05 Nov
Blog

Honor 50 Review: What’s Old is New Again

Honor 50 rating on top of hand

Honor 50 in the test: Honor is back, and what's old is new again

RRP $ 615.00

“The Honor 50 represents the return of the new independent brand to Android phones with integrated Google Mobile Services. That's big, but the rest of the phone doesn't feel particularly fresh, despite the crazy color scheme and workmanship. "

advantages

  • Nice 120Hz AMOLED screen

  • Fast charging

  • Lightweight and reasonably sized

  • Fun video modes with easy editing

disadvantage

  • No wireless charging

  • No watertightness

  • Single speaker

Comebacks are surprisingly common in mobile technology, with Nokia, BlackBerry, and even Palm returning after a while – with varying degrees of success. Honor, once owned by Huawei, is the latest established name to return. Technically, however, it hasn't gone away as it was just sold by Huawei for the chance to thrive on its own.

Since then, Honor has made agreements with Google, Qualcomm, and several other companies that are currently unable to work with Huawei. That means Honor is not only back, but now it has Google Mobile Services too. The Honor 50 is its first smartphone with Google Play and all of the other apps and services expected, so this seems like a fresh start. On the flip side, Honor could still be trying to figure out his own identity after being connected for so long.

draft

The version of the Honor 50 that you see in our photos is the special edition “Code” and everything I want to see in an Honor phone. The company has often incorporated eye-catching reflective back wall designs, and this is probably the brightest and most noticeable yet. The letters H, O, N and R give the design depth and sparkle in different shades of silver and blue, depending on the viewing angle and lighting. I think it looks excellent, but if it's not for you the phone is also available in black, green, or a slightly more subtle, sparkly tone called Frost Crystal.

The back of the Honor 50.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It is thin at just under 8 mm and very light at 175 grams. This, along with the curved screen and modest width of 74mm, makes it very easy to hold and operate with one hand. The curve is pretty dramatic and a bit sharp if you grip the phone tightly. The quality of workmanship is excellent, as the glass panel and the rear panel are flush with the metal housing. The stadium-shaped, two-stage camera housing with two round modules on the back also fits perfectly with the reflective letter O design of the code.

Yes, the Honor 50 is on board with Google Mobile Services

The Honor 50 looks great, is not heavy, is well made, and comes in a variety of unusual colors for people looking to make a statement with their phone. However, if you've seen and held the Honor 30 Pro, then you've seen and held the Honor 50 too, as the two are closely related in terms of size and shape.

The curved edge of the Honor 50.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Another thing is that for Honor's talk about the phone marking its "Independence Day" and its definitive split from Huawei, the similarity in design and specification between the Honor 50 and the new Huawei Nova 9 is striking. It won't do much to convince someone that the two are firmly and definitively divorced.

camera

A 108-megapixel main camera leads the show on the Honor 50, plus an 8-MP wide-angle camera and a pair of 2-MP macro and depth cameras. The selfie camera has 32 megapixels and a 90-degree viewing angle. Honor promotes the camera system as one for aspiring vloggers and has incorporated several different video modes that all cameras use at the same time.

The Honor 50's camera module.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

First, let's talk about still images. The 108MP camera is very sensitive to light. In a variety of situations, photos will be underexposed or overexposed, and the wide-angle camera is even worse. Photos are better on a brighter, sunnier day, but some won't like how the blue skies are oversaturated. I do not mind; it definitely makes the photos pop, and I prefer that to the depressing tone of the photos taken when the sun wasn't shining.

However, if you look carefully, photos may be lacking in detail – there are also signs of over-processing. On the upside, I like the range of portrait and aperture modes that give either people or objects a bokeh effect. Edge detection is also solid.

The multi-camera video modes record with two cameras at the same time, so you can create video combinations with the main rear camera and selfie camera, including simultaneous recording, a picture-in-picture window, and other combinations. It's a gimmick, but it works. However, the user interface is a bit cumbersome and slow, so you will need a little patience to master the controls.

