Smartphones in the sub-Php5,000 range are big sellers in Southeast Asian markets, especially in the Philippines. And if you’re also shopping in this price segment, here’s one of the many devices you can consider: the HONOR X6b.
Brands have to make the right decisions when creating an entry-level phone — decisions that should satisfy the target market while keeping the final hardware within the limited asking price.
Did HONOR make the correct choices for this one? We’ll find out in our HONOR X6b review.
HONOR X6b Specs
- Android 14, MagicOS 8.0
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.56-inch HD+ LCD, 1612 x 720 pixel resolution, 269ppi
- 90Hz refresh rate
- 2GHz MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core processor
- 6GB RAM
- Mali-G52 MC2 GPU
- 128GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel (f/1.8, PDAF) + 2-megapixel (depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Single loudspeaker
- HSPA+, 4G LTE
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.1
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- NFC
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 163.6 x 75.3 x 8.4mm
- Weight: 192g
- Colors: Forest Green, Midnight Black, Starry Purple
- 5,200mAh non-removable battery, 35W wired charging
Design and Build Quality
The HONOR X6b looks a lot like the X6a, even to the first X6 from two years ago. It retains the square camera design in a 2×2 layout, the main distinguishing feature of the series, but it’s starting to feel a bit worn out.
If I were to nitpick, I wish HONOR reimagined the design for this one. Also, they could’ve promoted the screen to a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera instead of the old waterdrop notch.
An official ingress protection rating would’ve also been nice, even if it’s just IP54. Still, the X6b feels well made with a robust frame that doesn’t bend when I tried to, but I did hear some squeaks (possibly from the adhesive) that I also hear in other entry-level phones.
It received a 5-star Drop-Resistant Quality rating from SGS for having “collision reinforcement for the four corners, buffer and anti-drop architecture, and force-distributed design.”
The color we have here is called Forest Green which has shimmering glitters and is quite reflective despite its matte finish. It attracts fingerprint smudges but is not as noticeable as with shiny phones.
HONOR included a thick clear case in the box to protect the device, with enough protrusion to distance the camera island and the display from any surface. The company has also pre-applied a screen protector for your peace of mind.
Taking a tour, we have a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display on the front, with a waterdrop notch for the 5-megapixel selfie camera. The bezels are noticeably thick, but shouldn’t be an issue for an entry-level device.
The left side has the SIM tray, which has a hybrid setup. It can house either two nano SIM cards or one nano SIM and a microSD card slot. I wish this wasn’t the case and we had all three slots available.
The right has the volume control and the lock/power switch that also works as the fingerprint scanner. The volume rocker feels impressively well-built and clicky. The lock button is a little wobbly making us doubt its durability, but HONOR did say that it’s been press-tested 200,000 times.
On the top, we only have what appears to be a microphone.
At the bottom, we have the loudspeaker, USB-C, another microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Display and Audio
The HONOR X6b has a basic display that managed to have a decently high 90Hz refresh rate. It’s a 6.56-inch HD+ IPS screen with a 1612 x 720 pixel resolution, 269ppi, and 780 nits of peak brightness.
Like most parts of this device, the display quality is not great, but definitely fine for the price. Sharpness is acceptable, but pixels are more noticeable compared to a FHD+ panel.
It also lacks Widevine L1 support, so HD streaming on Netflix is not possible. Still, watching the content was satisfactory enough with nice colors and acceptable contrast. I prefer the details to be a little sharper, though.
Similar to the display, we were also satisfied with the loudspeaker. The lack of stereo speakers is justifiable for the price and the performance of the solo loudspeaker is actually good with nice clarity and depth with audible bass, especially in vocals.
Hardware and Performance
The HONOR X6b is powered by a humble MediaTek Helio G85 octa-core processor, with decent 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage that’s expandable via microSD.
HONOR X6b Benchmark Scores
Performance was decent for the price, which means it feels slow but not too slow that you’d feel you’ve been ripped off. It handled basic tasks fine like social media browsing, streaming content, taking pictures, video calls, messaging, and writing Word documents.
Multitasking feels slow, so you have to manage your expectations, especially for a sub-Php5,000 device like this one.
Now, onto gaming. The most demanding title we tested, Genshin Impact, ran under the lowest settings, so the visuals are pretty bad. It is quite laggy and the device started to overheat after a few minutes of playing.
Call of Duty Mobile was set to Medium/High by default, but I dialed it down to Low/Medium for a smoother experience. While the frame rates were better, it wasn’t safe from heating up after a whole. I had the same experience with PUBG Mobile. Farlight84 was playable under Smooth/Medium but with choppy frame rates.
Asphalt Legends Unite ran so-so under the highest settings available, so I dialed it down to Default to get a smooth experience. Meanwhile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang had no issues and is very playable under High.
