Honor Magic6 Lite Review: Sleek 5g Smartphone With High-end Looks For A Budget

The latest mid-range telephone from Honor appears to be like very similar to its predecessor, however nonetheless has a number of enhancements – beginning with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, which replaces the out of date Snapdragon 695 5G of the Magic5 Lite. Additionally, the Magic6 Lite adopts a brand new 108 MPix digicam with a extra light-transmissive f/1.75 lens and a large 5,300 mAh battery.

In the case of pricing, the Honor places its Lite type into the mid-range, because it begins at €400 in Europe. There is just one configuration, with 8 GB RAM and a 256 GB UFS garage force. With the in-house Turbo era, the RAM may also be expanded to eight GB. This works through the use of portions of the UFS garage. However since it’s a lot slower than the RAM, this may increasingly best be recommended in uncommon instances.

Regardless of the large battery capability of the Magic6 Lite, the burden of best 185 g is beautiful low. With its display screen to frame ratio of 91 p.c, the Honor telephone appears to be like very swish and trendy. Smaller bezels than at the Magic6 Lite are nowhere to be discovered within the mid-range. The display screen is safe with the Extremely Jump anti-drop era, expanding the security in opposition to drops and lengthening reliability. Drops of as much as 1.5 m will have to be no factor, regardless of the perspective. Honor didn’t reveal which glass is used right here.

At the again, the Magic6 Lite sports activities a pleasing end: The chassis is both clad in vegan leather-based or created from matte plastic. In Germany, there are 3 coloration variants: Emerald Inexperienced, Middle of the night Black and Dawn Orange (vegan leather-based), with the orange one being restricted to the Honor online-store. There is not any IP score.

The workmanship of the Magic6 Lite casing is excellent, even though now not rather as top class as we was hoping. Our inexperienced examine pattern does now not really feel reasonable, however telephones with a pitcher again appear upper high quality to us. The gaps between chassis parts are tight and uniformly.

The connectivity choices of the Magic6 Lite are greater than ok for a €400 telephone. NFC, USB OTG and miracast are par for the path. Honor additionally says the telephone helps Bluetooth 5.1, which is curious, because the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 does give a boost to Bluetooth 5.2.

A differerntiator to top class gadgets is the sluggish USB 2.0 same old, which doesn’t give a boost to tethered image output both. With our copy-test with a M.2 SSD (Samsung 980 Professional), the USB port best manages an excessively sluggish 22 MB/s. exFAT and the Microsoft same old NTFS are supported.

The UFS 3.1 reminiscence has a capability of 256 GB, with 223 GB to be had to the consumer. It’s fairly disappointing that there’s no 512 GB model. Increasing the reminiscence by the use of microSD playing cards isn’t imaginable.

The OS of the tool is the now not rather recent Android 13 with November 2023 safety updates.  On most sensible of the OS, Honor slaps its Magic UI 7.2. An improve to Android 14 and its predecessor is deliberate, however not more. Safety updates are assured for 3 years. This puts Honor at the back of Samsung, because the Korean large updates its Galaxy A54 5G, any other mid-range telephone, for 5 years.

The Magic6 Lite best helps WiFi 5 – unfortunately, on this regard, the Honor mid fluctuate stands nonetheless. With our reference router, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000, switch charges are prohibit to 350 MBit/s within the 5 GHz community, now not so much for a telephone with this pricing. No less than, the WiFi efficiency is constant regardless of is knowledge is won or despatched. 

Just a restricted quantity of frequencies are supported in the case of cellular knowledge. Handiest 13 LTE bands are to be had – on this case, an important 4G bands for Germany are coated, and 5G is supported, too.

The Magic6 Lite helps maximum international satellite tv for pc networks, however best with unmarried band give a boost to. Within the mid-range, compromises like this are all over the place and geolocation was once nonetheless actual for the Honor telephone.

At the cross with the motorbike, we when put next the geolocation functions with a Garmin Venu 2. The entire distance is solely 10 m much less, however there are some small regularities in the case of the process the street. The Garmin watch is extra precide, however the Honor mid-range telephone remains to be very usable for navigation functions.

The Magic6 Lite supplies an ideal voice-capture high quality and filters out background noise neatly. It is a twin SIM telephone with room for 2 bodily nanoSIM playing cards, eSIM isn’t supported. Purposes like VoLTE and WiFi calling alternatively are.

The primary digicam is new when put next with the Magic5 Lite getan, the selfie shooter remains the similar: The 16 MPix cam makes use of a f/2.45 shutter, being positioned within the central hollow punch. Selfies are smoothed out, however the high quality is just about what we think for this value fluctuate.