It's not something I would personally use outside of the review, but it would certainly be fun in large groups if you want to capture everything that happens around you. There is also a very easy to use editing suite that makes creating a final clip completely easy on your phone. The Honor 50 supports Bluetooth headsets in video mode, so you can use them instead of the internal microphone to record sound – which should result in better sound, especially when recording from a distance. Strangely enough, the Honor 50 only records videos in 16: 9 or 21: 9, but supports 4K at 30 frames per second (fps).

The Honor 50's still camera wasn't very inspiring

The Honor 50's video camera is fun, but only if you try your hand at the world of vlogging. Those who are more ambitious or experienced will quickly want more, as they only record in 1080p at 30fps in multi-cam mode. However, I'm not sure if it is used very often by the average person who makes videos. The Honor 50's still camera didn't inspire me much, but software refinement can improve its capabilities over time.

software

Yes, the Honor 50 is on board with Google Mobile Services. This means that it includes the Google Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps, Messages, and every other expected apps. Also, sign in to your Google account during setup so that you can use Google's cloud services. Using the Honor phone is exactly the same as any other Android smartphone in terms of Google integration.

Honor's own MagicUI 4.2 is installed over Android 11. In terms of design and layout, it hasn't changed much from MagicUI 3.1 installed on the Honor 30 – this just added Google-Ness. There are other references to Honor's past, with the always-on screen having the same customization as the feature on Huawei phones, down to some of the same icons and animations. However, the always-on screen is one of my favorite parts of MagicUI because it is easy to personalize and information on the lock screen is clearly displayed.

I didn't experience any reliability or app issues with the Honor 50, and notifications came through with no issues. It was a steady partner during my time on the phone.

Screen and performance

The Honor 50's screen is exactly what we expect from a mid-range phone today: it's an AMOLED panel with a switchable refresh rate of 60 Hz or 120 Hz; has a resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and 300 Hz touch sampling; and it's colorful, dynamic and responsive.

Honor 50 screen.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It even does very well with the latest Google Pixel 6 Pro, showing the same eye-catching colors with a slightly warmer tone – at least when the Vivid setting is enabled. It is also possible to optimize the temperature of the screen or choose a mode with sRGB or DC-P3 color cards if it does not suit your needs. Jo Yuri's Glassy video pops off the screen, but the phone loses points for its single speaker on the bottom of the phone.

Video of the Honor 50.

Games on the Honor 50.

Honor fitted the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor with a 5G modem, and my test model has 6GB of RAM. It's a fast performer, but the operating system never feels snappy, and I've found that it can stumble when closing games and other energy-intensive apps. This may be more of a software optimization problem than a lack of processing courage. Honor's own GPU Turbo X tweaks make it great for gaming, and I really enjoyed Asphalt 9: Legends, especially because the phone is easy to hold and the screen is beautiful. It's a shame it doesn't have stereo speakers to really take advantage of its media prowess.

Battery and charging

I was a little concerned that the 4,300mAh battery wouldn't be powerful enough to last more than a day, but the Snapdragon 778G and MagicUI have to be pretty conservative with power. With normal use, I could turn the phone off overnight and it would have enough juice for the next day. This was especially impressive as I use the phone at the 120Hz refresh rate all the time.

Honor 50 charging port.Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The 66W SuperCharge fast charging is established Honor technology and very welcome. It got the battery up to 70% in 22 minutes, which is more than enough for a single day. Unfortunately, there is no wireless charging – a feature I would consider standard on most mid- to upper-range phones today.

Price and availability

The Honor 50 costs 529 euros or about 615 US dollars for the 6 GB / 128 GB model and 599 euros / 695 US dollars for the 8 GB / 256 GB model. It will be available to order from Honor on November 4th. Honor's plans for a widespread release are not yet clear, so don't expect it to hit the US anytime soon. It can be imported from the UK or Europe if you are interested.

Our opinion

The Honor 50 embodies the phrase “everything old is new again”, because despite the new start of Honor as an independent brand, the Honor 50 feels very familiar. The shape of the phone is essentially the same as the Honor 30 Pro, just with a different camera model. MagicUI 4.2 is identical to older versions of the software except that Google has been added. Even the 66W SuperCharge function is a holdover from the Huawei era.

