Huawei Honor 6 Plus review: Like a cheaper Android version of iPhone 6 Plus

The Honor 6 Plus can only be bought online, but Huawei is starting to do a roaring trade around the world and it is easy to see why.

The Honor 6 Plus. Courtesy Huawei

Anyone who has not heard of Huawei’s Honor 6 Plus probably will soon.

The smartphone maker took a different approach with its May launch of the Honor 6 in the UAE when it was made available only online at souq.com.

And while the response has been a barnstorming success – its initial batch of 5,000 units sold out in a week – it is easy to see why.

The device, although priced in the mid-market, has an Apple iPhone look and feel about it, making it a commendable effort from the Chinese company.

The finish, like with the company’s new P8 flagship, is not completely clean, with a couple of rough edges on the faux glass back. But overall it looks like a Dh2,000 smartphone, rather than the Dh1,399 you will shell out for the 32GB phone, which runs on Android.

The 5.5-inch screen does an admirable job – for those wanting to boast, its resolution at 401 pixels per inch is on par with the iPhone 6 Plus.

The camera is also rather nifty, with an 8MP dual snapper to the rear and another 8MP up front. The shutter speed is rapid, eliminating the frustration you find with some smartphone cameras that jolt into action when the moment has already passed.

All of this is backed up by 3 gigabytes of RAM and an octa-core processor, giving it the kind of power that is extremely rare in a mid-market smartphone. There should be no fears of slowdown for gamers or video enthusiasts.

Deciding between the P8 and the Honor 6 Plus would be a tricky decision.

The P8 is slightly smaller at 5.2 inches and, given that it is a few hundred dirhams more expensive, is more stylish.

However, there is not much between them technically, and with these two phones now available Huawei is building a strong line-up that is tempting iPhone and Samsung Galaxy fans into spending less.

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All this technical wizardry for just Dh1,399? They must be flying off the shelves, or rather, into delivery vans.

Indeed they are. Huawei said its smartphone range has experienced growth of 39 per cent during the first half of the year, largely on the back of the Honor brand. It said it accounts for 40 per cent of its 48.2 million worldwide shipments and a device is sold every 1.5 seconds.

So, it’s just like an iPhone, but a whole lot cheaper.

Yes, there is a strong likeness, and it is certainly winning over phone buyers in its home country, China. Data from independent analyst firm Canalys released yesterday showed Huawei was the nation’s second largest smartphone manufacturer with 15.7 per cent market share, behind first-placed Xiaomi and ahead of third-placed Apple.

Is it the end of the road for smartphone big-guns Apple and Samsung then?

Well, it would be a bit hasty to say that. However, they are coming under increasing pressure, especially now that some of the “lesser” brands are producing high-standard technology, as seen with the Honor 6, at lower prices.

Anything else?

Yes, the all-important battery of course. It takes 2 hours, 51 minutes to charge (not quite to the second), and the device will last for 1.25 days on heavy usage, which is decent compared to its peers.

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