Huawei Honor 6 Review
by Andrei Frumusanu & Joshua Ho on September 12, 2014 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Huawei
- Android
- Mobile
- Honor 6
While we hopefully have a better understanding of the SoC's underlying architecture and specifications, let's take a look at how it performs in practice. The benchmarks are performed in the performance profile unless mentioned otherwise (No mention means there was little difference between the profiles).
We start off by our usual web-tests:
The Honor 6 performs outstandingly in our web benchmarks. It is leading all Android devices and even manages to outperform Apple's iPhone 5S in Google Octane and Mozilla's Kraken. This is a very interesting result that can be explained by one of big.LITTLE's core strengths: very low performance latency.
While traditional SoCs will try to scale the CPU frequency up while analysing a sample period of most often 50-100ms, while taking additional time to reach the maximum P-state, the GTS controlled Kirin 920 is able to do this at a maximum latency of only 26ms from idling, and in a best case scenario <16ms if the big cluster is already on a high frequency. The task at hand gets a higher residency time at full performance over traditional DVFS mechanics. Small and spiky loads such as Javascript test benches and web-page rendering are a perfect fit for big.LITTLE's design.
It is also to be noted that Cortex A15 SoCs have generally always performed very high on the web tests, the Exynos 5410 in the international Galaxy S4 was the first A15 design found in a smartphone and was able to achieve very similar scores when locked at high frequency. There is definitely also an architecture advantage to be found here in comparison to Krait based SoCs from Qualcomm.
We see a similar picture in the CPU-intensive loads of BaseMark OS II - the Kirin 920 is able to outperform all other Android devices, but still lags behind the year old Apple A7.
In the end, the abysmal graphics score of the Mali T628MP4 drags the final overall score on BaseMark OS.
The physics test of 3DMark 1.2 Unlimited which is mainly CPU-bound sees a huge difference between the smart and performance profiles of the device. Because this is a rate-limited CPU benchmark and its load is evenly spread out over time, it provides a perfect case for lowering the HMP parameters and enabling the scheduler to migrate the process over to a big core. This is the largest delta I've been able to measure between the two main profiles that the Honor 6 provides.
Next, let's investigate the GPU performance in more detail.
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semo - Friday, September 12, 2014 - link
Why no user replaceable battery? I've heard all the reasons why I shouldn't care but I still want one and wonder if planned obsolescence is the only reason for not including it.Also, is Qi an option for this phone?
Andrei Frumusanu - Friday, September 12, 2014 - link
There is no Qi charging option.semo - Friday, September 12, 2014 - link
Thanks Andrei. I think it is worthwhile pointing out this missing feature in the article just like you did with the non-removable battery. It is important for some!marcokatz - Friday, September 26, 2014 - link
Well said. Also it's important to point at that this is an Apple-wannabe that no way can match up to some of the really highly rated phones out there. /Marco from http://www.consumertop.com/best-phone-guide/Excerpt - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 - link
Yeah bro, you tell em. And Andrea why U no learn Chinese man? I wanna know what that extra stuff does. I'm going to China in like, a minute, like everyone else. What, you don't care about me bro? I love you man.And does it have haptic feed-back for goodness snakes? I want them good vibes in me fingas.
What about a sit test? Most of us reading here have fat arses, do you know sit (test)? I don't know sit (test) but I wanna hear your experience with sitting, maybe try with a heavy object like a cow, yeah a bull sit test.
That'd be great keep up the good work. <3
Murloc - Saturday, September 13, 2014 - link
1. takes up space2. makes the phone structurally weaker
2. planned obsolence/forced service you have to pay a lot for are good ways to make money
Alexey291 - Saturday, September 13, 2014 - link
Takes up literally no space seeing how Samsung S4 and S5 are both smaller and thinner than HTC One (M7 and M8 respectively)Arguably the back that's able to pop off makes the phone LESS prone to breaking as it allows the force to dissipate somewhat better than in the case of a rigid structure which simply breaks.
And lastly I am going to play the world's smallest violin for the POOR POOR manufacturers trying to make a quick buck from planned obsolescence or paid-for battery replacement.
I mean I know anandtech is all about manufacturer interests but I'll care about their concerns and problems the moment they stop earning millions upon millions in profits.
Intervenator - Saturday, September 13, 2014 - link
Are you really saying that the S4 and S5 are thinner than the HTC One because of the replaceable battery? And that it takes up "literally no space"? Really?arsjum - Saturday, September 13, 2014 - link
Not because of, in spite of.Alexey291 - Saturday, September 13, 2014 - link
Thank you sir. That's precisely what I meant. Its thinner and yet it has a replaceable battery. Impossiburu /o\To me personally all that "the replaceable battery is inefficient" nonsense is just that - nonsense. Some companies are just better at making thinner phones and some try to cut corners (and costs) at every possible stage.
And yes Anandtech has historically supported nothing but the manufacturer interests. They have been walking on these eggshells for a long time and that's precisely why they never directly criticise any dubious or greedy decision made by their sponsors :) In fact they sometimes go a step further and tell consumers (like myself) that we are wrong in wanting things like replaceable batteries and microsd slots because they are so "inefficient"
/sigh