Don't take these as negative; the fast charging is excellent, the software is reliable, and the design is modern and fun. But it feels a bit normal to Honor, and I wanted to see something completely new from the company. Maybe that will come later, and if so, the Honor 50 offers a great reintroduction to how the brand delivers competent, pretty, but not always outstanding smartphones.

That lack of real novelty poses a problem, however: during the Honor's absence, the cellular market has changed and there are a lot more phones out there at the same price point as the Honor 50 that are better value for money. Yes, Google is back on board, but that only brings the Honor 50 back to the same level as many other phones. While that's good news for Honor as a brand, it doesn't make the phone stand out from the rest.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes sir; Check out either the OnePlus Nord 2 5G or the Samsung Galaxy A52 5G. Both are slightly cheaper than the Honor 50, but you don't have to sacrifice anything in terms of functionality and performance. If you are outside of the US, you should also consider the Realme GT or GT Neo2. The $ 449 Google Pixel 5a is worth investigating if you're looking for a great camera, and at $ 599, the new Google Pixel 6 is also challenging the Honor 50.

If you're not using an Android phone, take a look at the $ 699 Apple iPhone 13 Mini. As an Android alternative in the same price range, the OnePlus 9 combines a great screen, fast charging, an improved camera and great software in a pretty design.

How long it will take?

We ask Honor about the software update obligation. To be competitive, it must provide major version updates for at least two years and security updates for three years. The Honor 50 is not waterproof or a rugged phone, so if you are unlucky it could be damaged.

There is something else to consider, and that is the talk of Honor finding its way into the US Entity List, which would prohibit Google, Qualcomm, and others from working together. This is the ailment Huawei wanted to overcome by selling Honor, and while it is only a vague threat at the moment and may not affect the Honor 50 directly, it is an unknown that undermines the brand's plan for a broad global reintroduction could.

Should you buy it?

No. While the Honor 50 is perfectly acceptable, it doesn't stand out from the competition with one notable feature and misses some essentials that can be found on other phones at a similar price point.

Editor's recommendations



20 Apr
Blog

Honor Band 6 Review: Fitness Tracking Done Right

Honor ribbon 6 rating

Honor Band 6 review: just what a fitness tracker should be

"It's exactly what a good fitness tracker should be – inexpensive, not too big, and with an emphasis on full health monitoring features and some welcome extras."

  • Compact and light

  • Excellent sleep tracking

  • Useful smartwatch-like notifications

  • Very inexpensive

  • USA import only

  • No always on the screen

It's probably best to think of the Honor Band 6 not as a simple fitness tracker as it counts more than just your steps, but for a lot less money than a smartwatch. All of the health monitoring sensors and technology you'd expect are inside, and Honor has added some smartwatch-like features, just like the Honor Watch ES. Does this make the Honor Band 6 a desirable hybrid device or is it a messy amalgamation that doesn't really know what it's supposed to be? I found out.

design

The Honor Band 6 is shaped like the Honor Watch ES, only smaller and less complicated, and that does it just right. The Honor Band 6's plastic case features a 1.47-inch touchscreen on the front, a single button on the right, and Honor branding on the left. It's chunkier than the Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, but because it's very light, it'll never bother your wrist. Despite the taller 11mm profile, I've worn it with shirts and overnight without any problems, and the solid strap has plenty of holes in it to make adjustment easier.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

There are three colors available – black, gray, and pink – but the incognito black or gray goes best with this. It's not particularly stylish, but because it doesn't try too hard, it's not offensive to the eye. All the time I wore it, I didn't want to hide it under my sleeve out of embarrassment, but I didn't want to show it off either. Most of the time, I've forgotten it's there until somehow it reminds me.

The small, simple body comes closer to a traditional fitness tracker and so much the better.

