Is it worth it?
If you’ve ever felt the terror of your phone running out of juice during a long commute or watched your wallet wince at typical mid-range pricing, the HONOR X6b might just be your remedy. This sub-£100 smartphone promises a roomy 6.56-inch display that glides at 90Hz, a 5200 mAh battery designed to outlast your daily hustle, and a triple-camera setup that aims to capture life’s details without breaking the bank. Ideal for students, commuters and anyone seeking reliable everyday performance, it addresses the frustration of battery anxiety and laggy scrolling. Curious how HONOR squeezes flagship touches into a budget frame? Read on.
After a week in my pocket, the X6b stands out for its marathon battery life and smooth display, though the modest 4 GB of RAM can feel tight if you’re juggling too many apps. It’s a solid companion for browsing, streaming and casual snaps, but serious gamers or professional content creators might find it a little underpowered. If you crave big-brand polish on a shoestring budget, this phone delivers more than you’d expect—just don’t buy it if you need heavy multitasking or advanced video stabilisation.
Specifications
| Brand | HONOR |
| Model | X6b |
| Display | 6.56-inch FHD+ 90Hz |
| Battery | 5200 mAh, 35W SuperCharge |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 128GB + microSD up to 1TB |
| Camera | 50MP main + 2MP macro + 2MP depth |
| OS | Android 14 (MagicUI 8.0). |
| User Score | 4.3 ⭐ (1378 reviews) |
| Price | approx. 80£ Check 🛒 |
Key Features
FullView 90Hz Display
The 6.56-inch FHD+ panel refreshes at 90Hz, delivering fluid animations and reduced motion blur for everyday tasks. This higher refresh rate enhances the feeling of responsiveness when scrolling through social media or swiping between home screens. In practice, even budget tiles and UI transitions feel more polished compared to standard 60Hz phones.
Picking up the phone to browse or game instantly shows off the smoother motion.
Triple Camera System
This setup combines a 50 MP main sensor with a 2 MP macro and a 2 MP depth sensor. The main camera excels in good light, rendering detailed shots with vivid colour accuracy. The macro lens lets you get within centimetres of small subjects for close-up photography, while the depth sensor improves portrait mode by separating subject from background.
You can capture a stunning flower head, lock focus on a friend’s smile or add professional-style bokeh to your portraits.
Long-Lasting Battery with 35W SuperCharge
The 5200 mAh battery is among the largest in its price bracket, rated to deliver up to 26 hours of online streaming. With 35W SuperCharge you gain roughly 20 percent juice in 10 minutes, ideal for a quick boost before heading out.
On a typical workday of calls, GPS navigation and messaging, I barely needed a top-up before bed—the large capacity means fewer charging worries.
MagicUI 8.0 with Google Mobile Services
Running over Android 14, MagicUI 8.0 offers a near-stock Android feel with HONOR’s custom tweaks. Full Google Play compatibility means you can access all major apps—from banking and video conferencing to games—without sideloading.
Daily tasks like logging into mobile banking, installing public transport apps or streaming podcasts worked flawlessly, thanks to a clean interface and timely app updates.
Firsthand Experience
Unboxing the X6b felt refreshingly simple: inside the minimal white box you get the phone, a USB-C to USB-C cable and a clear TPU case. The device feels surprisingly light at 320 g and just 8.4 mm thick, sliding effortlessly into a jeans pocket. Out of the box I was greeted by MagicUI 8.0 on Android 14, complete with Google Play and key security patches already installed.
On day two I tested the 90Hz display under direct sunlight while navigating maps and social feeds. Despite a quoted 72 PPI (likely a typo), the FHD+ panel proved bright and colours remained punchy, though it occasionally hit 60Hz when idle to conserve power. Scrolling through Twitter and gaming in Asphalt 9 felt notably smoother than my old budget phone.
Photography quickly became a highlight: daylight snaps at 50 MP captured crisp textures on brick walls, while the 2 MP macro lens revealed the veins on a leaf in surprising detail. Portrait mode blurred backgrounds convincingly, though low-light shots introduced noise. Selfies looked natural on the front 8 MP camera, ideal for video calls.
Battery life turned out to be its superpower: after streaming two hours of video, an hour of gaming and relentless social media checks, I still had 40 percent left at bedtime. On my lightest day, the 5200 mAh cell stretched to a full two days. Recharging from 0 to 20 percent in 10 minutes felt like a lifeline for rushed mornings.
After a fortnight I noticed mild warmth under sustained gaming but no throttling or crashes. App updates arrived seamlessly via Google Play, and I’ve not encountered any bloatware slowing me down. The glass back picked up fingerprints but cleaned easily with a quick wipe. Maintenance has been painless so far.
Pros and Cons
Customer Reviews
User feedback on the X6b is mostly positive, praising its unbeatable battery life and smooth display for the price, though a handful of reports note the lack of a charger in-box and basic RAM when multitasking heavily. As an unlocked phone newly launched in mid-2024, its 4.3-star average across nearly 1,400 ratings suggests a strong start for buyers prioritising value.
An impressive and reliable budget smartphone with a vibrant HD display and battery that never let me down
Looks and feels great, links seamlessly to my car and Fitbit, and handles multitasking with ease
Good value under £100 and simple to set up, though a few legacy apps wouldn’t run and I miss optical stabilisation
Beautiful design but no charger in the box and video recordings shake without stabilisation
Fantastic battery life and easy transfer from my old phone, came with a screen protector and great value for money.
Comparison
Against the Xiaomi Redmi 12A, the X6b offers a sharper 90Hz display and a substantially larger 5200 mAh battery, whereas the Redmi prioritises ultra-low pricing at the cost of performance and camera versatility.
Compared to Motorola’s Moto G Play, HONOR’s MagicUI feels smoother and its camera array more capable, though the Moto benefits from years of software support and an often water-resistant build.
Stepping up to the Samsung Galaxy A14 pushes you into a slightly higher budget bracket—here you gain official IP54 water resistance, 6 GB of RAM and longer update guarantees, but you’ll pay nearly double for those extras.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does it ship with a charger?
- It includes a USB-C cable but no mains adapter
- Can I expand storage?
- Yes, via a microSD card up to 1 TB
- Is the 90Hz display adaptive?
- It runs at 90Hz constantly but conserves battery by dimming when idle.
Conclusion
The HONOR X6b punches above its weight in battery endurance, display smoothness and camera flexibility for under £100, making it an excellent choice for students, commuters and value-hunters. Those who mostly browse, stream or socialise will find few compromises here, although heavy multitaskers or videographers seeking stabilisation might feel the pinch.
Given its budget price range, the X6b offers remarkable build quality and performance that few rivals match, especially if you don’t mind sourcing a charger separately. Check the latest deals—at this price point, it’s hard to beat for daily reliability, but keep in mind its basic RAM and lack of official water resistance if those are deal-breakers.
