Honor 9 Lite Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Honor 9 Lite is a sleek and stylish smartphone that offers an immersive visual experience with its 5.65-inch IPS LCD display. Its 18:9 aspect ratio and 1080 x 2160 pixel resolution deliver vibrant and sharp visuals, perfect for gaming and multimedia consumption. Powered by the Kirin 659 chipset and equipped with up to 4GB of RAM, this device ensures smooth performance and multitasking capabilities. The dual 13MP + 2MP rear cameras capture stunning photos with depth and detail, while the dual 13MP + 2MP front cameras deliver impressive selfies. With its impressive features and competitive price range, the Honor 9 Lite is a compelling choice for tech enthusiasts seeking a high-quality smartphone.

Design and Build Quality

The Honor 9 Lite boasts an aesthetically pleasing design that exudes a premium look and feel. With its sleek and slim form factor, it is both stylish and portable, fitting comfortably in the hand. The device features a glass front and back with an aluminum frame, giving it a sleek and modern appearance. The 5.65-inch IPS LCD display occupies a significant portion of the front, with slim bezels surrounding it, resulting in an impressive screen-to-body ratio of approximately 75.5%. The dimensions of 151 x 71.9 x 7.6 mm and a weight of 149g make it lightweight and easy to carry around. The back panel houses a dual-camera setup, accompanied by a fingerprint sensor for secure unlocking. The build quality of the Honor 9 Lite is commendable, with sturdy construction and a solid feel. The device comes in various attractive colors, including Midnight Black, Sapphire Blue, Glacier Gray, Navy, Seagull Gray, Magic Nightfall, and Pearl White. Overall, the Honor 9 Lite showcases excellent design elements, combining aesthetics, durability, and ergonomics to provide users with a visually appealing and user-friendly device.

Display

The Honor 9 Lite features a 5.65-inch IPS LCD display with a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 75.5%. The display has a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels, offering a pixel density of around 428 ppi. With an 18:9 aspect ratio, the device provides a wider and more immersive viewing experience. The colors on the screen are vibrant and accurate, providing a pleasing visual experience. The brightness levels are sufficient for indoor use, and the device also offers good outdoor visibility. The touch responsiveness is smooth and precise, ensuring a seamless user experience. Additionally, the Honor 9 Lite comes with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass on the front and back, providing protection against scratches and minor drops. The viewing angles are wide, allowing for comfortable viewing from different perspectives. The device also supports an adaptive brightness feature, which adjusts the screen brightness according to the surrounding lighting conditions. Overall, the Honor 9 Lite's display offers a good balance of size, resolution, color accuracy, and touch responsiveness, making it suitable for various multimedia and gaming purposes.

Performance

The Honor 9 Lite, powered by the Kirin 659 chipset and Mali-T830 MP2 GPU, delivers commendable performance across various tasks. In terms of gaming capabilities, it offers a smooth and lag-free experience, making it a suitable choice for mobile gamers.

The CPU benchmarks and processor performance of the Honor 9 Lite are quite impressive. The octa-core configuration, comprising four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 2.36 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.7 GHz, ensures efficient multitasking and app loading speeds. The device handles day-to-day tasks with ease and provides a smooth user experience.

When it comes to gaming performance, the Honor 9 Lite excels. The GPU benchmarks and graphics scores indicate its ability to handle graphically demanding games. The Mali-T830 MP2 GPU ensures smooth gameplay and visually appealing graphics. Gaming benchmarks also demonstrate the device's prowess in delivering an enjoyable gaming experience.

Moreover, the Honor 9 Lite showcases impressive thermal management and system optimization. It efficiently manages heat dissipation during prolonged gaming sessions, preventing overheating issues. This results in sustained performance without any significant drop in processor efficiency or GPU efficiency.

In terms of benchmark tests, the Honor 9 Lite performs well in synthetic benchmarks, indicating its overall performance capabilities. The device consistently achieves satisfactory benchmark scores, further reinforcing its commendable performance metrics.

Overall, the Honor 9 Lite offers a solid performance package, combining a capable chipset, efficient GPU, and optimized system. Its processor performance, multitasking capabilities, and gaming experience make it a reliable choice for users seeking a device with smooth performance and a lag-free user interface.

