IPS display featuring a 60Hz/120Hz variable refresh rate, 1,020-nit peak brightness, and DC Dimming. Despite having only an HD+ resolution, you still get Widevine L1 for FHD streaming support. What’s disappointing is the lack of HDR support.
While the display quality and brightness are decent, it’s disappointing to only get an HD+ resolution on a device at this price.
The stereo speakers are good. They have ample bass, clear-enough treble, and very loud volume. You can even enable a 400% volume boost mode if you really want to go loud, although you should expect some distortion.
Hardware and Performance
Powering the HONOR 600S is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 octa-core processor, a 4nm chipset with 2x Cortex-A78 performance cores, 6x Cortex-A55 efficiency cores, and an Adreno 613 GPU. It is paired with 6GB/8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB/256GB of storage. Sadly, there’s no microSD card slot for storage expansion. Our review unit is the 8GB/256GB variant.
HONOR 600S Benchmark Scores
Day-to-day performance isn’t the snappiest, but it’s definitely smooth enough for the price. Web scrolling, social media, video calls, and taking pictures are all doable without major problems.
The gaming experience is satisfactory, but only if you’re willing to settle for low to mid graphics settings.
Genshin Impact ran fine at 60 frames, but only under the Lowest preset.
PUBG Mobile ran seamlessly under Smooth graphics at Extreme frames, while Call of Duty: Mobile ran at Medium graphics with Max frames. Farlight84 also ran at Smooth graphics with High frames.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang was also smooth under Extreme map quality and Super frames. Asphalt Legends Unite is playable, but not at its best, under Performance quality at 30 frames.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Genshin Impact | • Render Resolution: Lowest • Visual Effects: Low • SFX Quality: Lowest • Frame Rate: 60 |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: Extreme |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Medium • Frame Rate: Max |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: High |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Resolution: HD • Map Quality: Extreme • Frame Rate: Super |
| Asphalt Legends Unite | • Visual Quality: Performance • Frame Rate: 30 |
Software and User Interface
The HONOR 600S ships with an Android 16-based MagicOS 10 interface. HONOR hasn’t confirmed how long it will support this device. Hopefully, it’s as long as the HONOR 600 and 600 Pro, which are supported for 7 years.
MagicOS 10 is a feature-dense yet intuitive interface. It’s not the cleanest, but that shouldn’t matter as long as it gets the job done.
There is barely any bloatware, although you do get app download suggestions in the form of folders on the home screen.
The HONOR AI suite is also here. It includes features such as AI Writer, AI Translate, AI Voice Cloning Detection, HONOR’s AI Portal, and more.
Many AI features are also integrated into the Gallery. There are the usual features, such as AI Eraser, AI Upscale, AI Cutout, and AI Outpainting. HONOR’s Image-to-Video is also here. It’s free to use initially, but like similar features, expect to pay for additional use in the future.
The AI Button on the side is highly customizable. You can choose which app or command you want to trigger with a short, double, or long press.
HONOR Share is also here, supporting file sharing with iPhones, Xiaomi devices, and more. HONOR OneTap is also available, using NFC to let you share files with an HONOR device and even iPhones and Macs with just a tap.
In terms of security, the HONOR 600S uses a side-mounted fingerprint scanner and face unlock. Both worked seamlessly during our tests.
Camera
The HONOR 600S boasts only one usable camera on the back. There’s a 50-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture, joined by an auxiliary lens and LED flash, as well as a low-resolution 5-megapixel selfie camera on the front. There’s no telephoto, ultra-wide, or even macro camera.
You get the usual camera modes, including Portrait, Night, Pro, Multi-Video, Panorama, Time-lapse, Hi-Res, Document Scanner, and Underwater mode, which disables the screen and remaps all the controls to the physical buttons.
For video recording, you can only shoot at 720p and 1080p at 30fps on both cameras. That’s pretty disappointing. 720p at 120fps slow-mo recording is also available.
Daylight shots are usable, but not great. Dynamic range is decent, colors are nice, but sharpness is really lacking.
Low-light shots look terrible. Colors are inconsistent, details are worse, and exposure is poor.
Selfies are pretty decent. They still struggle in low light, and the dynamic range adjustment is slow, but colors and details are reasonably good.
While you get usable daylight shots and selfies, the camera department still feels underwhelming. Adding insult to injury is the lack of a usable secondary rear camera.
Battery and Charging
Like many budget phones today, a clear highlight of the HONOR 600S is its large 8,100mAh battery, which HONOR claims can maintain its health after 6 years. It is paired with a 45W HONOR SuperCharge wired adapter.
Battery life was incredible. In fact, it achieved the highest battery score in our tests for its segment.
It lasted 26 hours and 23 minutes in PCMark’s Battery loop test and 26 hours and 23 minutes in the 1080p YouTube Video Loop Test.
Charging speeds are decent. The 45W adapter provides a full charge in about an hour and a half. See the full test results below:
- 15mins: 0-16%
- 30mins: 32%
- 45mins: 49%
- 1hr: 66%
- 1hr 30mins: 97%
- 1hr 35mins: FULL
Verdict
The HONOR 600S is a budget phone built around two major strengths: battery life and durability. Its massive 8,100mAh battery delivers exceptional endurance, while the IP68/IP69/IP69K rating, SGS drop resistance, and other durability features make it a reassuring daily driver.
Performance is also adequate for everyday use and casual gaming, while MagicOS 10 brings plenty of useful features without being excessively bloated. The stereo speakers are another welcome addition.
However, the compromises are hard to ignore. The HD+ display feels underwhelming at this price, the camera setup is extremely basic, and low-light photography is poor. Video recording is also limited to 1080p at 30fps. The lack of microSD expansion further limits the 128GB storage option.
Ultimately, the HONOR 600S is best suited for users who prioritize long battery life, durability, and reliable everyday performance over display sharpness and camera versatility.
It’s not the most exciting midrange phone, but if you want a device that can last for days and withstand the occasional accidents, the HONOR 600S makes a compelling case.
HONOR 600S pricing and availability in the Philippines
The HONOR 600S 8GB/256GB has an SRP of Php22,999, but is discounted for a limited time for only Php19,999. You can get it at many physical stores nationwide, and online via Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
A 6GB/128GB is available as an online-exclusive offering for an SRP of Php18,999.
Pros
- Excellent battery life
- Durable build quality
- Reliable everyday performance
- Good stereo speakers
- Feature-rich OS
- Customizable AI Button
Cons
- HD+ display is disappointing at this price
- Camera quality could be better
- Video recording limited to 1080p@30fps