It may not sound like it, but that's a compliment. Honor's decision to bring Band 6 closer to the smartwatch and further away from a basic fitness band was a risky one. Design can quickly become overwhelmed and in the end it doesn't serve anyone very well. That's what happened with the Watch ES, but the Band 6's small, simple body gets closer to a traditional fitness tracker and so much the better.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The screen is a winner. The 194 x 368 pixel resolution makes it sharp enough to be conveniently viewed and read, the thin frames keep it from looking cheap, and it's very responsive and easy to press because of its well-assessed size. Unfortunately, there is no screen available so either press the button or the screen to activate it, or raise your wrist. Gesture recognition is quick and accurate, but it's annoying that the screen doesn't wake up automatically to show notifications when they arrive.

Using the Honor Ribbon 6

The Honor ribbon 6 does the design of a hybrid fitness tracker right, but what about the functionality? With its big screen, the Honor Band 6 has more smartwatch features than you can expect at this price point. I connected it to an Apple iPhone 12 Pro using the Huawei Health app and it has proven to be reliable at showing notifications even though there is no way to interact with them. However, the text shown is clear and extensive. It has a variety of general features, including the weather, a stopwatch, a timer, and the ability to ping your phone if it's misplaced.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The focus remains on fitness. It's not that drastically different from Honor fitness bands I've tried before, but that's not a negative. There are 10 different training modes – including running, walking, biking, swimming, rowing, and elliptical training, plus a free training mode – for indoor and outdoor use that covers all common basics. However, the list looks anemic alongside fitness products from Amazfit, which often have more than 100 different training modes. The question is how often do you go climbing, surfing, or kayaking? If the answer is never, then the Honor Band 6's 10 modes will likely be just fine.

The Band 6 recognizes workouts automatically or can be started manually in a very short time. The menu is navigated by swiping and tapping, while the physical button on the side of the case acts as the home and back button. It's smooth and fast, and I had no problem controlling the Honor Band 6 on my wrist.

Data-rich exercise records are displayed on the watch. Distance, pace, speed, cadence, steps, step and heart rate are recorded during a walk and presented in an easy-to-read format. It's annoying that these records on my iPhone couldn't always be easily synced to Huawei Health, making it difficult to build historical trends.

Health traits

In addition to normal fitness tracking, the Honor Band 6 measures heart rate, blood oxygen content (SPO2) and stress. It also tracks sleep and has an app for breathing exercises. You can choose to have constant heart rate and stress monitoring, but the SPO2 values ​​must be recorded manually. How do the results of the Honor Band 6 compare to the Apple Watch Series 6?

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I recorded a 55 minute workout with both of them. The Honor Band 6 claimed I took 3,058 steps and burned 417 kilocalories with an average heart rate of 120 beats per minute. The Apple Watch showed I took 5,738 steps and burned 380 kcal with an average heart rate of 122 beats per minute. Throughout my use, the Honor Band 6 has underestimated the number of steps compared to the Apple Watch. The difference is considerable, but it may not affect overall health statistics as heart rate and calorie expenditure are very similar.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Blood oxygen measurements are taken quickly, and the results are consistent with those from the Apple Watch. The usefulness of the feature outside of sleep tracking or mountaineering is questionable, but it's always good to have more health-related data to spot any discrepancies. The Honor Band 6 also features a menstrual cycle tracker.

The sleep tracking is excellent and Huawei's TruSleep is one of the best systems I've used. The automatic sleep detection is very precise and assesses my sleep and wake times correctly on most days, even if I don't get out of bed immediately. The data provided is detailed – duration, stages, and breathing – and assigns a sleep score with guidance on how to improve your sleep patterns.

Honor ribbon 6 rating sleepAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Honor Ribbon 6 Rating Huawei Health AppAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

Honor Band 6 Review Huawei Health App NotificationsAndy Boxall / Digital Trends

The combination of all of these statistics helps build a complete picture of your overall health with minimal financial outlay. The Huawei Health app shows all the collected data in a clear and precise way. The Huawei Health app is available for iOS and Android. It's easy to set up and sync, and the app provides plenty of information, as well as ways to customize the clock with different watch faces.

