The "1-Minute" Review
Verdict
If you’re looking to play games or use your phone often, the Honor 9 Lite might not be up to the task. However, if you’re looking for a capable media streamer and a great camera for selfies and video chat, the phone offers an appealing package that looks great too.What's good
- Great front camera
- microSD support
- Bright, detailed screen
- Comfortable grip
What's bad
- Not up to heavy use or gaming
- Prone to scuffs and smudges
- Battery slow to charge
- Slippery when set down
Huawei has established itself as a contender in the mid-range market by creating phones that offer a premium feel while making smart sacrifices to keep prices low. With the Honor 9 Lite, they hope to appeal to media lovers and photographers looking for a solid value.
The phone features a metal frame with a glass rear panel. While the back is pretty, it’s prone to smudges and scratches -- especially since there’s a fingerprint scanner back there. You’ll need to keep a cloth around or slap it in a case to keep things looking like new.
It is also slippery. Many reviewers mentioned the phone sliding off uneven surfaces -- though none had problems with cracking.
Around front, you’ll find a 5.6-inch IPS LCD panel running at 2160-by-1080. The 18:9 screen ratio means tiny bezels. But reviewers still had trouble with one-handed use. Fortunately, Huawei added features to the software to help with this.
The screen offers excellent contrast and brightness. Reviewers had no trouble with outdoor visibility and loved the screen for both reading text and watching videos. Many called it one of the best options in the Honor 9 Lite’s price range.
The phone has a few weaknesses. The pairing of 2.36Ghz octa-core Kirin 650 processor with 3GB of RAM was enough to keep basic tasks and casual games running snappy. But advanced things, like 4K video and complex 3D games, created stuttering and heat issues.
The phone includes 32GB of internal storage. You can expand that with a microSD. However, it requires using the second SIM slot. So you’ll have to choose which feature is more important -- two lines or more storage.
The phone runs Android 8.0 Oreo with the EMUI 8.0 interface. Previous versions of EMUI were known for their bloatware and heavy modifications. Reviewers like the scaled back experience of this latest version. While there’s still bloatware, you can uninstall most of it.
The cameras are the obvious star of the show. The phone features 13MP dual lens front and rear cameras with 2MP secondary lenses for added bokeh. While reviewers found the bokeh and portrait modes very subtle, they liked the detailed, colorful images captures -- particularly from the front-facing camera.
Low-light performance was so-so. But for the price, it performed admirably, and the flash was powerful when detailed images were needed.
The 3,000mAh battery was another weak link for many reviewers. With light-to-moderate use, the phone has no problems lasting a day. But heavy users will struggle to reach sundown without searching out a charger. To make matters worse, it uses micro USB charging and doesn’t support any form of fast charging. You’re looking at a few hours for a full top off and will likely want to charge overnight.
TechNave said, “... this is a phone for a user who doesn't need a lot of requirements. It looks nice and the camera is quite good, so that's all an average user really needs.” Recombu said, “The Honor 9 Lite is a solid budget smartphone, offering full functionality for media lovers who want a big-screen experience on the move.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Chris Wallace, MobileTechTalkThe full glass front and back keeps it feeling like a modern premium device. You would only know that you weren’t using a flagship device when you fire up the camera and start to take some shots. That was the only real flaw I encountered whilst I was using the device. For me, the camera on the Honor...
- Nathan Spendelow, Christopher Minasians, Expert ReviewsThe key to the Honor 9 Lite is its price. It may not be the fastest or most long-lived smartphone on the market, but for £200 it’s an outright bargain. With its excellent 18:9 display and decent set of cameras, it could well be a contender for best budget smartphone of 2018. Honor’s rivals are going...
- Abel Wong, TechNaveThis is a phone for a user who doesn't need a lot of requirements. It looks nice and the camera is quite good, so that's all an average user really needs. While the battery is a bit of a letdown, iy is not that much of a problem when it's not pushed to the limits.
- Daniel Schmidt, NotebookcheckHonor has managed to create a good mid-range smartphone: The 9 Lite. It impresses with its bright display, decent dual cameras and smooth system performance. In addition, it has a great design with attractive color options.
- Basil Kronfli, TechRadarHonor has become accomplished at churning out excellent-value smartphones, and the Honor 9 Lite is no exception. It's not perfect, but with a decent quad-camera setup and a very handsome design, it delivers exceptional bang for your buck.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Huawei Honor 9 Lite user manual here.
Huawei backs up the Honor 9 Lite with a 2 Years parts & labour warranty.
If your Honor 9 Lite has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Huawei support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Huawei's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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