Honor 6X vs Honor 5X vs Honor 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs OnePlus 3T: Honor’s new 6X is the company’s first phone of 2017 and we wanted to see how this premium-looking mid-ranger stacked up against its predecessor, the Honor 5X and the company’s flagship, the Honor 8, as well as two of the best value-for-money smartphones on the market right now, the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T.
Here’s our comparison of the Honor 6X, Honor 5X, Honor 8, OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T so you can choose which of these handsets is best for you.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: Specs at a glance
| Honor 6X | Honor 5X | Honor 8 | OnePlus 3 | OnePlus 3T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 5.5-inches | 5.5-inches | 5.2-inches | 5.5-inches | 5.5-inches |
| Screen resolution | Full HD (1920×1080) | Full HD (1920×1080) | Full HD (1920×1080) | Full HD (1920×1080) | Full HD (1920×1080) |
| Weight | 162 grams | 158 grams | 153 grams | 158 grams | 158 grams |
| OS | Android 6.0 w/ EMUI 4.1 | Android 6.0 w/ EMUI 4.0 | Android 7.0 w/ EMUI 5.0 | Android 6.0 w/ Oxygen OS | Android 6.0 w/ Oxygen OS |
| Front camera | 8-megapixels | 5-megapixels | 8-megapixels | 8-megapixels | 16-megapixels |
| Rear camera(s) | 12/2-megapixels | 13-megapixels | 12/12-megapixels | 16-megapixels | 16-megapixels |
| Processor | 2.1GHz/1.7GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 655 | 1.2GHz/1.7GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 | 2.3GHz/1.8GHz octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 950 | 2.2GHz/1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 | 2.35GHz/1.6GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 |
| Memory | 3GB RAM | 3GB RAM | 4GB RAM | 6GB RAM | 6GB RAM |
| Storage | 32GB w/ expandability up to 256GB | 16GB w/ expandability up to 128GB | 32GB w/ expandability up to 256GB | 64GB. Non-expandable | 64GB/128GB. Non-expandable |
| Battery | 3340mAh | 3000mAh | 3000mAh | 3000mAh | 3400mAh |
| Extras | Dual SIM, WiFi Bridge, fingerprint sensor gestures | Dual SIM, fingerprint sensor gestures | Dual SIM, fingerprint sensor gestures | Dash Charge | Dash Charge |
| Price | £224 | £169.99 | £369.90 | £329 | £399/£439 |
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: Design
All five of these handsets are good looking devices, each sharing in key elements like reflective chamfered edges and to varying degrees – metal bodies. The more affordable Honor phones feature metal backs capped by colour-matched plastic elements that conceal each phone’s antenna arrangement. The Honor 5X features a brush finished, whilst the newer Honor 6X, along with OnePlus’ 3 and 3T adopt a bead-blasted finish. The Honor 8 stands out for its glass-backed design and metal frame. It’s a standout design in this lineup, but the practicality of constantly cleaning smudges and fingerprints might put some people off.
The 5X stands out as the only one lacking pillowed cover glass and as such, feels a little cheaper in the hand, whilst the 6X, despite sporting similar dimensions and materials to the other handsets is fractionally heavier.
All phones enjoy responsive fingerprint sensors, mounted on the back in the case of the Honor phones, with centrally positioned offerings beneath the display on both OnePlus phones. The flagship Honor phone along with the more premium 3 and 3T also benefit from reversible Type-C USB connections, whilst the 5X and 6X are both lumbered with older, slower and less versatile microUSB ports.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: Screen and media
As screens go, this lineup all offer a similar viewing experience, at least when it comes to the raw numbers. Aside from the more compact, 5.2-inch screen-laden Honor 8 whichever handset you side with you can expect a 5.5-inch Full HD display.
In the case of the Honor phones, both ‘X’ handsets sport IPS LCD panels, with accurate colours and only minimal distortion at more extreme viewing angles, however, the 5X is the dimmest of the bunch, followed by the 6X, whilst the Honor 8’s LTPS panel is the best LCD here, in both colour and brightness output. Meanwhile the AMOLED displays employed by the OnePlus duo are more vibrant, offer better contrast, better viewing angles and superior overall brightness.
