Huawei has been in India for some time now,
but has yet to make a dent with a memorable handset. Can it finally achieve
that with the Honor Holly, taking on budget options like the Xiaomi Redmi 1s
and the Moto E?
Specs: 5-inch IPS HD touchscreen (1280×720
pixels) | 1.3 GHz Quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor | 1GB RAM | 16GB internal
memory, microSD card up to 32GB | 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4, GPS | Dual-SIM
(GSM+GSM) | 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 1080p FullHD video recording |
2MP front camera with 720p HD video recording | 2000mAh battery | Android 4.4
Kit Kat with Emotion UI
Price: Rs 6,569
Design: The Honor Holly looks and feels like
“just another smartphone.” While that would have been a complaint in a more
expensive phone, it’s just what you want in a budget handset. There’s nothing
great, but nothing strikingly negative either. The glossy back can get dirty
quickly, but that’s about it. Just like the Redmi 1s, the capacitive touch keys
don’t have backlighting, so it’s difficult to use them in the dark—very
annoying!
Screen: The 5-inch HD screen is big and sharp
enough, and the colours don’t bleed. What’s missing is a scratch-resistant
glass, which rivals Xiaomi and Motorola bring to the table. Still, it’s
responsive enough and good to use.
Performance: The Honor Holly’s quad-core processor
and 1GB RAM handle most things well, whether it’s multi-tasking or playing
games. You won’t be able to play games like Asphalt 8 at high quality, but it’s
good enough to not look bad and still be smooth.
Camera: Photos in bright daylight are fine, but
as soon as the lighting gets dim, you will notice noise in the images. The
camera also tends to pump up colours artificially, which can be annoying. The
front camera is good enough for a few selfies though.
Storage: With 16GB of internal memory and the
further option to expand it with a microSD slot, we have a winner here.
Interface: The Holly runs Android 4.4 Kit Kat, but
you won’t know that with the customised Emotion UI. The functionality is the
same as the Redmi, in that it tries to mimic the iPhone feel of a grid of app
icons with no app drawer. However, the icon choices are garish and the whole
thing seems bloated. You’re better off installing something like Nova Launcher
to make your phone look like stock Android.
Battery: The battery will take you through a day,
but expect it to run out quickly if you do a lot of gaming. On continuous video
playback, it lasted for 7 hours.
Special Mention: Like the Xiaomi
Redmi 1s and the Motorola Moto E, the Rs. 6,600 price does not include a set of
headphones, so you will have to buy those separately, raising the price of this
budget phone.
Verdict: The Huawei Honor Holly would have been a
great phone a few months ago; but with the Redmi 1s in the market, it pales in
comparison. It’s not a bad purchase by any yardstick; and it’s far easier to
buy the Holly than sitting patiently through one of Xiaomi’s terrible flash
sales. If you can’t get the Redmi 1s, this is a good option.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-reviews/huawei-honor-holly-review-not-a-bad-purchase/#sthash.hby8Y39e.dpuf