Battery life

Honor claims the Band 6's battery will last 14 days before it needs to be charged. However, this is either optimistic or it depends on when all features are turned off. During my time with it, the battery has dropped about 10% every day when using heart rate and stress monitoring and tracking my sleep. If you add a workout every other day, you get a maximum of 10 days of one fee. That's still decent, but not what Honor says.

Price and availability

The Honor Band 6 is available in the UK for £ 45 / US $ 62 through Amazon. Although Honor stated that Band 6 would come to the US through their own online store, it has not yet done so, so US buyers will have to use an import service. For example, it's $ 52 on AliExpress.

Our opinion

I found the Honor Band 6 very easy to live with and its wide range of features is useful. It is crucial that it is not overwhelmed with pointless features like the Watch ES's personal trainer or a clunky design. It maintains the simplicity of a regular fitness tracker while integrating an attractive screen and simple but helpful smartwatch-style functions. Trying to be everything to everyone is usually not a good product, and the Honor Band 6 does the right mix.

It has just the right level of complexity when it comes to health monitoring, with easy-to-use features (some of which are automated) and enough sensors to provide an informative view of your daily health. It won't satisfy the hardcore athlete, but it's more than enough for ordinary people. This is the Honor Band 6's strong point – it does what a good fitness tracker should do without messing with features that don't matter at this price point.

Honor hasn't raised the price above $ 100 either, which is where smartwatches appear that look like watches. Instead, it's the kind of fitness tracker that you should buy instead of the mostly terrible cheap smartwatches available on Amazon. It's a different world in terms of build, polish, and performance. Only availability affects the Honor Band 6, but if you are ready to put in the effort, it is definitely worth it.

Is there a better alternative?

The Honor Band 6 is very affordable, and it's difficult to find a competing fitness tracker with the same features for the same price. The $ 50 Samsung Galaxy Fit 2 is our affordable fitness tracker. It's not as feature-rich as the Honor Band 6, but it's more readily available.

Outside of the US, the Xiaomi Mi Band 6 will likely be the biggest competitor as it offers very similar features. While the final price has not yet been confirmed, it will likely cost about the same as the Honor Band 6.

How long it will take?

The plastic housing, the strong silicone band and the water resistance of 5 ATM ensure that the Honor Band 6 does not break so quickly. Even if treated roughly, it should prove to be durable. Provided the software is kept up to date and the Huawei Health app is supported, the Honor Band will last 6 years.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Honor Band 6 is an affordable, feature-rich fitness tracker that also manages to take advantage of some helpful smartwatch-like features.

Editor's recommendations




20 May
Blog

Honor 9X Pro Review: A Noble, But Underwhelming Attempt

Honor 9x pro rating backhand

"The Honor 9X Pro is good value for money, but has some major drawbacks, including a confusing software situation."

  • Solid performance

  • Big display

  • Long lasting battery

  • Neat camera with many functions

  • Outdated software

  • Limited availability of the app

  • Slow battery charging

For just $ 300, you can buy the Honor 9X Pro smartphone, which undercuts inexpensive phones like the Google Pixel 3a and the Apple iPhone SE 2020. But is it worth saving some money to buy the Honor 9X Pro instead? Honor is known for trendy designs and specifications that outperform the competition, features that the 9X Pro certainly offers – but unfortunately, the software of the phone lets it down.

design

The Honor 9X Pro is a large smartphone. It's only a few millimeters from the bulk of the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, and weighs 20 grams less than the Samsung Monster – 202 grams versus 222 grams – and feels heavier and more voluminous in your hand. The sides are not rounded so neatly and generally feel thicker and wider than the measurements suggest.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

While the Honor 9X has a plastic back, the Honor 9X Pro has a glass rear wall with a new X design. The 9X's pixel art look has been replaced with a more mature design that uses a blue-purple gradient effect to showcase the X. It looks great, especially in the sun. Yes, it's striking, but it stands out. You will not confuse the Honor 9X Pro with another phone.

