Honor 10X Lite review

Competition

Much like the P smart 2021 we had last week, the Honor 10X Lite is in a pretty crowded market segment with a lot of intense competition. On top of our shortlist would be the Realme 7, which comes with a vastly more powerful chipset and a 90Hz display that's also brighter and more contrasty than Honor's 60Hz one. The Realme can record 4K video and has stabilization in 1080p, neither to be found on the Honor. With battery life similarly great between the two and a tie for the I/O basics (headphone jack and dedicated microSD slot), the Realme is looking like a much better package.

Most of the above applies to the Poco X3 NFC, and then some. The Poco, too, has an HRR screen, and this one goes all the way to 120Hz. It also delivers an overall superior camera experience to what the 10X Lite can muster - better main cam, better ultra-wide, 4K video with stabilization. It then adds stereo speakers and IP53-rated splash proofing. The aluminum frame adds a touch of 'premium.' In its base trim level, it comes with half the Honor's storage, not to mention it uses a shared memory slot, while the 10X Lite counters with a dedicated one. The X3 NFC is about 10%-15% more expensive, but even so, we'd pick the Poco out of these two.

If you're after a more familiar brand name, Samsung has the Galaxy A31 for you at a modest premium over the Honor 10X Lite's asking price. The Galaxy's display may not be HRR, but this one has a different advantage - it's AMOLED next to the P smart's LCD, and it's also brighter on top of that. The Galaxy outlasts the Honor in an endurance race, but those are about the only things it does better, really. It's mostly a tie in performance, and image quality is barely better, which shows that the brand name itself commands a premium.

Another brand with a famed past, Motorola doesn't charge all that much of a premium. In fact, the Moto G8 Power can be had for less than the Honor. That will net you a proper tri-set of cameras, including a tele, and even if they're not amazing, they're still superior to the setup found on the 10X Lite. The Moto also has even longer battery life and brighter and contrastier display, plus stereo speakers, though it too isn't a computing powerhouse.

Realme 7 (Global) • Xiaomi Poco X3 NFC • Samsung Galaxy A31 • Motorola Moto G8 Power

Verdict

If you read our Huawei P smart 2021 review, you know by now that the Honor 10X Lite isn't getting a recommendation. It's an okay phone and has a few strong-ish points like battery life and an extensive feature set.

It does, however, miss the mark in key areas. The camera turns out average or below average results, the chipset ranks at the bottom in the phone's price bracket, the display is neither impressively bright nor has a high refresh rate. None of these is a dealbreaker, but competitors outclass the Honor in some or all of these areas without breaking the bank.

Pros

• Excellent battery life, reasonably fast charging.
• Potentially super color-accurate display.
• Nice night mode on the main cam, good selfies.
• 3.5mm jack, FM radio, NFC, standalone microSD slot.

Cons

• No Google services on board - even if there are workarounds and most apps will work, some won't.
• Display doesn't get very bright, it's 60Hz, too, in the face of high refresh rate competition.
• Dated chipset, underpowered compared to rivals.
• Main camera is particularly underwhelming.
• Poor video recording capabilities - no 4K, no stabilization.