Skip to main content

Huawei unveils Honor Note 8, a gargantuan phablet with a 6.6-inch screen

It’s phablet season. A day before Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 announcement, Huawei has eclipsed the rumored 5.7-inch device with the Honor Note 8 — a 6.6-inch gargantuan offering that is a direct response to Xiaomi’s Mi Max. Here’s everything you need to know.

Specs and OS

The Honor Note 7 is powered by the Kirin 955 processor, which is made by Huawei subsidiary HiSilicon. It’s the same processor that powers Huawei’s recent flagship offering, but unlike the P9, Huawei is offering 4GB of RAM. That can be helpful when you’re trying to multitask on such a large screen. You’ll be able to choose between 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB of internal storage, and the dual-SIM phone also supports a MicroSD slot that lets you upgrade your storage with an additional 128GB.

Recommended Videos

The 6.6-inch display features a Quad HD resolution, or 2560 x 1440 pixels, and the device has a much-needed 4,500mAh battery to keep the screen running for a while. You’ll find a USB Type-C port on the bottom of the device, which means faster charging and data transfer.

Like most smartphones these days, the Note 8 has a fingerprint sensor, a 13-megapixel rear camera with optical-image stabilization, and an 8-megapixel selfie camera that houses an 85-degree wide-angle lens.

The Note 8 runs Google’s Android 6.0 Marshmallow, but you’ll find it heavily layered with EMUI 4.1, the company’s user-interface overlay that’s highly reminiscent of iOS.

Design

Huawei’s phablet maintains a similar metal aesthetic as its other smartphones, but the silver variant carries a striking resemblance to Google’s Nexus 6P — mostly due to the rear black glass covering the camera. Apart from that, the phone actually looks quite plain. The bezels are quite slim on the front, the volume rocker sits at the top right, with the power button just below it.

The phone’s overall shape is more rounded than the P9.

Release date

The Honor Note 8 will be available for purchase in China on August 9. The 32GB variant is going for 2,299 yuan, or $345 U.S., and the 64GB model costs 2,499 yuan, or $375. For an additional $45, the 128GB variant is also an option. It comes in gold and silver, and you can also pre-order it now via Huawei’s website.

It’s unclear if this device will hit other markets, such as the U.S.

Julian Chokkattu
Former Mobile and Wearables Editor
Julian is the mobile and wearables editor at Digital Trends, covering smartphones, fitness trackers, smartwatches, and more…
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more
These are the 4 best alternatives to the Google Pixel 9a
A person taking the Google Pixel 9a out of a pocket.

The best cheap phone race has been reignited by the Google Pixel 9a, which brings the Google Pixel 9 series experience at a significantly lower price. Starting at $449, Google’s latest Pixel offers the flagship processor of its siblings for flagship-level performance, an excellent camera, and long-term software support.

Yet, Google’s software experience won’t be for everyone; there are obvious tradeoffs in the specs sheet to enable the low price; the camera bar design is somewhat polarizing for long-term fans, and there’s no telephoto camera. 

Read more
Apple and Samsung rivalling phones, earbuds and more due at huge July event
The OnePlus Summer Launch Event has five new products, including the Nord 5 and Pad 3 Lite
Five OnePlus products launching in July 2025

OnePlus has confirmed it will host a bumper launch event on July 8, where it will announce five new products, covering phones, headphones, wearables and tablets.

The range of new devices will join the OnePlus 13, OnePlus 13R and OnePlus Pad 3 which arrived earlier this year as the Chinese firm fills out its product offering to compete against Apple, Samsung and co.

Read more