A lot better photos are imaginable with the brand new primary digicam with a 108 MPix sensor within the 1/1.67 inch structure and a large f/1.75 shutter, which shall we in additional mild than with the predecessor. Nonetheless, low mild pictures isn’t a power of the Magic6 Lite, as we want the lighting fixtures was once higher and the pics at nighttime lack in main points. There is not any optical symbol stabilization (OIS).

At sunlight, the 108 MPix digicam works higher and delivers sharp photographs, however even right here, the image is darkened, muting the photographs the Magic6 Lite produces.

There is not any optical zoom with regards to the Magic6 Lite. Because of the excessive solution of the 108 MPix shooter, as much as 3x of virtual zoom is usable even though. After all, the sensor crop nonetheless loses one of the most sharpness and main points. For higher effects, the small local pixels of the Samsung ISOCELL HM6 want much more mild when zooming. 

The 5 MPix ultrawide cam with 110 levels of view and the two MPix macro sensor with a focus-lenght of four cm might glance great at the spec sheet, however they don’t in point of fact produce nice photos.

In the case of video, the Magic6 Lite rankings issues with UHD high quality seize in 30 FPS. With the selfie shooter, video is capped at FHD@30 FPS.

In a managed surroundings, the Honor telephone delivers an ok coloration accuracy. Blue particularly is brightened up and the deltaE is beautiful excessive. Whites aren’t show preferably both.

The integrated equipment with the Magic6 Lite are barebones for a mid fluctuate telephone. There’s only a USB 2.0 cable, a SIM device and a few information subject matter within the field. Optionally to be had is the SuperCharge energy adapter (€30 by itself) for one Euro further if ordered with the telephone. A display screen protector may also be added totally free as neatly (which might value €26 differently).

The guaranty in Germany covers two years.

The capacitive touchscreen of the Magic6 Lite is clean, translating inputs of as much as 10 arms on the identical time exactly. Ex manufacturing facility, there’s a display screen protector applies, which feels not up to prime quality. Animations and scrolling are clean with the 120 Hz panel, however every so often there are some rather stutters.

A small haptic motor handles vibrations. It isn’t very actual even though, only a humming impact.

For speedy unlocking, customers can make a selection both the an unsecure 2D face unlook, which matches speedy however best in excellent lighting fixtures, or the fingerprint sensor. The optical sensor underneath the OLED panel works flawlessly, even though it may well be sooner.

Supplied with a curved 6.78 inch AMOLED display screen, the Magic6 Lite with its 1,200p solution gives a excessive DPI rely of 429. The refresh price isn’t dynamic, love it is with an LTPO panel, it best mechanically switches between two ranges (60 Hz and 120 Hz). 

The Honor telephone helps the HDR same old HGL, HDR10 and Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Additionally, it has quite a few eye secure applied sciences, together with Low Blue mild mode and 1,920 Hz dimming. We did measure PWM of 528 Hz with our oscilloscope, however our measurements with a flicker meter ended in a miles upper price (1,920 Hz). This minimizes the unfavourable unwanted effects of PWM like complications, because it reduces visual flickering for the human eye.

The brightness of the Magic6 Lite is stepped forward when put next with the predecessor, attaining 1,032 cd/m² with an absolutely white display screen and an enabled mild sensor. With HDR and APL18 content material, we had been in a position to simply build up the brightness to one,050 cd/m², now not seeing the standard OLED growth in HDR mode.

The most efficient coloration accuracy is reached when the color-mode “customary” is chosen within the settings with the colour temperatures at „same old“ belassen wird. The colour deviations in opposition to the sRGB gamut we will be able to measure with the photo-spectrometer X-Ceremony i1 Professional 3 and CalMan are relatively low. The variations to the reference-colors aren’t visual to the attention.

Outside, the Magic6 Lite leaves us inspired because of the excessive display screen brightness. Word even though that the utmost brightness is best to be had when the sunshine sensor is used. For guide brightness legislation, the utmost brightness sits at 606 cd/m².

Viewing attitude steadiness is excellent, even with excessive viewing angles, there’s just a minimum lack of brightness. Colours don’t exchange.

The GPU core is the Adreno 710, which is also used within the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 of the Redmi Word 13 Professional. The Magic6 Lite does now not succeed in the efficiency of the Xiaomi telephone, alternatively. Particularly within the extra challenging Aztec Ruins examine, the contest is quicker than the Magic6 Lite.