Software and User Interface

The Honor 9 Lite runs on the Android 8.0 Oreo operating system, which can be upgraded to Android 9.0 Pie with the EMUI 9.1 user interface. This software combination provides a user-friendly and intuitive interface for the device. The EMUI 9.1 offers various customization options, allowing users to personalize their device according to their preferences. It also provides a smooth and responsive user experience.

The Honor 9 Lite comes with some pre-installed apps, as is common with most smartphones. However, the amount of bloatware on the device is relatively low, ensuring that users have more storage space for their own apps and files. The pre-installed apps include essential ones like the phone dialer, messages, and camera apps, as well as useful tools like a file manager and a weather app.

The EMUI 9.1 interface on the Honor 9 Lite offers a clean and organized layout, making it easy for users to navigate through the various functions and features of the device. The settings menu is well-structured, allowing users to quickly find and modify different settings according to their preferences. The notification panel provides a convenient way to access and manage notifications, while the app drawer keeps all the installed apps neatly organized.

Overall, the software on the Honor 9 Lite provides a smooth and user-friendly experience. The combination of Android 8.0 Oreo and EMUI 9.1 offers a stable and efficient operating system with customizable options. The minimal bloatware ensures that users have ample storage space for their own apps and files. With its clean interface and intuitive layout, the software on the Honor 9 Lite is designed to enhance the user experience and provide a seamless smartphone usage.

Camera

The Honor 9 Lite boasts a dual-camera setup on both the front and rear, making it a standout feature of this device. The rear camera consists of a 13 MP primary sensor with phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and a 2 MP depth sensor. This combination allows for the capture of stunning images with good depth of field and background blur in portrait mode. The front camera also packs a 13 MP sensor along with a 2 MP depth sensor for impressive selfies with bokeh effects.

In terms of image quality, the Honor 9 Lite performs well in various lighting conditions. It excels in daylight photography, producing sharp and detailed images with accurate colors. The camera's dynamic range is commendable, capturing a wide range of highlights and shadows. The device also performs adequately in low-light situations, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities. Additionally, the night mode feature enhances low-light performance by capturing brighter images with reduced noise.

The camera app of the Honor 9 Lite offers a range of features to enhance photography experience. Users can utilize HDR mode to capture images with improved dynamic range, panorama mode for wide-angle shots, and pro mode for manual control over settings like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. The AI scene recognition feature automatically detects different scenes and adjusts settings accordingly to ensure optimal results.

When it comes to video recording, the Honor 9 Lite can shoot Full HD videos with good detail and color reproduction. It also supports video stabilization, providing smoother footage while reducing shakiness. For those interested in slow-motion videos or time-lapse recordings, the device offers these features as well. However, it should be noted that the Honor 9 Lite does not support 4K video recording.

Overall, the camera of the Honor 9 Lite is a strong performer, delivering impressive image quality, especially in well-lit environments. It offers a variety of features that cater to different photography styles and preferences, making it a reliable choice for capturing memorable moments.

Battery Life

The Honor 9 Lite is equipped with a non-removable Li-Po 3000 mAh battery, which offers decent battery life considering its specifications. The battery capacity is sufficient to power the device for a full day of moderate usage. However, heavy usage or extended periods of screen-on time may require a recharge before the day is over.

In terms of charging technology, the Honor 9 Lite does not support fast charging or wireless charging options. It relies on a standard microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer. While the lack of fast charging may be a drawback for some users, the device's battery optimization features help in maximizing power efficiency and minimizing battery drain.

The battery performance of the Honor 9 Lite is generally reliable, providing satisfactory backup for everyday tasks. With its battery saver mode and efficient battery management, users can extend the battery life when needed. However, it's important to note that the device's battery capacity may not be sufficient for heavy multitasking or resource-intensive activities.

Overall, the battery of the Honor 9 Lite offers a decent performance for its price range, with optimization features that help in managing battery usage effectively. While it may not have the fastest charging or the most extensive battery life, it provides a reliable and satisfactory experience for most users.

Connectivity and Networking

The Honor 9 Lite offers a range of connectivity options to keep users connected on the go. It supports 4G LTE network compatibility, ensuring fast data speeds for browsing, streaming, and downloading. The device also features dual SIM capability, allowing users to easily switch between two different phone numbers or data plans.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Honor 9 Lite supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n standards, ensuring seamless internet access in Wi-Fi-enabled environments. It also supports Wi-Fi Direct, enabling direct file transfers between compatible devices without the need for a separate access point. Bluetooth 4.2 is available on the device, providing efficient wireless communication with other devices such as headphones, speakers, or smartwatches.

