To stand out against tough competition, Honor has focused on solidity for its new mid-range smartphone, the Magic6 Lite 5G, a model that shines in several aspects, but which falls short on other points.

To stand out against tough competition, Honor has focused on solidity for its new mid-range smartphone, the Magic6 Lite 5G, a model that shines in several aspects, but which falls short on other points.

The Chinese Honor is starting the year smoothly by opening the ball for 2024 smartphones with a mid-range model priced at less than 400 euros: the Magic6 Lite. A name which suggests the upcoming arrival of a technically more solid sibling, probably during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) which will be held in Barcelona next February. In the meantime, this smartphone also suggests a new center of interest for the manufacturer from which we would strongly hope that the competition takes inspiration: the solidity of the devices and in particular their screens. Because on this point, the Honor Magic6 Lite really impressed us. This mobile, which does not in the least resemble an overprotected brick as is the case with so-called rugged smartphones, opens the way to a new generation of devices for which a protective shell will no longer be mandatory. A real step forward. Beyond this aspect, the Magic6 Lite remains a mid-range smartphone as Honor usually designs them with a rather classic and balanced technical sheet. But the Chinese still need to refine their copy to appeal. We were able to test the Honor Magic6 Lite for several weeks: here is our verdict.

Honor Magic6 Lite: a robust design that doesn’t look like it

Very often, when we buy a new smartphone, we rush to cover it with a case and a protective film so as not to damage it. A good way to reduce to nothing all the efforts made by designers to develop a beautiful device. This Honor Magic6 Lite could well be a game changer. In fact, during the presentation of the smartphone a few weeks ago, the manufacturer asked us to use it as a hammer to drive a nail (a real metal nail) into a wooden board by hitting the screen. An unusual test to say the least as we know that smartphones, despite increasingly resistant glass protections like the Cornilla Victus, resist this type of test quite poorly. Surprise: we were therefore able to drive this nail in without the screen suffering and not even showing the slightest scratch or trace of impact. Reassuring. The brand even specifies that it can fall from a height of 1.5 m, whatever the angle of impact, without suffering. Honor has not revealed its manufacturing secret but we now only want one thing: that all other smartphone manufacturers take inspiration from its process to protect not only the screen but also the back of the devices, often covered in glass. .

Despite this high degree of screen protection, the Magic6 Lite has a neat design and above all a contained weight with only 185 g. The size remains within the norm for large smartphones with its 163.6 x 75.5 mm for a thickness that is also well proportioned to 8 mm.

The back of the device, designed in polycarbonate, is flanked by a round photo block where three sensors supported by the flash are distributed.

This island is surrounded by a silver toothed wheel, a bit like the bezels on diving watches, which adds a bit of character to the whole. A successful design, which does not go unnoticed. It’s all good… or almost. For this model, you will only need to count on an IP53 index. In other words, it is better to avoid an accidental fall into the water. The device is dust and splash resistant but little more.

Honor Magic6 Lite: a very beautiful large format screen

For this Magic6 Lite, Honor has opted for a beautiful curved Oled screen on the 6.78-inch edges. The result is a successful premium appearance for a large format that is comfortable and pleasing to the eye. This panel offers astonishing brightness for the price, reaching 1200 nits. Enough to enjoy a comfortable display even in fairly strong light conditions. It offers a definition of 1.5 K or 2652 x 1200 pixels for a resolution of 429 ppi, which for the price is also a very good surprise. The refresh rate can increase from 60 to 120 Hz for greater fluidity. There remains the colors, a little too bright and not very realistic out of the box. A small detour through the settings allows you to find shades which, while not flattering the retina, give a more natural appearance to the displayed content.

Honor Magic6 Lite: decent performance

Technical sheet

To power its mid-range smartphone, Honor relies on a Qualcomm SoC released last year, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. A relatively little-used mid-range chip which delivers decent performance but nothing more as we have were able to judge this with the various benchmarks to which we submitted it. It is supported in its task by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage space. There are no other configurations available for the Magic6 Lite. It is also not possible to extend this capacity using a microSD card. Damage.

