The HONOR 600 boasts an upgraded AI Image to Video feature and a large 7,000mAh battery packed inside a compact body with a familiar-looking design.
I had a lot of fun taking pictures with its front and rear cameras, watching videos on its bright display, experimenting with AI-generated videos like turning myself into an astronaut, and answering the inevitable “it looks like an iPhone” comments from people around me.
Here are my experiences and thoughts after using the HONOR 600 as my main smartphone for several weeks.
Design and Build Quality
The HONOR 600 is a compact smartphone that fits comfortably in my hand despite packing a large 7,000mAh battery. It feels premium thanks to its soft-touch back panel and sturdy build with metallic sides.
Of course, we can’t ignore the similarity of its design to the iPhone 17 Pro. It’s a common comment when friends see the phone, especially with my orange color variant. I don’t really mind it. It even makes for a good conversation starter. If you prefer something more subtle, it also comes in black and golden white.
It carries IP68 and IP69 water resistance ratings, along with SGS 5-star drop and crush resistance certification. These give me extra confidence using the device in tougher conditions, although I still use the included transparent case for added protection.
There’s also a dedicated AI button on the right side, which is customizable. I usually set it as a camera shutter shortcut or quick access to Google Lens.
Overall, the HONOR 600 feels solid and premium in the hand. While the design isn’t particularly groundbreaking, it gets the important things right: comfort, durability, and practicality.
Display Quality
The HONOR 600 features a 6.57-inch AMOLED display with up to 8,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. In actual use, it gets impressively bright, making HDR content stand out even in challenging lighting conditions.
It also looks sharp and detailed thanks to its 1264 × 2728 resolution and 458 ppi pixel density. Combined with its narrow bezels, the display feels immersive whether you’re watching videos, scrolling social media, or gaming.
In terms of usability, responsiveness is smooth and consistent. HONOR also includes a variety of eye protection features, including motion sickness relief dots, which can be helpful during long viewing sessions or when using the phone on the move.
Performance and Gaming
The HONOR 600 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 chipset paired with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM.
In day-to-day use, performance feels smooth and responsive. Apps open quickly, multitasking is handled well, and switching between apps feels seamless. I did not experience noticeable lag or stutters during normal usage.
In gaming, the HONOR 600 handles popular titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Mobile Legends well. Gameplay is smooth at high graphics settings with stable frame rates during my usual gaming sessions. Touch response is also quick and reliable which helps in competitive games.
During longer gaming sessions, performance remains consistent. However, there is a slight warm-up at the back of the phone after extended play. It does not reach uncomfortable levels but it is noticeable during continuous gaming.
Benchmark results place it firmly in the midrange category with 1,063,956 points on AnTuTu (v11.1.2), 1,307 on Geekbench 5 single-core, and 3,978 on Geekbench 5 multi-core.
Storage options of 256GB and 512GB are more than enough for most users. The 256GB variant already provides plenty of headroom for apps, photos, and games without feeling restrictive.
Camera Review
Taking a selfie with the HONOR 600.
The HONOR 600 is equipped with a dual rear camera system composed of a 200MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide camera.
In daylight, the main camera performs very well. Images come out sharp with good detail retention and natural-looking colors. There is some AI-based enhancement, but it stays relatively subtle and does not overly process textures in most cases.
The main camera is also consistent and easy to use. Shutter response is quick, and exposure handling is generally reliable unless the scene has very strong highlights. Compared to other midrange phones in this segment, it tends to prioritize clarity and brightness over deeper contrast.
Portrait mode is one of the stronger aspects of the system. Edge detection is generally accurate, especially in well-lit environments. There are only occasional issues around fine hair or complex backgrounds.
The 4x zoom is usable for casual shots, but detail softening becomes more noticeable compared to 2x zoom. A dedicated telephoto camera would improve long range photography and moon shots but that’s reserved for the Pro variant.
Low-light performance is surprisingly capable for a midrange device. The main sensor can retain good detail and color even without Night mode. However, processing does introduce mild noise reduction that can reduce fine texture.
