Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X comparison review: Huawei has just launched the P8 Lite 2017 here in the UK and it’s already sounding like a solid budget smartphone. But how does the P8 Lite 2017 compare to last year’s Huawei P9 Lite and the new wallet-friendly Honor 6X? Here’s our full comparison so you can decide which is best for you.
Huawei just launched the Huawei P8 Lite 2017, a £185 budget smartphone that packs some solid specs for that low price. But we only recently reviewed two other affordable mobiles from Huawei, namely the Huawei P9 Lite and the Honor 6X, which also offer plenty of solid features for a low asking price.
So what’s the difference between the Huawei P8 Lite 2017, the P9 Lite and the Honor 6X? Here’s our full comparison review so you can see how they stack up in terms of specs, features, performance and so on.
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Specs
| Phone | Huawei P8 Lite 2017 | Huawei P9 Lite | Honor 6X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | 147g | 147g | 162g |
| Screen size and type | 5.2-inches IPS | 5.2-inches IPS | 5.5-inches IPS |
| Screen resolution | 1920×1080 | 1920×1080 | 1920×1080 |
| Fingerprint sensor? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| OS | Android 7.0 + EMUI 5.0 | Android 6.0 + EMUI 4.1 | Android 6.0 + EMUI 4.1 |
| Processor | Kirin 655 | Kirin 650 | Kirin 655 |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB | 3GB |
| Storage | 16GB | 16GB | 32GB |
| microSD? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Battery | 3000mAh | 3000mAh | 3340mAh |
| USB Type | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| Rear camera | 12MP | 13MP | 12 + 2MP |
| Front camera | 8MP | 8MP | 8MP |
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Design
Both the Huawei P9 Lite and Honor 6X sport a metallic finish, which is reassuringly rugged and resistant to scratches. Sure, neither phone could be described as ‘exciting’ when it comes to design. But they definitely don’t look or feel cheap either.
The P8 Lite 2017 by contrast sports a polished glass finish, more akin to last year’s Honor 8 phone. That black finish isn’t quite as colourful sadly, but it still looks slick for a phone that costs under two hundred pounds.
If you want something that’s just about usable with one hand, the two Huawei-branded phones are your best bets. The Honor 6X is a bit of a beast at 5.5-inches, while the P8 Lite 2017 and P9 Lite are a wee bit more compact at 5.2-inches.
All three phones boast a fingerprint sensor mounted on the back end, which is easy to find with your index finger when you pick up the handset. That’s a quick and secure way to unlock your phone, eliminating those fiddly PINs.
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Features and OS
The Huawei P8 Lite 2017 is impressively the first smartphone after the premium Mate 9 to ship with Android 7.0 Nougat and Huawei’s own Emotion UI (EMUI) 5.0. That’s great news as you get all of Google’s latest Android updates, including improved background running of apps – which in turn extends battery life. You should also be able to multi-task with apps, running two side-by-side.
Meanwhile EMUI 5.0 is the best version of Huawei’s Android overlay by far. This adds bonus features to Google’s OS, including smart gesture support and smart personalisation. Check out our EMUI 5.0 review for more info.
Despite shipping with Android Marshmallow, the Honor 6X still boasts split-screen multitasking with a handful of own-brand apps, plus some smart gesture support using the fingerprint sensor. We’re expecting the update to Android 7.0 and EMUI 5.0 imminently, which should make for more efficient running and add the features we’ve missed, such as that apps tray.
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Screen and media
All three phones here pack a Full HD display, for pleasingly crisp visuals. That’s good news if you like to watch a lot of Netflix on the go.
The Honor 6X will probably be the most tempting device here for media fans, as it sports a more spacious 5.5-inch panel compared with the 5.2-inch P8 Lite 2017 and P9 Lite. However, there’s not much difference when it comes to the viewing experience. Those IPS screens all produce natural-looking colours, complete with a blue light filter for those late night browsing sessions.
You can expand the on-board storage of all three phones with a microSD memory card, so the Honor 6X’s extra 16GB of space is no real advantage. This is great news if you don’t have a big data allowance, as you can carry around your media collection instead of streaming it.
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Performance and battery life
The Huawei P8 Lite 2017 offers a performance update over the P9 Lite, packing the Kirin 655 processor backed by 3GB of RAM. By comparison, the P9 Lite has a Kirin 650 and just 2GB of RAM. That extra gig of memory is likely to be the biggest factor, allowing apps to open quickly and run more smoothly.
Meanwhile the Honor 6X packs the exact same specs as the P8 Lite 2017. That phone gave us solid everyday performance, allowing us to run the latest processor-intensive games without any trouble. And the P8 Lite 2017 matches the Honor 6X, giving us a smooth user experience.
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Cameras
Of these three phones, the Honor 6X is the only handset to feature a dual lens rear camera.
Although that’s perhaps more impressive in theory than it is in practice, the 6X can still deliver a competent mobile photographic experience. Where it really excels is with regards to the diverse range of shooting options available, as well as the amount of control before and after capture. Very impressive considering the low asking price.
Check out our full Honor 6X camera review for more info.
The Huawei P9 Lite and P8 Lite 2017 sport more basic single-lens cameras, and the P9 Lite is best used for simple shareable snaps rather than keepsakes. Shots of subjects in motion are often blurry and colours are occasionally washed out, although detail levels are still strong. The P8 Lite 2017 is a step up, offering accurate colour reproduction and strong results in everything but low light.
All three phones max out at 1080p Full HD video recording, so anyone hoping to shoot 4K footage will have to look elsewhere.
Check out our P9 Lite vs P9 camera comparison for our full thoughts on the P9 Lite’s snapper. And we’ve just posted up our in-depth P8 Lite 2017 camera review complete with photo and video samples.
Read next: Everything you need to know about the Huawei P8 Lite 2017
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 vs Huawei P9 Lite vs Honor 6X: Video
Check out our hands-on video comparisons of the Huawei P8 Lite 2017 with the Honor 6X and P9 Lite below. Here you’ll see how the phones compare side-by-side, including a close look at the features, performance and camera tech.
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