HONOR 600: Rivalry with the iPhone and AI Capabilities at the Heart of the Debate

HONOR 600: A New Contender in the European Market

One year after the introduction of the Honor 400, the Chinese manufacturer is back in the spotlight with the 600 model, aimed at conquering the mid-range smartphone segment in Europe. The 500 model, on the other hand, was only marketed in Asia. The 600 stands out with its exceptional screen brightness, attractive design, advanced integration of artificial intelligence, and impressive battery life, all housed in a remarkably slim case.

The HONOR 600 is officially priced at €549.90, placing it in the upper mid-range. However, thanks to launch promotions, discount coupons, and special offers, its actual price could drop below €500. This pricing strategy is ideal for attracting European consumers looking for a high-performing smartphone without breaking the bank. Currently, it is available for €458.80 at Fnac, enhancing its appeal.

To assess whether the HONOR 600 lives up to its promises, an in-depth test was conducted over a period of more than a month. The user experience proved to be rich in insights, particularly when comparing the 600 model to its bigger sibling, the 600 Pro, which has had a discreet launch in France. The HONOR 600 scored 9/10 in this test, highlighting its overall performance.

Design and Ergonomics: An Obvious Inspiration

At first glance, the HONOR 600 evokes a strong sense of déjà vu, reminiscent of the design of the iPhone 17 Pro. Honor has chosen to align itself with dominant aesthetic standards, featuring curved angles, cut edges, and a rear camera that seems directly inspired by that of the iPhone. Even the orange color, with its satin finish, mimics the metallic chassis of the competing model. This similarity has drawn criticism, as it gives the impression that the design has been "copied" from the iPhone 17 Pro.

Despite this resemblance, the HONOR 600 is technically well-executed. It uses an ultra-durable composite fiber that keeps the weight at 185 grams, despite generous dimensions of 156.0 x 74.7 x 7.8 mm. The matte metal frame feels pleasant to the touch and resists fingerprints. The screen borders reduced to 0.98 mm enhance the impression of a screen floating in the hand.

In terms of robustness, the HONOR 600 boasts IP68, IP69, and IP69K certifications, ensuring resistance to water, high-pressure jets, and steam. It has also received a 5-star SGS certification for drop and crush resistance, a valuable asset for avoiding everyday accidents.

"Sameness" Strategy: An Assumed Visual Identity

Honor has adopted a "sameness" strategy, claiming aesthetic proximity to market standards. The idea is to focus on the quality of internal engineering and construction while adhering to the visual codes of premium smartphones.

By choosing this visual "sameness," Honor hopes to stand out through its technical prowess, such as the silicon-carbon battery and advanced optical stabilization. This approach aims to assert a unique identity while resembling market leaders.

A Screen That Captivates

The HONOR 600 features a 6.57-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2,728 x 1,264 pixels, boasting a density of 458 ppi. It supports 1.07 billion colors and offers a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. The reduced borders of 0.98 mm create the impression of holding a pure screen in hand.

Peak brightness reaches 8,000 nits in HDR mode, although this value pertains to a small portion of the screen. Outdoors, the "Sunlight" mode allows for brightness up to 4,000 nits, ensuring perfect readability even in direct sunlight. Color fidelity is impeccable with the "professional" profile.

To protect users' eyes, Honor has integrated a PWM dimming of 3,840 Hz, reducing flicker in low light. An eye defocusing mechanism simulates long-distance vision to alleviate visual fatigue.

The screen also offers a circadian night display and blue light filtering, which can be activated at will. The AI adjusts brightness more effectively than a simple sensor.

An original motion sickness relief feature displays columns of dots that accompany the vehicle's movement, helping the brain overcome this condition.

Performance: A Limited Sprinter

The HONOR 600 is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 SoC, built on a 4 nm process, featuring an Adreno 722 video chip and 8 GB of RAM. Storage options range from 128, 256, to 512 GB depending on the version. This SoC is designed for mid-range smartphones with premium aspirations.

In terms of performance, the HONOR 600 achieves an AnTuTu score of 1,385,410 points, and on GeekBench 6, it reaches 1,314 points in single-core and 4,020 in multi-core tests. The 3DMark Wild Life Extreme test awards it 2,050 points.

These results place it on par with the realme 16 Pro+, but with a notable limitation for gaming. After 20 minutes of intensive charging, performance drops to 66% of its potential, causing micro-stutters during long gaming sessions. Honor prioritized design slimness at the expense of consistent performance.

Battery Life: Remarkable Endurance

The evolution from the 400 model to the 600 is particularly noticeable in battery life. The HONOR 600 incorporates a Si-Ca battery of 6,400 mAh, which is 1,100 mAh more than its predecessor. This increased capacity ensures remarkable endurance for prolonged daily use.

In traditional usage, the smartphone easily lasts a full day, or even more depending on usage intensity. The intelligent energy management by the AI further optimizes this performance, offering a balance between power and longevity.

Fast charging allows for significant battery recovery in a short time, a major advantage for users on the go. The HONOR 600 thus positions itself as a wise choice for those seeking a smartphone capable of keeping pace with their daily lives without compromising on performance or design.

Software and Features: Intelligence at the Service of the User

The HONOR 600 runs on MagicOS 10, an interface that integrates Magic AI to enhance the user experience. This artificial intelligence is omnipresent, optimizing the phone's performance and adapting settings based on user habits.

On the photography front, the HONOR 600 stands out for its image quality in daylight, with zoom capabilities up to 4x. The Harcourt portrait mode delivers studio-quality shots, while file sharing with iPhone devices is simplified, easing the transition between different ecosystems.

However, not everything is perfect. The HONOR 600 has been criticized for the presence of numerous bloatware, those often unnecessary pre-installed applications. Additionally, the quality of images in low light could be improved, and the free use of the image to video 2.0 feature is too limited, which may frustrate creativity-hungry users.