I reviewed the Honor 600, and it is extra than simply an iPhone clone

The selection of nice mid-range smartphones is expanding in 2026, with the most efficient from Samsung, Google, and Not anything now being joined by way of the most recent from Honor.

The Honor 600 doesn’t you need to be a “flagship killer,” or anything else reasonably so marketing-led, however as an alternative desires to tempt you with a smart spec sheet and a sturdy, if slightly too acquainted design.

It nearly succeeds for me, except one foolish characteristic omission that annoys me each and every time. You won’t really feel the similar, however right here’s what the Honor 600 is like as an on a regular basis telephone.

6.5/10

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

Show dimensions

6.57-inches

Battery

6400mAh

Rear digicam

200MP primary / 12MP wide-angle

The Honor 600 is a mid-range telephone that does not attempt to do an excessive amount of. The dependable processor is matched to a large battery, and the compact general dimensions make it a nice on a regular basis telephone.

Execs & Cons

• Sturdy design
• Compact dimensions
• Brilliant AMOLED display screen
• Rapid charging

• At all times-on display screen lacks always-on possibility
• Device insects can have an effect on calls
• Device setup irritations

Specifications, value, and availability

The Honor 600 isn’t formally to be had in the United States, however is being offered globally, together with the United Kingdom. On the time of writing, most effective the cost in euros is to be had. The 8GB/256GB type is 650 euros, and the 12GB/512GB model is 700 euros.

This converts to round £560 and £605, or $760 or $820. It places the telephone in festival with the Samsung Galaxy A57, the Not anything Telephone 4a Professional, and the Google Pixel 10a.

There’s an Honor 600 Professional, which prices extra and is derived with a quicker processor, but it surely’ll be to be had in just a handful of places. In different phrases, Honor is pinning its mid-range hopes for 2026 at the non-Professional Honor 600.

Honor 600 design

Not anything just like the iPhone. Nope

Bored with nice giant telephones you’ll be able to’t are compatible on your pocket? The Honor 600 is also the solution. Its footprint is a marginally greater than the Samsung Galaxy S26, and just a little thicker at 7.8mm, however simply as simple to carry and retailer.

The Honor 600’s form is very paying homage to the Apple iPhone 17, from how it contoured corners to the position of the dual digicam lenses at the again, which has additionally taken additional inspiration from the iPhone 17 Professional Max. The orange colour scheme and the Honor 600 Professional’s digicam is much more Apple-inspired.

I just like the tactility of the steel body and cautious avoidance of sharp edges, how it has IP68, IP69, and IP69K mud and water resistance, plus a drop resistance ranking too, as those are abnormal to search out altogether on a mid-range telephone.

There’s a bodily AI button at the facet of the Honor 600, and thru an iOS-like interface, you’ll be able to customise what it does on a unmarried, double, or lengthy press. Within the digicam app it really works as a shutter liberate, and a protracted press turns on burst mode. You’ll’t swipe to turn on a zoom regardless that.

Go away the copycat design apart (perfect to keep away from the orange model too, until you welcome the inevitable iPhone comparisons), and the Honor 600 is a well-proportioned, manageable telephone with a virtually bezel-less design and bold sturdiness specifications.

Honor 600 digicam

Extra flexible than the specifications counsel

A 200-megapixel primary rear digicam is the headline right here, which has an f/1.9 aperture and optical symbol stabilization (OIS). It’s joined by way of a 12MP wide-angle digicam. There’s no telephoto digicam right here, which is reserved for the a lot more pricey Honor 600 Professional.

A devoted telephoto digicam is a rarity at this value, and it makes the Not anything Telephone 4a Professional glance very horny if you need one, however the Honor 600’s digicam differently holds its personal, spec-wise, in opposition to the Galaxy A57 and Pixel 10a.

The excellent news is, the 2x shortcut within the digicam app produces some superb footage with cast consistency, little or no noise, a whole lot of element, and most effective restricted use of virtual improvements. Cross additional than this with the zoom, and issues get some distance worse, regardless that, so 2x must be the prohibit.

In a different way, the 200MP primary digicam is okay. Colours are vivid and colourful, publicity is first rate, and the HDR remedy makes indoor footage in opposition to harsh daylight appropriate. That stated, it does fight just a little because of the f/1.9 aperture, as daylight can wash footage out in some prerequisites, and introduce a shocking quantity of lens flare when it will not be sought after.

General, the digicam is suitable and extra flexible than the preliminary specifications counsel, however don’t be expecting a lot past footage perfect fitted to fast sharing on social media.

Within the Gallery app, there’s a number of generative AI options to check out out. There’s an in depth Symbol to Video editor, the place a easy textual content urged turns stills into a brief video. pre-generated video templates, and AI enhancing equipment for object removing and sky retouching, too.

Honor 600 device and function

Frustrations can have an effect on calls

It’s Android 16 and Honor’s MagicOS 10 onboard, which Honor will it sounds as if enhance with as much as six years of OS updates. It’s Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor inside of, and I’ve been the usage of the type with 8GB of RAM.

