The Breakdown
The smartphone market is flooded with options, ranging from flagship devices to budget-friendly alternatives. Honor, known for its affordable handsets, has made a strong entry into 2024 with the Honor Magic 6 Lite. With just the right price, this device offers impressive features that challenge its budget label. In this comprehensive review, we will explore the design, display, performance, camera, software experience, and battery life of the Honor Magic 6 Lite, and determine if it truly lives up to its reputation as a contender for the best value smartphone.
Honor Magic 6 Lite review: Design and Build
Honor has always excelled in creating smartphones that look and feel premium, even at lower price points. The Magic 6 Lite is no exception. With its curved edge glass, slim build, and metal effect frame, this device exudes a sense of sophistication. Available in Emerald Green, Midnight Black, and Sunrise Orange (made from vegan leather), the Magic 6 Lite stands out with its stylish design.
What sets the Magic 6 Lite apart is its durability. It is the first smartphone to receive a five-star rating for drop protection from Swiss certification body SGS. The three-layered glass construction can withstand a 1.5m impact from any angle, instilling confidence in its ability to survive accidental drops. Additionally, the phone comes with IP53 dust and splash protection, making it a reliable companion for everyday use.
Display and Sound: Immersive Visuals and Audio
The Magic 6 Lite boasts a 6.78-inch AMOLED display, offering vibrant colors, deep blacks, and excellent viewing angles. With a 120Hz refresh rate and 1920Hz PWM dimming, the display ensures smooth scrolling and reduces eye strain. The increased peak brightness of 1200 nits enhances visibility, even in bright outdoor conditions.
As for the sound quality, the Magic 6 Lite performs adequately. The down-firing main driver delivers clear vocals, making it suitable for podcasts and YouTube videos. However, the lack of bass limits its capability for music listening. To fully enjoy audio, it is recommended to use headphones for a more immersive experience.
Honor Magic 6 Lite review: Performance
Powering the Magic 6 Lite is the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip, accompanied by 8GB of RAM. While it may not be the latest Qualcomm chip, it provides a decent performance upgrade from its predecessor, ensuring smooth navigation and lag-free multitasking. Honor’s optimization of the older chip showcases their ability to maximize performance, making the Magic 6 Lite a capable device for day-to-day tasks.
Running on MagicOS 7.2, Honor’s version of Android 13, the user interface offers a unique yet familiar experience. The absence of an app drawer may take some getting used to, but the extensive widget selection and intuitive folder management make finding apps a breeze. The floating menu feature allows for effortless multitasking with split-screen functionality.
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Camera: Capture Memories with Detail
The Magic 6 Lite features a triple camera setup, consisting of a 108MP main camera, a 5MP ultra-wide camera, and a 2MP macro camera. The main camera, with its high pixel count and f/1.8 aperture, produces detailed and vibrant photos in well-lit conditions. Honor’s color treatment strikes a balance between realism and vibrancy, resulting in captivating images.
While the ultra-wide and macro cameras offer versatility, their image quality falls short compared to the main sensor. The 5MP ultrawide camera lacks fine detail and suffers from image noise, while the 2MP macro camera is basic and not as useful. However, for the price, the Magic 6 Lite’s camera system performs admirably, capturing memorable moments with decent results.
Software Experience: A Blend of Familiarity and Uniqueness
MagicOS 7.2 adds its own touch to the Android 13 experience, providing a distinct interface that is easy to navigate. The absence of an app drawer may be a slight adjustment for some users, but the search function and folder management compensate for the organization of apps. The extensive customization options, including widgets and the floating menu, enhance the overall user experience.
One area of concern is the software update commitments. Honor commits to providing only two generational updates, which may leave users with outdated software sooner than expected. While three years of security updates are promised, this falls behind the industry standard of four or more years offered by rival manufacturers.
Battery Life: Endurance at Its Best
The Magic 6 Lite boasts a massive 5300mAh battery, offering exceptional endurance. With its lower-power CPU and efficient optimization, the device easily lasts a full day of typical use, including calls, web browsing, video streaming, and social media scrolling. The absence of wireless charging is not a significant drawback, as the 35W wired charging provides fast charging capabilities, allowing for a 50% charge in approximately 30 minutes.
Honor Magic 6 Lite review: Conclusion
In conclusion, the Honor Magic 6 Lite lives up to its reputation as a contender for the best value smartphone. Its premium design, durable build, immersive display, smooth performance, capable camera system, and impressive battery life make it an excellent choice for those on a modest budget. While there are some compromises, such as the macro and ultrawide cameras, and limited software updates, the overall package offered by the Magic 6 Lite surpasses expectations at its price point. If you are seeking a budget-friendly smartphone with reliable performance and features, the Honor Magic 6 Lite is a solid option.
This review is based on the Honor Magic 6 Lite and its performance as of its release in 2024. Prices and specifications may vary over time.
