Honor has kicked off CES 2017 with the launch of the Honor 6X building on their entry into the US market last year with the Honor 5X. The phone improves on last years model with better specs, and even better pricing.
The Honor 6X focuses heavily on the dual-lens camera on the rear of the phone, which features a 12MP sensor paired with a 2MP sensor that allows users to re-focus the picture after the fact. The camera is also designed to be used in low-light situations with a 1.25µm pixel size for better night shots. As well as the hardware, the Honor 6X is paired with a number of software refinements, filters really with three modes: Splash, which allows you to mute the colouring in your photos and highlight a splash of colour into your shot, a Pro mode and Light Painting.
The hardware included in the phone is mid-high end with a mid-range Kirrin 655 processor included which uses the 16nM manufacturing process and options for 3GB RAM/32GB storage or 4GB RAM/64GB storage. The phone isn’t terribly small with a 5.5″ display, but it fits nicely in the hand with a curved rear that’s made of metal which includes a fingerprint sensor and still manages to house a 3340mAh battery that Honor says will give you anywhere up to 2.15 days of use if you’re not heavy handed.
| Key Specifications: | Honor 6X |
|---|---|
| Release date | January 2017 |
| Screen size | 5.5-inch |
| Screen technology | — |
| Resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 |
| PPI | 401 |
| Rear camera | 12MP+2MP |
| Front camera | 8MP |
| Chipset | Kirrin 655 |
| Core config | 4x2.1 GHz + 4x1.7 GHz |
| RAM |
|
| Storage |
|
| MicroSD | Yes |
| Battery | 3,340 mAh |
| Battery removable | — |
| Connector | MicroUSB |
| Headphone Port | Yes |
| Headphone Location | Top |
| Speaker Configuration | Bottom |
| NFC | Yes |
| Android OS | Android 6.0 |
| Vendor skin | EMUI 4.1 |
| Dimensions | 150.9x76.2x8.2mm |
| Weight | 162g |
| Colours |
|
Software wise, the Honor 6X comes with Android 6.0 with EMUI 4.0 laid atop, but they have plans to push a Nougat (Android 7.0) based update with EMUI 5.1 out in Q2 this year.
We’ve seen the camera features on other phones over the years – notably on Huawei handsets, Honor’s parent company – and they’ve been a novelty for the most part, but they’re fun and that’s part of where Honor is aiming their brand, the 18-25 year old market. It’s worked so far with 11 million Honor 5X handsets sold last year. That number is also thanks to the price point with Honor being quite aggressive with the 5X and it’s just the same with the 6X with Honor pricing it :
- 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM – $249.99USD – 249€
- 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM – $299.99USD – 299€
The pricing gives you an idea of the markets that Honor is launching in with Australia sadly not on the list. The phone will be going on-sale on the 4th of January in Czech republic, France, Germany, Italy, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and in the United States.
As a throwaway, Honor also announced a neat accessory for the Honor 6X, an integrated Selfie-stick/Tripod that offers a solution to a problem that’s obviously affecting their target market. The selfie stick is collapsible with a 270-degree rotation, that includes a tripod on the bottom for stationary shots. It’s easy to carry and comes with a shutter button built-in.
No pricing was announced for the Selfie Stick, but it’s a neat addition to their range. If you’re in the markets the phone is releasing in you should be able to snag one when they go on-sale from tomorrow. We’ve got a Honor 6X in hand and you can expect a review to be coming along shortly.