With Night mode enabled, images become brighter and more vibrant, but sometimes at the cost of slightly softer details.
I’m quite impressed by the HONOR 600’s 12MP ultrawide camera which enables 0.6x field of view. Since most Gen Z users are fond of 0.5x shots, this plays well in that demographic. Low-light ultrawide shots need Night mode to reduce graininess though.
On the front is a 50MP selfie camera. It defaults to a normal 1x mode but it’s actually an ultrawide lens that can go to 0.6x for ultrawide selfies.
Selfies come out sharp with good skin tones and balanced exposure. Processing helps preserve background detail in bright scenes but it stays controlled. The beauty filter is enabled by default but I personally turned it off as it made skin look unnaturally smooth.
In terms of video recording, the HONOR 600 captures up to 4K videos for both the front and rear cameras. Video quality is decent in low-light and quite good in well-lit conditions. It also has video stabilization for the main rear camera for smoother looking hand-held videos.
The 12MP ultrawide camera can also shoot at 4K video resolution! That’s quite helpful when shooting indoors or tight spaces.
UI and Software Experience
MagicOS 10 looks neat and packed with more features. It adopts the trendy translucent design and you can customize the transparency of its glass-like effect.
It’s big on AI integration and HONOR’s ecosystem integration. AI services can be quickly accessed by pressing the dedicated AI button on the right side of the device. I mostly use it as a camera shutter button though.
There are several pre-installed apps including Google Apps, Facebook, TikTok, and some arcade games. These can be updated or uninstalled if not needed.
Feature Highlight: AI Image to Video 2.0
The upgraded AI Image to Video feature is surprisingly fun to use. I experimented with turning some of my photos into short animated clips including one where I transformed myself into an astronaut walking on the moon!
View the result on the Pinoy Techno Guide Facebook page.
It now supports different movement styles and text prompts, opening up more creative possibilities for social media posts and casual content creation.
The resulting videos are limited to 5 seconds but there are some workarounds to make them slightly longer. There’s also a note that the feature is on “Free Trial” so there’s no guarantee that it will remain free forever.
Connectivity, Audio and Security
The HONOR 600 is a dual-SIM smartphone with 5G connectivity and eSIM support. Signal reception remained stable during my testing, with reliable mobile data performance both indoors and while traveling.
It also supports Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4 and Infrared remote control function. It quickly acquires GPS positioning too.
Its stereo loudspeakers can get loud with up to 200% volume with minimal distortion. There’s no 3.5mm audio jack so you’ll have to use USB type-C earphones or TWS earbuds.
There’s an under-display fingerprint scanner that works well. It’s fast enough and accurate although I prefer enabling Facial Recognition via the front camera for quicker unlocking.
Battery Life and Charging
The HONOR 600 has impressive battery life thanks to its large 7,000mAh battery. With my normal usage, it can last around one and a half days on a single charge. That’s enough to comfortably get through a full day without worrying about running low.
Continuous gaming drains the battery in around 7 to 8 hours at approximately 50% screen brightness which is still respectable for extended gaming sessions.
Battery technology has come a long way compared to just a couple of years ago. I wish more smartphone brands would adopt these high-capacity batteries that keep devices running longer without making them any bulkier.
Recharging the HONOR 600 from 0% to 100% takes around 1 hour and 5 minutes using the bundled 80W charger with Boosted Fast Charging enabled. Regular fast charging is slightly slower, but it should be the better option for long-term battery health.
Conclusion
The HONOR 600 is more than just an iPhone-like smartphone. It’s a well-rounded midrange smartphone with capable cameras, fun AI capabilities, and a long-lasting battery.
It has a bright display, compact body, and premium build quality. Performance is smooth for day-to-day tasks, although heavy gamers might still prefer a smartphone with a faster processor, such as the Pro variant.
Content creators and general users will surely enjoy using the HONOR 600. It comes in 8GB+256GB version for ₱28,999 and 12GB+256GB version for ₱32,999. It’s one of the better options in that price range. The top end 12GB+512GB variant faces tough competition though.
The freebies and Mercedes-Benz raffle add extra value to the pre-order promo in the Philippines.
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