For location-based services, the Honor 9 Lite includes GPS, GLONASS, and BDS navigation systems, ensuring accurate positioning for navigation and location-based apps. NFC technology is also available on some market/region-dependent models, allowing users to make contactless payments or quickly connect with other NFC-enabled devices.

In terms of physical connectivity, the Honor 9 Lite features a microUSB 2.0 port for charging and data transfer. While it does not support USB-C or wireless charging, the microUSB port is still widely compatible with various accessories and charging cables. Additionally, the device supports USB On-The-Go (OTG), enabling users to connect external storage devices or accessories.

Overall, the Honor 9 Lite provides a solid range of connectivity options, including dual SIM capability, 4G LTE support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, and USB connectivity. These features ensure that users can stay connected, navigate easily, transfer data, and enjoy fast internet speeds on the go.

Additional Features

The Honor 9 Lite comes with several standout features that make it a popular choice among smartphone users. One of its notable features is its sleek and stylish design, with a glass front and back and an aluminum frame. The 5.65-inch IPS LCD display offers a immersive viewing experience with its 18:9 aspect ratio and high pixel density.

In terms of performance, the Honor 9 Lite is equipped with a Kirin 659 chipset and an octa-core processor, ensuring smooth multitasking and fast app loading times. The device also has a decent camera setup, with a dual 13MP + 2MP rear camera and a dual 13MP + 2MP front camera for capturing stunning selfies.

The Honor 9 Lite offers a range of additional sensors such as the accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, and compass, enhancing the user experience by enabling advanced motion and environmental tracking capabilities. It also supports NFC, allowing for convenient contactless payments and data transfer.

While the Honor 9 Lite does not have water resistance or wireless charging capabilities, its overall feature set and competitive pricing make it a solid choice for those looking for a reliable and stylish smartphone.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Honor 9 Lite is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a range of features often found in higher-end devices. When comparing it to related gadgets in the market, it stands out as a strong competitor in its price range.

In terms of specifications, the Honor 9 Lite features a 5.65-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 1080 x 2160 pixels. Its 18:9 aspect ratio provides an immersive viewing experience. The phone is powered by a Kirin 659 chipset and offers different RAM and storage options, including 3GB or 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded using a microSD card.

The device comes with a dual-camera setup on both the front and back. The rear camera consists of a 13 MP primary sensor and a 2 MP depth sensor, while the front camera also features a 13 MP sensor along with a 2 MP depth sensor. This allows for great depth-of-field effects and portrait shots.

In terms of performance, the Honor 9 Lite performs well for its price range. The octa-core processor and Mali-T830 MP2 GPU provide smooth multitasking and decent gaming capabilities. The phone runs on Android 8.0 Oreo, upgradable to Android 9.0 Pie with EMUI 9.1, ensuring a user-friendly experience.

When compared to other related phones in the market, such as the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 or the Samsung Galaxy A20s, the Honor 9 Lite holds its own. It offers a similar level of performance and camera capabilities at a competitive price point.

In terms of pricing, the Honor 9 Lite is positioned as an affordable option, with a price tag of around 190 EUR. This makes it a compelling choice for budget-conscious consumers who are looking for a device that offers a balance of features and cost-effectiveness.

Overall, the Honor 9 Lite competes well in the market, providing good value for money. Its strong specifications, decent performance, and competitive pricing make it an attractive option for those looking for a budget smartphone with reliable features.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Honor 9 Lite is an impressive smartphone that offers a great combination of style, performance, and affordability. With its sleek glass design and slim profile, it exudes a premium look and feel. The 5.65-inch Full HD+ display with an 18:9 aspect ratio provides a vibrant and immersive viewing experience. The Kirin 659 chipset, coupled with 3GB or 4GB of RAM, ensures smooth multitasking and efficient performance. The dual rear and front cameras produce impressive photos with good detail and accurate colors. Additionally, the 3000mAh battery provides adequate power for a day of usage. Overall, the Honor 9 Lite is a solid choice for buyers looking for a budget-friendly smartphone without compromising on features or quality.