It’s probably safe to say that the HONOR X6b is definitely not meant for gaming. Sure, you can still play games with it, as long as you’re patient with it or the title you want to play is not demanding and has been heavily optimized.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Low • Frame Rate: Medium |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: Medium |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Balanced • Frame Rate: Medium |
| Genshin Impact | • Graphics Quality: Lowest (Default) |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Graphics Quality: High • Frame Rate: High • HD Mode: On |
| Asphalt Legends Unite | • Visual Quality: Default • Frame Rate: 60 |
Software and User Interface
For the software, the HONOR X6b runs on Android 14-based MagicOS 8.0. It should receive the newer Android 15 update soon, although I think there’s no confirmation for that yet.
The interface looks nice and clean, with a drop-down search tab so you can quickly search for contacts, and apps, and even do a quick Google Search.
Magic Lock Screen offers unique, customizable wallpapers. You can also choose from different AOD wallpapers if you don’t mind the battery drain.
Magic Capsule is a nice feature, which is similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island. However, the app support is limited to voice recording, timer, and media playback.
App Shortcuts lets you long-press supported apps and have instant access to its key features. Adjustable Folder is quite handy so you can group apps and quickly open an app directly.
For security, the side-mounted fingerprint scanner of the HONOR X6b worked well in our testing. It’s fast and accurate, no problems there. The face unlock also had no issues, even in dark rooms.
HONOR’s camera app is still as good as ever. Most of the settings are easy to find and access.
The company went with Microsoft Swiftkey as the default keyboard, which is feature-rich, easy to get used to, and lets you sync the clipboard with your Windows account. Still, we do prefer Google Keyboard — the keyboard more popular with Android users.
Cameras
The HONOR X6b has a 50-megapixel main camera, joined by a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 5-megapixel selfie snapper. That’s a standard combo for a smartphone at this price.
Again, we’ll be taking the price tag as the main consideration here. That said, the image quality is fine. White balance could be better, but the colors look realistic, the dynamic range is fair, and the contrast is passable. Details are fine, but ruined by post-processing when you crop in and examine it closely.
And probably due to the entry-level processor, there’s a slight delay in the shutter at times, so make sure you take the time to take the photos to avoid blurry photos.
Low-light shots actually looked impressive. They are incredibly sharp and detailed and the software did a great job keeping the noises and grains at bay.
The 2-megapixel depth sensor also did a decent job of taking depth data to separate the foreground from the background. Just make sure you disable the beauty modes as it tends to soften the photos.
Finally, we have the 5-megapixel front camera. It takes decent selfies for the price with ample details and nice skin tones. However, it suffers from the same shutter delay, so make sure you double-check check your shots are not blurry.
It may not have great image quality, but the HONOR X6b’s camera prowess is enough to satisfy users’ basic needs.
Battery and Charging
The HONOR X6b has a 5,200mAh battery, 200mAh more than the majority of the phones we’re seeing today. The battery performed above average in our real-world tests, which should translate to a day or two of light to moderate usage.
It lasted 13 hours and 2 minutes in our PCMark battery test, which loops synthetic workload until the battery drops to 20% (WiFi and Bluetooth off, brightness and volume at 50%). That’s very close to the average score we get of around 14 hours.
I got better results in our more real-world test. It lasted 16 hours and 55 minutes after looping a 1080p YouTube video (brightness and volume at 50%) until the battery completely ran out. That’s slightly above the average of the scores we get from this test.
The 33W charging speed is easily one of the fastest you can get for the price. In our tests, it reached 0-17% charge in just 15 minutes, with a full charge taking around 1 hour and 35 minutes. See the full test results below:
- 15mins: 0-17%
- 30mins: 35%
- 45mins: 54%
- 1hr: 72%
- 1hr 15mins: 88%
- 1hr 35mins: FULL
Verdict
So, did HONOR make the right choices with the HONOR X6b? Yes, they did. While the device has no one stellar feature, each of the components has been allocated enough resources that adds up to an overall, good daily-driver device that justifies its price tag.
The display may not be the sharpest, but it is large and bright enough for outdoor use. The chipset may not be for gaming, but it still provides satisfactory day-to-day performance. It may not have the longest battery life, but it’s enough to last you for a day or two. The cameras don’t take the best pictures either, but it’s enough for casual snaps to immortalize important moments.
While the device could’ve benefited from a design overhaul, there’s no denying that the HONOR X6b should be one of your top three choices if you’re shopping in the sub-Php5,000 category.
HONOR X6b pricing and availability details
The HONOR X6b has a price of Php5,999 for the sole 6GB/128GB variant available in the Philippines. You can get it at tons of physical stores nationwide and through Shopee and Lazada.
Pros
- Satisfactory day-to-day performance
- Well-built structure
- Good single loudspeaker
- Above-average battery life
- Acceptable charging speeds
Cons
- Could benefit from a design overhaul
- No official IP rating
- Not for gaming