Huawei did not wait for MWC 2017 as anticipated to unveil the Honor 8 Lite. First, the phone was introduced in Europe and now the company has launched in China during a dedicated event.
The Honor 8 Lite looks quite sleek, but comes equipped with watered down specs compared to the Honor 8. But exactly how diluted? Keep reading to find out the main differences between the two phones.
Design & Display
5.2-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution vs 5.2-inch display with 1080 x 1920 resolution
423 ppi vs 423 ppi
Both phones come with the same 5.2-inch with the specific 1080p resolution. Built quality is also quite very similar, as the Honor 8 Lite arrives in the sporting a metal frame, glass back with a 12-later mirror coating just like the Honor 8. Bottom line is that both devices look extremely sleek, so you won’t be ashamed of pulling out your mid-ranger out of your pocket.
Processor
Kirin 950 vs Kirin 655
4GB of RAM vs 3GB/4GB of RAM
32GB/64GB of internal storage vs 16GB/32GB/64GB of internal storage
Since the Honor 8 Lite is the lower end version, it takes advantage of only a Kirin 655 which is an octa-core affair with 4 x 2.1GHz cores + 4 x 1.7GHz cores. The same chipset can be found in the Honor 6X.
As for the Honor 8, the phone boasts a Kirin 950 under the hood – an octa-core processor with 4 x 2.3GHz cores + 4 x 1.8GHz cores. The same chipset can be found in Huawei’s 2015 flagship, the Mate 8.
Naturally the Honor 8 Lite base version has less RAM and internal storage, but both phones offer support for a microSD card slot.
The two phones also take advantage of rear-mounted fingerprint scanners.
Cameras
Dual 12MP/8MP vs 12MP/8MP
The Honor 8 features a dual camera setup, while the Honor 8 Lite does not. The main shooter on the Honor 8 also offers laser autofocus and dual-LED (dual tone) flash, while the camera on the back of the Honor 8 Lite is equipped with f/2,2 aperture. Both phones feature an 8MP selfie snapper.
Software
Android 6.0 Marshmallow vs Android 7.0 Nougat
While the Honor 8 ships with Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, the Android 7.0 Nougat update is currently available for the device. The newcomer has Android 7.0 Nougat running out of the box. Both phones have Huawei’s own specific EMUI 5.0 interface plastered on top.
Battery
3,000 mAh vs 3,000 mAh
Both phones run on a 3,000 mAh battery, but given that the Honor 8 Lite has a less demanding processor onboard, its life cycle might prove longer than the Honor 8’s.
Value
$330 vs $160
You can pick up an Honor 8 with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage from Amazon today for $330 a pop (discounted from a previous $399). As for the Honor 8 Lite it is really cheap. The price for the 3GB of RAM +32GB of internal storage version is set at approximately $160 in China. Given that the phone has also made an appearance in Europe, we can speculate Huawei will bring into the US at some point too.