In the upper left corner there is a three-lens camera in a module that is smaller than many competitors. There is a large fingerprint sensor in the power switch on the side of the phone. This is very much appreciated. While not as pioneering as a fingerprint sensor on the display, it is significantly faster and more reliable than the in-display readers available on phones in this price range. I will take the illusion of owning a more expensive device every day.

The fingerprint sensor and the color are clear reasons to take a closer look at the Honor 9X Pro. However, the overall size and weight are off-putting. It will only appeal to people who want a very, very large phone.

Display quality

This brings us to the reason for the phone's large dimensions – it has a 6.59-inch screen. It's a whopper (especially for a budget device), but the resolution is modest at 2340 x 1080 pixels, and it appears to be the same panel used for the regular Honor 9X. It is an LCD screen like the Moto G stylus and not an OLED panel like the Samsung Galaxy A51. Will you notice the difference? Yes. The colors are not so vivid or natural and the viewing angles are not that wide. However, given the low price of the phone, it's still attractive enough.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The screen is flat and has no curved edges to soften the appearance or minimize reflections. I found it quite difficult to find the right viewing angle on the Honor 9X Pro, and it's not that bright even in direct sunlight.

Still, the Honor 9X Pro's screen is good for most everyday purposes – especially text, social media, reading messages, and sending messages with friends. There's also no selfie camera to distract you, as the selfie camera is hidden in a motorized pop-up module on top of the phone.

Unfortunately, the 16-megapixel pop-up camera, like the Honor 9X, is sluggish. It takes a beat or two longer than I would like when it comes out of the body, and then makes an unsettling "click" that you can feel through the body of the phone. I don't expect that from the usually excellent Honor build quality. The slow speed also means that Honor didn't worry about a face unlock option on the 9X Pro.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Honor 9X Pro lacks the most sophisticated screen technology and the smooth curves that make expensive phones look so modern. Still, it's fine for normal everyday use.

Camera quality

The triple lens camera on the back consists of a 48 megapixel 1: 1.8 main camera, a 1: 2 / 4-8 megapixel wide-angle camera and a 2 megapixel depth detection camera. Sounds familiar? It's exactly the same as the Honor 9X's camera, released in mid-2019. It seems that Honor has optimized the software and does not oversaturate every image in the same way, although this is still possible on bright and sunny days.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I have nothing against a vivid, saturated photo and understand that many people like to share this type of picture. But even for me, some of the Honor 9X Pro's footage went overboard. The camera can take wide-angle pictures and with 2x zoom. Without a telephoto lens, however, these recordings are digitally cropped. Nevertheless, the zoomed photos are quite good and show enough details without much loss. This is likely due to Honor's use of Huawei's excellent camera technology for artificial intelligence.

Edge detection and focusing in portrait and aperture modes is much less successful, and the camera does not excel when it approaches subjects and produces blurry photos when you try to blur the background. When using the aperture mode, even the edges of relatively simple shapes were misjudged. Night mode effectively brightens pictures, but the pictures lack life and detail.

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  • 1.
    Non-night mode
  • 2nd
    Night mode

Selfies are acceptable without being outstanding. Honor sets the beauty mode to a medium level by default. Therefore, pay attention to a certain smoothing of the skin, especially in portrait mode. You don't want to do this often anyway, because edge detection is not good. However, I like some of the special modes, including the greeting mode, which removes all but one color, and the excellent photo editing tool in the Gallery app.

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Taking photos with the Honor 9X Pro is very similar to taking photos with the Honor 9X, an older phone that's cheaper to buy and doesn't feel good. These photos are shared and fun, but it's not worth spending more on.

software

In terms of software, the news is not good. My test Honor 9X Pro installed Android 9 with Huawei EMUI 9.1 and the Android security patch from November 2019. This is a step backwards for Honor, as the 9X Pro not only does not have Honor's own MagicUI on Android, but the basic version of Android is completely out of date. The Honor 9X Pro also does not come with Google Mobile Services or the Google Play Store.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Huawei App Gallery and alternative third-party app stores such as the Amazon App Store are your sources for apps. The situation here is the same as that of the Huawei P40 Pro and the Huawei Mate Xs folding smartphone. In a separate article, I explained in detail what it means to not have Google Play installed.