On a daily basis, the Magic6 Lite remains rather fluid and pleasant to use. We did not notice any major slowdowns. In game, the device obviously does not rank among the best students but still allows, with our reference title Genshin Impact, to display 45 frames per second with a level of detail set to Medium.

The real downside is characterized by the brand’s minimal efforts to guarantee the longevity of the device. Honor therefore only plans two years of major Android updates and three years of security patches. In 2024, when most manufacturers, pushed by Google and its 7 years of software monitoring promised for its Pixel 8, are pushing their updates a little further, it is quite regrettable. Especially since the Magic6 Lite, released on January 10, comes with Android 13 only while Android 14 has already been available for several months. Furthermore, MagicOS, the in-house software overlay here in version 7.2, deserves a little freshening up to bring it up to date even if it includes good ideas such as the separation of notifications from quick access shortcuts in the upper pane or even large folders to bring together larger application folders on the home screen.

Honor Magic6 Lite: a perfectible photo component

For photography, the Magic6 Lite relies on a classic trio of sensors. We therefore have at our disposal a wide-angle module of 108 Mpx (f/1.75), an ultra-wide-angle module of only 5 Mpx (f/2.2) and a macro sensor of 2 Mpx (f/2). ,4). For selfies, a 16MP (f/2.4) camera nestles in a punch-hole at the top of the screen. A fairly light frame where we are surprised to come across a sensor dedicated to macro while demand is increasingly focused on telephoto lenses. But it’s hard to ask for that much for 400 euros.

During the day, the wide-angle module seems at ease. The sharpness remains adequate and when the ambient light lends itself to the game (conditions not always easy to encounter during the winter) the shots are generally successful. HDR remains quite discreet and the intervention of AI to correct colors is rather welcome.

In the absence of an optical telephoto lens, you have to rely on a digital zoom. The 2x and 5x modes offer good results without much loss of quality. Beyond that (the camera can go up to 8x), the shots are no longer usable, especially as stabilization becomes particularly difficult.

The ultra wide-angle module is not the best ally here. The photos delivered remain quite dull and are severely lacking in brightness. The 5 Mpx sensor does what it can but don’t expect a riot of details.

At night, it’s a nice surprise, as long as you have patience. The focus is sometimes capricious, blur occurs quite regularly and the night mode doesn’t really help. But when the focus is there, we benefit from fairly good results.

There remains the macro module which Honor could ultimately have done without. It doesn’t do much and produces very mixed results.

As for selfies, they are relatively successful with controlled bokeh and good color management.

Honor Magic6 Lite: well-controlled autonomy

To accompany you on a daily basis, the Honor Magic6 Lite has a battery with a slightly higher than average capacity of 5300 mAh. The use of the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 SoC also allows you to pull the string. As a result, the device easily lasts a day and a half with normal use.

To refuel, don’t expect to find a suitable charger in the box. Honor, like many other manufacturers today, is ignoring this accessory. The Magic6 Lite supports fast charging up to 35W. With a 45W charger, we were able to recharge from 0 to 100% in 83 minutes. A slightly low score but still reasonable.

Honor Magic6 Lite: should you go for Honor’s robust mobile?

The Magic6 Lite has no shortage of advantages. The most striking thing, literally and figuratively, is undoubtedly its good resistance to shocks and falls. We will therefore not hesitate to carry it around naked, without a shell, on a daily basis, without fear of seeing its screen dotted with impacts and its back marked by scratches. The brand, confident in its technique, even invites you to forget about protective shells. A good point which allows the smartphone to free itself from unsightly and bulky shells to take full advantage of the design of the device as it was designed and quite successful in the case of the Magic6 Lite. But the solidity is not crazy. Under this armor, it is indeed a mid-range smartphone that beats the mark with its strengths such as a beautiful screen, a long-lasting battery, a SoC with decent performance and a successful main photo module, but also its weaknesses. Among these, a failed ultra wide angle, capricious autofocus, a useless macro module, mono sound and above all, lagging software update tracking. It doesn’t lack much to deserve a thumbs up for value for money.