Smartphones above Rs10 K usually mark the first big upgrade for most users, and to that extent, the strength of the brand, features and the value proposition become key for winning in this segment. Which is one reason, the segment has been dominated by high spending, visible brands, who happen to either be among the top leaders, or have been there in the past, or in the case, are making a serious case for leadership.
The Honor 9 Lite jumps into this mix, with known brands like Xiaomi, Nokia, Motorola and others with a handset that could be the game changer for the firm.
For not only does the Honor 9 Lite match the competition feature for feature, but it regularly bests every other phone in the category. So should this be the phone for you, if you are looking to upgrade? Read on to make a decision.
Start with the display. The Honor 9 Lite places a clear marker here, with a solid 18:9 aspect ratio, matched only by the upcoming Redmi 5 plus. It also throws in the highest Pixel density at 428 ppi versus the 403 on the MiA1 and just 203 on the Nokia 5. While the Honor 9 Lite pack comes with a phone cover, the only opening it offers competition is the lack of a Gorilla glass cover for the screen itself.
The hard stuff. Other than the Nokia 5, it’s fair to expect every phone in this category to offer 4GB ram, and the Honor 9 Lite along with competition does that. However, while the Xiaomi MiA1 and the Redmi One Plus sport the Qualcomm snapdragon 625 chipset, the Honor 9 Lite more than matches that with Huawei’s own Kirin 659 Octa Core SoC which is a proven performer now.
On the camera, where choices are made and changed, the Honor 9 Lite makes its strongest case possibly. While competition has moved ahead to dual cameras in the rear, with the Honor 9 Lite, you get 4 cameras in the phone, thanks to 2 in the front as well. Both the cameras are a 13 MP +2MP combination, offering a very strong selfie capability, besides pro features like bokeh and more for all your pictures. Keep in mind that Huawei’s EMUI interface, now getting better and smarter with every upgrade, and in this case, we are talking the latest Oreo version of Android, ensures that you get more than adequate help from the phone to take better snaps. So if selfies matter, the argument is pretty much settled right here in favour of the Honor 9 Lite.
An interesting but not unrelated factor playing out with the choice of the Honor 9 Lite is the fact that the brand is building up some solid momentum now, with the 7Xearlier, followed by the View 10 recently doing no harm at all to its reputation and numbers in India. With a massive R&D backup of its own, the Honor badge is beginning to make its presence felt in ways that go beyond just the price, where it has actually delivered solid value.
What will support that choice for you will be the assurance of the parent company’s long presence and consequently, better service network for any repairs or replacements. With flash sales and online distribution being a priority, make sure to check for the best deal when you go to get this smartphone.