The phones all also sport standard 3.5mm headphone jacks and single downward-facing loudspeakers. The Honor 6X has some of the clearest sound, but lacks bass, whilst both the OnePlus 3 and 3T stand out as equals for overall loudness.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: OS
The Honor 6X may be the newest phone of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean it runs the latest and greatest software. The 5X, 6X and 8 feature Huawei and Honor’s own custom Android overlay, dubbed Emotion UI. The 5X started on version 3.1 and has since been upgraded to 4.0, initially running atop Android 5.1.1 Lollipop and now sporting the more current Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The Honor 6X launches with Marshmallow and is expected to see its update to Android 7.0 soon, which will bring with it a shift to the most current version of the company’s overlay, whilst the Honor 8 has been given early access to both Nougat and EMUI 5.0 already. Emotion UI has consistently been a notable departure from stock Android in its design and behaviour, but 5.0 does add the option of an apps drawer back in, making the transition from most other Android phones more palatable.
Both OnePlus phones currently run Android 6.0 Marshmallow, with an imminent update to Android 7.0 in the works. As with Honor, OnePlus has created its own interface to modify the stock Android experience, adding greater customisation and functionality to the experience, without feeling as convoluted as Emotion UI.
Oxygen OS, as it’s called, also features a handy dedicated screen called ‘The Shelf’ which places frequently used apps, contacts and widgets in one place, as well as pertinent information like upcoming calendar appointments and weather information, all just a swipe away from your main home screen.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: Performance and battery
As the specs highlight, both OnePlus phones have a massive advantage over the humble Honor-based competition, with flagship tier Qualcomm Snapdragon processors and more memory than practically every other smartphone on the market at 6GB each. The 6X serves as a timely update on the 5X, which is now starting to show its age, not least because it also suffers from the smallest amounts of both memory and storage.
At 16GB, the Honor 5X would be tough to live with for prolonged periods, although microSD expandability (or dual SIM functionality depending on your needs) give it some extra life, with room for an extra 128GB. The Honor 6X and Honor 8 offer double that with 32GB of internal space and up to 256GB of microSD expandability, whilst both OnePlus phones offer dual SIM support, but no microSD slot.
The OnePlus 3 tops out at 64GB of space, whilst you can pick up the newer OnePlus 3T in a 128GB flavour if you plan on carrying a lot of media around with you.
As for battery performance, the 5X again lags behind with its lack of fast charging, something that although present in the 6X and Honor 8, pales in comparison to the technology employed by the OnePlus phones. The company’s Dash Charge hardware is impressively fast, whilst also avoiding any head build-up. The 3T offers the biggest battery at 3400mAh, followed by the Honor 6X, the 3 and 8, and finally, the 5X. The three older handsets offer up to a day and a half of use, whilst the 6X and 3T can manage up to two days on a single charge.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: Cameras
One the surface the Honor 6X and Honor 8 boast the most interesting cameras of this lineup. With regards to the 6X a dual 12/2-megapixel sensor doesn’t appear to produce image quality all that different from the 13-megapixel primary snapper on its predecessor, with the exception of improved low light shooting. Where the Honor phones do shine is with regards to the range of camera modes and tools on offer, giving you room to get creative with your shooting.
The OnePlus phones feature similarly-specced 16-megapixel snappers to the table that out-shoot the Honor phones across the board, and what’s more, the beefier internals mean you also get 4K video recording and RAW image capture support should you want it.
Honor’s camera software offers an unprecedented level of control over your face when snapping a selfie, but again, if you’re after better image quality and low light performance, the OnePlus phones both have the edge, with the OnePlus 3 packing and 8-megapixels sensor and the OnePlus 3T doubling that with a 16-megapixel front camera.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: UK price and availability
You can buy the Honor 6X right now from Honor’s vMall store for £225. The Honor 5X is still available online too, for £189.
O2 is the exclusive stockist of the OnePlus 3T here in the UK. You can grab it for £31 per month, or £399 SIM-free from OnePlus.
The OnePlus 3 is still available via resellers.
Honor 6X vs 5X vs 8 vs OnePlus 3 vs 3T: Videos
Read next: Honor 6X Review: In Depth
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