Within the browser benchmarks, the Magic6 Lite is worse than anticipated after the CPU/GPU assessments. This could also be reflected through on a regular basis efficiency. Surfing velocity is at a cast mid-range stage, however there are incessantly small stutters and loading websits somtimes takes its candy time.

In the case of velocity, the interior reminiscence of the Honor telephone gives a excellent efficiency, particularly when put next with the UFS 2.2 pageant just like the Redmi Word 13 Professional. On the other hand, the Magic6 Lite isn’t as sluggish when put next with different UFS 3.1 fashions, that may be because of the Snapdragon SoC.  

After our GPU benchmarks the Adreno 710, accomanied through 8 GB RAM, has to turn if challenging and HFR gaming is imaginable with the Magic6 Lite. For our measurements, we use GameBench.

As the primary sport, we seemed on the GPU extensive Myth Motion RPG Genshin Affect. Set on excessive main points, there are body drops reducing the thrill significantly. General, the typical listed here are 29.5 FPS. With decreased graphics, we had been in a position to tug out greater than first rate 49 FPS, which appears to be like visual smoother. The imaginable 60 FPS aren’t reached.

Even much less challenging video games, like Lifeless Cause 2, don’t make the most of the entire 120 Hz of the OLED panel. We measure a framerate of 60 FPS.

The FPS for PUBG Cell with excessive main points in UHD solution are consistent at 40 FPS. If we cut back the settings (HD), the GPU unit manages 60 FPS. A 90 FPS surroundings isn’t to be had.

Floor temperatures are low throughout idling. When beneath sustained load, they upward push to 43 levels Celsius max. To measure the interior heat-output, we use the 3DMark rigidity assessments. Right here, the Qualcomm SoC displays nearly now not throttling in compute-intensive situations. Throttling beneath load in on a regular basis use aren’t to be anticipated with the Honor telephone.

The Magic6 Lite best has a mono-speaker, which does arrange to play audio very loudly. Whilst the highs are linear, the mid-part of the spectrum are extra inconsistent. The decrease frequencies are slightly there, base is missing. 

Headsets and earbuds may also be hooked up tetherless with Bluetooth 5.1 (in keeping with the spechseet) or by the use of the USB C port. The supported Audio formats may just now not be singled out with the Magic6 Lite.

The battery grows when put next with the predecessor to five,300 mAh, which may also be charged up by the use of the USB port with as much as 35 W. With a becoming energy supply (Powerbank, PD 3.0, max. 100 W), the battery of the Magic6 Lite may also be charged up in 2.5 hours. Honor advertises a protracted are living for the battery, which is meant to nonetheless be offering 80 p.c of the unique capability after 1,000 price cycles.

Energy intake beneath load is low, in spite of to the the burnout benchmark. Different smartphones, just like the Poco F5, carry out worse right here. When idling alternatively, the Honor telephone consumes relatively so much with greater than 2 W.

The battery existence numbers of the Magic6 Lite are excellent and aggressive with the 1080p pageant, in spite of the upper solution. With a brightness set to 150 cd/m², it’s imaginable to check the telephones in opposition to each and every different. Within the life like WiFi examine, the Magic6 Lite manages 15 hours. With the WiFi module deactivated and video on loop, we measure 17 hours.

The Magic6 Lite impresses with its trendy design with out large bezels aroud the 6.78 inches large AMOLED panel – particularly with the tapered off display screen edges. The display screen is shiny and calibrated correctly. If the 1,000 cd/m² aren’t sufficient, the  Redmi Word 13 Professional may well be a fascinating mid fluctuate selection with a fair brighter display screen.   

The Honor Magic6 Lite is a visually fulfilling design, however the options lag at the back of because of the point of interest on appears to be like.

With $400-smartphones, compromise is all the time someplace across the nook. With the Magic 6 Lite, there are too guy of them for our tastebuds. The lacking IP certification or the sluggish USB port are all over the place within the center elegance, however the Honor telephone merits grievance for the restricted WWAN and WiFi 5 frequencies and the lacking stereo sound. Moreover, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 used right here is not any powerhouse for a telephone of this phase. The Poco F5 delivers a significantly better efficiency.     

Honor delivers updates for 3 years – now not unhealthy, however Samsung gives 5 years with its Galaxy A54 5G. With the OIS in addition to eSIM and microSD give a boost to, the Samsung Telephone is a fascinating selection to the Magic6 Lite.

The Honor Magic6 Lite prices €400 in Germany.

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