First, the great things. If you’ve set it up, MagicOS 10 is snappy and fluid, and it’s simple to search out the settings you need. It’s lacking cool inventions like Samsung’s AI-powered settings adjustment, regardless that, the place you’ll be able to use the hunt field to switch a environment, fairly than search for it manually.

Microsoft’s SwiftKey keyboard is the default possibility, however when I modified to Google’s Gboard, I discovered interacting with the telephone speedy and herbal. There’s so much to be stated a couple of fairly compact telephone’s dimensions and the way simple it makes one-handed use. All my standard apps, from Reddit to Threads, by way of parking apps and WhatsApp, paintings with out factor.

Now, the not-so-good issues. Setup is slightly long-winded, particularly because of the thrice it’s a must to disregard Honor’s “requests” to create an Honor ID earlier than you’ve even began the usage of the telephone. Subsequent, it put in a number of undesirable video games in spite of being informed to not.

I’ve additionally had issues of accepting incoming calls when the telephone is locked. Whilst you move to respond to, it forces you to unencumber the telephone, when the incoming name splash web page disappears, and you have got to faucet the unnecessary Dynamic Island scam tablet icon on the most sensible of the display screen to get it again.

It’s going to simply be me, however I nonetheless haven’t discovered a unbroken means to respond to calls that doesn’t give the caller plentiful time to simply dangle up. Different gremlins, like Google Uncover disappearing at some point and returning the following, and sporadic notification signals, display MagicOS nonetheless wishes refining to compete with Samsung’s OneUI 8.5, iOS 26, or even newbies like NothingOS, too.

Honor 600 always-on display screen that’s no longer continuously on

Why? Why do that?

The Honor 600’s device can frustrate, however no longer just about up to Honor’s resolution to hobble the always-on display screen. This isn’t an issue distinctive to Honor, as Motorola continues to do the similar, however you’ll be able to most effective turn on the always-on display screen with a faucet, and no longer have it displayed at all times.

It’s nonetheless known as an always-on display screen, but it surely lacks true always-on capability, and no longer most effective is it traumatic, but it surely’s a waste of an attractive display screen. The Honor 600’s 6.57-inch AMOLED display screen has a 2728 x 1264 pixel solution, a 120GHz refresh charge, skinny bezels, and a number of eye coverage choices.

Best possible of all, it’s actually vivid or even in vivid out of doors daylight, I’ve had no drawback seeing it. Then again, the auto-brightness is reluctant to provide you with all of the brightness, and I’ve discovered I’ve to manually build up it. Once more, why cling again a characteristic that makes the telephone higher to make use of?

Honor 600 battery and charging

Forged efficiency

Out of doors China and a couple of different areas, the Honor 600 has a 6400mAh battery, down from the 7000mAh cellular noticed within the Chinese language variations. It has stressed out charging most effective, and helps as much as 80W the usage of Honor’s proprietary charging block.

Right through mild use, with round two hours of display screen time according to day, the battery lasted into the 3rd day on a unmarried rate, however build up this use and upload some gaming, and the Honor 600’s battery will final two days.

That is relatively in step with what I anticipated. The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 and 5,000mAh battery within the Not anything Telephone (4a) Professional struggled to achieve two complete days of use, and the additional capability within the Honor 600 has made two days a practical expectation.

I ran the 3DMark app’s Metal Nomad Lite 20-minute benchmarking take a look at, and it took simply 8%, whilst a 40-minute 1440p YouTube video at complete brightness over Wi-Fi took 6%. Recharging the battery the usage of an Anker High charger rated to past 80W noticed the battery achieve 50% in 23 mins, and 100% in about an hour. It is a nice efficiency, which makes the Honor 600 a very easy telephone to reside with.

Must you purchase the Honor 600?

I’ve been glad sufficient with the Honor 600 as my on a regular basis telephone. It runs my apps, the battery lasts two days, the design is comfy to carry, I’m no longer fearful about sturdiness, and the digicam is suitable.

I must be announcing, certain, it’s a nice telephone to shop for. Then again, the Honor 600 has made lifestyles tough for itself because of the quite a lot of device gremlins I’ve already encountered (which makes me assume extra will arrive the longer I take advantage of it) and the annoying means it handles the not-always-on display screen.

It’s irritating, as though the device have been just a little extra polished, in particular round calls, and the always-on display screen used to be in reality always-on, there would not be any primary downsides right here. As an alternative, you’ve were given to be ready for this stuff, and the risk of alternative insects appearing up, if you purchase the Honor 600.

For those who’re advantageous with that, the Honor 600 is a cast mid-range Android telephone that has taken one too many facet glances on the Apple iPhone’s design.

6.5/10

SoC

Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4

Show dimensions

6.57-inches

Battery

6400mAh

Rear digicam

200MP primary / 12MP wide-angle

The Honor 600 is a cast addition to 2026’s differ of very tempting mid-range telephones, however is let down by way of device insects that may actually frustrate, and an traumatic resolution across the always-on display screen.