The app gallery is improving and Huawei is confident that it will get much better soon. Although practical new apps like Here WeGo cards have arrived, they are still sparingly available. Migrating from Google is not as challenging as you might fear. However, the problem occurs when you try to install apps that are not available from official sources. For example, banking apps are completely missing. There is also no mobile payment system and, of course, no official Google Apps.

You will rely more on the browser. I installed Firefox and synced my Google Chrome data to make it easier to use. From there it is easy to access the web versions of YouTube, mobile banking and services like Uber. However, the experience is not as fluid or reliable as an app.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

EMUI 9.1 may be out of date, but important features like gesture control are still included and work very well on the 9X Pro's large screen. However, I miss features like a constantly active screen and dark mode that are found in many other Honor, Huawei, and competitive phones.

Learning how to get new apps makes switching from a Google Services phone to the Honor 9X Pro a more complex and time-consuming task than we'd like, while the old software and outdated security update will be an unwanted obstacle for buyers.

Power and battery

The Honor 9X Pro has a Kirin 810 octa-core processor with 6 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage space. My review phone also has NFC, although Google Pay is not supported. I ran two benchmark apps for comparison, but they were installed outside of the app gallery, so they may not give accurate results.

3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 2,517 (volcano)

Geekbench 5: 580 single core / 1,843 multi core

This is better than the Samsung Galaxy A51 and the Google Pixel 3a, but of course it cannot come close to the OnePlus 8 with its Snapdragon 865 chipset. The Honor 9X Pro always felt fast enough, even when playing. Asphalt 9: Legends is available in the App Gallery and the racing game runs very well on the Honor 9X Pro. I haven't seen any performance issues and really enjoyed playing it. Sound comes from a single, down-facing speaker that's loud enough to irritate people around you while playing or watching movies, but doesn't have a lot of bass or detail.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The battery has a capacity of 4,000 mAh and is very durable. I found that he was kept in moderate operation for two days without any problems. This is a good thing because the phone cannot be charged quickly, which is possible with a 10W USB Type-C charger. You want to charge overnight as it takes at least 2 hours to fully charge from the empty state. Yes, the Honor 9X Pro is an affordable phone, but Honor and Huawei have one of the best quick charging systems available, and it's a shame not to see it here for added value.

Price, guarantee and availability

The Honor 9X Pro is available in the UK through Honor's own online shop for £ 250 or around $ 305 and is also available in various European countries, the Middle East and Asia. Anyone interested in the Honor 9X Pro in the U.S. must buy one through an importer. In the UK, the phone grants a two-year warranty on defects, with the battery and charger covered for six months.

Our opinion

For the price, the Honor 9X Pro offers great value for money with excellent performance, a decent camera, a large screen and a long-lasting battery. Slow charging of the battery, a bulky shape and the availability of apps decrease. Although this is a situation that Honor cannot resolve very quickly, it should really do something about the outdated software.

Is there a better alternative?

Yes. If you can expand your budget to $ 400, we recommend buying the iPhone SE 2020, one of our cheapest smartphones. The performance is great, the software is kept up to date for years and the style and build quality are excellent. The $ 400 Google Pixel 3a is also a great phone, but it is getting old and a Pixel 4a is on the horizon. You might also want to check out the Samsung Galaxy A51 for $ 400 and the older Motorola Moto G7. If you don't have an Honor phone, the cheaper Honor 9X is very similar to the 9X Pro.

How long it will take?

The Honor 9X Pro is not a durable phone and has no water resistance. So if you want a long life, you should put it in a protective case for protection. Due to the performance and size of the screen, the phone is suitable for a few years. During this time, Huawei is sure to increase the number of apps in its app gallery.

The outdated software is a warning sign and indicates that you should not expect many updates in the future. This means the phone may be vulnerable to security issues and not benefit from features introduced in future versions of EMUI or Android.

Should you buy it

No. The Honor 9X Pro is a good phone, but the software – both in terms of app availability and updates – is not.

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