HONOR X6a Review

HONOR has a pretty strong line-up of entry-level phones to give consumers a bunch of options if they have a tight budget. One of those devices is the HONOR X6a.

In our review of the HONOR X5 Plus, we saw how it was able to provide a decent, albeit not the best, daily driver performance. Today, we’ll be reviewing its bigger brother, the HONOR X6a. Does the higher price tag of Php6,990 meant it’s substantially better? How does it stack up with other devices in this segment? Let’s find out.

HONOR X6a Specs

Android 13, Magic UI 7.1
Dual SIM, Dual standby
6.56-inch HD+ IPS display, 1612 x 720 pixel resolution, 269ppi
90Hz refresh rate
2.2GHz MediaTek Helio G36 octa-core processor
IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU
4GB RAM
128GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
5-megapixel front camera
50-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear cameras, LED Flash
Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
Single loudspeaker
Headphone jack
HSPA+, 4G LTE
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
NFC
USB Type-C
Dimensions: 163.3 x 75.1 x 8.4mm
Weight: 188g
Colors: Midnight Black, Cyan Lake
5,200mAh non-removable battery, 10W fast charging

Design and Build Quality

The HONOR X6a has a more aggressive look than the X5 Plus. It has a larger camera area with bigger lenses in a 2×2 layout. There’s no camera island bump, but the lenses do protrude a little.

This panel is sprinkled with subtle glitters, which you can only appreciate when looked closely. It also has a frosted glass-like appearance, which means it stays clean from fingerprint marks and smudges.

The color that we have here is called Sky Silver. It predominantly has a Sky Blue color that subtly gradients to purple at the bottom.

It also has a flat frame, which has been the trend on phones today since returned to this kind of design. It provides a comfortable grip but does make the phone feel thick.

On the upside, the device does feel relatively light compared to other devices in this category. In addition, it feels sturdy with no squeaking when we tried flexing it. There’s also a free clear case in the box and a pre-applied screen protector.

Taking a tour, we have a 5.65-inch HD+ display on the front with a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera. The bezels are noticeable, but shouldn’t be a big issue.

We have the hybrid SIM tray on top that can house either two nano SIM cards, or save the other slot for the microSD card. A noise-isolating microphone is also here.

There’s also the 3.5mm headphone jack, primary microphone, USB-C port, and loudspeakers at the bottom.

The left side is clean, while on the right, we have the volume controls and the power switch/fingerprint scanner. The buttons feel a bit mushy and I wish they protruded higher for a more noticeable click.

Around the back, we have the camera lenses. Since it only has three camera sensors, the fourth glass houses the LED flash for symmetry.

Overall, the HONOR X6a feels like a sturdy device that should last you for years. But considering the price, you want to take extra good care of it if you want to keep it for long.

Display and Sound Quality

With the HONOR X6a, you’re getting a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display with a 1612 x 720-pixel resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. It’s decent for the price, but we wish it could get brighter for better visibility when used outdoors.

The performance of the single loudspeaker is similar to the display. It’s just okay for the price, nothing more. Don’t expect much from the sound quality and volume but it should be fine for private listening.

Hardware and Performance

The HONOR X6a is powered by a 2.2GHz MediaTek Helio G36 octa-core processor with IMG PowerVR GE8320 GPU, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.

HONOR X6a Benchmark Scores

It sure feels slow but basic day-to-day tasks are doable if you have the patience. There are definitely other devices in this category that offer a slightly more powerful CPU.

The RAM capacity is fine at 4GB, and we doubt a higher 6GB version would make a difference. We also appreciate the large 128GB of storage, which should be enough to house all your photos, apps, and games that you would be able to play with.

Speaking of which, the gaming experience is not the best on this one. Call of Duty Mobile and Farlight 84 were playable under Low graphics (the only quality available), but are definitely not the smoothest, even under Performance Mode. Lags and stutters are common, but it’s still playable. MOBAs like Mobile Legends are also playable, although occasional frame drops are gonna expected to happen, especially in big team fights.

Software and User Interface

The HONOR X6a, like its siblings, runs on Android 13-based MagicOS 7.1 user interface. It may not be the best UI around, but it sure is straightforward, and feature-rich enough for comfortable day-to-day use.

One of the first things we did when opening the device was to make sure that the app drawer is enabled so it’s easier to look for apps as it’s more organized. We also prefer the gesture navigations instead of the on-screen buttons, despite the slow UI response due to the underpowered processor.

The Control Center can be summoned by swiping down from the top right of the screen. It has a bunch of buttons that give you a bunch of controls on a single screen.

Swiping down from the top left side of the screen is for notifications. The whole screen is reserved for it so you can see a lot, all at once.

We’re seeing a lot of pre-installed apps here, but thankfully, most of them can be uninstalled. There are some apps that are here to stay, but you might find use for them. For one, there’s the built-in radio, albeit you’d need to plug a 3.5mm headphone jack for it to work.

HONOR Health is also pre-installed, which has a bunch of counters and analytics if you really want to keep tabs on your health and activities. It should pair well with a separate HONOR activity tracker or wearable.

Android Nearby Share worked well during our testing for easy file sharing with other devices. You can also play with the brand’s own HONOR Share feature if you have other HONOR devices.

Your usual customization features are also here, no worries there.

The fingerprint scanner here is not the most accurate, so make sure you register your fingerprint well or use it alongside the face unlock feature.

We also had no issues with the Camera app. Again, it’s pretty simple straightforward. The default SwiftKey keyboard is also fine, but if we will use it as a daily driver, we’d switch to Google Keyboard instead.

Camera Quality

The HONOR X6a managed to get a sharp 50-megapixel main camera, joined by a macro lens, depth sensor, and a 5-megapixel selfie camera in the front.

Image quality is something you’d expect from an entry-level phone. The colors and contrast are a bit washed out, but are acceptable for the price. Details are also surprisingly sharp.

Low-light shots are unsurprisingly worse. But taking the price into account, it’s actually impressive. Color quality could be better but the details are commendable.

We also appreciate the 2-megapixel macro lens. It may not have the best quality, but if you really need to get really close to a subject, you have that option.

Finally, we have the 5-megapixel selfie camera. Like the rest of the sensors, it doesn’t have a jaw-dropping quality but is fine for the price. Selfies look nice with good lighting and should be fine for video calls.

Overall, we appreciate the main and selfie cameras. They are fine for daily use and really deliver, just keep in mind that it’s an entry-level device.

Battery Life

The HONOR X6a has a 5,200mAh battery with 22.5W fast charging. If there’s one good thing about an underpowered chipset and low-resolution screen, it’s the battery life.

That said, the X6a has one of the highest scores we got from the PCMark battery test. It managed to last for 18 hours and 33 minutes, which is higher than the usual 14-hour average.

In real-world use, it was able to last for more than a day, sometimes even two days under light to moderate use.

The charging speed is fine as a full 100% charge took about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Again, nothing mind-blowing, but good enough for the price.

Verdict

Is the HONOR X6a better than the HONOR X5 Plus? Definitely. The doubled storage is highly appreciated, the addition of a macro lens is welcome, the fancier design is more attractive to look at, and the faster charging is convenient.

But is it the best choice for the price? No. There are definitely other options out there that have a more powerful processor and possibly a sharper FHD+ display — all for the same price.

HONOR X6a price and availability

HONOR Philippines is selling the HONOR X6a for a price of Php6,990 for the sole 4GB/128GB configuration. It’s available on HONOR physical stores and online through Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.

Pros

Eye-catching, sturdy, comfortable design
Decent cameras
Robust battery life

Cons

Competition offers better performance and display