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    Home » Review: HONOR 600s, built like a tank, smart like an assistant
    Reviews

    Review: HONOR 600s, built like a tank, smart like an assistant

    Nick James ArillaBy Nick James ArillaOctober 1, 2026Updated:October 2, 20266 Mins Read
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    The HONOR 600s is a phone with clear purpose. It trades the Snapdragon 4 Gen 4 and a 720p display for an 8,100mAh battery and IP69K-rated durability, then adds a dedicated AI button that puts smart features one press away. It’s not trying to be everything. It’s trying to be exactly what you need, right when you need it.

    AI Features

    One of the notable AI features of the HONOR 600s is the AI Image-to-Video 2.0. It lets you generate and edit short videos from still photos using prompts. You can combine reference images and use casual language text prompts to direct the AI when making videos.

    Extending images and editing its background seamlessly is usually locked behind a paywall. Luckily, with HONOR 600s, you can do it in the native photo editing app. Here are some sample photos using the AI edit. 

    Beyond these features, there is also a dedicated AI button. It gives you quick access to tools like Circle to search, AI memory, which quickly saves and retrieves information snippets, and AI summaries that extract key points from long text quickly. Having a button to access all of them quickly can help people integrate it into their daily lives.   

    Design and build

    The HONOR 600s features a matte finish on the back, giving it a clean and sophisticated look and making it resistant to fingerprints. It carries an IP68, IP69, and IP69K rating, making it water resistant to water and dust. The body thickness is 8.3 mm and weighs 216.5 g. For a phone with a big battery, it does not feel heavy because of the weight distribution. It also has an SGS five-star certification for drop resistance, so you do not have to worry about damage when dropping your phone within a 2.5-meter range. 

    Camera

    The HONOR 600S features a 50MP rear camera and a 5MP front camera. Video recording is capped at 1080p at 30 fps on both cameras. In daylight, the camera performs well, capturing clear and detailed shots. 

        (Captured in an outdoor setting)

    Indoors, it’s acceptable, and in low light, it’s okay, though you’ll notice some drop in quality and a lot of noise reduction. The front camera is bright and decent for selfies and video calls. The camera app includes Pro mode, Night mode, Multi-video, Slow-mo, Panorama, Time-lapse, and High-res mode, covering the essentials for everyday shooting. It also has underwater mode in the camera settings, using the volume buttons as a shutter so you can take videos and photos while being underwater. 

    Performance

    The HONOR 600S runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 4 Gen 4, paired with an Adreno 613 GPU. In everyday use, scrolling through social media and navigating the interface is fine though I can notice some hiccups while scrolling through TikTok. Gaming tells a similar story. Frame drops and lagging are present, with the device struggling to maintain a consistent frame rate in more demanding high graphics games. Using low to medium-quality graphics helps a lot to keep the frame rate stable and smooth. I played for 4 hours, and the phone did not overheat, but notable warmth was seen, as expected given the chipset’s limitations. I can say that it can handle casual gaming, but it is not built for anything serious.

    Display

    The HONOR 600s comes with a 6.87-inch TFT LCD panel at 1592 x 720 resolution, and it supports dynamic dimming eye protection technology. Since the display is only an entry-level panel, and at 720p, you can see slightly rough edges around texts. The only good thing about having a 720p display in 2026 is that it uses less power and keeps everyday scrolling smooth since it has 120 Hz. 

    Battery 

    The HONOR 600S is equipped with an 8,100mAh battery and 45W fast charging, and this is easily one of the phone’s defining features. Testing it out in the real world with camera use, mobile data on, a mix of heavy and light gaming, and social media scrolling, it actually holds up really well. With my usage, it lasts me 2 days without needing a charge. Even on heavier days with more gaming and camera work, I never found myself scrambling for a charger before the day was done. When the battery does get low, having 45W fast charging really matters, letting me get on the move quickly without wasting time. 

    Specs

    • Height: 168.3mm
    • Width: 78.54mm 
    • Depth: 8.30mm
    • Weight: 216.5g
    • 6.87-inch TFT LCD
    • Resolution: 1592 x 720
    • Refresh Rate: 120Hz
    • Qualcom Snapdragon 4 Gen 4
    • GPU: Adreno 613
    • MagicOS 10
    • Memory: 6GB + 128GB, 8GB + 256GB
    • Rear camera: 50 MP Main (f/1.8) + Auxiliary Lens (f/3.0)
    • Front camera: 5 MP (f/2.2)
    • 8100mAh, Lithium-ion polymer, 45W HONOR SuperCharge (wireless charging not supported)
    • IP68/IP69/IP69K
    • WLAN: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4GHz & 5GHz, hotspot, WLAN Direct
    • USB: Type-C, USB 2.0
    • Sensors: Gravity, Fingerprint (side-mounted), Compass, Acceleration, Ambient Light, Proximity

    Verdict

    The HONOR 600s is built for people who prioritize efficiency and all-day battery life. The 8,100mAh battery genuinely lasts. The IP ratings mean it survives a daily beating, rain or shine. The AI experience puts the cherry on top. The dedicated AI button puts Circle to Search, AI Memory, image removal, and AI summaries one press away, while AI Image-to-Video 2.0 turns still photos into short clips using nothing but text prompts. That’s a genuinely useful feature set; when I want it, it’s there. It’s a practical tool with smart features that actually work. If your priorities align, it’s a compelling buy. If not, the compromises are hard to ignore.

    Price

    The HONOR 600S is priced at Php 19,999 for the 256GB variant, while the 128GB model, available exclusively online, costs Php 18,999.

    Pre-orders run from Oct. 1 to 9, 2026. Buyers of the 256GB variant will receive a free HONOR Bluetooth Speaker II, while those who pre-order the 128GB model will get an HONOR Choice Watch 2i.

    Pre-order customers will also be eligible for a chance to win a shopping spree worth Php 1 million.

    The HONOR 600S is available in three color options: Desert Gold, Misty Purple and Velvet Black.

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    Nick James Arilla

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